Kuba eyintokazi eligorha kakade umakhulu Tshezi wavula ucango, exhobe ngetotshi yakhe enkulu kwakunye nomsimelelo wakhe. Ngokuthe cwaka, wavula.
“Gila! Bathathe! Ziphi na ngoku ezi zinja?”
Umakhulu Tshezi wayesazi ukuba akukho mntu unokufane anakazele ngase yadini yakhe zikho ezi zinja.
Waqalisa wabetha ikhwelo, ejonga jonga elayite nangetotshi yakhe.
“Owu! Owu Thixo oyingcwele oziqu zithathu emnye! Yehova wemikhosi!” Wahlahlamba ethwele izandla entloko.
Zombini izinja zakhe zazinamanxeba amatsha embumbulu. UGilumntu, eyona kanye ikhohlakeleyo inja yayithe tywa apha ngase mnyango wenqugwala lakhe lo gama enye ithe natya phakathi kwezindlwana zazo.
Ngokungathi kukho into emsebezeleyo, umakhulu Tshezi wavela wagqotsa ukuya kungena endlwini. Izithonga zokubetha kwentliziyo yakhe zazingathi ngamagubu amaninzi wade wabeka isandla sakhe phezu kwebele lase khohlo ukuyithothisa.
“Ngobani aba bantu? Bafuna ntoni khona?” wasebeza ethetha yedwa evala ucango lwakhe oluzitshixayo. Imilenze yakhe yayingcangcazela ngokusisimanga. Waziva enesicaphu caphu, wathi vuxa phantsi bhaxa ngasemnyango. Waqhubeka esibekile isandla esifubeni, ezama ukuthibaza ukubetha kwentliziyo yakhe ngamandla.
Yakhala ifowuni yakhe. Yayiphaya kufutshane nebhedi yakhe. Wayijonga nje exakwe kukuphakama. Ekuqaleni imilenze yakhe yayingcangcazela kodwa kamva yavela yaqina nkqi. Wazama ukuphefumla kodwa kwasuka kwabakho ihlaba elibuhlungu esifubeni, wavela wabila wathi xhopho. Yayeka ifowuni ukukhala.
Wahlala ezama ukucinga, kodwa ingqondo yakhe yayibhampula ngeengcinga. Kwasuka kwathi thaa isidumbu sikaMazomzi silele phantsi, sibanda ceke. Ngoku ngathi akwanelanga oko wasuka wangathi uyaliva ivumba legazi elishushu eyayithe gabhu kulo intloko kaGilumntu.
Hayi man inokuba liphupha eli, wazicingela ngaphakathi. Yaphinda yakhala ifowuni kwakhona.
“Mandizame ukuphakama,” watsho etutsalaza.
Ekugqibeleni waphakama, eqhwalela, ebuwurhuqa umlenze wakhe, waphakamisa ifowuni.
“Andiboni kakuhle ukuba ngubani obefowuna,” Watsho encwina amahlo akhe.
Wathi krwaqu la tyesi yakhe ikwelinye icala legumbi. Le yayi yityesi yakhe endala awaye eyithengelwe ngumyeni wakhe kwiminyaka engama-30 eyadlulayo ngexesha esengumphangeli kwimigodi yase Boksburg. Noxa yayindala nje kodwa yayisomelele. Iqhaga elikhulu belijinga ecaleni kuba ibisoloko itshixiwe.
Wagquma ubuso ngezandla zakhe waqalisa wathandaza kwakhona. “Somandla! Thixo…”
‘Gxashi! Gxashi’ Zavakalela kufutshane ezo nyawao zihambayo, kwaye waqonda ukuba akamnye lo mntu usecaleni kwenqugwala lakhe. Wavula amehlo imilebe ingcangcazela. Wamamela. Kwathi cwaka kwakhona.
“Ngubani lowo? Ufuna ntoni eyadini yam, Sathana? Ubulele izinja zam? Hi? Njandini!”
Noxa ebezama ukuziqinisa kodwa ilizwi lakhe belitshothozela kwaye lingcangcazela. Wayengathi sele efile luloyiko. Wayeqhele ukuweva amabali amabi ngendlela ayebulawa ngayo amanye amaxhegokazi ahlala odwa kwezinye iilali ezikufutshane naye, amanye edlwengulwe aza akrwitshwa ashiywa apho ukuba azifele.
Emva koko amehlo ahlala kula tyesi isentla phaya. Wayengazi nokuba makayikhuphe na la mali wayeyiqhusheke phantsi kweengubo. Kutshanje ebesandula ukuthengisa iinkunzana zakhe ezimbini kwisitokfela ebesisandula ukuba kho. Amawaka angamashumi amabini eerandi wayewaqhinele ekawusini wawanyhala phantsi kweengubo elindele ukufika kukaVuyo ukuba ayithathe loo mali ayise ebhankini.
“Hallo! Andikuva, thetha kakhulu! Hallo!
Walakahla! Qhekre yophuka ifestile isitsho ngesandi esathi nkxwe ezindlebeni wawisa nalo phone wagxwala.
Yacima ifowuni.
“Yhuuu! Yhuuuuuu!” Elo litye likhulu liqhekeze ifestile laza kuwela apha embindini wenqugwala, kwatsho kwathi saa iingceba zegilasi yonke indawo.
Wagxwala, “Ungubani? Ufuna ntoni?”
Izingqi zeenyawo ezibalekayo zijikeleza urontabile wakhe zamenza wavutha ngumsindo. Satsho nesisu sakhe saxuxuzela kwade kwabangathi kungafuneka eye ngasese, kodwa indlu yangasese yayiphandle! Waminca ephothanisa imilenze enethemba lokuba izakude ihle le meko. Ngokwenene kwaba njalo.
Emva koko uve ivumba. Ewe, ivumba lokutsha kwemithi. Ingca. Amatayara amadala emoto, zonke nje izinto onokuzicinga. “Ingaba kukho into etshayo?” wazibuza esiva ukunqanqaza kwamalangatye omlilo.
Kwangoko weva amazwi anomsindo ethukisela ngakule festile yakhe yophukileyo.
“Liyatsha igqwirha namhlanje! Uza kutsha gqwirhandini. Gqwirhakazi, namhlanje uyafa.”
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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni phandle?