UKlara wayeshununuzela umntwana ezingalweni zakhe. Ukushisa sekwehlile. Ekugcineni uselele.
“Kumele uphile,” kuhleba uKlara. “Uma ngilahlekelwe nguwe futhi, ngizomelana kanjani nalakho?”
Ngaphansi kohlamvu lwemali lukaMama uMariya, kukhanya amakhandlela amathathu. Amakhandlela abantwana abathathu uKlara asekalahlekelwe yibo. Kwakuyizibulo lakhe, kanye nosisi walo. Eminyakeni emibili edlule, bobabili babephethwe uxhilo. UOtto yena washona ngonyaka odlule. Wazwala egula kakhulu, ayikho into odokotela ababengayenza. Enezinsuku ezintathu nje izingelosi zamthatha uOtto waya ezulwini.
“Izingelosi!” Kukloloda umnyeni kaKlara. “Ezulwini!” Ngokuvamile wayephikisana nezinkolelo zomkakhe.
Kwakuneqhwa ngaphandle, ngisho noma kusemaphakathi noOktoba.
“Enezinyanga eziyisithupha ubudala! Yebo, ngane yami, kusasa uzobe ugcwalisa izinyanga eziyisithupha ubudala! Sizohlaba umkhosi.”
Kwaze kwaba izinyanga eziyisithupha ezibuhlungu! Ukuluma kwesisu nomkhuhlane omubi kakhulu, kanye nokushisa komzimba okuvela esikhaleni. Udokotela ofanayo wayevamise ukuza njalo, ebekezela futhi ekhathazekile, ekuqonda lokho umama osemncane abhekane nakho.
“Kodwa uzophila,” uKlara uhlebela usana lwakhe. “Uzokhula ube namandla futhi ujabulise umama wakho. Kunjalo, mntana wami, ngithembele kuwe.”
Kwabonakala sengathi ingane iyamomotheka njengoba ilele. UKlara wagcala uthando nenjabulo enhliziyweni yakhe.
Ngaleso sikhathi, okunye kwakuyize nje. Wayengenandaba nokuthi wayeshade isichokolozi esinomlomo omkhulu. Undlovukayiphikiswa ngempela, uAlois! Ngezinye izikhathi akazi nokuthi wayemshadeleni.
Wafika kuleli dolobha njengentombazane eyincekukazi, ethunywe ngabazali bakhe ababesebenza epulazini ngoba babebaningi abantu okwakumele bondliwe ekhaya. Futhi uAlois wayeyisihlobo sakubo esikude. Ngaleso sikhathi unkosikazi kaAlois wayegula. Ngokho ke uKlara wangena esikhundleni sakhe sokusebenza emakhishini.
Unkosikazi kaAlois wagcina eshonile. ULois wasikisela ukuba uKlara amshade. Empeleni, wamphoqelela. Wayezokwenzenjani uKlara? Wayedinga indawo yokuhlala, izingubo zokugqoka kanye nokudla. Wayesemncane – enmncane ngeminyaka engamashumi amabili noma ngaphezulu, kunoAlois. Empeleni, wayekuthola kunzima ukumbiza nganoma yiliphi elinye igama ngaphandle kokuthi ‘malume’, kuze kube manje.
Kwenzeka kanjalo ke, ungunkosikazi wendoda enentukuthelo ephuza ezipotini bese ibuyela ekhaya izomthethisa. Athethise nezingane, ngenkathi zisaphila. Ngezinye izikhathi amshaye uma ethukuthele ngempela.
Yebo, umama wezingane ezintathu esezashona. Zonke ezashona ngaphambi kosuku lwazo lokuzalwa lweminyaka emithathu. Sengathi isibeletho sakhe sasiqalekisiwe.
“Kodwa ukhona wena, othandekayo wami,” uKlara uhlebela ingane yakhe. “Uzolungisa zonke izinto futhi uzibusise. “Uzokhula ube umuntu omnene nonomusa, ngendlela indoda yangempela okumele ibe ngayo.”
Kwagadlazeka umnyango wangaphambili. UKlara waqhaqhazela wezwa inhliziyo yakhe icwila.
“Sawubona, malume.” esho ngezwi lakhe elipholile. Kungenzeka lokho kwakungase kuthambise indoda yakhe?
Kunalokho wamemeza, “kuphi ukudla kwami? Ingabe uphekile? Noma kade uchitha isikhathi unakekelana nale ngane yakho egula njalo?”
***
“Ukudla kwakho kusesitofini, malume,” kusho uKlara. Wayemuzwa umnyeni wakhe, uHerr Alois Hitler, egadlaza amabhodwe ekhisini.
Waqabuza ingane yakhe elele. “Ngithembele kuwe, Adolf wami omncane. Ngithembele kuwe.”
Isiphetho
(UKlara Polzl wayengumama ka-Adolf Hitler, umholi wezwa laseJalimane phakathi Nempi Yezwe Yesibili (ngo-1939 kuya ku-1945). Washada u-Alois Hitler ngonyaka ka-1885. Baba nezingane ezinhlanu kodwa ngu-Adolf kuphela kanye nosisi wakhe omncane, uPaula, abasinda baze bakhula. U-Adolf Hitler waqala impi okuyilapho izigidi zabantu ezingu-70 kuya kwezingu-90 zalahlekelwa ukuphila kwazo emhlabeni jikekele, futhi ngenxa yobandlululo lwakhe wabulala izigidi zamaJuda aseJalimane, kuhlanganise nama-gypsie kanye nongqingili.)