“Idinga labangazaniyo!” Ndigigithekile. “Yithi uyadlala, Kay. Andiwenzi amadinga nabantu endingabaziyo!”
Kodwa ndifumanise ukuba umhlobo wam uKay akadlali. “Yhini Lebo? Ngumzala wam waseThekwini. Ndimthembisile. Uza kuhamba nawe akuse kwirestyu ekhethekileyo.”
Hayi ke, oku kube nomtsalane kum. Kancinci nje, “Phofu ke, ingaba ungumntu onjani? Kumele ukuba abenhle nyhani. Ndenza amadinga neenzwane kuphela mna!”
“Andazi. Ukugqibela kwam ukumbona wayeyinkwenkwana eneminyaka eli-11 eneempumlo ezinezigqwathi enebhandeji entloko kuba ewe emthini. Kodwa ke noko uneminyaka engama-26 ngoku. Ndiqinisekile kukho ukuphucuka okukhoyo noko.”
“Ukuba kuthe kanti akunjalo? Hayi libala sana Kay! Andenzi madinga namadlavu – ndingumntu weenzwana!”
Kodwa ke ndiyazi ukuba xa umhlobo wam enoluvo oluthile engqondweni, kubanzima ukulutshintsha, akukho nento le eya kumtshintsha. Ngemini elandelayo uKay wafika ephethe isipha samaphepha. Apha phezulu kwawo kukho nombhalo oxwesileyo othi: INDLELA YOKUZIKHUPHA obhalwe ngoonobumba ababomvu krwe.
“Oku ndikuprinte kwi-intanethi, Lebo. Kuyakuchazela ukuba ungasaba njani na ukuba idinga lakho nomntu ongamaziyo lihamba kakubi.”
Bendingafuni nokukufunda konke oku! “Kulungile, Kay. Khawuthi gqabagqaba. Ndiza kuthini ke ukuba umzala wakho ngumalahlwa-nofele?”
Naye ke uye wamthela gqaba-gqaba. Ukuba idinga lakho nomntu ongamaziyo libubufede, kufuneka ndiye kwiGumbi langasese lamanenekazi ndimthumelele iSMS. Ndiza kuthi ke xa sele ndibuyele etafileni naloo malahlwa-nofele, uza kundifonela kwiselulafowuni yam. Uza kundixelela ukuba kukho ‘undonakele ekhaya’. Umzekelo, udadewethu omncinci wophuke iqatha kwaye ndiyafuneka ekhaya. Ngokukhawuleza.
“Uyabona ke? Lula nje! Emva koko ke uthi kumzala wam: ‘Uxolo, kukho ingxaki ekhaya’. Emva koko uphume kanje! Akukho ngxaki, Lebo.”
“Qiniseka nje wena ukuba iselulafowuni yakho ivuliwe!” Ndimlumkise ngelitshoyo!
Ndiyavuya kuba ndiye ndamlumkisa. Umzala wakhe waseThekwini wayenguMalahlwa-nofele oGqibeleleyo! KWEKHU!
ULucky – yayiligama lakhe elo. Hayi wayengenathamsanqa ngokubona kwam! Siye sadibana kwirestyu ethengisa ukutya kwaselwandle waze wa-odola iimbaza. Iimbaza! Zihamba nezo ntloko zazo nemisila kunye nemilenze enameva ethe nca kuzo! Ingaba ingakho bethu enye into enokonyanyisa ukodlula oku? Nokuba ukhule ecaleni kolwandle eThekwini – asinto onokusithela ngayo leyo! Kunzima kum ukuginya nentlanzi le, ndimbukele echuba amaqokobhe eembaza. Andule ukubizela incindi kwiintloko zazo! NDADIKWA NGOKUPHINDWE KABINI!
Ubuso bakhe babusisangqa esikhulu esityebileyo. Wayedika kakhulu. Eyona nto ebethetha ngayo bubomi eThekwini noontanga bakhe nendlela abavana ngayo. Lalifikile ngenene ixesha leNdlela yokuziKhupha kaKay. Ixesha lokuya kwigumbi laManenekazi ndimthumelele iSMS: ndikhuphe kule meko! Ngoku!
Kuthe kusenjalo uLucky wandazisa: “Heke, ndigqibezela uqeqesho lokuzilolonga emsebenzini. Kulo nyaka uzayo ndiza kuba ngugqirha ngokusesikweni.”
Ugqirha!? Ugqirha!? Hayi bo bekutheni aze angatsho kwakuqala uKay? Libala ngolo tyelelo lwam lokuya kwiGumbi laManenekazi! Libala ngokuthumela uKay iSMS, libala ‘ngentlekele yosapho’ kwanokuphuma ekhohlo eqongeni! Yhu, lelona dinga labangazaniyo lakhe lamnandi ke eli. Wayengumalahlwa-nofele! Emhle kunene, ngokohlobo amele ukuba mhle ngayo ugqirha wangomso.
Ngethemba lokuba mna noLucky singanamadinga amaninzi! Kodwa angabi kwirestyu yokutya kwaselwandle kwilixa elizayo!
***
Ugqirha! Tyhini! Uthe xa ebuya kwigumbi langasese laManene uLucky, ndambuza imibuzo ‘engamashumi amabini’.
“Ke ngoku uza kuba nendawo eyeyakho osebenzela kuyo? Ingaba kukho uhlobo lonyango oza kugqalisa kulo? Ukhe wasebenza kwicandelo likaXakeka? Ingaba u…”
Kuthe kusenjalo yakhala iselulafowuni yakhe. Uye wamamela ngobuso obusangeneyo. Waze wathi: “Uxolo Lebo, kufuneka ndigoduke. Ngokukhawuleza. Kukho ingxaki ekhaya. Udadewethu omncinci wophuke iqatha.”
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