USandile uzama ukuziqinisa kube sengathi akwenzekalanga lutho, futhi akabonanga lutho. Usehlezi ku-sofa ubuka ibhola kumabonakude ngesikhathi uNancy evula isicabha engena. Uvalo lumshaya luphindelela njengoba uNancy esondela ezomanga amqabule.
“
Ngikhathele ngiyimvithi, Sandile. Ingibulele i-traffic. Bekuminyene into ongakaze uyibone,” kusho uNancy.
“Awu bandla, Nancy. Uzithele phezu kwayo le-traffic yodumo yaseGoli. Sorry, sthandwa sami,” kusho uSandile.
USandile ukhuluma amazwi anothando nozwelo kodwa akuvumi abuke uNancy emehlweni. Ngesikhathi besondelene beqabulana uNancy uzwa ukubhakuza kwenhliziyo kuSandile asole ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi. Ngeke uSandile avele ashawe uvalo kungonakele lutho.
“Ngiphethe inqwaba yezimpahla emotweni. Awungithululele zona please. Ngikhathele ngiyafa,” uNancy unikeza uSandile ukhiye wemoto.
UNancy uphikelela egumbini labo lokulala njengoba uSandile esayothatha izimpahla emotweni. USandile uzamile ukubuyisela zonke izinto esimweni azifice zime ngayo ekhabetheni elinebhokisi eligcwele imali. Kodwa uthuswe ukubona isithupha somuntu wakhohlwa ukuthi lemvilophu asithole kuyo isithupha ibikade isebhokisini elisekhabetheni. Ngenxa yokutatazela, uSandile ufake le mvilophu kwi-drawer kunokuthi ayiphindisele ebhokisini elise khabetheni. USandile ungena ekhishini afice uNancy ecasukile.
“Sandile, kwenziwa yini ungadeli ukungintshontshela imali?” kubuza uNancy eshwaqa ubuso.
USandile ushawa uvalo oluhlangene namahloni.
“Usuyisimungulu? Khuluma wena doti ngingaze ngikusakaze ngempama! Ikuphi imali yami?”
“Ngiyaxolisa, Nancy. Ngiyavuma ngiyithathile imali. Inkinga ukuthi ekhaya umndeni wam-”
“Ini?” kusho uNancy edlwathuzela esondela kuSandile.
Uyahlehla uSandile, agcine esevaleleke ekhoneni lasekhishini. Ubona kugcwele inzondo nokukhohlakala kuphela emehlweni kaNancy. UNancy uphakamisa isandla, avike uSandile. Usezinikele ukuthi uNancy udedela impama. USandile uvula amehlo abone kungena uNaidoo phakathi kwabo.
“Hhayi bo! Nancy!” kumemeza uNaidoo edudula uNancy emsusa kuSandile. “Kwenzakaleni? Awubukeki unguwe, ikuphi inkinga?”
UNancy uyahefuzela. Ubukeka sengathi uyahlanya njengoba ebuka uSandile ngamehlo agcwele inzondo.
“Ngidlala le nja, Naidoo,” kusho uNancy ekhomba uSandile. “Lo ungintshontshela imali, Naidoo.”
“Cha, Nancy, ayikho inja la,” kusho uNaidoo.
“Ngisho le nja enguSandile!” kumemeza uNancy ekhomba uSandile.
UNaidoo uthatha uNancy bahambe baye e-lounge. USandile uyezwa ukuthi uNaidoo uzama ukupholisa uNancy.
Emuva kwesikhashana uNaidoo ubuyela ekhishini. Uyamamatheka, abuke uSandile ngamehlo agcwele uzwelo, “Wenzeni kodwa, Sandile? Uyintshontshe ngempela imali kaNancy?”
“Yebo ngiyithathile. Kodwa nami akukho okunye ebengingakwenza. Intombi yami idinga usizo lwe-gynaecologist emuva kokuzala ingane. Nomama wami uyagula akanalo ngisho isenti leli. Ngiyaxolisa.”
“Imalini le oyithathile?”
USandile usaba ngisho nokusiphimisa isamba semali ayithathile. Uyahluleka ukubuka uNaidoo emehlweni, uyazama ukuwaphakamisa amehlo kodwa akuvumi. UNaidoo uyamamatheka kodwa uSandile uzwa sengathi kunomoya omubi kuNaidoo. Uyahluleka ukuyichaza lento ayizwayo njengoba esondelene nalo khokhovula wenyanga.
