UNobuhle ugijima ngesivinini esiphezulu aze ayofika esontweni. Ukhiya isango lesonto angene egumbini lakhe, akhiye isicabha. Uhlala embhedeni aziphuthaze ebheka ukuthi udubulekile yini noma cha. Uvalo luduma umzimba wonke, kuze kuse amehlo ewavulile.
Kuba ukufika nje kukaNkk Nkwanyana ebuya kwi-church conference, uNobuhle amxoxele konke okumehlakalele. Uvalo luqala phansi lapho exoxa ngokucishe alahlekelwe umphefumulo wakhe eshwetshwa ngenhlamvu.
“Kwaze kwanzima, mntanami. Ungahlala lapha noma isikhathi esingakanani. UNkulunkulu uzokusiza kulesi simo obhekene naso,” kusho uNkk Nkwanyana. “Okunye okumele ukwenze ukuthi uzame ukuxhumana nomndeni wakho. Unayo inombolo yocingo yomuntu wakini esingamthinta?”
“Uyazi, Mama, ubaba wami ungumfundisi eHoly Baptist Church yaseStanger. Ubaba nguPastor Luthuli,” kusho uNobuhle.
“Hawu! ULuthuli waseStanger ubaba wakho? Ngempela, mntanami?”
“Yebo, Mama,” uNobuhle unqekuzisa ikhanda.
“Ngiyamazi phela uPastor Luthuli. Ngimazi kakhulu, uyindoda eqotho. Angimthinte ngocingo ngimcele akulande.”
“Indaba yami indaba ende, Mama. Ngahamba ekhaya kungekuhle. Empeleni wangixosha ubaba ngoba ngikhulelwe. Ngidinga isikhathi ngaphambi kokuthi ngimbone. Ngidinga ukululama ziphole nezibazi ngoba angifuni angibone ngimabokoboko nginjena. Angadumala kabi ubaba uma engangibona ngikulesi simo. Ngidinga isikhathi”
“Noma kunjalo, mntanami. Noma akuxosha ngenxa yaleso sizathu, ngiyakholwa ukuthi uma ngingase simazise ubunzima bempilo oyiphilayo ingaguquka inhliziyo yakhe. Angakwamukela ngoba ngiyamazi ukuthi uyindoda eqotho.”
“Ngiyesaba futhi nginamahloni. Ngeke ngikwazi ukumbona njengamanje, ngeke, ngisenjena emzimbeni nasemphefumulweni. Ngicela uyibuke ngeso lami le ndaba, Mama. Ngicela unginike isikhathi ngizilungise umzimba nomphefumulo.”
“Ngiyakuzwa, mntanami. Sizokwenza ngale ndlela ofisa kwenzeke ngayo. Vele nami ngisaludinga kakhulu usizo lwakho lapha esontweni. Wena zilungise umphefumulo wakho, uma usukulungele ukuhlangana noyihlo ungazise. Ngeke kube inkinga kimina ukuthi ngenze nibuyisane,” kusho uNkk Nkwanyana ebambe uNobuhle ngesandla.
UNobuhle kumthatha izinyanga eziningi ukwelulama komzimba nomphefumulo. Njalo ntambama, emuva kokwenza imisebenzi yasesontweni, uyaphuma esontweni elule izinyawo. Uhamba ibanga elide, agibele egqumeni abuke ngaphesheya kwegquma. Ubukisisa ngamehlo akhe angasaboni kahle ngenxa yesibhaxu ayesithola njalo kuSqiniseko. Uwucinga agcine ewutholile umuzi kaSqiniseko. Uyabukisisa futhi, abone ingane idlala egcekeni. Inhliziyo kaNobuhle ibhakuza kakhulu uma ebona ingane egcekeni, ibhakuza kugijime uthando umzimba wonke emi egqumeni elikude. Ujabula kube sengathi uphambi kwakhe, umphethe ngezandla uSthembiso wakhe uma embuka emi esezinkalweni.
