URisenga wayevumela amazwi oogxa bakhe abeyingxolo etsho ngasemva ngexesha lekhefi leti. UVukosi wathumela umyalezo othi wenze amalungiselelo okufumana ihempe nezihlangu, kodwa kwakusekho umba wesuti neqhina. Yayingxamisekile. U-Auntie Wheels wayefuna barihese benxibe impahla zabo kule veki.
Iincoko zekhefu leti kwakusoloko iyinto enye. Intlebendwane ngabaqeshi babo, nokukhalazela imali, ingakumbi ku-Andries Phosa owayesazisolela ukubhatala kakhulu kumtshato wakhe osesikweni –
Umtshato. URisenga wakhawuleza wabuyela ezingqondweni wajonga u-Andries. Ukuba nokuxelwa kwangaphambili, wayexakekile edwelisa zonke izinto yena nonkosikazi wakhe abengenazo kuphela ukuba ngebenomtshato ophakathi, kwaye ekhalazela inyanga iphela kade kodwa imali yona ibe iphela msinyane.
URisenga wakhawuleza wabala entloko kuye, ebala imali anganayo.
“Andries?”watsho, ekhumbula iifoto zomtshato wakhe. “Mhlawumbi ndingakunceda, kancinci nje, ukuze ufikelele kusuku owamkela ngalo. Uyakwazi ukudanisa kwam? Ndineliqabane litsha lomdaniso, phantse ulingana nawe, kwaye ufuna isuti neqhina elimhlophe, kanye njengempahla zakho zomtshato, zokhuphiswano. Andinako ukuthenga isuti yakho –”
“Unkosikazi wam ebengazukuvuma kakade ukuba mandiyithengise,” watsho u-Andries, kodwa wayekhangeleka enomdla.
“Ngoku, ukuba sinokuyiqesha?”
Kwalandela iingxoxo ezinzima, kwaye uRisenga wayesazi ukuba wayezakuba nobunzima bokucacisa ekhaya, kodwa umcimbi waseBushbuckridge ngokwenene wawuzokwenzeka. Wathumela umyalezo kuVukosi ezi ndaba zimnandi.
“Yintoni?” UMa wothuka ngobu busuku xa uRisenga wayemxelela ngoko akwenzileyo. Udlale ngemali kwiimpahla zokudanisa?”
“Kubekanye nje, Ma.” URisenga wayetyiwa sisazela.
“Bendizakuphinda ndithethe nawe nge .. Mntana nam, ndibanentloni ngalo lonke ixesha imigqomo yenkongozelo ijikeleza ecaweni. Ngelinye ixesha uPastor Marule uyithumela kathathu, kane xa kuqhuba inkonzo, kuba ayizelanga ngokwaneleyo … Utheni ucingela wena wedwa nje?”
“Uyenza njani into enjalo?” URisenga zange akwazi ukuzibamba. “Sobabini sivumelene ukuba sizakuyiphatha ngononophelo olukhulu imali de izinto zibuyele esiqhelweni, ngoku uyilahla kula nto –”
“Risenga!”
“Kulungile Ma!” URisenga wacaphuka. “Yenza oko ukuthandayo ngemali yakho, kanye nje ndisebenzise ethile eyeyam kwinto eyeyam, ukuze ndibenento enye efezekileyo ebomini bam, isithuba seyure nje.”
Kwakukho iinyembezi nokungxolisa okuvela kuMa, kodwa uRisenga zange amamele. Ewe, mhlawumbi ebezicingela yedwa, kodwa uMa wayengayiqondi ukuba le nto inye uyifuna kangakanani na, elithuba leyure lemincili nobuhle. Ubumi bakhe bungangabiyonto ngaphandle kokudanisa – nangaphandle kukaVukosi, waqonda loo nto.
Kusasa, esiya kukhwela ibhasi yakhe, uRisenga wamangaliswa xa uMburi wayesiza engxamile ukuze ahambe naye.
“Ndinento endifuna ukukuxelela yona, Risenga.” Uncumo lukaMburi lwalusanelisa yena. “Ndinelokhwe yokhuphiswano, intle kakhulu kunelaa vukuvuku lakho lidala limfusa. Ngokuya bendisiya kuPastor Marule ndimxelela ukuba sizakube sikhuphisana nawe, uvuye kakhulu ukundinceda. Uthi uzisa iintloni elalini, unxiba njengehenyukazi.”
“Indlela andijonga nazama ukundiphatha ngayo, ndicinga ukuba angathanda ukuba ndibelihenyukazi lakhe,” wagragrama uRisenga.
Thixo, mhlawumbi ibiyimali kaMa ebhatale nokuba yeyiphi loo lokhwe ayithengele uMburi.
“Awukho ngcono kunabanye abantu bosapho lwakho.” Kwakhukho ulunya kwindlela awayemjonga ngayo uMburi.
Waqinisa intloko uRisenga. “Cinga loo nto uyithandayo,”watsho. “Ndiyazazi ukuba ndingubani nento endiyiyo, enye into andiyihoyanga. Kodwa enkosi ngokundixelela ngelokhwe yakho, Mburi… Ukuba ivunywe nguPastor Marule ndiqinisekile ifaneleke … kakhulu. Kodwa ayayazi ukuba ukhuphiswano lungokudanisa, akunjalo?”
Kanene iimpahla zabadanisi kufuneka zithobele imigaqo. Wayesayithanda ilokhwe yakhe emenyezelayo emfusa, nangona wayenayo ixesha elide. Yayiyinto entle kakhulu, kwaye nesuti ka-Andries Phosa neqhina likaVukosi zonke zazilungile.
“Ntombi, awuqhelekanga!” UVukosi wakhuza xa wayembona enxibe ilokhwe awayeyinxibe ngoLwesihlanu owodwa wokurihesa kwiveki ephambi kokuba kuyiwe eBushbuckridge.
