Kube ziiveki ezimbalwa ezinzima kakhulu. UClarah wayesazi ukuba umama wakhe wayengazi kutsho nto kuye de abe wenze uvavanyo. Ngaphandle uMama wayejongeka njengesiqhelo kodwa uClarah wayesazi ukuba uxhalabile. Hayi ke, kwakuyindalo nje ukuba abe uza kuxhalaba.
UTom wayefonele uClarah amatyeli ambalwa kodwa wayesala ukuthetha naye. Wayeselayeka nokumthumelela imiyaleza. Wayesazi ebunzulwini bentliziyo yakhe ukuba akukho nto yayilityala lakhe kuyo yonke le nto kodwa wayengafuni kwanto nje eyayiza kumkhumbuza yena nabazali bakhe.
UClarah waqhubeka ngokwenza umsebenzi wakhe wesikolo ngokuzimisela. Wayesachitha ixesha neetshomi zakhe kwaye esathetha noOlivia efonini amaxesha amaninzi kangangokuba wayenakho.
Kodwa kancinane nakancinane wayezisusa nakuPrince. Kude kube ngoku wayesoloko engumnewabo otefiswayo, kodwa uClarah wayesoloko enexesha alichitha naye. Wayeya adlale naye kwaye ahlale naye bajonge ezinye zeekhathuni awayezithanda bekunye.
Ngoku wayezifumana emgragramela kwaye emngxolisa ngalo lonke ixesha.
Xa enganxibi ekuseni wayeya amngxolise athi,”Akusenguye umntwana, Prince. Phuma ebhedini unxibe njengangoku! Wandule ukuhla uye ekhitshini utye isidlo sakho sakusasa.”
Okusisimanga kukuba uPrince wayesenza njengokuba uClarah emyalela ngqo. Kodwa wayesithi akubona umama okanye uPapa ajike abe ngulowa mtwana ukhwinayo kwakhona.
“Kutheni le nto uClarah endiphethe kakubi kangaka nje?” wazikhalela kuPapa ngenye imini. “Andisamthandi ngoku tu.”
“Hayi ke, mhlawumbe sekulixesha lokuba uyeke ukuziphatha njengomntwana lonke ixesha, Prince,” watsho uPapa.
“Ndiyakuzonda nawe!” wakhwaza ephakamise ilizwi. “Ndifuna umama wam”
UGrace weza engxamile ephuma ekhitshini. Enyanisweni, wayekuvuyela ukuba uClarah abe wayenobungqongqo kuye. Ngokuqinisekileyo yayibenza lula ubomi into yokuba uPrince wayengasakhwazi engxola apha endlwini. Kananjalo, wayenemini ende esibhedlela kwaye xa efika ekhaya wayenemisetyenzana embalwa ekwakufuneka ayenze apha endlwini. Kwakungelula ukuba ngumama osebenzayo.
“KULUNGILE, Prince,” watsho uGrace emwola. “Kukuthi nje uPapa nam kufuneka siye emsebenzini ze wena noClarah niye esikolweni.”
“Andifuni kuya esikolweni!” wakhwaza. “Ndiyasizonda isikolo. Ndizonda wonke umntu.”
UGrace wavela wakhala ngesiquphe. UClarah wazi ke ngoko ukuba iziphumo zakhe zazizakufika namhlanje.
“KULUNGILE, Mama,” watsho. “Ndiza kubonisana naye. Hamba uye kuzilungiselela ukuya emsebenzini.”
“Uza kuba ngumphathi wamajoni obalaseleyo,” wancuma uPapa, kodwa wakhawuleza elandela inkosikazi yakhe. Wayexole kakhulu kukushiya uPrince kunonophelo lukaClarah.
Emva kwemizuzu elishumi elinesihlanu, xa abazali bakhe bevela ekhitshini kwakhona, uPrince beselesityile isidlo sakhe sakusasa. Beselemi ngasemnyango nobhaka wakhe weencwadi emqolo.
“Ndiyasithanda isikolo,” watsho ngesiquphe ngelizwi eliqhelekileyo.
“Ukrelekrele ngokwenene, Clarah,” watsho uGrace eqhuzuka yintsini. Kwakamsinya eonke usapho beseluhleka, bebulela ukuba olunye uxinzelelo luhlile kwintsasa enganabumnandi abebenayo kude kube ngoku.