“Mdali, Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela umuphe impilo uSthembiso. Mdali, Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela nami ungiphe impilo. Ngicela siphile, uphinde ungihlanganise nengane yami,” uNobuhle ethandaza emi egqumeni.
Ngendlela ojule ngayo umonakalo odalwe uSqiniseko emphefumulweni kaNobuhle, kuthatha izinyanga eziyishumi zonke ukuze alulame. UNobuhle uwasha amawindi asesontweni njengenjwayelo lapho ezwa khona inhliziyo yakhe incibilika nomphefumulo ukhululeka okokuqala emuva kweminyaka eminingi. Uzizwa ejabula, ekhululeka agcine esecula. Kwakucula lokho yinto akade ayigcina. Ubona ngokucula ukuthi usekulungele ukubuyisana noyise. Ugijima ecula eqonde kuNkk Nkwanyana.
“Mama, sekulungile. Umphefumulo wami usukulungele ukuthi sibuyisane nobaba. Ngicela umthinte ngocingo,” kusho uNobuhle emamatheka.
“Kulungile, mntanami. Kodwa kuzomele siyiqhamukele ngesinono le ndaba ngoba ibucayi. Mina ngizomthinta uyihlo kodwa ngizomtshela ukuthi kunomhlangano wabefundisi engimumemela kuwo,” kusho uNkk Nkwanyana.
Nangempela amthinte ngocingo ubaba kaNobuhle.
“Utheni, Mama? Uvumile ukuza lapha?” kubuza uNobuhle.
“Yebo uvumile. Uzofika lapha ngeSonto.”
Ajabulise okwengane encane uNobuhle. Usecula nsuku zonke ngoba inhliziyo ikhululekile.
Nangaleya kuSqiniseko izinto ziyenzeka kulezi zinyanga eziyishumi. UNtombi usanda kuzala ingane kaSqiniseko. UNtombi uyiqambe igama elithi nguNkululeko ngoba ukuhamba kukaNobuhle kulethe inkululeko, babuyelana noSqiniseko.
USqiniseko umphethe kahle uNtombi. Njalo uma uSqiniseko esephuma emsebenzini uthinta uNtombi ngocingo ambuze ukuthi amphatheleni. USqiniseko akaze athinte ngisho iconsi lotshwala selokhu babuyelana noNtombi. UNtombi ukholelwa ukuthi usethole umaqondana wakhe lapha kuSqiniseko. Kodwa kunephutha uNtombi alenza. Selokhu babuyelana noSqiniseko wayikhohlwa nya indaba yokukhokhela uMakhosi imali yomuthi okuyiwo omlethele le mpilo emnandi aseyiphila manje.
Namhlanje uNtombi ukhathazekile. Selishonile ilanga, sedlula nesikhathi sokuphuma kukaSqiniseko emsebenzini, kodwa uSqiniseko akamthintile ngocingo njengenjwayelo. UNtombi ukhipha i-cellphone emabeleni ayibheke ukuthi ivuliwe yini. Ivuliwe ngempela. Ushayela uSqiniseko ucingo kodwa lungene kwi-voicemail. Ugcina elubambe ngesandla ucingo. Siyahamba isikhathi, kuphele amahora amaningi, kodwa lutho ukufona uSqiniseko.
USqiniseko ufika selishayile ihora leshumi ebusuku. Ungena endlini angambingeleli kwaNtombi lowo. Ungena engumuntu ophuthumayo. Uqukula uSthembiso olelekusofa, ayomlalisa embhedeni. UNtombi udidekile ukuthi kwenzekani ngoSqiniseko namhlanje. USqiniseko ubuya egumbini lapho abeyolalisa khona uSthembiso, ame phambi kukaNtombi. Ukucasuka kubhalwe ebusweni kuSqiniseko.
“Ntombi!” kubhavumula Sqiniseko.
