“Uphi uMandla?”

USandra uqalaza efulethini. Indlu yokuphumula yabe ihlanzekile futhi igcwele impahla. Kwabe kunegumbi lokupheka elincane negumbi lokulala kanye negumbi elihle lokugeza. Kwakukuhle. Kukuhle kudlula ekhaya. Okokuqala, angilithandi igumbi lokugezela, kucabanga uSandra.

Indoda yabuya lapho eyabe imthelela khona iCoke. Kuyongolazi kwabe kuno-ayis.

“Ungazikhathazi ngoMandla”, kusho le ndoda. Iphimbo layo labe lisholo phansi futhi limnene. “Uzobuya kungekudala azokulanda. Kodwa kufanele siqale sazane.”

“Ngiyabonga ‘Malume’,” kusho uSandra ngezwi elipholile ephuza iCoke. Kwakushisa kakhulu neCoke yabe ibanda imnandi izoyiza. UMandla nguye owayebiza le ndoda ‘ngoMalume’, ngakho-ke noSandra naye wayibiza kanjalo kodwa engabaza.

“Bewazi ukuthi iziBalo isifundo esiphathisa ngomunyu,” kusho le ndoda imamatheka. Yahlala phansi yase isondeza isihlala sayo etafuleni lakhe.

“Sibangela umunyu” kubuza uSandra. USandra wayazi ukuthi ukubangela umunyu kuchaza ini. ISingisi isona sifundo ayesazi kahle kakhulu. Wayengakaze acabange ukuthi iziBalo zingabangela umunyu.

“Yebo. Kusemqoka ukuthi ukhululeke ngaphambi kokuba siqale iziBalo,” kusho ‘umalume’, “Uyintombazane enhle. Ubukwazi lokho Sandra?”

USandra wabeka phansi ingilazi yakhe. Wayengazi ukuthi kufanele aphendule athini ngakho-ke wamoyizela enamahloni. Le ndoda yophusha ipuleti elinamakhekhe ashokoledi yawaphushela ngakuSandra.

“Thatha elilodwa,” yaphindi futhi yathi, “thatha amabili. Ngiqinisekile ukuthi ulambile.” Yayisamoyizela ngaleya ndlela ebimoyizela ngayo. Futhi wabe elambile ngempela. Kade agcina ukudla amakhekhe ashokoledi. Engabaza wathatha elilodwa.

Esafaka nje ikhekhe emlonyeni le ndoda yaphinda yakhuluma. “Ake ungithi falakahla ukuze ngazi kabanzi ngawe” le ndoda isholo phansi.

USandra washeshisa waqeda ikhekhe. Labe limnandi leli khekhe likashokoledi. Uma uke wezwa elilodwa uzofuna ukudla namanye.

“Ngingowokudabuka eZimbabwe,” kusho uSandra, le ndoda yanqekuzisa ikhanda imkhuthaza ukuba akhulume. USandra waqala wazizwa esekhaya. Ungumuntu othandayo ukuxoxa ngezwe lakubo.

Ngakho-ke uSandra watshela le ndoda ukuthi wayeneminyaka eyishumi nambili usezohlanganisa oweshumi nantathu, nokuthi umndeni wakhe wasuka kanjani ngakubo eminyakeni emine eyedlule ngesikhathi abantu behlasela eZimbabwe nabantu bakwamanye amazwe e-Afrika. Waxoxa ngendlela ababephila ngayo enkambeni eyakhiwe ngetende.

USandra wathi ukuma kancane. Le ndoda yathi akathathe elinye ikhekhe. USandra walithatha. Ushokoledi wabe uncibilikela eminweni yakhe, wawukhotha.

Le ndoda yathatha ithushi eyabe igoqiwe, yabamba isandla sakhe yamsula. USandra wayibuka. Wabe evule amehlo ngesikhathi ebeka izandla zakhe futhi etafuleni. “Nazoke. Kungcono manje. Thatha elinye ikhekhe. Uqhubeke uxoxe,” kusho le ndoda.

USandra, enokungabaza, waqala waqhubeka futhi. Waxoxa nokuthi waphindiselwa emuva kugogo wakhe eZimbabwe ngesikhathi abazali bakhe besebenza eNingizimu Afrika. Wamtshela ukuthi lesi kwabe kuyisikhathi esinzima. Kuze kube manje kusalukhuni.

Umama kaSandra uchitha isikhathi esiningi efuna umsebenzi edolobheni futhi ubuya sekuhambe isikhathi. Ubaba wakhe ngaso sonke isikhathi akabi khona, usebenza epulazini uma sekuyisikhathi sokuvuna. Ngemuva kokudlula emhlabeni kukagogo wakhe, uSandra wabuyela eNingizimu Afrika.

Ngesikhathi eseqala futhi esikoleni sakhe esidala wayenomsebenzi omningi okwakufanele awenze. Wabe esesele kakhulu emsebenzini.

“Ingakho-ke ngidinga usizo,” izwi likaSandra liya ngokwehla, “Ikakhulukazi ngeziBalo.”

Le ndoda abayibiza ‘Malume’, yabe inqekuzisa ikhanda futhi, imoyizela.

“Uphi uMandla?” kubuza uSandra kodwa le ndoda yangaphenduli.

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Ubani uMandla futhi uye kuphi? Kungani uSandra esele yedwa nale ndoda, ‘uMalume’?