USebastian wathetha ekhawulezisa, ngeli xa uThuli ebambelele kwisivalo socango lwemoto kwisitulo esingasemva, encwina qho umama wakhe edyarha ejika ikona.

“Uxolo sithandwa.” Ubuso bukamama wakhe babusexhaleni kwisipili esibonisa ngasemva.

“Ungahlupheki ngam, Mama. Fika nje phaya wena.”

“Zama, ntombazana,” uPhindile walicenga igxoko-gxoko lemoto yabo. “Zama.” Injini yancwina njengoko wayeyinyanzelisa ukudyarha ngamendu engazange ikhe ihambe ngawo, nangoko yayisentsha.

“Kulungile,” watsho uPhindile, ngeli xa uSebastian wayegqibezela ibali lakhe. “Xa sifika phaya, nina bantwana ningene niye eholweni. Ukuba nibona naliphina ilungu lombutho wabasebenzi – niyabazi ukuba ngobani na Sebastian?”

Wanikina intloko.

“Kulungile ke, ngenisa uThuli eholweni ngokukhawuleza kangangoko unakho. Uza kukukhombisa bona. Yiya kubo ngokuthe cwaka. Ungazibizeli amehlo. Baxelele ukuba baphume eholweni benganyakathisi baze badibane nam notata kaThuli. Ngaxeshanye, ndiza kuya kutata wakho, Thuli, ndimxelele ukuba kwenzeka ntoni na. Siza kube silinde nje kude kufuphi nesteji. Baza kuthi befika kuthi siza kube sesineqhinga. Kulungile?”

“Kulungile,” uSebastian noThuli batsho kunye.

“Ngoku nikhumbule, ningakhathazeki, ningahlupheki. Ngokuthe cwaka. Asibafuni aba, aba –“

“Mpimpi,” watsho usebastian ngeliphantsi. “Utata wam ubabiza njalo.”

“Ewe, uchan’ucwethe. Asifuni ukuba ezi mpimpi zazi ukuba sizikrobele.”

UThuli waqhwalelela eholweni, ebambelele nca kuSebastian. Bahamba bade bafika komnye wabameli bombutho wabasebenzi uThuli awamnakanayo kwaza ukusuka apho kwaba ngathi kubukelwe umtshini ohamba kakuhle usenza umsebenzi wawo. Indoda ababethethe nayo yaphakama kakuhle nje yathetha nenye ngokuthe cwaka, yaza yaphuma eholweni, ilandelwa yenye nayo yalandelwa yenye. Msinyane nangokuthe cwaka aziba aphuma. UThuli wabala alishumi selewonke.

Imizuzwana embalwa nje, aba selebuyile. UThuli wawajonga njengoko ayebalekisa amehlo ejonge esiqhwini apho. Amadoda angamashumi amabini, wayetsho njalo utata kaSebastian. Lelo nani ke aya kulo, athetha nalo aza alibamba ngeengalo aphuma eholweni. Iimpimpi zazithe gqa gqa apha naphaya konke apha esiqhwini, kodwa zakhawuleza zabonakala.

“Bayalunga,” watsho uSebastian kuThuli. “Abazi kwazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni de bafike ngaphandle, ngelo xesha ke kuza kube sekusemva kwexesha kakhulu. Baza kuqonda ukuba umqol’uvelile kwaye bonganyelwe ngamanani ngabasebenzi bokwenene; nokuba siyazi ukuba ngubani na obahlawulayo ngokwenza oku.”

Okokuqala oko ebedibene noSebastian ngaloo njikalanga, uThuli waziva ekwazi ukuphefumla ngokukhululekileyo. “Ucinga ukuba kuza kulunga?” wabuza.

“Ndiyazi ukuba kuza kulunga,” watsho uSebastian.

UThuli wajonga phantsi ngaxeshanye naye. Nangona wayeselehleli phantsi phezu kwesitulo, engasadingi kuxhaswa, wayesabambelele nkwa engalweni kaSebastian. USebastian wabamba isandla sakhe thambileyo, wasusa isandla sikaThuli esasimqinisile engalweni yakhe, wambamba ngesandla, iminwe yabo ithungelene.

“Jonga,” watsho uThuli. “Nankuya utata wam.”

UMoses wenyuka waya estejini kwaye akukho mntu wayenokuqashela ukuba intlekele eyayiphantse ukuhla yayiphetshwe cebetshu. Wathetha ngokulula, evakala njengendlela awayeqhele ukuthetha ngayo nosapho lwakhe bengqonge itafile. Ingxoxo elandelayo yayiba nengxolo ngamanye amaxesha, wonke umntu wayejongeka enento afuna ukuyithetha, kodwa uThuli wabukela indlela utata wakhe awayethetha thambileyo nangobuntu nomntu wonke.

