UMalusi wagoduka wafika uSiyamthanda ehlamba. Wayefuna ukungena bahlambe kunye ukuze alibale usuku lwakhe nencoko ehlabayo ebenayo no-Anda. Wayefuna ukuphithizelisa ingqondo yakhe. Wasuka wathabatha umsebenzi wakhe wawa kuwo.
“Ndiyathemba ujonga iimpepha zendlu yethu entsha,” watho uSiyamthanda engena egumbini lokutyela enxibe igawuni yokulala eyenziwe ngesilika.
Wathatha amaphepha esandleni sikaMalusi wawabeka ecaleni, waza wahlala phezu kukaMalusi. Ewe, yilento ebeyidinga kanye le uMalusi ukuphozisa ingqondo.
“Indlu, isiqithi nako konke sana, uza kukufumana konke.”
“Khona khawutsho,” utsho enambitha indlebe kaMalusi, “ingaba le ayizokundigodolisa kakhulu xa siphumile?” watsho ekhulula umtyana wegawuni yakhe yokulala, eveza ilokhwana yokulala nayo yenziwe ngesilika.
UMalusi naye waqalisa ukumncamisa entanyeni. “UMzantsi Afrika ubashushu gqitha sthandwa, le iza kulunga kakhulu,”
Wabhekela uSiyamthanda.
“Utsh’ukuthi asiyi phesheya?” wayencumile, kodwa uncumo lwakhe lwakhawuleza lwaphela. “Sthandwa, ithi uyadlala?”
“Yontoni engalunganga ukuyityela apha i-honeymoon? UMzantsi Afrika uneendawo ezintle…”
“Ndizityelele zonke ezo ndawo. Lixesha lethu labucala eli, kwaye intliziyo yam yonke ifuna ukuya phesheya,”
“Sizakuya sthandwa, qha hayi ngoku,”
“Nini ke Malusi? Nini?”
Uthe akungaphenduli, uSiya waphakama phezu kwakhe.
“Siya, noko ngoku uyandifekethela ndinezinye izicwangciso. Uyayazi ukuba ndisabhatala neemali zikadad’ethu zeyunivesiti kwaye ndincedisa umama ekhaya ukondla abantwana nokulungisa indlu,”
“Oh sthandwa, ukuba lento ingenxa yemali sukuxhala, ndiza kubhatala,” wasondela kuMalusi.
“Hayi!” wagragrama. “Hayi, andivumi,”
“Kodwa ngoba? Siza kutshata kungekudala, loo nto ithi okwam kokwakho…”
“Siya, ndithe hayi, lelokugqibela elo,”
“So, andinalizwi apha?”
“Sthandwa…” uthe esatsho kwakhala umnxeba wakhe wesandla etafileni kufowuna umama wakhe.
“Awuzi kuyiphendula ngoku sisathethayo.”
UMalusi wathandabuza ukuyichola. Mhlawumbi ibalulekile, ngoko ke ebefuna ukuyiphendula. Kwaye wayefuna ukuphelisa le ngxabano yakhe noSiyamthanda kuba ecaphukela ukuxabana naye.
“Andifuni kuxabana,” watsho ephakama. “Kwaye kunyanzelekile ndiphendule uMama,”
“Kulungile,” watsho uSiyamthanda ebophelela umtya wegawuni yakhe. “Uyayazi eyona nto ibuhlungu kukuba khange uthethe nam phambi kokwenza esi sigqibo,”
Kwakuvakala ukuba ubindekile.
Ukunxunguphala elizwini lakhe kwakucacile. Le ncoko yemali sele ikhe yavela ngaphambili kwaye uSiyamthanda wayeyazi ukuba uMalusi uziva njani ngokubhatalelwa izinto ngumfazi. Yayinguye indoda efuna nakanjalo ukumbonisa ukuba angakwazi ukumkhathalela amnike ubomi obumnandi.
Kodwa wayezakuzenza njani zonke ezizinto kule malana ayamkelayo?
Yayinguye kuphela indodana kwaye enoodade ababini, omnye wabo engaphangeli. Wayengowokuqala ukufunda edyunivesithi aphumelele. Kwaye waye nomsebenzi umama wakhe awayezidla ngawo. Wayesenza okuhle njengendoda, okulindelweyo kuye lusapho lwakhe. Ukuchitha imali besiya kwiholide ebizayo yayingabonakali iyinto ebhadlileyo kuye leyo. Kwaye wayengazi kuvumela uSiyamthanda abhatalele iholide yabo. Yayingumsebenzi wakhe, hayi okaSiyamthanda.
Yayeka ukukhala ifowuni yakhe. Wayicofa kwakhona wafowunela unina. USiyamthanda wamgila waphuma egumbini, emshiya edidekile ekhetha phakathi komsebenzi wakhe njengomyeni kunye noxanduva lwakhe njengonyana.
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Sixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngesicelo sikaSiya kuMalusi?