“R20 000 Naidoo! Leyo nja ingintshontshele u-R20 000 wonke!” kumemeza uNancy e-lounge.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!?” Kubabaza uNaidoo. “Ngabe lokhu engikuzwa ngoNancy kuyiqiniso, Sandile?”
Usehluleka nokukhuluma uSandile, uvuma ngekhanda kuphela.
“Uyazi mina nginaso isixazululo sale nkinga esibhekene nayo,” kusho uNaidoo. “Kunganjani uma mina ngiyikhokha yonke lemali oyikweleta uNancy. Ngizomnika uNancy lo R20 000. Phela uzoboshwa, Sandile. UNancy uzwana nephoyisa eliphethe e-police station. Ukuze ungaboshwa mina ngizokhokhela uNancy le mali. Wena uzobe usungikhokhela kancane kancane.”
USandile uzwa sengathi kukhona umthwalo osuswayo emahlombe njengoba uNaidoo ebeka isixazululo. Ugwinya lomcabango ezwe sengathi kukhona omunye umthwalo osinda ngaphezu kwalona asanda kuthulwa wona ngoba ezibuza ukuthi yena ke Naidoo ndini lona uyomkhokhela kanjani. Umbuzo wakhe uphenduleka ngokushesha.
“Ngizokuqasha ungisebenzele,” kusho uNaidoo. “Uzongisebenzela ukuze singakubulali. Ngifuna wazi ukuthi mina ngingakubulala noma nini uma sengithanda. Akekho umuntu wakini owaziyo ukuthi uhlala kuphi. Ngizokubulala kwamzimba wakho ungatholakali.”
“Siyavumelana, Naidoo,” kuvuma uSandile ngokushesha. “Ngizosebenza ngokuzikhandla, Naidoo. Mina ngiyasebenza uma ngithola ithuba.”
USandile ulunguza e-lounge abone ukuthi noNancy naye siyamujabulisa lesi sixazululo esifika noNaidoo.
“Uyazi ukuthi uhlobo luni lomsebenzi ozongenzela wona?” kubuza uNaidoo.
“Cha angazi,” kusho uSandile. “Kodwa njengoba ngishilo nje mina ngingumuntu ongawunqeni umsebenzi. Futhi ngizosebenza ngokuzikhandla ngoba uyangisiza.”
Amamatheke uNaidoo. Ubuka uSandile ngqo emehlweni abe esethi, “Umsebenzi ozongenzela wona ukuba ungitholele izicubu zabantu. Engikudinga kakhulu amakhanda ezingane. Kuyibhizinisi elinemali ukwenza umuthi ngezicubu zabantu. Lokhu kuzosenza sigwilike ngokushesha, Sandile.”
USandile ukhexe umlomo, umangele. Akakukholwa lokhu akuzwayo. Okumthusa kakhulu ukuthi lo muntu okhuluma ngalento uyazihlekela nje sengathi akonakele lutho. USandile ujeqeza uNancy, naye uyamamatheka unqekuzisa ikhanda uvumelana nalokhu okushiwo uNaidoo.
“Khululeka, Sandile, ungasabi,” kusho uNaidoo. “Izicubu zabantu izona ezisetshenziswayo manje ukwenza umuthi onamandla. Nemali iningi kuleli bhizinisi. Manje lapha emadolobheni akulula ukuthola izicubu zabantu. Ngike ngakwenza ngaphambilini kodwa ngagcina ngisoleka. Kodwa wena uma uzongitholela izicubu lezi le emafamu lapho uqhamuka khona kungaba lula. Ungalinge uzame ukubaleka ngoba ngizobe ngikubhekile.”
Unikina ikhanda uSandile, “Hawu! Ngeke ngikwazi, Naidoo.”
UNaidoo ugxavuna uSandile ngezandla zombili amncikise odongeni. Akasahleki manje uNaidoo, usedinwe unguSathane uqobo. UNancy uqhamuka emuva kwaNaidoo. Kwayona le ntokazi isishwaqile ebusweni. Ikhomba uSandile ngommese njengoba uNaidoo ekhuluma.
“Phela angikuceli ngiyakutshela, Sandile! Uyangikweleta! Uyangizwa!?” kumemeza uNaidoo endlebeni kaSandile.
USandile uyabona ukuthi bazombulala manje futhi kwakhona lapha uma engavumelani nabo. Avume ngokuthi, “Kulungile! Kulungile, Naidoo, ngizokusebenzela”.
***
Sitshele: Ukubona kanjani ukuguquka kwale ndaba?