Izigqibo ezinkulu zathatyathwa kwaye ubuso babantu babunendili njengoko kwathi ekugqibeleni kwagqitywa ekubeni kuyiwe elugwayimbeni. Amazwi abo ayevakala. Babeza kubeka phantsi izixhobo zomsebenzi kwaye bale ukusebenza de kufikelelwe kwisigqibo esamkelekileyo ngokuhlangabezana neemfuno zabo.

Amehlo kaThuli akhazimla ngeli xa wayemamele utata wakhe. Wabona uSebastian ejonge uMoses emthe ntsho yaza intliziyo yakhe yazaliswa lusizi ngenxa yakhe. Wayeza kuya ekhaya ngoku, kutata okhohlakeleyo obezimisele ukuphazamisa umhlobo wakhe ngenxa yamandla nobutyebi.

*****

Egumbini lestadi kwaMpumi Mokae.
UMpumi usemnxebeni, ilizwi lakhe eliphantsi licenga umphathi wakhe ongabonwayo.
Siva nje eli lakhe icala kule ncoko.

— Ewe, mhlekazi. Ndiyayazi. Ndiwe phantsi.
— Ndiza kwenza bhetele ngexesha elizayo, ndiyathembisa.
— Utsho ukuthini – ‘mhlawumbi akuzi kuphinda kube khona elinye ithuba’?
— Kodwa akukwazi ukundenza loo nto!
— Ndinikele ngobomi bam kule nkampani.
— Ewe, ewe, ndiyazi mhlekazi, kodwa ngokukhulu ukuzithoba-
— Nguwe ondiyalele ukuba ndenze zonke ezi zinto, mhlekazi.
— Kodwa undixelele –
— Ewe, mhlekazi. Ndiyabona. Akukho nto ikudibanisa nomzabalazo.
— Ngaloo ndlela, izandla zakho zicocekile lo gama ezam zingcolile?

Ilizwi likaMpumi liya liphakama umzuzu ngamnye. Uyabila.

— Undixelela ukuba yonke le nto ndiyenzileyo, ndiyiququzeleyo, ibingekho mthethweni? Kodwa u –
— Utsho ukuthini, be ndingafanele ukuzama ukumisa ugwayimbo olusemthethweni? Andikholwa ukuba utsho oku. Lo … lo mgqakhwe! Awukwazi kundenza le nto!
— Ndiza kukumangalela. Ndifung’uMdali, ndiza kukumangalela.
— Ndikunqwenelela amathamsanqa? Hayi, hayi. Ungatsho njalo. Unguyena odinga ithamsanqa. Ndiza kuhla nawe, ndiyafunga. Ukuba ndiyehla, uza kuhla nam.

UMpumi uphantse abe uyakhwaza ngoku:

— Yanga ezo diliya zakho zingabola! Zonke nje ziphelele. Sengathi abo, abo bantu, abo basebenzi banomdintsi bangangabuyi.

Ubuso bukaMpumi buluthuthu. Uthi folokohlo esitulweni esisemva kwedesika yakhe enkulu endwanyile engaboni nalo mizobo inexabiso eliphezulu ayijongileyo eseludongeni.

Emva kweentsuku ezine

uThuli ucomfoza umyalezo oya kuSebastian kwiselfoni yakhe …

Molo. Zinjani izinto?

Hey, enkosi ngayo yonke imiyalezo. Kuhle ukuba nomntu othetha naye.

Unjani utata wakho?

Uyazama, xa ucingela imeko akuyo. Umsebenzi wakhe wona umlahlekele ngokuqinisekileyo. Uthi bamenza isigculelo sabo.

Akukuhlanga oko. Ndiyaxolisa.

Ngenye indlela ndicinga ukuba kunjalo noko.

???

Bebethetha izolo ebusuku. Okokuqala emva kweminyaka bebengangxolisani.

Yinto entle leyo?

Kuza kufuneka sifuduke, sithengise le ndawo. Bendicinga ukuba umama wam uza kumngxolisa, amxelele ukuba ungungantweni, kodwa …

Akakhange?

Umama uye wamgona ngengalo yakhe. Emxelela ukuba izinto zakhe ziza kulunga. Izinto zethu ziza kulunga.

Emva koko?

Ndiye ndaphindela egumbini lam. Ndicinga ukuba utata wam ubefuna ukukhala. Ubengethandi ukuba ndikubone oko.

Izinto zinendlela engaqhelekanga yokusombululeka. Umama wam udla ngokutsho. Ndisatsho njalo …