Usarah wayesexhaleni imini yonke kwaza ngamatyeli ambalwa kwanyanzeleka ukuba otitshala bathethe naye.
“Uziva kakuhle nje Clarah?” Unkosikazi Dube, utitshala wakhe wesiNgesi wambuza exhalabile. “Awukho apha ngengqondo. Ingaba kukho nto ikuhluphayo?”
“Ndiphethwe sisisu.” UClarah wayengaxoki ncam, kwakungatsho kwakhona ukuba wayengenakuluka iqhinga lokungabikho esikolweni ngaloo mini. Waziva ukuba xa engahlala apha nokuba ngomye nej umzuzwana, wayengaqalisa ukuziphatha njengoPrince akhwaze akhale ade adilize iindonga.
Isisu sakhe sasisenza iingxolo ezingaqhelekanga. Kwakuvakala ngokungathi kukho amabhabhathane ngaphakathi kuye kwaye ayengamonwabisanga tu.
“Ungathanda ukuya kubona umongikazi wesikolo?” Wabuza uNkosikazi Dube. Wayenobubele kakhulu kwaye enovelwano kubo bonke abafundi bakhe. Kwaye wayemthanda kakhulu uClarah. Wayengenguye nje umfundi okrelekrele, kodwa wayekwanembeko kwakhona eziphethe kakuhle.
“Ukuba akuhlupheki, ndingafane nje ndigoduke,” watsho uClarah. Indlu yakokwabo yayingekude kakhulu esikolweni. UClarah wayengasaziva efuna ukuphuma abethwe ngumoya akhe aphefumle etsala umoya omde osuka emazantsi kuye. Wayekwafuna nexesha lokuba yedwa ukuze akhe acinge, kwaye neenyembezi wayesele ezibambe ngeenkophe.
“Kulungile sithandwa. Ndiza kukubhalela incwadi kodwa nceda uye ngqo ekhaya, Clarah. Ndinyanisile ukunakana ukuba bobabini abazali bakho basemsebenzini?”
“Ewe, Nkosikazi Dube kodwa ndizakuba –RIGHT. Ndiqhelile ukuzinonophela.”
“Ndiyazi uqhelile sithandwa, kodwa ndikhathazekile nje ngawe. Ndingakubalekisela ekhaya ngemoto yam.”
“Nyani, ndiza kuba right, “ watsho uClarah ephulula isisu sakhe. “Ndicinga ukuba ukolula iinyawo okomzuzwana kuza kundinceda.”
Indlu yayithe cwaka ukufika kukaClarah ekhaya. Waya ekhitshini wabeka amanzi ngeketile. Wayeza kuzenzela ikomityi yeti i-rooibos.
Wayesandula kuhla nje etafileni yasekhitshini xa, ngokungathi usephupheni, unina evela emnyango njengesiporho.
UClarah wawisa ikomityiyakhe yeti etafileni ngomothuko omkhulu.
“Oh Mama! Undothuse kakhulu. Bendicinga ukuba usemsebenzini.”
“Bendikhona, kodwa ndibuye ekhaya kwakamsinya. Kutheni usekhaya ngeli xesha?” UGrace wajonga iwatshi yakhe. Kwakungona kusemini emaqanda.
“Ndineentlungu,” wathintitha esitsho uClarah. Waza waqala ukukhala.
“Oh Clarah,” watsho uMama ekhawuleza ukunqumla igumbi ewolela intombi yakhe ezingalweni zakhe. “Uyayazi into ebisoloko indihlupha?’
UClarah wavuma ngokunqwala. Wayekhala kakhulu kangangokuba wayengakwazi nokuthetha.
“Oh usizana lwesithandwa sam, kwaye uyigcine kuwe ngaphakathi lonke eli xesha. Kutheni ungathethanga nam?”
“Bendingafuni ukuba wazi ukuba ndamamela incoko yakho noGeoffrey. Ndinqwena sengathi ndandingakwenzanga oko.”
“Hayi ke masingazikhathazi ngaloo nto ke ngoku, sithandwa,” watsho umama wakhe. “Ndiza kusenzela enye iti ze emva koko sithethe.”
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Khawusichazele: Ubuza kukwazi ukuzola ngelixa ulindele iziphumo zovavanyo lwezamachiza olufana nolu?