URisenga wazifudumeza ngokwakhe kumgangatho ogudileyo emva kwendlu ka-Auntie Wheels. Wayenobuphakuphaku engazinzanga. Masithi uVukosi utshintshile kwisigqibo sabo? Wayeza kuthini? Wafika emva kwexesha.
Emva koko wathi chu esiya emva kwendlu, yakhangeleka isima intliziyo yakhe. Into elandelayo, yabetha ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Wayenxibe ivesti, uhlobo oluthile lwebhlukhwe olungathi luwakuwaku, neeteki ezinomphantsi obhityileyo. Zange akhumbule ngendlela engeyiyo. Ngokwenene wayenomtsalane. Ezo ngalo zibhityileyo kodwa ezinezihlunu, amagxa akhe amenyezelayo …
Kanye xa kulapho, kwakhala ifowuni ka-Auntie ngoku kwakufuneka uRisenga abulise uVukosi.
“Ina” Wamnika iphepha elingu-A4. “Imigaqo yokhuphiswano lwe-The South African Dance Foundation. Ndiziphawule iintwana ze-ballroom. Ndiyiprinte emsebenzini.”
Wayekhangeleka ezonwabisa.
“Kwaye kuluvuyo ukukubona kwakhona nawe, Risenga,” watsho ebuhleka ethatha amaphepha.
“Bendingaqinisekanga ukuba uza kuza.”
“Ndithe ndiza kuza.”
“Ayinguye wonke umntu osigcinayo isithembiso sakhe.”
“Ndenza njalo,” watsho ngokukhawuleza ezimisele.
U-Auntie wayesathetha, waze waqalisa ukuphengulula amaphepha emigaqo. Emva kwemizuzu embalwa, waqalisa wahleka.
Le ndlela yokunxiba ye-ballroom yabasetyhini! Akunxitywa i-G-strings nepeyinti ezineleyisi? Ngokungathi ikhona into enomtsalane nge-ballroom edikayo kwasekuqaleni.”
U-Auntie Wheels wayebeka ifowuni yakhe ngeli xesha uVukosi ethetha. Yena noRisenga bajongana.
“Masimzame ngetango kuqala Auntie, watsho uRisenga, esenza amehlo akhe aqaqambe kakhulu.
“Bendicinga ukuba itango ngumdaniso waseLatin America,” watsho uVukosi.
“Yitango yase-Argentina,” wamphendula uRisenga. “Itango ye-ballroom yahlukile. Yonke le nto ilele kwindlela obamba ngayo.”
“Obamba ngayo?” Ngoku wayenomdla.
“Ewe.” Uncumo luka-Auntie lwalukhohlakele. “Kwitango ye-ballroom, amaqabane adanisayo adibana ngesinqe.”
“Masizame!” UVukosi wakhawuleza wanqwena, ubuso bakhe bakhanye njengoko wayejonge uRisenga.
Kutheni enze ingcebiso enobudenge obunjalo? Ngela xesha u-Auntie ebavumela ukuba bayilinge kunye, emva kokucacisa itango ngokupheleleyo kuVukosi, uRisenga waziva ingathi uyavutha ngumlilo okanye yenye into. Angadanisa njani nomntu omenze waziva ngale ndlela? Nakuphi na ukudibana ngomzimba phakathi kwabo bobabini kwakuyingozi.
Wajonga ubuso bakhe – xa kwakufanele ajonge ngaphaya kwegxalaba lakhe. Hee hake! La ndlela yokujonga evuthayo yayilungele itango.
Yena noDzinga babefanele kunye, kodwa wayesoloko ekhathazwa bubuso bakhe obudikidiki – mhlawumbi nobakhe – bungabubeka engxakini.
Ngoku wayeqonda ukuba ukudanisa noDzinga ibiyinto yobuchule. Le – le – noVukosi – kwakukho imvakalelo apha – noncedo, owu Nkosi, wayephela.
URisenga waqala wacinga ukuba u-Auntie unobusathana ngabom, le ndlela wayebenza basebenze kunye kwitango. Lo mcimbi wemizimba yabo edibanayo, ukuthanda iziyolo zenyama okwenziwa ngumculo, nobushushu bomdaniso, nokuthi qhwa iintloko …Wayengakwazi ukunyamezela.
“Oko kuyamangalisa!” UVukosi wakhuza xa u-Auntie ekugqibeleni wabayeka banqumama ngeli xesha asatshintsha umculo.
“Ngoku uyayithanda i-ballroom,” uRisenga wamtsala, esaphefumlela phezulu nangokubhabhazela.
“Okwangoku,” wahleka. “Ntombi, wenza imincili!”
Wayenjalo? Ukuba kunjalo, umenze ukuba azive njalo.
“Wena, masibone ukuba uyithanda kangakanani iwaltz,” watsho u-Auntie Wheels ngokukhazimla okunenkohlakalo emehlweni akhe, noVukosi wancinwa ngokucaphukayo.
Khange enze kakubi kangako. Oko kwenziwa sisipho anaso sokuvumela umculo umlawule, kwakunye namandla nesingqisho. URisenga wava ukuba akanamode ngeminye imiba yomdaniso, njengokuba wayefuna ukukhululeka enze into yakhe.
No-Auntie wayibona naye. “Kusemsinyane kakhulu,” watsho. “Qala ufunde ucwangco lomdaniso, uze ube nokuyila.”
