“Ngempela sizokwenzenjani?” kubuza uXolile.
USandile ujeqeza uXolile nomama wakhe, “Mina ngicabanga ukuthi siwazise amaphoyisa.”
“Nkosi Nkulunkulu ngiyathemba ukuthi ngeke bavele babophe wena, mntanami.”
“Ngeke bambophe ngoba uSandile akenzanga lutho. Akaphulanga umthetho,” kusho uXolile.
“Futhi nginawo nama-SMS avela kuNaidoo. Ngizobatshela nangesithupha somuntu engasibona emzini kaNancy.”
“Kodwa uthi thina sizokwazi ukuhlala ngokuphepha nje lapha endlini, mntanami?”
“Ungesabi, Mama. Mina ngizoya enkosini yendawo ngilubeke lonke udaba. Ngizobe sengicela ukuthi inkosi inikhoselise okwesikhashana.”
USandile uxoxela inkosi yendawo konke okwenzekile. Inkosi ikhoselisa umndeni kaSandile ikhiphe imoto nomshayeli ozohambisa uSandile emaphoyiseni asedolobheni lase Pietermaritzburg.
“Sike sahlangabezana namacala amaningi aloluhlobo. Izikhathi eziningi abasolwa sibabamba sebekwenzile ubugebengu, sebebulele. Ngijabula kakhulu ngokuza kwakho lapha kuthina, Sandile, ngoba sizokwazi ukubamba abasolwa besazama ukwenza icala. Ngalobu bufakazi oqhamuka nabo sizokwazi ukubabopha,” kusho umseshi weSpecial Branch.
Uvuma ngekhanda uSandile kodwa ukukhathazeka nokusaba kugcwele ubuso.
“Ngeke ngiqambe amanga, nginokusaba ngokuphepha komndeni wami. Sizokwazi ukuvikeleka uma kwenzeka uNaidoo noNancy bengaboshwa?”
“Ungasabi lutho,” kusho umseshi. “Ngizokhipha i-unit yami yonke ukuze ihambe nawe futhi ivikele umndeni wakho. Singochwepheshe bokubamba izigebengu. Sizokwenza i-trap abangeke baphunyuke kuyo abasolwa.”
Amaphoyisa abuyela noSandile emuva. Umakhelwane kaSandile ubanika i-lounge yakhe ukuze basebenzele kuyo.
“Awufonele uNaidoo,” kusho umseshi. “Ngifuna umtshele ukuthi usulitholile ikhanda lengane. Ngicela ungangingizi uma ukhuluma, ngicela uzithembe khona ezokukholwa uNaidoo.”
USandile udonsa ucingo, afonele uNaidoo.
“Ngiyathemba ufona nezindaba ezimnandi, Sandile,” kusho uNaidoo.
“Kunjalo impela, Naidoo. Ngilitholile ikhanda lengane.”
“Ngempela! Izindaba ezimnandi lezo! Wenze umsebenzi omuhle. Bengazi ukuthi amathemba ngingawabeka kuwe,” kusho uNaidoo.
“Manje uzofika nini uzolilanda?”
“Ngizofonela uNancy kwamanje. Sizofika kwanamhlanje. Wena silindele emuva kwamahora amahlanu.”
“OK, ningithinte uma senisondele.”
Amaphoyisa ayilalele yonke lengxoxo.
“Sandile, nginesinye isicelo futhi,” kusho uNaidoo.
“Yebo, Naidoo, ngilalelele.”
“Ngifuna ungitholele nesibindi somuntu wesifazane oneminyaka engaphansi kuka-35,” kusho uNaidoo.
“Ini?” kukhala uSandile ehluleka ukuzibamba.
“Ukhumbule weSandile ukuthi akusona isicelo lesi. Ngiyakutshela ukuthi ngitholele isibindi,” kusho uNaidoo. “Okudlula lokho umndeni wakho wonke ngizowubulala.”
“OK, Naidoo,” kuphendula uSandile, “Ngizozama.”
