KuNgomvulo ngecala emva kwentsimbi yesibhozo. UThandiwe ungqengqile ujonge phezulu. Khange behle tu ubuthongo ngobusuku obudlulileyo ziingcinga.
Uthi xa eqala ukubiwa bubuthongo kukhale unomyayi, awubambe.
“Mholweni, nguThobekile Dingayo kwisikolo samabanga aphantsi eThembeni othethayo. Ingaba ndithetha noThandiwe Velani?” Kuvakala ilizwi kwelinye icala lonomyayi.
“Ewe nguThandiwe lo uthethayo,” uphendule ephakama kumondlalo wakhe uThandiwe.
“Ndikutsalela umnxeba malunga nesicelo obusifakile sokuba ngumfundisi-ntsapho wamabanga aphantsi alapha Ethembeni. Ndibuhlungu ukwazisa ukuba asiphumelelanga isicelo sakho ngoba awunawo lamava siwafunayo. Sikunkqwenelela impumelelo sisisikolo kukhangelo lwakho lwengqesho.” Uthi akuqgiba ukudlulisa lo myalezo uThobekile Dingayo, awubeke phantsi umxeba.
Ukufumana unxibelelwano olulolu hlobo akusamkhathazi ngohlobo okwakumkhathaza ngalo ukuqala kwakhe ukukhangela umsebenzi uThandiwe. Izicelo azifakileyo zengqesho zingaphaya kokucinga kodwa izikolo ezimphendulileyo azigqibanga neminwe yesandla sakhe.
UThandiwe ubeka unomyayi wakhe phezu kwetafile akugqiba alungise umondlalo wakhe. Ubuthongo ngathi khange waqalisa ukuba nabo. Uthi akugqiba ukondlala, aphume egumbini lakhe lokulala aye kwelokuphumla. Phezu kwetafile kukho iiponti ezilishumi (iirandi ezingamashumi amabini) ezishiywe ngunina, uNoma, ukuba azithengele okusiwa phantsi kwempumlo.
UThandiwe liphelo kunina uNoma. USindisizwe umyeni kaNoma, walishiya ikhaya uNoma ekhulelwe uThandiwe. Wahamba ngeliyokukhangela amadlelo aluhlaza ukuze akwazi ukondla umfazi kunye nentombi yakhe. Ukuza kutsho ngoku, zange aphinde alubeke unyawo ekhaya.
“Kudala mna Mama ndikhangela umsebenzi apha. Andiwufumani. Mhlawumbi kungangcono Bhelekazi ukuba ndingakhangela kwenye indawo,” ebekhe watsho uThandiwe kunina kubusuku bangezolo behleli bebukele umabonakude.
“Uthetha ukuthini xa usithi ‘kwenye indawo’?” Wabuza uNoma ethoba ingxolo kumabonakude.
“Nawe Thandiwe ufuna ukundishiya uxelise uyihlo? Naye wathetha olu hlobo, wemka, asaphinda sava nto ngaye. Hayi, mntwan’am. Andinokwazi tu ukulahlekelwa nanguwe,” watsho uNoma esiva iintlungu esifubeni.
“Kodwa Mama kunini sihleli ethembeni? Kunini sithandaza kungalungi? Umdala ngoku, kodwa usagoba kule mizi yababelungu ukuze ubeke ukutya etafileni. Kanti esi sidanga ndinaso side sisityise nini thina? Ukufumana nje kwam umsebenzi ndiza kukuthatha sihlale sobabini,” watsho ngelicengayo uThandiwe.
“Ndiva buhlungu ntomb’am xa uthetha ngolu hlobo. Kodwa ke, akunani. Xa nawe ufuna ukundishiya ungandishiya,” lathi ligqiba ukuthetha lamazwi iBhelekazi zabe iinyembezi zinqandwa yimpumlo.
“Mama andikushiyi. Wena awundiva. Ndizo..”
“Ndithe hamba kaloku. Awuthi ufuna ukuhamba? Hamba ke,” wayiqhawula ngelitshoyo intombi yakhe uNoma. Wathi akugqiba ukuthetha uNoma, waphakama waya egumbini lakhe lokulala.
Uthandiwe ibikukugqibela kwakhe ukuthetha nonina ngobo busuku. Unoma khange amvuse amxelele ukuba uyahamba njengoba edla ngokwenza ekuseni xa ephangela. Kodwa khange alibale ukushiyela intombi yakhe amashumi eeponti ukuba izithengele into etyiwayo.
Uthe xa elungiselela ukuya kuthenga isonka uThandiwe, kwakhala unomyayi wakhe.
“Bhotani, nguNqununu uZweledinga Jobela lo uthethayo kwisikokolo samabanga aphantsi iSiyakhula. Ingaba ndithetha noNkosazana Thandiwe Velani?” Litshilo ilizwi kwelinye icala lomnxeba.
“Ewe Nqununu, nguye lo uthethayo,” utsho uThandiwe.
Ndikutsalela umxeba malunga nesicelo sakho sokuqeqesha abantwana kwesi sikolo sethu. Ungakwazi ukuphumelela kudliwano-ndlebe ngomso ngentsimbi yeshumi elinanye kusasa,” uyabuza uNqununu uJobela.
“Ewe Mhlekazi ndingakwazi,” uphendule ngemincili uThandiwe.
Khawusixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngelibali? Wakhe wasokola ukufumana umsebenzi okanye sikhona isizalwana sakho esakhe safumana ubunzima sikhangela ingqesho?