UNancy ungena ngesikhulu isivinini emzini womngani wakhe, uNaidoo. Uphuma nezivalo uNaidoo emangele – uzibuza aziphendule exakwe imoto engene ngesivinini yambhozwa izintuli. UNaidoo umangala ashaqeke ebona kuthushuka uNancy kulezo zintuli.

“Wo! Wo! Wo! Kwenzakalani ngawe, Nancy?” kubuza uNaidoo ngokuthuka.

“Ey Naidoo angikaze ngicasuke kanjena empilweni yami yonke. Kuthi angiqhume!”

“Ngiyakubona ukuthi ucasuke kakhulu, mngani wami. Ngena ngaphakathi endlini khona uzongixoxela yonke le ndaba.”

UNaidoo udonsela le ntokazi isihlalo kodwa anqabe ukuhlala phansi uNancy. Udinwe ugane unwabu, ugcalugcaluza phambi kukaNaidoo.

“Loya skhotheni engihlala naye, uSandile, untshontsha imali yami ayithumelele intombi yakhe le emafamu aseKZN!” kusho uNancy ememeza.

“Hhayi, Nancy, nawe unolaka kakhulu,” kusho uNaidoo. “Lapho ubona khona inkinga mina ngibona kuvela ithuba. Yehlisa umoya ulalele iqhinga engiqhamuka nalo.”

UNaidoo ukhomba lesi sihlalo akade emdonsele sona ngesikhathi engena lapha endlini uNancy. Le ntokazi ihlala phansi ilalele ukuthi uNaidoo uthini.

“Inkinga ukuthi uyatatazela uma usudiniwe, Nancy, mngani wami. Ngicela wehlise umoya ulalele ukuthi mina ngibona ukuthi siyilungise kanjani le nkinga yakho. Mina ngibona ukuthi kumele umdedele lo Ben10 wakho aqhubeke nokuntshontsha imali. Kuzothi uma esekukweleta imali eningi simuphoqe ukuba asisebenzele.”

“Ngimdedele aqhubeke nokuntshontsha imali yami?” kubuza uNancy edidekile.

“Mina ngizoqhamuka njengoMsamariya olungileyo, ngimuboleke imali yokuba akhokhele wena lemali akukweleta yona. Sizomusabisa ngokuthi sizomvulela icala emaphoyiseni. Amaphoyisa azokholwa wena kunaye. Kulapho ke mina engizokwazi ukumphoqa ukuthi angisebenzele. Do you understand?”

“Ya sengathi uza necebo elingcono kakhulu,” kusho uNancy evuma ngekhanda. “Akanamali uSandile. Uma ngimdedela antshontshe ngeke akwazi ukuzibamba. Kulapho-ke sizomphoqa khona ukuthi asitholele amakhanda abantu kuze kuphele isikweletu futhi angaboshwa. Cha, Naidoo, you are clever my friend!”

“Kunjalo impela, Nancy. Nawe uyazi ukuthi sizidinga kangakanani izicubu zabantu ukuze sikwazi ukuqhubeka nokwakha umuthi. Akasekho nomuntu osilethelayo izicubu selokhu samdabulisa amafu loya muntu awayesilethela. Kanti lo muthi ufunwa ndawo zonke.”

“Uqinisile, Naidoo. Futhi bekunzima ukuthemba loya muntu obesilethela izicubu ngoba ubengasikweleti lutho. USandile yena uzothembeka ngoba uzobe ekukweleta,” kusho uNancy.

Amamatheke uNaidoo, “Uyihlabe eskhonkosini, my friend. Now go home and apologise to Sandile. Tell him that you made a mistake.”

USandile ugijima aziphonse ku-sofa kube sengathi ubelokhu ezihlalele khona sonke lesi sikhathi ebuka ibhola kumabonakude. USandile akakukholwa lokhu akubonayo njengoba uNancy engena endlini. UNancy ungena egobise ikhanda, ukuhlonipha kubhalwe ebusweni njengoba evusa amehlo ebuka uSandile.

“Sandile, sweetheart, ngiyazehlisa kuwe. Ngicela ukwamukele ukuxolisa kwami ngakho konke engikwenze khona,” kusho uNancy.

USandile akakukholwa lokhu akuzwa ngezindlebe zakhe.

