Njengokuba ephulaphule kuNinja, uJohan waziva esiya esiba nomdla kwakunye nokuyincoma le ndodana; le nto yamothusa. Ebeze apha entolongweni engazi kakuhle ukuba ikhona na into aza kuyizuza kulo mguvela mncinane, ngoku naku ekholelwa kwilizwi ngalinye alitshoyo, wazibona ebambeke kwibali esiya esiba nomdla kulo.

Wayezicingela indlela nje uNinja angaba ngumlinganiswa onomdla ngayo kwenye yenovela ezingobundlobongela awayebawela ukuzibhala. Wayengumlinganiswa onoburharha, ohlakaniphileyo kwaye olikroti. UJohan wacinga ngendlela eli phupha lakhe awaye salibeke emva lo gama ephangela ezama ukwenza imali ukuba kutyiwe ekhaya. Wayecinga ukuba kazi uNinja angathini ukuba izikhundla zabo bezinokutshintshwa aze uJohan ibe nguye obalisa ibali; waqonda nje phandle ukuba uNinja angambona nje ngegwala ngokunga landeli ekhondweni lamaphupha akhe neminqweno yakhe ndaweni yoko abe elibele kukusithela ngokuphangela ukuze kubekho imali yokubhatala amatyala.

Kwakusele kusihlwa laze igosa lentolongo leza kujonga ukuba udliwano ndlebe luza kube lugqityiwe na ngentsimbi yesithandathu, kuba elo lixesha lokuvala. UJohan wamqinisekisa ukuba koba njalo, kodwa wayecinga ukuba ingathi angachitha iintsuku noNinja kodwa angoneli ngamabali akhe anomdla.

Igosa lentolongo laliyindoda elungileyo. Wayemqaphele uNinja kusukela oko bafika eMrova. Wayemazi uyise kaNinja kwanga phambi kokuba abe linxila kwaye aphinde azibandakanye neqela lemigulukudu, kwakwintsuku zabo zesikolo, kwaye wathi akuba ngumshumayeli waza wahamba indlela entsha engcono, walangazelela ukumnceda.

UJohan wacela ezinye iibhotile zamanzi, laza igosa lentolongo lamnika zaba mbini. UJohan wagongqoza le ibisele iyihafu ibhotile yamanzi, waza wabeka ezi zimbini iibhotile etafileni phakathi kwabo. UNinja wajonga ngaphandle ngefestile elangeni elalibonakala lingcangca kuhle esibhakabhakeni. Babengenalo ixesha elaneleyo. Waphinda waqalisa ukuthetha.

“Ndaqalisa ukusebenzela uBhishophu. Safumana umsebenzi emigodini. Besisebenza umsebenzi wethu wemini njengesiqhelo, kuthi xa kutshona ilanga sibeke izixhobo zethu zokusebenza sihambe siye kudibana nabanxulumanisi bethu beedayimani ezithengiswayo. Sasizifihla ke kwiimpahla zethu.

“Ngeempelaveki besigoduka siye kuthengisa idayimani koyena mthengi uza nemali eninzi, size siphinde sibuyele eLesotho, eKopano apho imigodi yayikhona. Kodwa kwakusiye kusiba nzima ukuyigcina le mali ininzi ingenayo. Kungelo xesha kanye apho uBhishophu wacinga icebo. Wacenga utata esithi kukho abantu abaziyo abenemali abanganikezela ngayo kwaye babefuna ukuyinikezela kwindawo elungileyo. Wavula ingxowa-mali egameni lenkonzo katata ukuze yonke le ‘minikelo’ ingene kuyo. Wada wazigqatsa ukuba angaba ngumgcini wale ngxowa-mali.

“Kwaqala ke kwangena ‘abanikeli abangaziwayo’ yaqala ukungena imali kuBhishop eyinika utata ngenxa yecawa…kodwa intsalela yayo….” uNinja wabanesingqala.

“Ndandisoloko ndimnika imali utata, kodwa ndandingamniki eninzi ukuze akrokre. Utata akazange abuze nto ngale minikelo, wayenemincili nje kuba kwakukho umntu oncedisa ibandla lakhe kwakunye nabahlali. Waye engazange acinge nakancinci ukuba le mali ingaba inokungcola phakathi.

“Utata wayevuya xa endibona ukuba ndiqhuba kakuhle, kwaye wayeyivuyela eyamkela le mali ndandibuya nayo emgodini ndiyinika usapho lwam. Wazixelela ukuba kumele ukuba ndisebenza nzima kwaye ndikude lee neenkathazo.

“Ndazigcina ndibukeka msulwa, ndade ndazifumanela intwazana yomSuthu egama libizwa ngokuba nguPulane kwaye ke wabenza ubomi babamnandi. Ndamzisa uPulane eMzantsi Afrika ukuze adibane notata. Sadibana notata eSprings kwaye le ndibano yaba neziphumo ezihle. Utata wayeqinisekile ukuba uPulane waye engoyena yena kwaye kungentsuku zatywala kuya kube kuyiyizelwa kukhala iintsimbi zomtshato ze emva koko kubekho nemilonyana emincinci efuna ukondliwa.

“UPulane, isithandwa sam sobomi sasingazi nto ngokuthubelezisa kwam iidayimani, wayebona nje lo mfana mncinci uzimiseleyo, unengqondo kwaye enoxanduva, lomfana utata wam wayendikhulise ndaba nguye. Ndasebenza nzima ukufihla ukuthubelezisa kwam iidayimani nayo yonke loo mikhuba kutata nakuPulane, kodwa ndandingenakho ukuyifihla umphelo.

“Mna noBhishophu sawenza lo mkhuba singenisa iziwuntlu zemali iminyaka emithathu. Ekuhambeni kwethuba ndaye ndafunda nzulu ngala makhangala uBhishophu wayendidibanise nawo. Yayingabona bantu bangcolileyo emhlabeni! Ngaphandle kokuthengisa iidayimani nentsangu babekwathengisa nangamantombazana amancinci.”

“Ndingatsho nje phandle ukuba ndandingafuni kuba nanto yakwenza nokuthengiswa kwabantu ndaza ndamcaphukela uBhishophu kunye namahlakani akhe. Ndiyabahlonipha abantu basetyhini- umama wandifundisa kakuhle. Ndafuna ukuphuma kuyo yonke le nto ndisakuyibhaqa loo nto, kodwa kwakungazi kuba lula. Ukuba ndingaya emapoliseni ndingaba ngofileyo. Ndaza ndafumana into eyaguqula nje yonke into…”

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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba kuza kuqhubeka ntoni?