Lokhu kumemeza kuvusa uNkululeko olele egone kuNtombi. Ivuka ihayize ingane. UNtombi usukuma kusofa ayishushuzele ingane eyibambele emabeleni. “Kwenzenjani, Sqi?” kubuza uNtombi.
“Awuthulise lowo doti wakho okhalayo! Uyangicasula!” uSqiniseko uphimisela amathe phansi samuntu obona into emenyanyisayo.
“Hawu kodwa, Sqi? Ungayibiza kanjani ingane yethu ngo-…”
USqiniseko udabula uNtombi ngembibizane engakaqedi ukukhuluma. UNtombi ubhamazeka phansi ngomhlane, uNkululeko umbambele emabeleni wamqinisa wangalimala. UNtombi akaze ambone uSqiniseko ecasuke kanjena. Umangazwa ukuthi umshaya embona ukuthi uphethe ingane esanda kuzalwa. USqiniseko akanandaba kwanangane, uphuma aye emotweni yakhe abuye ephethe u-plastic. Asukume edidekile uNtombi. Ukunkenteza kwembibizane kusaduma ezindlebeni zakhe.
“Ungiphatheleni namhlanje, Sqi, my love?” uNtombi ubuza ngokudunyelwa.
“Ngikuphatheleni?” kubuza uSqiniseko embuka ngeso lokumenyanya. “Ikhona imali onginike yona wangiphathisa okuthize ngayo? Uma ungibuka uzibonela into ozodlala ngayo? Into ozoyidonsa ngekhala? Ucabanga ukuthi ngiyisiphukuphuku sakho, Ntombi?” usho ekhiya isicabha.
UNtombi uzama ukubuyisa umqondo ecabanga into ayenzile ecasule uSqiniseko kangaka. Uzibuza eziphendula kodwa angatholi mpendulo. Ubuka ngokudideka nokumangala njengoba uSqiniseko evula u-plastic ekhipha intambo kanye nento thizeni egoqwe ngephephandaba. USqiniseko uvula le nto egoqwe ngephephandaba kuvele isijumbane sensangu.
Ukubona uSqiniseko ephethe insangu kumdida kakhulu uNtombi ngoba akamazi ebhema insangu. USqiniseko akalokothi ngisho usikilidi. “Sqi, uzoyenzani insa-…”
Asho futhi ngempama uSqiniseko. Alandelise ngonyawo uma ebona ukuthi usamile uNtombi. Aphaphalaze, awe ahlale ngezinqe uNtombi. USqiniseko umhlwitha uNkululeko ambeke embhedeni wakhe oseceleni kukasofa. Ngokuphazima kweso, nangamandla uNtombi angakaze awabone selokhu azalwa, uSqiniseko udonsa isitulo aqukule uNtombi amhlalise kuso. Uthatha intambo abophele imilenze kaNtombi emilenzeni yesitulo. Izingalo azibophele emhlane waso isitulo.
“Sthandwa sami, kwenzenjani? Ngenzeni, Sqi?Uma kukhona engikone ngakho, ngicela ungixolele. Ngiyaxolisa!” kuzincengela uNtombi.
Akathi vu uSqiniseko. Uhlala etafuleni, abuke uNtombi edidekile phambi kwakhe. Emuva kwesikhashana uthatha imfumba yensangu, ayishuke, bese eyigoqa ibe yinde.
“Ngiyaqeda ngawe namhlanje, Ntombi! Jezebel!” uSqiniseko uqhwizisa umentshisi, ayishise insangu yakhe. Udonsa kanye, akhiphe ifu elimhlophe, akhombe uNkululeko, athi, “Uma ngiqeda ukubhema le nsangu kuzobe kuyaphela ngawe, Ntombi nalo doti wakho.”
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Sitshele: Ubukulindele lokhu okwenzekayo? Kukuthusile lokhu osekwenzeka?