“Ndiziva ndingaqhelekanga.” Ulonwabo lumenze wahleka.
Ekuqaleni uVukosi wayekhalaza ngokuziva eqinile kwaye epitsekile esuti, kodwa kwamsinya washukuma ngokulula.
U-Auntie Wheels ubaqeqeshe nzima, ebagcina de kube sebusuku.
“Iimpahla eziqhelekileyo zokuziqhelanisa kwiiklasi zokugqibela ezimbalwa kule veki izayo,” watsho xa wayebakhulula. “Xa ndilindele ugqibelelo.”
Wahleka uVukosi njengoko yena noRisenga behamba.
“Andikholelwa ukuba ndigqiba ukuchitha ubusuku bangoLwesihlanu ndiziqhelanisa i-ballroom,” watsho. “Ngaphezu koko, andiyikholelwa indlela endikonwabela ngako.”
“Ngowona uphambili, akunjalo?” Zange acinge ukuba angaze onwabe kangaka.
“Ndiyabulela ngokuza undikhangele, undicele ukuba ndibeliqabane lakho lomdaniso.” Amehlo kaVukosi abengezela amnyama anamanzi, efunyanwa sisibane esasikhanyisa kwindlu ababedlula kuyo.
“Eyona nto engcono endakhe ndayenza,” watsho uRisenga. “Kwaye uDzinga noMburi bandincede kakhulu, bendinyanzela ukuba ndikukhangele.”
Bobabini bema ngexesha linye, ngokungathi bacinga ngengqondo enye. Uvukosi wamtsalela ezithinzini, waze uRisenga waziva ingathi uyanyibilika njengoko bewolana, imizimba yabo idibene ngokobude babo.
Bephuzana okokuqala, kushushu, kunzulu kwaye kuswiti. Wava ubuswiti obuhambelanayo, njengobusi, butyhutyha umzimba wakhe. Oku … owu, oku. Yayilunge kakhulu. Wayeziva engaqhelekanga, kuvuyo kungcangcazela umzimba wakhe wonke.
“Siza kufanelana sobabini,” washwantshwatha uVukosi, ephakamisa intloko yakhe ngokuthandabuzayo.
“Ewe.” Wayethetha bungcangcazela kodwa ngelizwi eliqiniseke ngokwenene, esazi ukuba ayingombuzo ka ukuba, kodwa kanini.
Wahamba eyokukhangela ilifti eya eMoremela nje phambi kokuba kokwabo. Imoto kapastor Marule yayiphaya kwakhona.
Ingaba uMa ulala naye? Urisenga wazama ukungayifaki ngqondweni loo ngcinga. Wayengafuni kwazi.
Uma wayethwele iqhiya emfiliba. Amehlo kapastor ahla esenyuka ejonge umzimba kaRisenga ekungeneni kwakhe.
“Kuyandihlungisa ukubona ukungabinazintloni kwakho Risenga,” watsho. “Uhla unyuka elalini … Kufuneka uqalise ukuya enkonzweni.”
“Hamba uyokuxelela uMburi,” watsho uRisenga. “Kukho into akutyala yona, akunjalo? Andazi.”
Wazivalela egumbini lakhe, zange aphume de wava ukuba uhambile, nangona wayenxaniwe kwaye erhalela iti.
Ubile kakhulu ngokuya ebeziqhelanisa. Ilokhwe emfusa yayifuna ukuvaswa. Akwaba ebecinge ngokubonelela ngokuvasa ihempe kaVukosi, kodwa mhlawumbi uza kuzicingela ngokwakhe; soloko enuka kamnandi.
Usuku olulandelayo yayilolunye lweMigqibelo amane esebenza ngayo, ngoko ilokhwe wayivasa ngeCawe, emva kokuba uMa eye ecaweni. Wayelumkile, wayithi swahla emanzini, wayixhoma ukuze yome ngehengara yeplastiki kucingo lokwaneka eliphandle. Wangena ngaphakathi ukuze aqoqoshe. Emva koko, wenza ikofu, into aziyolisa ngayo ngeCawe, wakroba ngefestile yasekhitshini.
Ekuqaleni wayengayiboni ilokhwe yakhe ecingweni. Uye wabona isicuku sombala omfusa siphantsi emhlabeni. Iphuncuke kwihengari. Zange yenzeke ngaphambili, kwaye kwakungekho nomoya.
Wakhawuleza waphuma, enethemba lokuba ilokhwe yome phambi kokuba iwe. Xa kunjalo akazokuphinda ayivase, avuthulule nje ukungcola.
Wachopha phantsi, wazibetha ngokungakholisekiyo njengehamile. Ihengari yayikude, ngokungathi ilahliwe, nelokhwe yakhe – ilokhwe yakhe! Yayingathi itsaliwe yaze yajijwa, yaze yaxushwa emhlabeni. Umthungo osecaleni wawuvuleke nka …
Wayichola uRisenga, eyibambe ngokubonakalayo. Kulapho wabona umonakalo omkhulu, ilaphu elininzi eliqoqekileyo lesiketi esithe naa si … sikiwe? Ngesikere? Wayengaliboni ilaphu elingekhoyo phantsi, kodwa noko kunjalo, yayingekho indlela yokulungisa lo monakalo.
Wawa ngamadolo akhe. Ilahleko yayilinqindi lentsimbi, ebetha esenza umngxuma embindini wesiqu sakhe. Intlungu yayinzulu ukuba angalila. Kwakuphelile ngabo – ukhuphiswano, umdaniso, ukudanisa njengeqabane lomdaniso noVukosi. Zonke izinto ezilungileyo. Ziphelile.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba esi sisiphelo samaphupha kaRisenga?