Ngexesha lesidlo sasemini ngosuku olulandelayo, uAmahle noThabo bakhokela ukuya kwintloko yomgodi. Utata kaAmahle wayeqokelela iqela lamadoda, bephunga ikofu egalelwa iseflaskini.
“Thabo!” watsho utata kaAmahle. “Besincokola sacinga ukuba eyona ndlela ekuphela kwayo eya phambili kukuhamba siye kubonisana ubuso ngobuso nabaphathi ezi-ofisini. Silindeni phaya nina de basibone. Siyakuxhasa. Kodwa kufanele kwenziwe into ethile ngoku. Ngoko ke sicinga ngokuba singayi emgodini ngqo, kodwa singqale ezi-ofisini.”
Uthabo wayejanyelwe ziimbuso ezintlanu, belinde intshukumo yakhe.
“Ingaba lo nto ayizi kusifaka engxakini enkulu?” wabuza uThabo. “Andinakuthanda ukuba nibe semngciphekweni wokuphulukana nemisebenzi yenu.”
“Siza kuwuthatha lo mgcipheko,” latsho elinye ilizwi.
Amadoda azisa abaphathi babo ukuba kufuneka baphume baye kulungisa umcimbi ongxamisekileyo. Benxibe amagambhutsi abo ambhatshileyo nee-ovaroli bafika kwii-ofisi zomgodi eziphucukileyo, ezithe qelele ziphakathi kweendonga zamaplanga neesofa ezityibilikayo zofele.
Ngokukhawuleza kwafika amakhosikazi amathandathu aselalini namanye amadoda ayeqokelelwe ngutata kaAmahle ukuza kuxhasa iphulo le-AMD. Okulandelayo kwafika umama kaThabo, umama kaNoku, utitshala wesikolo, nabanye abazali abaxhalabileyo. Abantu abalishumi elinesithoba abazimiseleyo bagcwalisa igumbi lokulinda.
“Ndinganinceda?” wabuza umamkeli.
“Size kubonana noMnu. van Rensberg,” watsho uThabo ezithembile.
“Ingaba unogada univumele ukuba ningene nonke?” wabuza ummamkeli engakholwa.
“Ewe, simchazele ukuba sinedinga.”
“Ninalo ke?” wabuza ummamkeli.
“Eh … hayi. Asinalo kakuhle. Ubungafuni kusinika idinga wena.”
“Kuza kufuneka ndibize unogada ke anikhaphe niphume nonke,” watsho ummamkeli enyanzelisa ngeli xesha ephakamisa umnxeba.
“Hayi, ndiyacela,” watsho uThabo, engqiyama edesikeni esoxutha umnxeba kuye. “Siza kulinda de uMnu. van Rensberg afumaneke.”
“Niza kulinda ixesha elide ke.”
“Asingxamanga,” waphendula uThabo.
“Kulungile ke, yenzani ngokubona kwenu. Lindani ke – kodwa uMnu. Van Rensburg usentlanganisweni injikalanga yonke,” watsho.
Eli qela lahlala phantsi lalinda, lalinda. Yadlula iyure yokuqala, neyesibini, neyesithathu. Ekugqibeleni, uMnu. Van Rensburg namanye amadoda amabini bathi gqi e-ofisini. Bathingaza kwanzima ukuhamba, besima ngenxa yomothuko, xa babebona inginginya yeembusi zijika zibajonga.
“Ndinganinceda?” wabuza uMnu. van Rensberg ekrokra.
“Ndithemba njalo,” watsho uThabo etsiba ephakama. “Size apha ukuza kuxoxa ngengxaki engxamisekileyo ye-AMD.”
“Ninalo idinga?”
“Hayi,” waphendula uThabo. “Andikwazanga kufumana xesha ledinga.”
“Kulungile ke, ncedani nibuye xa sele ninedinga,” watsho uMnu. van Rensberg. Oogxa bakhe ababini bamlandela.
Amakhosikazi amabini amakhulu nendoda enye akhawuleza aphakama abavalela indlela ephumayo.
“Florence,” watsho uMnu. van Rensberg kumammkeli, “nceda ubize unogada!”
Kodwa wathi kanye xa uFlorence ephakamisa umnxeba uThabo watsiba wanqumleza igumbi wawuncothula lo mnxeba egumbini.
“Asihambi Mnu. van Rensberg, de usimamele!” Kwavakala ingxokolo enomsindo exhasa oku kwigumbi lonke.
UMnu. Van Rensberg waginya amathe; kwabonakala amathontsi okubila esihla esiphongweni sakhe. Oogxa bakhe bajonga-jonga indlu yonke bothukile. Enye indoda yaluma umlomo wayo wangezantsi ngeli xesha enye indoda yayibambe iqinise ityeyana yayo esifubeni ngokungathi likhaka.
“Kulunge kanye mfana,” watsho uMnu. van Rensberg. “Nifuna ukuthini?”
UThabo wakhupha unomyayi wakhe wabonisa uMnu. Van Rensberg umfanekiso womntakwabo esesibhedlele.
