Ukhetha ukuyoma ngaphambi kwesinye isitolo uZamani –uSpar osemaphethelweni edolobha lasePinetown. Ukuma ngakwaBoxer usekusaba njengokufa emuva kokubanjwa inkunzi izolo. Uyajabula uma ebona ukuthi uyena yedwa oqhuba inqola kulesi sitolo.
“Woza ngikuphathele ma!” kumemeza uZamani.
Liyaphela golokoqo ihora ememeza kodwa engalitholi ikhasimende. Iningi labantu lana lithenga izinto ezincanyana maqede bangene ezimotweni zabo bahambe. Abantu abathwele kabi bayingcosana. Uma kwenzeka beqhamukile basuke beqonde ezimotweni zabo. Ugcina ebatholile abantu azobaphathisa abambalwa. Uthola izithandani ezimbili eziphethe kabi ezisanda kungena eflethini khona la endaweni. Ubuye athole nomfayana othunywe ukudla kwezinja.
Akatholi mali etheni ngakho uvele athenge isinkwa nethini likafishi. Ufika adle endlini, maqede ashayele uSiphosethu ucingo.
“Nkabi, ngicela uphuthume ekhaya ngifuna ukukhuluma nogogo,” kusho uZamani.
“Kulungile. Ufone emuva kwesikhashana ngisaphuthuma khona. Likuphethe kanjani iTheku?”
“Kunzima, angeke ngiqambe amanga. Kodwa ngiyancenga.”
“Uqine ndoda kuzolunga,” kusho uSiphosethu evala ucingo.
Uhlala imizuzu emihlanu, aphinde afonele uSiphosethu.
“Mzukulu uyaphila kodwa?” kubuza uMaDladla ngezwi eligcwele injabulo. UZamani ugcwala imfudumalo enhliziyweni uma ezwa izwi likaMaDladla.
“Yebo, Gogo, ngiyaphila. Wena unjani?”
“Ngikhona mntanami. Ukuphi uThemba ngikhulume naye? Ngifuna ukumbonga nokukuhlalisa.”
Athule kancane uZamani. Abone kungcono angamtsheli ukuthi uThemba wathola umsebenzi eKapa.
“Mzukulu? Usekhona?”
“Yebo, Gogo, ngikhona. UThemba akekho, Gogo, usaphumile,” kusho uZamani eqamba amanga.
“Injani kodwa inhlalo lapho? Uyawuthola umsebenzi?”
“Okwamanje ngisabamba amatoho, kodwa ungakhathazeki ngami.”
“Ngaze ngajabula ukukhuluma nawe, Zamani.”
“Kujabula mina gogo.”
“USipho nguye ongikhelela amanzi. Unomngani ophilayo Zamani.”
“Izindaba ezinhle lezo, Gogo.”
Nebala bavalelisane. UZamani uthatha ibhuku lakhe lokudweba, ahlale emnyango. Nangu uSnethemba ewasha eduze kompompi. Umudweba amukhiphe enjengoba enjalo uSnethemba. Ucathama emuva kwakhe njengoba eneka izingubo.
“Qagela ubani lona?” kubuza uZamani emamatheka.
“Ha! Imina lona? Uwena odwebe la?”
“Yebo.”
“Ngempela imina ngoba akukapheli nemizuzu eminingi ngikade ngenza lento oyidwebile! Cha, unekhono Zamani! Bengingazi ukuthi udweba kahle kanjena!”
“Ngiyabonga, bengizama nje.”
“Uyazi, Zamani, i-art gallery lapho ekade sikhangisa khona ngesonto eledlule inomncintiswano wabadwebi abasafufusa. Kumele uwungenele.”
“Ngempela? Kungenelwa kanjani?”
“Ungenela online. Ngingakusiza ungenele ngefoni yami.”
USnethemba usula izandla, aphuthume angene endlini. Ubuya esephethe umakhalekhukhwini kanye nepheshana elinemininingwane. Bahlala ebhentshini, balokhu bejeqezana njengoba befunda imibandela. Nangempela bagcwalise baqede.
“Umuntu ozowina uzothola uR20 000 kanye nomfundaze wokufunda esikoleni sezamakhono iFine Lines Art School eThekwini. Umfundaze ukukhokhela yonke into uphinde ukunike imadlana inyanga nenyanga!” kusho uSnethemba efunda iphepha.
“Impilo yami ingavele iqhakaze uma ngingawini,” kusho uZamani emamatheka yedwa.
“Into okumele uyenze nje ukudweba umdwebo omuhle ukuze lomklomelo kube ngowakho, Zamani.”
“Kodwa ngizodwebani?”
“Vala amehlo ucabange into ebalulekile empilweni yakho.”
UZamani uyathula isikhashana, ucabanga evule amehlo.
Uyamamatheka uSnethemba, anikine ikhanda. Uvala amehlo kaZamani ngezandla. “Ngithe kuwena vala amehlo.”
Izandla zikaSnethemba zikitazwa amashiya kaZamani njengoba evala amehlo.
“Ubonani, Zamani?”
“Ngibona ugogo sengimakhele umuzi omuhle. Ngimbona emamatheka ejabulile.”
USnethemba uyaqhubeka avale amehlo kaZamani. Uyambukisisa njengoba emamatheka uZamani ecabanga izinto azibonayo emqondweni. Isona isikhathi lesi lapho uSnethemba ebona khona ukuthi useyayithanda lensizwa enguZamani. Ukube amehlo kaZamani avulekile ngabe uyabona ukuthi uSnethemba uyamamatheka futhi uyakhophoza manje.
“Dweba yena ke, Zamani. Sizoba sihle leso sithombe.”
Uyaziqoqa uSnethemba, asuse ukukhophoza kanye nokumamatheka okusebusweni, ngaphambi kokuba asuse izandla emehlweni kaZamani.
Akazi ukuthi naye uyingxenye enkulu kulesi sithombe uZamani afuna ukusidweba. UZamani akamtsheli ukuthi esithombeni afuna ukusidweba uMaDladla uyahleka ngoba uZamani uzomkhombisa unkosikazi wakhe. Lowo nkosikazi amkhombisa yena nguSnethemba.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi ikahle lento afuna ukuyidweba uZamani uma engenela umncintiswano? Kungani uphendule ngendlela ophendule ngayo?