Sekunemvunge eshayelwa phansi kulemigwaqo yakulendawo ngokusolakala kwabathize ekubulaweni kuka Manqoba, kusolwa umbango wamasoka endawo nezinswelaboya ezibhema izidakamizwa, kodwa akekho obengasola uMbatha. amaphoyisa aphume inqina kamabuyaze ebuzisa ngomkhondo wababulali, ekhiphe ngisho nomklomelo wezinkulungwane ezilishumi zamarandi kulowo ongaba nolwazi oluphathekayo olungasiza ukutholakala kwabasolwa.
“SENZENI NA? SENZENI NA? SENZENI NA?” kuhlabelela umphakathi ngosizi.
Usuku lwemashi yokufuna ubulungiswa eBhekisizwe Secondary School. Kungusuku lwesikhumbuzo sokuphila kukaManqoba, amalungu omphakathi athukuthele agane unwabu bebuza ukuthi singeke kanjani isikhali singabonwa muntu, futhi lokhu kusho ukuthini ngokuphepha kwezingane zabo.
“Sifuna izimpendulo!” kuvungama amalungu omphakathi ngemuva ehholo.
“Bakwethu ngicela sehlise imimoya, akukho esingakulungisa uma sonke sithukuthele kanje. Amaphoyisa ayaluphenya udaba luka Manqoba, futhi sikhiphe umklomelo kamehlo akaboni, siyisikole siqinise ezokuphepha njengoba sibheke isikhathi sezivivinyo zokuphela konyaka. Akukho esingakwenza ngaphandle kokuthemba ingalo yomthetho,” kuchaza uthishomkhulu.
Ngokuhamba kwezinsuku nokusondela komqhudelwano omkhulu wezikole zesifunda ngomculo nomdanso kwezomdabu namasiko; incindezi iyanda kuZenani ngoba ubuchule bakhe budingeka macala wonke. Ungumhleli wezinto zokuhamba kanye nokudla uma kuyiwa ehholo elikhulu lesifunda ePort Shepstone Hall. Usizana nothisha kanye namalunga esigungu sabafundi kulesi sikole, futhi konke kubukeka kumi ngomumo. Iqhinga likaZenani lokubaleka imibuzo yokuthi kungani engangeni kulelikwaya lamahubo njengoba kunguye ohuba inkondlo yokukhuleka kuMkabayi kaJama.
Umcabango wokuthi kasophinde ahube nezintombi emhlangeni lunisa imvula yezinyembezi. Kubalulekile ukufihla kwabanye abafundi ukuthi iqhikiza leli selaba umphikwa; akasakwazi nokuvunula aconse njengasekuqaleni. Uthisha uMbatha, ubeqalaza umgilwa wakhe olandelayo njengoba izingane zivunulile zinconsa zisho ngamabedlana akhombe phambili, zivunule ngobuhlalu obukhangayo zigqashiya zenza nje. Acele omunye wezingane zesikole ukuba amphathise amabhokisana bayowabeka ebhasini abafike ngalo. Kanti ayazi ukuba itshe limi ngothi njengoba belandela ibhasi elime qekelele. Bangene ebhasini kanti uthisha ubemuhlinzela ezibini. Ikhale kwangezwa muntu lapho uMbatha eyinukubeza ebhasini bengabonwa muntu. Wayisongela ngokulimaza bonke esondelene nabo uma ike yatshela noyedwa umuntu. Yize bebuye nazo izindondo kodwa ukukhala engaduduzeki komunye wabafundi kwenze uhambo olubuyayo lube lude.
UZenani kuphele impelasonto ezibuza eziphendula ukuthi kwenzekeni kulowamfundi ngoba phela ubemqaphe ngeso lokhozi uMbatha ukuba angagili imikhuba yakhe yangemihla. Uzamile yena ukubuza ukuthi kwenzekeni kodwa wabona ukuthi ububanzi balezi zinyembezi uke wazibona zigeleza kuye. Kodwa kwanhlanga zimuka nomoya.
