UBontle wayemuhle! Wayengathola noma yimuphi umfana ayemufuna – kuhlanganise npJabulani owayemuhle, futhi edumile.
Kodwa kunalokho, uBontle wakhetha uChester. Abangani bakhe babekhexile.
“Mngani, uyagula ekhanda? UChester mubi nalezi zibuko zakhe ezinkulu. Futhi uzacile. Futhi uhlale njalo enezinduna! Kungani uthandana nalesi sididi esithanda amakhompyutha?”
Kodwa uBontle wayekwazi akwenzayo. “Izididi ziyikusasa, mantombazane. Cabangani nje: bangobani abantu abacebile kunabo bonke emhlabeni? U-Bill Gates ne-Microsoft yakhe; u-Mark Zuckerberg owaqamba i-Facebook. Niyabona?”
Noma kunjalo, uBontle wayenengqondo. Walinda kwaze kwaba yilapho uChester ethola isiqu esiphezulu solwazi lobuchwepheshe ngaphambi kokuba amshade. Futhi walinda ukuthi kufike ezinye izikhathi ezinhle.
Kodwa azifikanga.
“Kwenzenjani, Chester! Ungathola noma yimuphi umsebenzi owufunayo. Oholela kakhulu!”
UChester wambheka phakathi kwezibuko zakhe, ngamehlo wakhe amahle, amakhulu. “Sthandwa sami, ngeke ngikwazi ukuchitha isikhathi emsebenzini. Kumele ngisebenze ‘kwinto yami enhle kakhulu engiyiqambile.”
UBontle wayesekhathele ukuzwa ‘ngalento yakho enhle kakhulu akayiqambile’. Kwadlula izinyanga eziyishumi futhi yayingakasebenzi namanje, kudela owayizo ukuthi iyini. UChester wazama ukuthola imali ezimbonini ezizimele, kuNgqongqoshe Wezokuphepha Nokuvikeleka, ku-FBI yaseAmelika.
“Aniboni, madoda? Izonemba kakhulu okwedlula i-polygraph*. Izothola iqiniso.”
Bonke bamuhleka. “Lento yakho oyiqambile, ayisoze yasebenza, mfanakithi,” kusho unobhala wasemnyango kangqongqoshe. “Akunakwenzeka lokho. Kuyinganekwane yesayensi nje.”
Kodwa uChester akazange alahle ithawula. Ngakho uBontle nguye okwakumele asebenze. Wathola umsebenzi njengomuntu osebenza endaweni ethengisa ukudla kwenye indawo ebizwa ngokuthi i-Hamburger Joint ethola umholo ophansi kakhulu.
Futhi ngelinye ilanga, uJabulani weza e-Hamburger Joint. Wayemuhle kakhulu.
“Bontle, kungani ungasilahli lesi sididi sakho sendoda? Ngizokunakekela. Nginendlu encane, nemoto.”
UBontle wayefuna ukufihla ukuswela kanye nokudumala kwakhe.
Ngemva komsebenzi, wabuyela endlini enegumbi elilodwa yena noChester ababeliqashile. Kwakuyilo lodwa ababekwazi ukulikhokhela. Laligcwele ama-PC nama-hard drive, kanye nama-printer akudala. Phansi kwakugcwele amakhasi abhaliwe.
UChester wabe esehlangana noBontle emnyango. “Ngibe nosuku oluthembisayo, sthandwa sami,” kusho uChester, emubheke ngalamehlo wakhe amahle, amakhulu.
UBontle wamuphushela le. “Anginandaba. Ngiyolala.” Wagqoka ingubo yakhe yokulala engeyintsha wacima ilambu.
Elele ebumnyameni, wacabanga. “Kusasa! Into yokuqala nje engizoyenza kusasa, ngizoshiya lesi sididi esimbi, esizacile, esinezinduna, esiwusizo lwalutho. Jabulani, ngiyeza!” ecabanga.
Kodwa ekuseni, konke kwashintsha. UChester wathola ucingo.
“Yebo, Ngqongqoshe! Ngiyilungisile izolo. Yebo, izigidi ezintathu zamarandi zamukelekile phakathi nesikhathi sokuhlola. I-FBI imuthembise izigidi ezinhlanu zamarandi. Ngamadola wase-US.”
UBontle wayanga indoda yakhe, ehlakaniphile. Zase zisondela izikhathi ezinhle! “Ngibonise indlela ‘lento yakho enhle oyiqambile esebenza ngayo,” kusho uBontle.
“Bengiyivulile izolo, ngifuna ukukubonisa. Kodwa kade ungekho esimweni esihle, sthandwa sami.”
UChester wacindezela ukhiye. Kwaphuma ikhasi kwi-printer.
***
UChester wachaza: “Uyabona, ngumshini kagesi wamadijithi ofunda ingqondo.”
Wakhipha iphepha kwi-printer wabe esefunda: “Kusasa! Into yokuqala nje engizoyenza kusasa, ngizoshiya lesi sididi esimbi, esizacile, esinezinduna, esiwusizo lwalutho. Jabulani, ngiyeza!”
Futhi lapho uChester esembheka futhi, ayengasekho lawo mehlo wakhe amahle amakhulu.
Isiphetho
* I-polygraph: omunye umshini osetshenziselwa ukuthola abantu abaqamba amanga