Ubuso bukaSandile buphaphathekiswe ukwesaba njengoba etshela amaphoyisa ukuthi uNaidoo usefuna nesibindi somuntu wesifazane.
“Sick bastard,” kusho umseshi. “Uma esephinda efona esethi useduze ngifuna umtshele ukuthi nesibindi somuntu wesifazane usitholile.”
USandile namanye amaphoyisa banikina amakhanda bekhala ngokuhlanya kukaNaidoo. Kungena i-SMS evela kuNancy.
Well done! Proud of you. We will see you soon. Love U!
UNaidoo ufona seligamenxe elamabili. “Usitholile isibindi, Sandile?”
“Yebo, sengisitholile.”
“Umsebenzi oncomekayo lowo. Ngifuna ugoqe ikhanda nesibindi ngo-plastic abehlukene. Sesisondele nathi, ngeke kuphele imizuzu eyisihlanu singaqhamukanga. Uzothatha labo plastic ubafake kubhaka. Mina ngizofika ngithathe nje, ngeke ngihlale,” kusho uNaidoo.
Umseshi uqalaza kule ndlu abakuyo. Ubonakala engena ekhishini. Ubuya ekhishini egijima ephethe iklabishi. Ugoqa leli klabishi ngephephandaba alifake ku-plastic. Uvula ubhaka kaSandile afake leli klabishi phakathi.
Umseshi ubona ukusaba emehlweni kaSandile. Umbambatha uSandile ehlombe, amubuke ngqo emehlweni athi, “Ungasabi, Sandile. Sizobe sikubhekile. Wonke amehlo amaphoyisa alapha abheke wena. Kukho konke okuzokwenzeka ukuphepha kwakho yikho okuphambili.”
Uvuma ngekhanda uSandile, aphume agxume ajombe uthango oluhlukanise umuzi wakubo nomakhelwane. Ufika kubo ame phambi kwesicabha aqalaze. Ubona amalambu emoto kaNancy ekhanyisa buqamama. Angene endlini uSandile. Akupheli sikhathi esingakanani ingene egcekeni imoto kaNancy.
Uphuma eqhasha endlini uSandile ephethe ubhaka ngesandla. Kuba ukunika uNaidoo ubhaka, amaphoyisa akhanyise ngelambhu elikhanyisa bha ebusuku. Ungacosha inaliti phansi ngendlela elikhanyisa ngayo leli lambhu. UNaidoo noNancy baxhopheka badideke. USandile yena ulala phansi njengoba umseshi ekade emlulekile ukuthi alale uma kukhanyiswa leli lambhu. UNaidoo umpampatheka ezama ukubaleka azishayise esicabheni semoto kaNancy esivulekile. NoNancy uzama ukubaleka kodwa akhubeke ubuso buqabule umhlabathi. Amaphoyisa agcwala igceke, afake uNaidoo noNancy ozankosi.
“Ngizokufundisa isifundo uma ngiphuma ejele,” kusho uNaidoo kuSandile ngesikhathi amaphoyisa emphosa ngemuva evenini.
UNancy yena akafisi nokumbuka uSandile.
“Wenze umsebenzi oncomekayo, Sandile,” kusho umseshi. Umbambatha uSandile ehlombe, amxhawule. “Sidinga abantu abaqotho njengawe kulelizwe lethu.”
Ngakusasa ekuseni, njengoba udaba lukaNaidoo noNancy lusabalala emaphephandabeni nakumabonakude, uSandile uvuka aqubule indodana yakhe. Uyalugeza usana lwakhe ahlale nalo alugone. UXolile uvuka abone lesi sithombe esihle sengane igonwe ngubaba wayo. USandile ususa amehlo enganeni, abuke uXolile.
“Igama engimuqamba lona uThemba,” kusho uSandile.
UXolile usukuma ahlale eceleni kukaSandile. Babuka uThemba aze azumeke.
***
Sitshele: Ngabe okubonile kulo mlingisi onguSandile kule ndaba kuyakunika ithemba lokuthi uzokwazi ukuphila impilo eqotho?