“Uyambona lo mntwana? Lo ngumntakwethu oneminyaka elishumi ubudala. Usesibhedlele ulwa nomhlaza obangelwa yi-AMD. Kwaye kukho nabanye, abanye abantwana ababini nabo bakrokrelwa ukuba banomhlaza obangelwa yi-AMD. U-Anti wam ubhubhe ngenxa yomhlaza wamanzi e-AMD kwiminyaka emibini edlulileyo. Imibhobho ehambisa amanzi kwiindawo ezingqonge umgodi idlekile kwaye iyavuza ngoku, ingena kwimisele nakwimilambo esiyisebenzisayo, izilwanyana nezityalo zethu ziyafa, yonke lo nto ibangelwa ngamanzi angcolisekileyo. Kwaye akukho nto yenziwayo ngale nto. Ungaziva njani wena Mnu. Van Rensberg? Ungaziva njani wena xa amanzi eniwaselayo nenihlamba kuwo yonke imihla ayanibulala nosapho lwakho? Heh?”
UMnu. Van Rensberg wahlala ethule ethe cwaka.
“Ndibuhlungu kakhulu ukuva le nto …ngenene eli libali eliyingozi kakhulu. Kodwa ndinoloyiko kuba akukho nto singayenza. La migodi yashiywa ayasetyenziswa kwiminyaka engaphezu kwengamashumi amane eyadlulayo. Ngoku le yingxaki yeSebe leMicimbi yezaManzi. Asiyiyo eyam.”
Kwathi cwaka endlwini. Onke amehlo ajika ajonga kuThabo ngokungathi bafuna impendulo kuye.
“Kodwa,” watsho uThabo, “yonke imigodi yenza le ngxaki. Niyaqhubeka nisomba imigodi, lo nto iyenza mandundu le ngxaki. Ngokuqinisekileyo inkampani yemigodi kufanele ithathe uxanduva?”
Njengababukeli kumdlalo webhola ekhatywayo, onke amehlo ajika ajonga ku-van Rensberg ngexesha athethayo.
“Siyaluthatha uxanduva,” watsho uvan Rensberg, ezole ngokumangalisayo. “Ngokusemthethweni, kufanele siqinisekise ukuba akukho namnye kwimigodi yethu evelisa i-AMD, kwaye silandela lo migaqo. Kodwa asamkeli xanduva ngemigodi eshiyiweyo evelisa i-AMD. Uxolo bantu, kodwa nize kuhlala ngenkani kwindawo engafanelekanga. Kufanele niye kwiSebe leMicimbi yezaManzi. Ngoku, sicela nisiphe igumbi, sinenye intlanganiso esimele ukuyizimasa.”
La madoda mathathu aphuma ngomnyango.
“Thabo,” watsho uAmahle ewavule onke amehlo, engakholwa. “Bekutheni usizisa sonke apha ungaqalanga ufumanise ngale nto kuqala?” Kwavakala ukudumzela ebantwini. UThabo waziva esisidenge.
“Kuba,” waphendula uThabo, “ndizamile ukutsala umnxeba kuqala kodwa akukho mntu wayefuna ukuthetha nam.”
* * * * *
Ngexesha begoduka nge-Golf yakhe, wayefutha ngumsindo uAmahle.
“Andikukholelwa Thabo! Andikholelwa ukuba usifake kwimeko enje ngaphandle kokufumanisa zonke iinkcukacha zime ngendlela.”
“Ndikuxelele Amahle,” watsho uThabo, lonyuka ilizwi lakhe, “akukho mntu ebefuna ukuthetha nam.”
UThabo wazogquma ngezandla.
“Man, inzima kakhulu le nto. Luxinezelelo olumandla ngomntu omnye – umtakwethu, uluntu. Kuvakala ngathi kufuneka ndihlale ndigqibelele kumntu wonke.”
UAmahle wemisa ngaphandle kwendlu yakuloThabo.
“Unyanisile, Thabo, lumandla uxinezelelo esilubeka kuwe. Ungumntu nawe. Kakade uvumelekile ukuba wenze impazamo.”
Emva koko wangqiyama kuye esothuke enjalo uThabo evuya, wamphuza.
“Ndicinge ukuba lo nto iya kwenza uzive ngcono,” watsho ehleka.
“Ngcono kakhulu!” wancuma uThabo.
Kanye ngelo xesha umama kaThabo waphuma endlwini.
“Thabo, ndiyavuya ubuyile. Ndineendaba ezimnandi nezimbi. Iindaba ezimnandi, uSipho uza kubuya ekhaya kwiintsuku ezintathu ezizayo! Kodwa iindaba ezimbi kukuba akukho mntu ukhe waya kumbona uPatrick okoko kwavalwa izikolo. USipho ucele ukuba uye kumjonga kokwabo ngomso.”
“Kulungile,” watsho uThabo.
* * *
Khawusichazele: “Ingaba ucinga ukuba abantu abasezikhundleni zolawulo bayalumamela uluntu?”