Wakhanda itulo lokuhlanganisa ubufakazi azovula ngalo icala ukuthi aqinisekise ukuthi uMbatha uzovalelwa unomphela ejele; eqopha imiyalezo ka makhalekhukhwini kanye nemiqhafazo; azame ukumqopha uma beyongena ehhovisi lakhe, athwebule izithombe kanye nama video ngasese.
Lobu bufakazi banele ukuba amphenye izinqa ngokunukubeza izingane zesikole; kanye nokudlwengula. Yize ebenokwesaba ngenxa yamahloni nokuzizwa ebuthaka ngoba sesiside lesikhathi emhlukumeza, futhi lokhu kuzoveza ukuthi akaseyona intombi bese kuyaphela ngaye. Ozakwabo ekade efunda nabo babemagange ukubona ukuthi uzophelelaphi njengoba wayaziwa ngokuzigcina futhi enekusasa eliqhakazile. Abanye bethi uma engabaqoma nje sebekhulile bayomthatha ayovusa imizi yoyise.
Uvuke ngakusasa wayovula icala esiteshini samaphoyisa esiseduze e Port Edward Police Station nalapho adibana khona nomunye umndeni nawo owawuyobika ngecala elifanayo. Ucele amaphoyisa ukuthi aphinde alubheke kabusha udaba luka Manqoba, ngoba akangabazi ukuthi uMbatha uyena onecala lapha. Baqome ukumkhandela uzungu lokuyobheka endlini nasehhovisi lakhe ukuthi akukho yini abangakusebenzisa kube ngubufakazi. Kayizange iwusole umgqakazo uma uZenani ecela ukuyombona kwakhe ukuze amsize ngezibalo ezithize ukuze alungisele ukuhlolwa emasontweni ambalwa ezayo. Unkabi lo ubezitshela ukuthi unguphunyuka bemphethe impela kanti akabuzanga elangeni.
“Sir,unayo incwadi yezibalo? Eyami ngiyikhohliwe.” Kubuza uZenani endlini ka Mbatha.
“Bheka egumbini lokulala, ekhabetheni elinesibuko esikhulu! Ngikuthelele okuphuzwayo?” kuphendula uMbatha.
“Yebo sir, ngicela itiye.” Kusho uZenani.
“Coming right up!” kwesasa uMbatha.
Wapequlula amakhabethe ebheke okuthize nje okungaba yinhlasi yobufakazi wathola umqulu wefayela elinemininingwane yabafundi thizeni abadinga uxhaso no kwesekwa ngoba bephuma emakhaya antulayo kanye nendlela ezilula zokubalutha ukuze bangabikeli amaphoyisa noma abanye othisha. Unkabi ubewuhlele kahle lomkhuba wakhe. Kodwa ngisho nofezela akanawo udosi olunoshevu njengowesifazane ogiliwe.
Kungekudala belizomshonela unkabi lo. Eqinisweni sekusemome. Eqalaze ukuthi uMbatha akasondeli yini ekamelweni, aphinde ayovukuza omunye umkhondo. Wathola ibhakede elincanyana elihlala ekhabetheni elezimpahla, athi angalivula; kwanuka uLusifa wena owabona ukuqhamuka kweloli elisusa indle. Ngaphakathi kunamagama abhalwe ngolimi angaluqondi, azame ukulifunda, lutho. Aqome ukuliphindisa kodwa uma ebukisisa kunegazi elifakwe ebhodleleni elincane kanye nezikhali ezikuleli bhakede, wabuyisela konke ngokushesha waphindla endlini yokuhlala baqhubeka nesifundo. Uthumele ngezithombe konke akubone lapha okwenze kwabalula ukuthi bathole incwadi ebagunyaza ukungena, baseshe bathathe konke okungaba ubufakazi. Ukusa kubonwe uye uZenani elindele impendulo yamaphoyisa kanye nokuqhubeka kwecala. Baqhubeke nesifundo mbumbulu, akhululeke uZenani, angasoli lutho uMbatha.
