UGrace weva lisihla ixhala xa usapho luyeka ukuthetha ngengozi. Waqalisa ukutya kokunye kokutya. Ngaphambi koko wayemana nje ekusunduza ekujikelezisa ipuleyiti yakhe.
“Uqhuba njai esikolweni?” Ugogo wabuza kuClarah.
“Ndiqhuba kakuhle kakhulu, Gogo, wancuma uClarah. “Phantse ndibe phezulu eklasini yam. Kodwa ndisebenza nzima. UMama noPapa bayaqinisekisa ukuba ndenza njalo.”
Bobabini abazali bamncumela. Babesazi ukuba akaqhuli ngokupheleleyo. UClarah wayengumsebenzi osebenza nzima kwaye kwakungeyo mfuneko ukuba asoloko ekhunjuzwa ngokwenza umsebenzi wakhe wesikolo.
“UTate nam siyazingca kakhulu ngawe, Clarah. Nawe ngokunjalo Prince! Siyazingca kakhulu ngabo bobabini abazukulwana bethu.”
“Enkosi, Gogo,” uClarah wancumela uGogo ngaphaya kwetafile.
“Umzukulwana wam akakho krelekrele nje kodwa mhle kakhulu kananjalo,” watsho uTate. “Ukhule waba linenekazi elibabazekayo, Clarah.”
UClarah wafa ziintloni koku kunconywa. UTom wayethethe loo nto kanye naye ngezolo. Kulo nyaka udlulileyo wayekhule malunga neesentimitha ezintlanu.
Kwiveki edlulileyo wayoluke iinwele zakhe zathi nca elukhakayini. Kwakumfanela kakhulu.
UClarah zange akwazi ukulinda ukuze afunde umlayeza awayewuthunyelelwe nguTom. Wayengxame kakhulu ukuba ashiye itafile ukuze ancokolisane nayekuWhatsApp. Ingqondo yakhe yayikude kakhulu kangangokuba akazange eve naxa uGogo eqhubeka nokuthetha naye.
Umama wamngqiniba engalweni. “UGogo uthetha nawe, sithandwa.”
“Uxolo Gogo,” watsho uClarah exolisa ngamandla. Wayengasoze abe krwada ngabom kubazali bakhe nakubazali babazali bakhe.
“Bendikude kakhulu. Ubusithini?”
“Bendibuza nje ukuba uza kundincedisa na ukucoca itafile.”
“Ewe, ngokuqinisekileyo.” UClarah watsibela phezulu waqalisa ukuqokelela iipuleyiti.
“Ndiza kuhlamba,” watsho uGrace. “Ungasula izitya wena, Clarah, aze uGogo yena azibeke. Uyazi apho yonke into ifanele ukuba khona.”
“Kutheni ungayi kwigumbi lokuhlala nje uxhome iinyawo, Mama,” watsho uClarah. “Ujongeka udinwe kakhulu.”
“Akukho nto ndinayo, sithandwa,” watsho uGrace, kodwa wayengavakali njengomntu ongenanto anayo.
“Hayi ke, siza kunishiya nayo ke manenekazi,” watsho uTate. “Ndiza kuhamba noThulani noPrince khe solule iinyawo.”
UClarah wayesula itafile xa eza kuva umama wakhe noGogo bethetha ekhitshini. Kukho nto kwilizwi likaGogo eyenza ukuba ayeke into awayeyenza amamele oko babekuthetha.
Yayingenguye yedwa owayecinga ukuba kukho into engaqhelekanga ngendlela uMama awayesenza ngayo izinto.
“Konakelephi, Grace?” Wambuza uGogo. “Uthule kakhulu. Ingaba kukho ingxaki emsebenzini, okanye … ingaba umtshato wakho usengxakini?”
UGrace wanikina intloko. “Hayi, nakanye. Ndicinga ukuba ndidiniwe nje. Bekuxakeke kakhulu esibhedlela mva nje.”
“Hayi ke ndifuna ukuba uphumle kwaye ulale kangangokuba unakho kule holide. Ungakhathazeki ngabantwana. Sikhona ukuba sikujongele bona.”
