Umama wami nosisi wami omdala bayaxabana.
“Cha, Same! Akuwona umbono omuhle lowo! Ngisho noma uneminyaka engamashumi amabili nambili. Kungani ufuna ukuthuthela kuleyo ndawo? Kumele uhlale uphephile nabazali bakho!”
“Kodwa, Mama! Ithuba elihle! Kuzojabulisa. “Ngiyazi nje!”
“Cabanga, Same! Kuzobe kukhona nezinsizwa ezihlala lapho. Izinsizwa ezingahlobene nathi. Kungani ufuna ukulala endlini ongayazi ekude nekhaya?”
“Kodwa, Mama! Nginenhlanhla nje ngoba bangicelile. Ngizokwenqaba kanjani?”
Usisi wami ubheka mina ukuze ngimsekele. “Angithi ucabanga ukuthi umbono omuhle, Gaone?”
“Hewu, Ngicabanga ukuthi kuhle! Nginomona!”
Ngihamba nosisi wami ukuyothenga izimpahla ezintsha zalesi sigigaba. Ngihlala naye amahora amaningi endaweni yokwenza izinwele ukuze ashintshe isitayela.
Ngakho ke u-Same uthuthela kuleyo ndlu, nakuba umama emuxwayisile.
“Ngifisele inhlanhla, Gaone”, kusho u-Same. Manje usebukeka ethukile. Esaba, futhi.
Ngokushesha nje izinto seziqala ukuhambela usisi wami kabi. Kunensizwa ethize ehlala kuleyo ndlu: yinde, yinhle futhi iyazizwa. U-Gabriel.
Ngiyambona nje ukuthi ‘uthanda amantombazane’. Nosisi wami naye uyamuthanda. Boom! Ngimubona emehlweni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uzama kanjani ukufihla.
Kodwa u-Gabriel yena akanaso isithakazelo. Yena unesithakazelo kwenye intombazane ekhona lapho: U-Julia, isingqazu sangempela. Isono ngosisi wami! Uhlala efasiteleni ebheke u-Gabriel Nesingqazu esingu-Julia engadini.
Ngifuna ukuxukuza u-Same. Ngifuna ukuthi kuye, “Vuka emaqandeni, sisi! Lowo Gabriel akawusizo lwalutho. Kungani ungathandi umuntu ofana no-Themba?” Yilokho engifuna ukumeluleka ngakho.
U-Themba naye uhlala kuleyo ndlu. Akekho mude noma muhle. Kodwa kulula ukubona ukuthi unenhliziyo enhle. Amehlo akhe alandela u-Same noma yikuphi lapho eya khona. Ngiyazi: U-Themba uyazifela ngo-Same njengoba naye nje ezifela ngo-Gabriel. Njengoba no-Gabriel naye ezifela ngo-Julia.
Kodwa manje u-Julia kumele ahambe. U-Gabriel uphatheke kabi, kodwa ngibona ithemba elisha likhanya emehlweni kasisi wami. Futhi yebo, emva kwezinsukwana nje, nangu u-Same. Engadini no-Gabriel.
“Hayi leso silima sentombazane!” kukhala umama wami.
“Ukuba nje wayazi ukuthi u-Gabriel umuhleba uthini,” Ngiyavuma.
Ngiyazazi izinto ezimbi akazishoyo lapho u-Same engekho. “Oh le ntombazane okuthiwa u-Same. Vele, akawusizo lwalutho. Ungowokuchitha isizungu nje. Akasona isingqazu njengo-Julia. Afafiki nokufika!”
Ngifisa sengathi ngingakwazi ukubonisana nosisi wami. Kodwa ayikho into engingayenza. Angikwazi nje ukumeluleka. Uzobhekana kanjani nobuhlungu lapho u-Gabriel emuphula inhliziyo? Nakanjani uzomephula inhliziyo. Ngiqinisekile ngalokho.
Kuphela nje uma! Kuphela nje uma ngingazange ngikhuthaze u-Same ukuba athuthele kuyela ndlu!
***
Ayikho into mina noma umama wami esingayenzela u-Same okwamanje. Asikwazi ukubonisana naye. Ngobuthule, kumele simubheke e-TV. Ohlelweni olubizwa ngokuthi the Big Brother Africa house.
Iyaphela lapha