“Ngiyethemba lokhu kuzosiza, angifisi ukuphinde ngisondele eduze kwakhe kodwa uma kukhona okushodayo ngiyoziphonsa esizibeni sezingwenya.” Umyalezo awuthumele umseshi alokhu ewufunde ephindelela yize ingabuyanga impendulo.
“Dear Zenani Zulu, your case has been reassigned to a new detective as Detective Masuku has unexpectedly taken leave. Please visit the police station for more information.” Umqhafazo ongeke ekuseni eselungele ukuya esikoleni.
Kusho ukuthini ukuthi usethathe ikhefu? Yikhefu lani lona lelo? Manje pho ungishiyaphi mina sengizifake engozini engaka? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uMbatha uyazi ngalelicala? Uma sebemutshelile kusho ukuthi sonke asiphephile. Ulokhu ezibuza eziphendula futhi ebona ukuthi impela akusekho ukujikela emuva, kumele aqhubeke necala noma kanjani, kufanele athole ubulungiswa.
“Ngithanda ngoba uyazi ukuthi mina angikusabi, bonke bakhothama kuwe kepha mina nginguMageba, ungibheke kahle! Angibhenywa mina!” wathumelauMbatha umyalezo wokwesabisa.
Ngizosusa konke okungithiyayo ukuba ngibe nawe, wonke umuntu ophazamisa uthando lwethu ufanelwe ukufa. Ngizolwa zephuke ukuze wena ugcine ungowami. Futhi wna ungumama wezingane zami” kuphendula uMbatha.
“Kungasa ngifile! Kungekudala izwe lonke lizokwazi ukuthi ubani u Sabelo Mbatha! Ngifunge izinyandezulu!”
“Ngiyawuthanda lomlilo wakho, ungikhumbuza sisakhula mina nawe ungilwisa njalo uma ngikuthinta. Buka manje, nawe usuyangithanda” kuphendula uMbatha.
“Uyothandwa unyoko lo owakushiya uyintindili wayokhulisa izingane emajalidini abelungu, siphukuphuku ndini!” kuthukuthela uZenani.
Kukhale imoto yamaphoyisa ingena ngesango ngesikhathi kusemthandazweni uthishomkhulu edulisa izimemezelo kubafundi. Bacele ukuba abafundi bangene emagumbini okufunda ukuze baxoxe nothisha kanye nothishomkhulu ngasese.
“Thishomkhulu zimbi izindaba nsizwa yakithi. Kukhona ozokhalelwa amasongo ka Sigonyela la kothisha bakho namuhla,” kuchaza umphathisteshi.
“Sabelo Mbatha! Usuboshiwe nsizwa! Uboshelwe icala lokudlwengula, ukunukubeza ngokocansi kanye nokusabisa uZenani Zulu noSthandwa Mhlongo. Icala lokubulala umseshi ngenhloso yokuphazamisa icala. Icaba lokubulala uManqoba kanye nokugqiba ubufakazi, necala lokuphazamisa ingalo yomthetho. Unelungelo lokuthula ungasho lutho, konke okushoyo kungasetshenziswa ukucindezela wena enkantolo yomthetho, unelungelo lokuthola ummeli, uma ungakwazi ukuzitholela, uhulumeni uyokuqokela yena. Uyawezwa amalungekho akho, ndoda?” kubuza umphathi ngokunengeka, emgaxa ozankosi bephuma naye.
Akumgcagco ungenazibukeli ngoba izingane zesikole bezibheke ngamawindi ukuthi kwenzekani. Aphuma amaphoyisa sezimkhalele umfoka Mbatha, bechazela uthishomkhulu ngomsebenzi omuhle owenziwe uZenani ukubamba lesi sigilamkhuba; bacela ukuthi ihhovisi lakhe lingathintwa, ngoba uphenyo lusaqhubeka. UZenani wasukuma ezovalelisa kumphathisteshi.
Asondele uZenani ebuka uMbatha ngqo ezinhlamvini zamehlo, wabe esevalelisa kumseshi. Wezwa umthwalo omkhulu usukile emahlombe akhe.