“Sandile, ngiyazi ukuthi angikuphathi kahle. Empeleni ukuhlukumeza lento engiyenzayo kuwena futhi kwamina ngiyavuma, Sandile,” izinyembezi zigcwala emehlweni kuNancy. “Ukuthi empeleni konke lokhu kuhlanya kwami kudalwa isikhwele enginaso ngawe, sthandwa sami. Ngikuthanda kakhulu, ngeke ngikwazi ukuthula ngikubuke unika omunye umuntu uthando. Kodwa ngeke sikwazi ukushintsha isimo. Mina kuzomele ngizifundise ukwamukela isimo sokuthi unentombi onengane nayo. Kumele ngikugwinye lokhu futhi ngiyathembisa ukuthi ngizokugwinya. Kusukela manje ngizoziphatha kahle.”

UNancy usekhihla isililo manje. Ugcina eseguqa ngamadolo, encenga uxolo ezinyaweni zika Sandile.

“Ngicela usukume, Nancy. Khululeka ngami, mina ngiyakuxolela,” kusho uSandile equbula le ntokazi.

Izinto zibuyela kulesi simo okwakuyiso ekuqaleni. UNancy noSandile bahlala ngokujabula. UNancy uziphathisa okumuntu onenhliziyo emsulwa. Nemali iningi lapha endlini futhi uNancy uyibeka budedengu. UNancy ushiya amabhola emali kwi-drawer ngalapho elala ngakhona. USandile uthatha u-R500, awuthumelele uXolile nomama wakhe le ekhaya.

Kuphela izinsuku ezimbalwa uSandile afonelwe uXolile ngesikhathi uNancy esahambile. Kuzwakala ngezwi ukuthi uXolile akaphathekile kahle.

“Emtholampilo bangitshele ukuthi ngidinga ukubona i-gynaecologist. Angiphathekile kahle, Sandile, kukhona okungahambanga kahle ngesikhathi ngizala,” kusho uXolile.

“Kubiza malini ukubona i-gynaecologist? Uzolithola usizo kuyona?”

“Yebo izongisiza. Abahlengikazi base mtholampilo bangitshele ukuthi le nkinga enginayo ijwayelekile futhi iyalapheka. Inkinga nje ukuthi ilashwa i- gynaecologist kuphela. Ngizodinga imali engu-R950 sekuhlangene nemali yokugibela ngiya edolobheni.”

“OK,” kusho uSandile. “Ngizoyithumela imali maduzane. Ngeke liphele ihora.”

USandile uqonda kwi-drawer, abale imali engu-R1000. Uvula ikhabethe elingaphansi kwe-drawer. Ubona ibhokisi phakathi kuleli khabethe. Uvula leli bhokisi ashaqeke ngoba phakathi kwalo kukhona imali eningi. Akaze ayibone imali eningi kangaka selokhu azalwa. Endleleni, ngesikhathi eyothumela imali kuXolile, uSandile wakha icebo lokuntshontsha le mali kaNancy egcwele ibhokisi abaleke anyamalale.

Ubuya ebhange apakishe zonke izimpahla zakhe esikhwameni. Ufaka isandla ebhokisini abuye nenqwaba yemali. Ubala ngokushesha athole ukuthi uphethe u-R20 000. Ubuka ebhokisini abone ukuthi isaningi imali egcwele khona, kuba sengathi akazange athathe lutho. Uphinda acwile ebhokisini.

“Ngeke ngithathe imali eningi kakhulu. Ngizothatha imali yokugibela ngiphindele ekhaya, ngikwazi nokuphilisa umndeni wami izinyanga ezimbalwa ngesikhathi ngisabheka umsebenzi,” kusho uSandile ekhuluma yedwa.

Kukhona into eqinile abuya nayo njengoba ecwila okwesibili kuleli bhokisi lemali. Lento eqinile igoqwe ngemvilophu. USandile ufaka imali esikhwameni sakhe, abe esevula le mvilophu. Lento ayithola ngaphakathi kule mvilophu igoqwe ngebhandishi. Aliqaqe ibhandishi. Kuzwakala uSandile ehayiza ngoba lento ayiphethe ezandleni zakhe, lento ebigoqwe ngebhandishi, isithupha somuntu.

Lumuthi nkente uvalo, asheshise abuyisele konke esimweni akufice kuyisona. Nansi nemoto kaNancy ingena esangweni.

***

Sitshele: Kumele enze njani uSandile?