Oomatshini kwiCandelo loNyango oluMandla zazikhala zingxola ngokungathi yinqwelo-ntaka ebalekayo emoyeni engaziwayo. Ziqhagamshelwe koomatshini abajongileyo neetyhubhu, wayelele apho umntakwabo Thabo omncinane. UThabo waginya amathe ezama ukubamba iinyambezi ezazidaleka emehlweni akhe.

Umongikazi osemncinane wayetshintsha ingxowa yedriphu. Wathi akujika waqonda kwangoko uThabo ukuba uyamazi. Wayekhule ehlala kwindlu ekufuphi nakokwabo elalini yabo.

“Amahle?”

“Ndiyaxolisa, Thabo,” watsho, esiza kuye emanga.

UThabo wayengazithembi ukuba uza kukwazi ukuthetha, ngoko ke wanqwala nje kuphela, emva koko waya kuhlala esitulweni esikufuphi nebhedi yasesibhedlele, wahlala phantsi, wabamba uSipho ngesandla wasicinezela kakuhle. “Uyibambe njalo,” wasebeza ngelo. “Ingaba uza kuphila?” wabuza kuAmahle.

“Bacinga ukuba bazikhuphile zonke izihlunu ezosulelwe ngumhlaza, kodwa siza kwazi kakuhle ngomso. Ndiyamvela … usemncinane kakhulu,” watsho ngelizolileyo uAmahle.

UThabo akazange akwazi ukuzibamba iinyembezi. UAmahle wabeka ingalo yakhe kuye.

“USipho uza kulwa, Thabo. Ndiqinisekile uza kuphuma kule meko.”

Wanqwala uThabo, wosula iinyembezi ze wathi, “Bakho abanye abantwana baselalini apha?”

“Kukho omnye. NokuMasondo. Kutheni ubuza?”

“Ndicinga ukuba ndiyazi ukuba idalwa yintoni le nto…”

“Thabo, umhlaza uhlasela nabani awe. Yi–”

“Ivela emanzini,” watsho uThabo, ephakamisa amehlo ejonge uAmahle, owayeshwacele. “Yinto enye naleyo yenzeka ku-Anti wethu. Amanzi asemlanjeni anetyhefu. Angabangela amaqhuma nezinye izifo kwaye–”

“Okanye ingabangelwa zezinye izinto ezininzi. Inyaniso yokuba u-anti wakho nomntakwenu banomhlaza kungenzeka ukuba kwenzeke nje ngokufanayo, okanye lufuzo – ezinye izifo zifunyanwa njengefuzo kumalungu osapho. Akunyanzelekanga ukuba ibe ngala manzi.”

“Kulungile ke, kodwa ndiphantse ukuqiniseka ukuba ngawo. Ndicela undikhaphe ndiye kubona uNoku?” UThabo wacela uAmahle.

Ngaphambi kokuba baphume ewadini uAmahle walungisa umqamelo kaSipho wajonga nedriphu yakhe kwakhona. UThabo wangqiyama kancinane kumntakwabo. “Sipho, ndim uThabo. Ndilapha. Awuwedwanga. Nomama uyeza naye.” Amehlo kaSipho ashukuma kodwa akavuleka.

Ahlala evalekile ngexesha uThabo noAmahle bephuma ngokuzolileyo, noomatshini abajonge imeko baqhubeka bekhala.

* * * * *

UNoku wayengomnye wabahlobo abakhulu bakaSipho. Wayelele ebhedini etyhila iimagazini ezihlekisayo. UThabo wahlala esitulweni ecaleni kwakhe.

“Molo Noku? Uziva njani namhlanje?” wabuza uAmahle ngelizolileyo.

“Ndi-right. Ndibudikwa phofu.”

“Kulungile ke, ndikuphathele umntu oza kuncokola naye. Noku nguThabo lo, ubhuti kaSipho omdala.’

“Thabo! Molo!” Yavuya kakhulu lenkwenkwana ukumbona. “Umbonile na uSipho?”

“Uza kuphila,” watsho uThabo ngamandla. “Unjani wena?”

“Ndiziva ngcono noko ngoku. Kodwa oogqirha bathi baseza kwenza uvavanyo apha kum.”

