Indoda ‘enguMalume’ yavela ngesikhathi izinja zizama ukuphuma esikhaleni sesango.
U-Ayanda wayesevale amehlo, izandla ezibeke ezihlathini. Kwakunomsindo ozwakalayo emphinjeni wakhe.
“Pasha! Sasha! Woza! Woza!” Kusho le ndoda.
U-Ayanda wavula amehlo ebona izinja ziphindela emuva, ziya kule ndoda. Waziphulula emqaleni.
“Ungesabi” isho imamatheka. “Ngena! Ngena! Ungumngane kaSandra. Umuhle ufana naye. Nobabili nibahle. Ngenani.”
“Hhayi,” kusho uMandla ngokushesha ku-Ayanda. Washolo phansi ukuze kube nguyena kuphela omuzwayo, “Uma ngingaphumi emizuzwini emihlanu uhambe uyofuna usizo. Noma ubize amaphoyisa. Angazi ukuthi kungani engakafiki kuze kube imanje.”
“Ayanda,” kusho uMandla, ehamba emdlula “Ima la. Ulinde. Khumbula lokhu engikutshele khona.”
U-Ayanda wama wanganyakazi, exakekile. Isango labavalela noMandla, yena nendoda kanye nezinja zayo ezigwavumayo ezimbili.
“Ngeke eze namhlanje,” kusho uMandla, esondela ngokushesha kule ndoda, “Le ntombazane ngeke ize namhlanje. Usaba izinja kakhulu.”
UMandla nale ndoda ebizwa ‘ngoMalume’ banyamalala baya ngemuva kwendlu, esicabheni esingemuva efulethini.
Ngemuva kwesikhashana u-Ayanda ubona uSandra egijima eza kuyena. Wezwa izwi likaMandla limemeza ngemuva kwakhe, “Gijima Sandra, Gijima!”
“Ngila! Ngila! Kumemeza u-Ayanda ezwa uSandra ekhala.
USandra no-Ayanda babemi behlukaniswe isango elikhiyiwe. USandra ubuka ngemuva lapho ecabanga ukuthi uMandla uzovela khona.
Ngemuva nje komzuzwana uMandla avule isicabha sasefulethini wangena ngaphakathi ‘noMalume’ nezinja.
Ngesikhathi besengaphakathi uMandla wathi, “Ake ngithathe uSandra ngimuyise lapho ezobona khona u-Ayanda. Ukuze u-Ayanda angasabi ukungena.” ‘Umalume’ wavuma.
Exakekile, kodwa ethulile, uSandra waphuma noMandla, omdudulile futhi wamtshela ukuthi akabaleke.
Manje, lawa mantombazane amabili abuka emuva efulethini. Ase ekhala kakhulu ngokuthi esikhundleni sokuba abone uMandla abona izinja ezimbili, zigijima ngasekhoneni zigxoshisa uSandra.
USandra wama wanganyakazi, ethuswe ukwesaba ngesikhathi izinja zisondela kuyena. Wase ememeza.
“Sasha! Pasha! Heel!” Kwabe kuyizwi likaMandla.
Lezi zinja zombili zama.
UMandla weza kuSandra egijima. Lezi zinja ezimbili ngokushesha zabuyela emuva zinyakazisa imisila yazo zikhonkotha.
UMandla wacindezela irimothi ayeyiphethe ngesandla, ukuvula isango. Waphulula izinja. “Laba bobabili ukuphela kwabangani engike ngaba nabo kule ndawo,” kusho uMandla.
Ngesikhathi kuvuleka isango, uSandra wagijima waya ku-Ayanda. Wambamba ngezandla, wamuhaga.
“Uphi ‘uMalume?” kubuza uSandra emva kwesikhashana.
“Ngesikhathi esisasazela ngezinja ngimshaye ngesibhakela,” kusho uMandla, ephulula izinja, “Ulele akaphefumuli ebaleni.”
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Ngabe uzothini uMandla emaphoyiseni? UMandla ubenzani kule minyaka emithathu eyedlule?