“Ukubanjwa kwam kwandenzakalisa kakhulu kuba inkundla yafumana nobungqina bezinto esasi sakuzenza notata phambi kokuba abengumfundisi kwavela nokuba ndikhe ndakhenketha ilizwe. Konke oko kwandingcwaba ndiphila. Inkundla yathi andifanelwanga yinceba noxa ndandimncinci, ndandineminyaka engama-26 ndijonge ukugcwalisa engama-27. Ndathiwa nka ngesigwebo seminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu, sigwebo eso esaye saguqulwa saba bubomi emveni kokuba amantombazana aselula aza kungqina ngam, kuquka uLebohang, emi noPulane ecaleni kwakhe, bechazela inkundla ngendlela abalotywa ngayo ngamathemba angengawo baza baxhwila   baxhwilwa bathengiswa kwabona bathengi banemali eninzi.

“Nabasebenzi basemgodini apho kanye ezidayimani zazigrunjwa khona, beza nobungqina. Ngokungathi oko kwakunganelanga bade bazisa nabanikazi beefama zentsangu apho amahlakani ethu ayesakuba khona intsangu, nabo beza nobugqina obasitsalela ezantsi. Kwakungekho themba lakuphuncuka…”

UNinja wayiphosa emoyeni ibholana yakhe yokuhlisa umvandedwa yena uJohan waye enexhala lokuba akazi kuba saqhubeka. Kodwa waqhubeka.

“Ndandikhathazekile ndicinga ukuba andisokuze ndilifumane ithuba lokubona utata wam kwakhona. Wayefakwe kwenye intolongo yena. Azange ndicinge nakancinci ukuba ndingaya kungqina kwityala lakhe ndide ndikwazi ukwenza ukuba akhululwe. Ndandisele ndilincamile ithemba lokuba ndingaze ndiphume phandle ndibone abantu, okanye ndibone utata, de umgcini ntolongo weza kwigunjana lam ngenye intsasa wandixelela ukuba ndiza kuthunyelwa kwintolongo eseMrova kwaye ndiza kuba lingqina.

“Ndabuza ke, ‘Ngubani lo ndiza kumngqinela okanye ndimchase?” waza wathi yena; ngutata wakho.”

“Yandivuyisa le nto. Ndandicinga ukuba andisayi kuze ndibe ndiphinde ndimbone utata, kwaye ndandingazi nokuba kuqhubeka ntoni kwityala lakhe. Kodwa ndangenwa luloyiko-ndingaba yini ukuba ndingamphoxa ndisilele nakwityala lakhe? Yinto endingayithini ukuba unokufunyaniswa enetyala aze aphele esiya kuhlala entolongweni? Wayesebenze nzima gqitha ukuzama ukutshintsha ubomi bakhe kwaye ngoku angaphela echithela iintsuku zakhe esiseleni. Impilo yakhe yayisele imaxongo noko, kwaye angafela apho ngaphakathi.”

UNinja waphakama waza wolula imilenze yakhe, noJohan waqonda kakuhle ukuba olu dliwano ndlebe lwalungxamele ukumkruqula.

Waphinda uNinja wabuyela ngasetafileni waza wathatha ibhotile yakhe yamanzi. Wasela waza waphinda wabuyela esitulweni sakhe, wabe ephinda ecudisa la bholana yakhe yokulwa umvandedwa. Emva kwethutyana waphinda wathetha.

“Utata waye enegqwetha eliphucuke gqitha eli gama lalo linguAngelina van Wyk. Weza kundibona nje ukufika kwam apha kule ntolongo yaseMrova. Sathetha waza wandichazela ukuba abazi kumbeka tyala utata ngolwaphango ngolwa phango lwasebhankini. Wayejongene kuphela nesityholo sokusebenzisa imali yobusela ecaweni yakhe, kuba kulapho kanye apho umtshutshusi wayecwangcise khona imibuzo yakhe. Wandicela ukuba ndimxelele yonke into endiyaziyo ngoBhishophu kwakunye neqela lakhe-wayefuna ukuveza elubala ukuba nguBhishophu owayeqabe utata ngobubende inyama engayityanga. Ndamnika lonke ulwazi endinalo. Wandicela ukuba eli bali ze ndilibalise enkundleni…babukhona ubungqina bokulixhasa, kwaye babesabufumana nobunye ubungqina, wandixelela. Watsho esithi lalikhona ikroba elihle lokuba xa ndithe ndathetha inyaniso utata angaba yindoda ekhululekileyo, kwaye ngaphezu koko ukuba angazama ukuthethelela isigwebo sam, angakwenza nako oko.