“Enkosi, Mama,” watsho uGrace ewola inkosikazi leyo ekhulileyo ngeengalo. “Andikholwa ukuba ndikuxelela ngokwaneleyo ukuba ndikuthanda kangakanani. Ndiza kuthabatha ingcebiso yakho, ndiphumle, ndixhome iinyawo kangangokuba ndinakho.”
“Kuhle ke,” watsho uGogo. “Uza kutsho ukhawuleze ukubuyisa onke amandla akho. Akulula ukuba ngumama osebenzayo.”
*****
Usapho lwakhawuleza ukuqhela indlela yokwenza izinto. UGrace wenza njengoko wayethembisile. Walala kakhulu ngeentsuku ezimbalwa zokuqala. Kodwa uClarah waqaphela ukuba wayenamehlo abonisa iingcinga ezendeleyo.
Naxa kunjalo, wonke umntu wayengathi unexesha elimnandi. UGogo, uGrace kunye noClarah bagqiba ekubeni baye kuthenga ezivenkileni. UClarah wayevuye kakhulu kuba uPapa wayemphe imali yeholide waza wamxelela ukuba angayichitha kwizinto azifunayo.
Wayemvumele nokuba athenge i-bikini. UClarah wayeyindadi ebalaseleyo kodwa uPapa wayengazange amvumele ukuba anxibe i-bikini ngaphambi kwangoku. UTate noGogo nabo babemnike imali yesibonelelo ebonakalayo. Wathenga iziketi ezintsha, izikipa neehempe kunye nejakethi ebomvu krwe.
UTom wayembhalela imiyaleza amatyeli amaninzi ngemini. Wayemxelele umama wakhe noGogo, kwaye babengenangxaki ngokuba abhale naye ephendula imiyalezo leyo.
“Ungahambi umthembisa kwanto, Clarah,” uGogo wamxelela njalo. “Akumazi nakakuhle, kodwa kulungile ukuba nabahlobo abaninzi kangangokuba unakho.”
“Andizi kulala naye okanye nantoni na eyelele apho, Gogo!” Watsho uClarah.
“Ndiyazi ukuba uyintombazana elumkileyo, sithandwa,” watsho uGogo. “Kodwa amadoda anolwimi olubetha kamnandi. Ingaba kukho nto ingaphezulu ayithethileyo ngengozi?”
“Uthe utata wakhe usekhaya ngoku kwaye amapolisa akhe afika kokwabo amatyeli ambalwa. Abaphangi baphinde bahlasela kwakhona baphanga isikhululo sepetroli eMount Road. Kodwa awakababambi.”
Ndifunde ephepheni izolo ukuba kube nokuphangwa okuliqela kummandla waseWhite Rock nezithili ezikufuphi kutsha nje. Kujongeka ngokungathi akukho ndawo ikhuselekileyo kwezi ntsuku,” watsho uGogo. “Masihambeni siye kusela ikofu sifumane nento yokutya. Ndilambile.”
“Yingcinga entle leyo,” watsho uGrace. “Ndiyakuthanda ukuthenga kodwa andikaze ndiqonde ukuba ungadinwa kangakanani.”
UClarah wayeqinisekile ngoku ukuba umama wakhe wayeziqinisile ukungandwebisi usapho lwakhe. Wayenoncumo oluzenzisayo ebusweni bakhe. Xa acinga ukuba akukho mntu umjongileyo ubuso bukaMama babukhathazeka bujongeke buxhwalile. Amaxesha ambalwa uClarah wayeqaphele neenyembezi emehlweni akhe. Umama wakhe wayesoloko ezisula ngokukhawuleza ngamaxesha onke.
UClarah waqala ukuzibuza ukuba kwakuqhubeka ntoni.
Ingaba kwakungenzeka na ukuba abe utata wakhe uyathandana? Ingaba wayecinga ukushiya usapho lwakhe na aye kwakha ikhaya kwenye indawo?
Okanye ingaba umama wakhe wayegula sisifo esifana nomhlaza, kwaye engafuni ukuba usapho lwakhe lwazi?
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba yintoni ekhathaza uGrace?