UThabo washukumisa intloko exhalabile. “Noku, ndiyaxolisa. Ndizama ukusombulula lo mmangaliso wokuba yintoni le inenza nigule bafowethu – ndizama ukufana nomcuphi. Ngoko ke ndingakubuza imibuzo ethile?”

“Ewe,” waphendula uNoku.

“Kukho enye indawo ebenidlala kuyo eyahlukileyo kuneyesiqhelo ngaphambi kokuba nigule?” wabuza uThabo.

“Hayi, apho sihlala sidlala khona. Ukususela sisengabantwana.”

“Kuphi apho?”wabuza uThabo.

“Emanzini kufuphi nomngxuma womgodi omdala.”

“Ebehlala ebonakala emdaka lo manzi?”

“Hayi, ebebonakala emahle – ebefana negolide,” watsho uNoku, ethatha ibhola encinane yerhabha kwitafile esecaleni kwebhedi yakhe. “Ucinga ukuba ngamanzi asigulisayo?”

“Ndiqinisekile,” watsho uThabo. “Ngubani omnye owayedlala nani?”

“Ngu-Patrick.”

“Ukhe wambona kutsha nje?”

“Hayi, akasayi esikolweni. Unefiva.”

“Enkosi ngokundazisa, Noku. Ndiza kuza kukubona kwakhona xa ndize kutyelela uSipho kusasa ngomso,” wathembisa ngelo uThabo ngaphambi kokuba aphume kulo wadi.

Wagqiba ukuba alinde uAmahle, owayesele egqibezela umjikelo wakhe womsebenzi. “Uyafuna ndikukhwelise xa ndigoduka?” wabuza uThabo xa edlula kuye. “Ndiza kutshintsha ze ndidibane nawe ngaphandle,” watsho xa embona enqwala.

UAmahle wabuya wavela enxibe ibhulukhwe yejini nesikipa neeteki. UThabo wamjonga ngothakazelelo: wayesele elibele ukuba mhle kangakanani.

“Khawutsho, wafunda nini ukuqhuba?” watsho emqhula ngexesha eqhuba ngononophelo i-Golf yakhe ephuma kwindawo yokupaka esibhedlele.

“Kwiinyanga ezine ezidlulileyo.”

“Uthetha ukuba mandibe nexhala?”

“Ungahamba ngeenyawo ukuba uyathanda, kodwa kukude ukuya erenkini yeeteksi, Nkanishe.”

“Ha ha! Ndiza kuthatha lo mngcipheko ke!” Kwaba mnandi ukuhleka kwakhona, ukukhupha uxinzelelo nokukhathazeka.

“Yintoni enye endingayaziyo ngawe? Yintoni etshintshileyo okoko ndagqibela ukubuya apha? Unaye umntu oncuma naye?”

“Ndingalifumana phi ithuba lalo mntu?” Wamthi qwayi kancinane. “Kudala wahamba mfo wasedolophini.”

“Ingaba utata wakho usasebenzi emgodini?”

“Ewe. Kodwa sekemdala ngoku ukuba asebenze, Thabo. Uyadinwa. Usoloko ekhala ngeentlungu zesifuba kutsha nje.”

“Kungenzeka ukuba ngamanzi.”

“Okanye ubudala.”

“Amahle, ndiza kufumanisa ukuba yintoni eyenza abantu balapha bagule. Ndinyanisile njalo. Ndiza kuyiphelisa lo nto,” watsho uThabo, emjonge ngeenjongo.

“Kulungile – nam ndiyavuma ndinesikrokro. Kodwa awuzi kukwazi ukuyiphanda wedwa lo nto.” Watsho u-Amahle. “Inkulu kakhulu le nto. Khawucinge ngayo: iimpawu ezohlukileyo ekunokwenzeka okanye ekungenakwenzeka ukuba zibangelwa yi-AMD, ukulwa inkampani enkulu… ”

Babemise ngaphandle kwendlu yakuloThabo. Umama wakhe waphuma wamanga.

“Unjani u Sipho?” watsho othukile. “Umxelele ukuba ndiza kuya ngokuhlwa nje? Owu molo nawe Amahle – enkosi ngokumkhwelisa wethu,” watsho, ejonga kuAmahle.