“Amazwi akhe ayethomalalisa ke ndingatsho, ade andizisele nengcinga yethemba lokuba ndide ndikholwe ukuba mhlawumbi, mhlawumbi nje, ayingawo onke amagqwetha azizikhohlakali. Ndathemba ukuba noko akhona ambalwa, inani nje elincinci la magqwetha asenocwangco nobuntu, amagqwetha anqwenela okulungileyo nakwabanye abantu, hayi nje kwiimpokotho zawo kuphela.

“Le nto yandenza ndacinga nzulu, mf’ethu. Ndacinga ngako konke okulungileyo endandinoku kwenza ngexesha lam: eneneni ndandisethubeni lokuba nobomi obuhle kakhulu, ubomi kwindlela elungileyo ngokwasemthethweni, ukugqiba kwam ukufunda. Ndiqinisekile lelo cala kanye awalibonayo uPulane kwaye leyo yeyona nto yamenza wandithanda.

“Utata wam wayeneqhayiya kakhulu ngam ngoko. Hayi utata nje yedwa, lonke usapho lwam kwakunye nabahlali. Ndiqinisekile ukuba ndandihleli ndinjalo ndandiyakuba ngumyeni othandekayo kuPulane wam omhle, lo ngoku ungasafuni nokundibona kwaye selenqwenela ukuba nditshe esihogweni kuphela ngenxa yento endabenza yona yena nosapho lwakhe.”

UJohan wabhala kwincwadana yakhe, waza wamjonga uNinja ngqo emehlweni. Kwakungathi sele ebona kanye kwinzulu zomphefumlo wakhe. “Umthanda nyani utata wakho, andithi kunjalo mf’ethu?”

UNinja wancuma waza wamncumela naye uJohan; waphinda uNinja waqhubeka nebali.

“Ndandingavumelekanga ukumbona utata kude kufike imini yakhe ematyaleni. Ndandisazi ukuba kumele ndiziphathe ngembeko noxa ndandifakwe amatsheyina okwesilwanyane.”

Wanqwala uJohan. “Waphazama nje uzazi ukuba usenjeni. Kumele uthethe konke, kwaye unyaniseke ngokupheleleyo kwijaji uze ke uthandazele okuhle kodwa lo gama ulindele okona kubi. Ndiyibonile loo onto isenzeka.

Wahleka uNinja.

“Ndabukela izihlobo nabamelwane bakatata bengqina enkundleni ngendlela utata awaye engumntu olungileyo ngayo kanti nendlela abe ngumshumayeli wenene ngayo. Ekugqibeleni ndabizelwa emkhumbini.

“Ndandifuna ukususa lonke ityala kutata ndilibeke kum emagxeni, kodwa endandinokukwenza kuphela yayikukuxela inyaniso ukuze abantu babone kakuhle ukuba yayindim hayi utata lo wayefake imali kwii –akhawunti zakhe, ngaphandle kolwazi lwakhe.

“Emva kwenkqubo yonke utata waye wakhululwa. Noxa engazange ade ayithethe phandle le nto, kodwa ndandibona nje phandle ukuba ndimphoxile. Ndandingenakumgxeka phofu. Ndandikhe ndaba liqhayiya ngaphambili. Ngoku ndandingunobangela wokuba abuyele entolongweni kwakhona, ngandlela ithile wayethengise ngomphefumlo wakhe nangentliziyo yakhe into awayengayi kubuya abe yiyo kwakhona. Kuyo yonke loo nto kodwa wakwazi ukundixolela entliziyweni yakhe.”

UNinja waphosa le bholana yokuthibaza umvandedwa kuJohan oye wayicudisa amaxeshana ambalwa, waza wayiphosela uNinja kwakhona.

Bahleka bobabini.

***

 Khawusixelele: Hlobo luni lobuhlobo ocinga ukuba luyakhula phakathi kukaNinja noJohan?