“Mgodoyi! Awuzwa ukuthi ngiyakubiza! Uyangiziba?” Kumemeza uSenzo ebheke emotweni.
“Cha, Bra Senzo, angikuzibi. Bengingakuzwa ngingaphansi kwemoto,” kusho izwi eliqhamuka ngaphansi kwemoto egaraji.
UMgodoyi lona ophendulayo, isekela likaSenzo. UMgodoyi uyisigebengu esiyi 27 loqobo esasiboshwe naye. Kune-tattoo yebhubesi elikhulu elivungamayo esifubeni sakhe. Unamanye ama-tattoo ezinkayezi ezibomvu emahlombe ezime sengathi izinkanyezi emfanisweni wamasosha. Akekho umuntu engake ngamubona eshesha ngommese ukudlula uMgodoyi. Lokhu kuncoma uMgodoyi angikusho nje kalula ngoba nami ngiyashesha ngommese. Kodwa uMgodoyi kwakungathi uwunyazi uma sekuyisikhathi sokugwaza abantu ejele.
“Awuze la, Mgodoyi! Nangu uMindlos engixoxela inganekwane la. Uyangihlanyisa!”
Ngixoxela uMgodoyi ukuthi ungishaye kanjani ngembedumehlwana uNhlanhla.
“Kambe uNhlanhla iloyamjita okhuluma kakhulu?” kusho uMgodoyi.
“Correct, Mgodoyi.”
“Uyikhiphe kuphi imali?”
“EPinetown, Hillcrest nasePietermaritzburg. Yonke lento ayenzile uyenze esikhathini esingaphansi kwehora elilodwa.”
Bayabukana noSenzo.
“Ucabangani, Mgodoyi?” kusho uSenzo.
“Angazi, Senzo. Kunganjani uma ngihlaba umkhosi ngitshele amasosha ethu aseGoli ukuthi abe mehlo mane. Ngibona sengathi ubalekela eGoli. Ngaleliyalanga sisephathini wayekhuluma ngeGoli njalo,” kusho uMgodoyi.
“Uhlale ulindile, Mindlos! Ngoba uma sithola ukuthi ukuphi uNhlanhla, ngizothumela wena noMgodoyi ukuthi nimthole, nilande imali yami!”
Ngididekile futhi ngicasukile ebusuku. Ngihleli noGugu embhedeni, uqamele esifubeni sami. Imbedumehlwana asishaye ngayo uNhlanhla ishabalalise yonke injabulo ezimpilweni zethu.
“Sizomthola, Gugu. UNhlanhla uzoyikhokha yonke imali yami.”
“Nizomthola, Mandla? Nizomthola kuphi?”
“Sisola ukuthi ubalekele eJozi. Uma silandela ukuthi uyikhiphe kuphi imali kukhomba ukuthi ubeya eJozi.”
“Kodwa angayenza kanjani kuthina into enjena uNhlanhla?”
“Ungumgulukudu woqobo uNhlanhla, ngiyamvuma. Kuyacaca ukuthi kade alwakha loluzungu lwembedumehlwana ngoba kufanele uwatshele kusanesikhathi amabhange uma ufuna ukukhipha imali enkulu. Kodwa ngiyabona ukuthi akazi ukuthi uyenza kubantu abanjani lento! Udlala ngegeja kuziliwe! Uzidonsela amanzi ngomsele lomjita!”
UGugu ususa ikhanda esifubeni sami, ahlale embhedeni angibuke ezinhlamvini zamehlo.
“Udlala ngegeja kuziliwe? Uzidonsela amanzi ngomsele?” kusho uGugu. “Ngicela ungakhulumi kanjalo, Mandla.”
“Ngingakhulumi kanjani?”
“Ungakhulumi kanjalo, ungakhulumi ngokucasuka. Usuyiguqule kamnandi kabi impilo yakho ukuthi ungakhuluma kanjalo. Uyiguqule ngokuphelele. Angifuni ukuba uphindele ejele.”
“Ngeke ngiphindele ejele.”
“Unesiqiniseko salokho?”
“Yebo, nginesiqiniseko.”
“Amazwi aphuma emlonyeni wakho nokucasuka okusebusweni bakho awakukhombisi lokho.”
“Akunjalo, Gugu. Mina ngifuna kubuye imali yami kuphela.”
“Kuzoba ngcono uma kunjalo, Mandla. Ungisize ungambeki isandla uNhlanhla ngoba wena une-criminal record.”
“Ngeke.”
“Ngithembise.”
“Ngiyakuthembisa.”
Ungibamba ubuso ngezandla uGugu, athi, “Cha, Mandla. Ngithembise.”
“Ngiyakuthembisa ukuthi angeke ngenze lutho oluzongibuyisela ejele.”
Ngidayisa imoto yami. Umuntu engimdayisela yona ungikhokhela u R 5000 kuphela, enye imali izolandela emuva kwesonto elilodwa. Ngiwubuka isikhathi eside lo R 5000 osesandleni sami. Ngomzuzwana owodwa kuthi pheshe umcabango wokuthi ngivele nginyamalale. Ngomzuzwana olandelalyo ngicabanga ngoGugu noLihle ngiwudlulise ngokushesha umcabango wokubaleka nginyamalale. Eqinisweni selokhu ngamazi uSenzo ungumuntu oneqiniso. Esithangameni samabhubesi esiyiWestville Prison uSenzo wangithathisa okomfowabo, wangithathisa okomuntu.
Kuyangicacela ukuthi sengikhulile ngokomqondo manje. Ngezinsuku zami zobugebengu ngangizomdedela uSenzo acabange ukuthi uyena obusayo ngiqede lapho ngimnqume uqhoqhoqho. Kodwa lokho akungifikeli nakancane emqondweni. Iyodwa vo into engiyicabangayo: ngifuna ukusilungisa lesisimo engibhekene naso.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Angasilungisa kanjani lesi simo uMandla?