“Ewe, Ma, ndimxelele,” watsho uThabo.

“Kufanele ukuba udiniwe nyana. Inde kakhulu le ndlela ngebhasi.”

Ngexesha uAmahle ebuyela emotweni yakhe uThabo wathi kuye ngelizolileyo, “Ndiyazi apho uSipho noNoku bebedlala khona. Nam ndandidlala khona ndisengumntwana, xa umsele wawunamanzi acocekile. Ndiza kuya phaya emva kwemini. Uyafuna ukuhamba nam?”

“Ndibale apho. Ndikuxelele. Awukwazi kuyenza wedwa le nto. Kodwa Thabo…”

“Ewe.”

“Ukhumbule, asikuko ukuba zonke izifo ezilapha zibangelwa yi-AMD.”

“Ndiza kukubona.”

* * * * *

Lalisele litshona ilanga ngexesha uThabo noAmahle babonyuka ngendlela ebakhuphela ngaphandle kwelokishi ibasa kwimingxuma neendawo zokulahla zemigodi emidala.

“Nyukela apha,” watsho uThabo, ebamba uAmahle ngesandla besonyuka ematyeni amakhulu bahle kwelinye icala bebona indawo yokungena kumngxuma omdala ongasasetyenziswayo womgodi, osikeke wayindulana. Apha kulo mgodi kwakuthontsiza umjelo wamanzi abutyheli-bumdakana, aqokelelene kwindawo enomhlaba ngaphandle komngxuma lowo. Ngokungqonge eli dama kwakukho izityalo ezifileyo, nemibhobho yentsimbi edlekileyo.

UAmahle waguqa phantsi wondela emanzini.

“Abonakala ngathi yigolide elulwelo, kodwa la manzi anetyhefu ebangelwa yiMisele ye-Asidi yeMigodi,” watsho uThabo.

UAmahle wawaqwalasela kufuphi la manzi. Kwakukho ulwelo olubumafutharha apha ngaphezulu, ngokufanayo ne-oli yenjini evuza kwimoto endala.

“Uyazi ngokuqinisekileyo le nto? Thabo, ndiyazi ufuna ukuphelisa ukugula neentlungu zomntakwenu kodwa…”

“Uthini ke ngo-Noku? Ayidibananga lo nto Amahle. Jonga apha – lo msele uvela emadamini uhamba ungene emlanjeni omkhulu, phaya ezantsi.” Wolatha kumjelwana ophakathi kwamawa. “Angena emlanjeni, awungcolise.”

“Wonke umntu usebenzisa amanzi asemlanjeni – ukusela, ukuhlamba, ukunkcenkceshela izityalo. Nguwuphi omnye umthombo wamanzi okhoyo apha? Kodwa asinguye wonke umntu ogulayo,” waphawula ngelo uAmahle.

“Ekugqibeleni, wonke umntu uza kugula Amahle! Kufanele sibayekise abantu ukusebenzisa la manzi.”

“Awukaqiniseki nokuqinisekanga ukuba ngala manzi abangela konke oku kugula,” watsho uAmahle esonga iingalo esifubeni sakhe, amashiya akhe ashwacela amehlo akhe amdaka ebengezela. “Ndiyazi ibuhlungu into eyenzeke kumntakwenu. Kodwa awukwazi ukuvele ugqibe ukuba wonke umntu ogulayo uguliswa ngala manzi. Kwaye khawucinge ngale nto – baza kuwafumana phi abantu amanzi?”

“Andazi. Kodwa kufuneka sifumane enye indlela, kwaye okokuqala kufuneka sibize intlanganiso, sazise abantu. Singayigqiba ngexesha elingakanani yonke le lali?”

“Andiqinisekanga … izinto zenzeka ngonyawo lonwabu apha. Kananjalo, abantu banganexhala ukuxoxa ngale nto. Isiqingatha selali sisebenza ezilalini. Abantu baxhomekeke kuzo.”

“Amahle, xa singazami kwenza nto, ngubani oza kuyenza? Kufanele undikholelwe, ndincede. Umngcipheko wokungenzi nto mkhulu kakhulu – ingekuko kuSipho nje kuphela, kumntu wonke!”

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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba uluntu luza kuva njani ngentlanganiso?