Ekupheleni kweklasi, uRisenga wamjonga waze wathi, “Ngoku Auntie? Singalungela ukuya eBushbuckridge?”
“Ucingela ukuba ndifuna ukuqhubeka noku,” watsho uVukosi.
Intliziyo kaRisenga yatsiba kukoyika. Wayengenako ukurhoxa ngoku –
Emva koko wabona indlela awayezama ngayo ukuba angavumeli imilebe iphotheke ibe luncumo.
“Uyafuna,” watsho ngokuzithemba okukhulu, waze wahleka.
“Ukuba awunalawulo kakhulu akunani.”
“Ndim umntu olawulayo apha.” U-Auntie washukumisa iingqiniba zakhe ezibhityileyo. “Iza kuba ngumsebenzi onzima, kodwa ningakulungela. Singa. Kuza kufuneka nikhethe umculo wenu kwamsinyane niwufake kwiCD nenzele abaququzeleli, kwaye niqiniseke ukuba iimpahla zenu nezihlangu zihambelana nemigaqo, zonke izinto ezinjalo. Njengesiqhelo ndiza kwenza amalungiselelo esithuthi sikaDzinga noMburi. Udzinga uzile wandibuza.”
UDzinga. URisenga waba ngathi ucingela kuye, ngokungathi uthi sala kakuhle, njengoko yena noVukosi babehamba.
“Iimpahla?” Watsho uVukosi. “Ndibonile kuthiwani emigaqweni. Kufuneka ndikulumkise ngoku. Andiz’okubhatalela into enjalo. Andinako ukubhatala. Yonke isenti endiyenzayo ndiyifunela umntakwethu nodade wethu esidityaniswe ngumzali omnye. Aba bantwana ububabona izolo.”
“Ingaba baluxanduva lwakho?” URisenga waziva elungile njengoko yayinguye ozakwazisa isihloko esingomntu.
“Ukusukela wathi umama wafumana isifo somhlaza.” Kwabakho ukulahlekelwa ngamazwi okusindayo emazwini akhe. “Kulapho ndayeka khona ukudanisa, xa wayegula kwaye efuna ukukhathalelwa emva kwezonyanga zokugqibela. Umzali omtsha ongengotata wam wabaleka kudala, kwaye utata wam washeleka ndisemncinci.”
“Iintsuku ezinzima.” URisenga wava ingathi intliziyo yakhe iyavuleka luvelwano.
“Ayindim ndedwa. Wonke umntu unebali.” Ubumnyama bangokuhlwa bahlutywa bakukukhanya okuvela ezindlini, waze wabona indlela amehlo akhe abengezela ngayo njengoko ethumela indlela yokujonga ebuzayo. Ndiyafunga, nawe ngokunjalo?”
“Alibuhlungwanga njengeli lakho. Ukuthanda ukungcakaza okukhawulezileyo, oyena mntu osondlayo umkile.” URisenga wayengathandi ukuthetha ngalo. “Ngoku uphangela phi?”
“Kwenye yeefama ezinkulu ezantsi phaya e-Ohrigstad. E-Paprika. Ndibe nethamsanqa, bandiqeqeshela isikhundla somphathi omncinci, kodwa kuqala bafuna ukuba ndazi zonke izinto ezinxulumene neshishini, ukusukela ekutyaleni ukuya ekomiseni i-capsicums. Yindlela ende ehanjwayo; andinako ukuhlala nabantwana kwindlu yasefama, ngoku kufuneka ndihlale eMoremela. Kwiinyanga zokuqala ndandidinwa ngalo lonke ixesha – sesinye sezizathu esabangela ukuba ndingabuyeli ekudaniseni emva kokuba umama wam eswelekile. Kodwa ngoku, ingathi sendibuqhela, kwaye ndinawo onke la mandla kwakhona.”
“Ndiyabona.” URisenga wamncumela kancinci, naye wabuyisa uncumo.
“Ikhona into endifuna ukuyazi,” watsho. “Ukuba ngaba itango ye-ballroom ingokudibana komzimba enyongeni, kwitango yaseLatin America kudityanwa phi?”
“Ngesiqingatha somntla. I …ee, izifuba neentloko sisondelelene, iinyonga zikude kakhulu.”
Ucinge ngoku kangangesithuba sezingqi ezininzi njengoko babehamba.
Ekugqibeleni wade wathetha. “Xa kunjalo ndithi i-ballroom inika umtsalane.”
Wahleka, evuyiswa kukuzondelela kwakhe. Wade wayama ngaye kancinci – de waqaphela imoto enkulu eyexabiso ithoba isantya nomntu owayekhwele ngasemva wathatha ixesha ebajongisisa.
“Yerr.” Wama kude kuVukosi, eziva ingathi uhlaselwa ngamehlo asemotweni amjongileyo.
“Ngula mshumayeli wasententeni,” wayikhumbula uVukosi le ndoda. “Ngoku iLeroro nayo uyibambe ngokunyoluka kwakhe.”
URisenga wava kamnandi. Ukudanisa nokwabelana ngokungamthandi uMarule. Yena noVukosi banezinto ezibadibanisayo. Wayeyithanda.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba umtsalane womzimba okhoyo phakathi kukaRisenga noVukosi uza kulungela ukudibana kwabo okutsha kokudanisa, okanye ingayingxaki?