“Kwaze kwamnandi bo!” kusho uThandi ngenjabulo. Kwaze kwakuhle! Kukhona abantu abasha abangena kwamakhelwane futhi sengathi banendodakazi eseyitshitshi. Sengathi nayo ineminyaka eyishumi nesithupha. “Kwakuhle lokho! Ngikhathele ukuhlala emgwaqweni ogcwele abafanyana abachwazayo abadlala i-gangsta-gangsta.”
UMama uyamamatheka. Uthi, “Sizobanika ithuba lokuthi bazihlele kahle. Mhlawumbe ungamema intombazane ukuzothola isiphuzo esibandayo namabhiskidi? Ngizwe ngonina ukuthi igama layo nguGrace.”
Intombazane yakwamakhelwane ibukeka sengathi inenhliziyo enhle futhi. Imamathekela uThandi kakhulu ngaleya kocingo. Yenza konke okusemandleni ayo ukuthi ithathaze noma izindla zayo zigcwele izinto ezivela elolini lokuthutha – okuhlanganisa nama-CD. Kodwa uThandi akekho eduze ngokwanele ukuze abone ukuthi yibaphi abaculi be-pop abathandwa nguGrace.
Sekuyizikhathi zesidlo sakusihlwa lapho sekuqala khona ukumemeza okuvela kwamakhelwane. UThandi usekhishini noMama wakhe. Kodwa ukumemeza okungaka pho! Kuqala umama wakwamakhelwane ukuthethisa intombazane. Bese kulandela ubaba wakhona. UThandi wethukile, noma engawezwa amazwi amenyezwayo.
“Yehlisa umoya, Thandi,” kusho uMama. “Ngikholwa ukuthi umsindo uzwakala kakhulu ngoba abakawachomi amakhethini. Mhlawumbe njalo uGrace ukwelinye ikamelo. Ngikholwa ukuthi yinto okumele singazikhathazi ngayo.”
Kodwa kamuva uThandi wabe esemi egcekeni. Ubona ekhishini lakwamakhelwane, uGrace nomama wakhe bengaphakathi. Umama wakhona uphinde athethise indodakazi yakhe futhi. Kakhulu kangaka pho! Kuqhamuka ubaba wayo naye ayithethise futhi.
“Kulungile, Thandi,” kusho uMama. “Ngibona ukuthi bonke bakhathazwe ukuthutha. Kukhandla impela phela.”
“Akuyona into okungazitshwa ngayo leyo Mama. Nawe uke ukhandlwe ukuba umzali okhulisa ingane yedwa. Kumele usebenze ezindaweni ezimbili. Kodwa wake wangithethisa nini kanjeya? Awukaze!”
UThandi ulala emdabukela uGrace wakwamakhelwane. Kubi ukuba nabazali abakuphatha ngale ndlela! Kubi ukuphila ekhaya elinje, nomndeni onje! Mhlawumbe, kucabanga uThandi, mhlawumbe kumele acele kuMama wakhe ukuthi ngeke yini uGrace akwazi ukuzohlala nabo? Hhiya, kungakuhle kakhulu lokho! Kungafana nokuba nodadewabo.
“Kwaze kwamnandi!” kusho uThandi ngokozela ngaphambi kokulala.
Ngakusasa, kukuhle ekuseni kakhulu, uThandi ubona uGrace egcekeni kwamakhelwane. Ugijima aphumele phandle. UGrace uyamamatheka amthathazele. Kukhombisa isibindi sakhe ukuthi akwazi ukumamatheka kanje ngemuva kwakho konke lokhuya, kucabanga uThandi.
“Sawubona Grace! Yini ndaba ungezi ngapha sizolalela uRihanna wami omusha? Ngabe uyamthanda uRihanna?”
“Uthini?” kubuza intombazane. Ukhuluma ngendlela engejwayelekile nje. Mhlawumbe uqhamuka kwelinye izwe? Mhlawumbe uqhamuka ezweni lapho kuyinto eyejwayelekile ukuthi abazali bathethise izingane zabo?
***
UThandi uyazama futhi: “Ngabe uyawuthanda umculo kaRihanna?”
Intombazane inikina ikhanda. “Uxolo, angikuzwa. Kuzomele umemeze. Njengomama nobaba. Ngiyisithulu, uyabona? Ngilahlekelwe insiza yami yokuzwa ngesikhathi sithutha.”
Iyaphela lapha