“Maluqhube ulonwabo!” utshilo uThandi ngovuyo. Ngxatsho ke! Kukho abantu abatsha abangena kule ndlu isecaleni kwethu kwaye bakhangeleka ngathi banomntwana oyintombi esafikisayo. Ingathi ineminyaka eli-16 nayo. “Heke! Ndanele gqithi kukuhlala kwisitalato esizele ngamakhwenkwana anentswahla adlala ugangsta-gangsta.”
Umama uyancuma. Uthi, “Siza kubanika ithuba lokuzinza. Mhlawumbi ngomso ungayimema intombazanana ize kufumana iziselo namaqebengwana? Igama lakhe nguGrace, ndixelelwe ngumama wakhe.”
Intombazana engummelwane ikhangeleka ilungile. Iye imncumele uThandi ingaphaya kocingo. Iye izame kangangoko nokumphakamisela isandla nangani iingalo ezi zithwele umthwalo owothulwa kwinqwelo ethuthayo – kuquka iiCD. Kodwa ke uThandi akakwazanga ukusondela ukuze abone ukuba zeziphi iimvumi zomculo wepop ezithandwa nguGrace.
Malunga nexesha lesidlo sangokuhlwa, beva kuqalisa umkhwazo apho kubamelwane babo. UThandi usekhitshini nonina. Kukho umkhwazo ombi oqhubekayo! Kuqala kukhwaze umama wasebumelwaneni engxolisa intombazana! Emva koko kungenelele utata. UThandi uyoyika ngoku, nangona engeva ukuba lo mkhwazo ungantoni na.
“Phola, Thandi,” utshilo uMama. “Ndiqinisekile kuvakala kungxolwa kuba iikhethini zingekavalwa. Okanye ke inokuba uGrace ukwelinye igumbi. Ndiqinisekile asinto ifuna ukuba sizive sikhathazekile le.”
Kungekudala, nanko uThandi ephandle eyadini. Ubona kakuhle kwikhitshi labamelwane kwaye uGrace nomama wakhe balapho. Nakweli ityeli umama ungxolisa intombi yakhe. Uyakhwaza kakhulu! Nanko uyise evela, naye aqale phantsi.
“Kulungile, Thandi,” Atsho uMama. “Ndiqinisekile xa bebonke baziva bexinzelelekile ngenxa yokufuduka. Yinto enoxinzelelo kakhulu kaloku leyo.”
“Asilosebe lokusithela elo, Mama. Nawe ukhe ube nalo uxinzelelo lokuba ngumzali oyedwa ngamanye amaxesha. Kuba kaloku ukwajongene nemisebenzi emibini. Kodwa wakhe wandingxolisa ngoluya hlobo? Nakanye!”
UThandi uyahamba aye ebhedini yakhe, evakalelwa kabuhlungu nguGrace ummelwane wakhe. Imbi kakhulu into yokuba nabazali abakuphethe ngala ndlela! Kubi ngenene ukuhlala kwikhaya elifana neliya, nosapho olufana noluya! UThandi ucinge ukuba mhlawumbi kungakuhle xa enokucela kumama wakhe ukuba uGrace aze kuhlala nabo. Kwekhu! Ingantle ke loo nto! Kuba angatsho abe nodadewabo.
“Maluqhube ulonwabo,” utshilo uThandi esozela phambi kokuba alale.
Ngentsasa elandelayo, uThandi ubona uGrace eyadini yakowabo. Uyabaleka aphume phandle. UGrace uyancuma ambulise ngokuphakamisa izandla. Inene ukhaliphile xa kanti usakwazi ukuncuma emva kwemeko yaphezolo, ucinge ngolo hlobo uThandi.
“Molo wethu Grace! Akufuni ukuza ngapha ukuze simamele icwecwe lam elitsha likaRihanna? Uyamthanda uRihanna?”
“Uthini?” ibuzile intwazana. Uthetha ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Mhlawumbi usuka kwilizwe langaphandle? Mhlawumbi usuka kwilizwe apho kwamkelekileyo ukungxoliswa kwabantwana ngabazali?
***
UThandi uzamile kwakhona: “Ingaba uyawuthanda umculo kaRihanna?”
Intwazana inikina intloko. “Uxolo, andikuva. Kuza kufuneka ukhwaze. Uxelise usizana lukamama wam notata. Andiva ngeendlebe, uyazi? Ndilahlekelwe sisixhobo sam kulo bhentsu-bhentsu wokuthutha.”
Laphela ibali