“Tumie,” Wafutha uDave, wanditsalela ecaleni, “Ngamasimba antoni la enzeka apha?”
“Andiyazi. Mna bendimema abantu base-ofisini kuphela,” Ndatsho ndizenza lowa umsulwa umntu.
“Bububhanxa maan obo!” Wabhavumla. “Ufuna ndiyikholelwe loo nto? Yindawo yakho nje lena!”
“Ndiyazi….kodwa….ndiyafunga….”
“Sukuthetha ubuxoki kum wena,” watsho sele esondela kum.
“Jonga, ndinike uThemba yedwa esinye isitshixo, ukuze bangenise izinto zetheko apha. Ndinyanisile akukho nto bendiyazi ngala mantombazana. Yihla mfe’thu. Mhlawumbi ndiye ndathetha into ngetheko eliphakamileyo. Khange ndiyazi ukuba useyitshomi yazo zonke izidala zakho,” ndatsho.
Yayibubuxoki obo. Eyona nyaniso yayiyile yokuba ndeba la ncwadana imnyama kaDave, ndakopa zonke iinombolo ndaza ndawamema onke la mantombazana.
ULilly weza ngakuthi ephethe isipho.
“Hey mfana ozalwayo,” watsho waza wamncamisa esidleleni. “Mini emnandi kuwe.”
“Enkosi,” watsho emanyonywana.
Kwangoko satsho isandi emnyango waza uDave wandijonga ngolona hlobo lwalukhe loyikeka endakha ndalubona.
Emizuzwini embalwa umntu waluvula ucango kwaza kwangena ngaphakathi uZandile.
‘Mini emnandi kuwe, sthandwa sam!” Nanko uZandile ebhabha ukuziphosa kuDave wamphuza kunjalonje ngeyona ndlela inambithekayo apha emilebeni. UDave wagxadazela ebuya umva.
“Hey, ucinga ukuba wenza ntoni?” yatsho intombazana, yabe sele imtshovela kude phaya uDave. “Nopatazanandini kutheni ungazifuneli eyakho indoda.”
“Intoni? UDave yindoda yam!”
“Uyaphambana ukuba ucinga njalo. Wakulahla kudala ungazifuneli obunye ubomi nje utheni,” Wangenelela uJoyce. Andimazi nalapho avela khona.
“Phuma kule nto Joyce. Ayikufuni nganto wena.”
“Ukuba ayindifuni ke, ebensenza ntoni lo endlwini yam ebusuku izolo?” Wadubula ngelo uJoyce.
“Dave? Ubusendlwini yale njakazi izolo ebusuku?” Wagxuphuleka uZandile.
Phambi kokuba uDave abe nethuba lokuphendula, uJoyce waziphosa kuZandile, waza akugqiba wamtsala ngeenwele ezifakelweyo. Yaba nguduntsu-duntsu omnye ekhwela phezu komnye, bekrwempana kuyiloo nto.
Wonke umntu wothukile. Sonke sathi chasi phaya sema, sabukela sothukile kwaye singayikholelwa le nto.
Kungexesha apho uPat noThemba batsala uZandile phezu kukaJoyce baze babakhuphele ngaphandle, apho saqala ukuqhwanyaza sabuyela ezingqondweni.
Ndalaqaza ndikhangela uLilly. Umi phaya ngakwabanye abafana kwaye bayahleka. Ndakhangela uThato ndamthi tshe kwalapha egumbini. Wancuma waza wandiqobozela iliso, endibonisa ukuba mandiye kuLilly ngoku.
Wonke umntu ubukele.
UDave wayedane ethe nyoxo ubuso. Simfumene.
Kuthe usakuthi qwenge umsi, ndathatha isiselo, ndaphefumla ngamandla ndaza ndaya kuLilly. Yayilixesha lokuba ndizithethelele.
Mna noLilly saphuma saya kuma everandeni ephezulu ngaphandle.
“Hey, umzala wakho uyenye nje into,” watsho.” Xa ndicinga ukuba ebezama ukuzithethelela kum.”
“Ingaba wena …mhlawumbi…unawo umdla?” Ndabuza
“KuDave? Hayi yhuu! Andithandana namakhwenkwe amancinci mna angayaziyo into ayifunayo. Kuphela kwento athetha ngayo sisiqu sakhe nobuhle bakhe kwakunye neempahla zakhe. Akanambono wanto. Akathandeki.
Ndancuma, ndicinga ngento ebikhe yathethwa ngu-Ave ngenye imini.
“Hayi ke wena awukuphosakala. Ndiqinisekile uzakumfumana umfana okulungeleyo kwamsinya.”
“Ndicinga ukuba sele ndimfumene Tumie, kodwa uneentloni kakhulu. Akade andicele siphume siye kutya kunye.”
Owu kwakubi oko. Emva kwawo wonke lo msebenzi, uLilly unayo indoda. Ndakhathazeka de ndabawela ukulila.
“Ke ngoku?” watsho, endincumele.
“Ke ngoku ntoni?” Ndagqwashumla.
Intoni? Hayi khona? Kuthe kanti uyandithanda ngenene. Ndancuma, amazwi ephele emqaleni.
“Mhlawumbi ufuna ukukhuthazwa kancinci,” watsho, wabe esondela kum.
Ngoku waye ekufutshane kangangokuba ndade ndaba nako ukuva ivumba lesiqholo sakhe, ndeva nobushushu bakhe. Ndaphefumlela ngaphakathi ngokunzulu. Emva koko ndambamba ndamqinisa ezingalweni zam saza saqalisa ukuphuzana ngokucothayo, ngokuthambileyo.
ULilly, uLilly omhle, ekugqibeleni ngowam.
*****
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