Emuva kwezinyanga ezintathu.
U Dumi waqalaza e locker room, wabona konke kusendaweni yakho. Ompompi naphansi, kuhlanzekile kucwebezela. Izingubo zabadlali zokuzilolonga zimi ngomumo. Wabona ukuthi umsebenzi wakhe awumubi ngaleyondlela. Okwasekusele ukuthi angenele lama rugby boots ayintaba phambi kwakhe asuse udaka ngaphansi kwawo. Uma eqeda lapho, ukuzivocavoca isikhashana, emuva kwalokho abambe isitimela sokugcina eNewlands Station.
Uyabona ukuthi isikhathi siyakwazi ukulungisa isimo esibucayi. Ukube kwakukhona umuntu owamtshela ukuthi kukhona okuhle okuzophuma ekubhayizeni kwakhe ngendaba yesithombe asinonga ngePhotoshop sasabalala kuFacebook, wayengamuhleka aze ame ngekhanda phansi.
Wavuma ukuthi abonane no Vuyisile axolise kodwa kwathi sekufanele aye endlini ukuyokwenza lokhu wazizwa enokusaba ayengakaze akuzwe empilweni yakhe.
U Alexa wamduduza ngokuthi, “Ngeke kwenzeke lutho. Ngeke akulimaze.”
U Dumi wayejwayele ukumbonela kude uVuyisile. Akakholwanga ukuthi uyisidlakela eside kangakanani esembona evula isicabha sakwakhe. Wayegcwele isicabha sonke, ikhanda lithinta phezulu esicabheni. Izinyawo zakhona zinkulu, zizinde, zibanzi. U Dumi wacabanga unyawo luka Vuyisile lukhala kuyena wasaba kakhulu kunakuqala.
“Yini, nifunani?” kwabuza isidlakela esingu Vuyisile. Wabona ibhantshi lesikole lika Dumi wathi, “Oh. U Sanele ungitshelile ukuthi niyeza namhlanje. Ngenani.”
Bangena, bakhexa imilomo ngendlela okwakukuhle ngayo phakathi.
“Hlalani phansi,” kwasho uVuyisile.
Bahlala banethezeka, naye u Vuyisile wahlala eceleni kwabo. Kwathuleka isikhashana kwase kuzwakala uVuyisile ethi, “So?”
“Mr Gaba,” kwasho u Dumi, izwi lakhe kungathi lishile. Wakhwehlela waqala kabusha. “Mr. Gaba,” kwakuzwakala ukuthi uyafa ukusaba.
U Vuyisile Gaba wathula wababuka.
“Ngi, si . . .siyaxolisa, Sir. Siyazi ukuthi akukho esingakwenza ukuze silungise iphutha elenzekile.”
Ambalekela futhi amazwi u Dumi. Wayezilolonge isikhathi eside phambi kwesibuko kubo ukuze akhombise ukuthi uzisola kangakanani ngephutha alenza. Wayezimisele ukuthi akhombise ngayo yonke indlela ukuthi angenza konke okusemandleni ukuze idlule lento.
U Dumi wavala amehlo wazitshela ukuthi uzozama futhi. “U Miss Majola ungitshelile ukuthi ufuna ukukhuluma nami. Ngaphambi kokuthi ukhulume, Sir, ngicela wazi ukuthi u Alexa akenzanga lutho, konke kuyiphutha lami.”
U Vuyisile wazibukela nje, ethule.
“Ngiyaxolisa, Sir. Umalume wami uthi ezimweni ezifana nalesi abantu abasebancane njengami bayaxolelwa ngokwenza into ewubuphukuphuku njengalena engiyenzile. Kodwa umalume nabazali bami, mani futhi, sonke siyavumelana ukuthi kumele ngenze konke engingakwenza ukukhombisa ukuzisola.”
U Vuyisile wabukisisa u Dumi. U Dumi wazitshela ukuthi uzomqhumisa ngempama. “Ngiyazi ukuthi akuwena osabalalise isithombe kwi internet. U Miss Majola ungitshela ukuthi uyingane eqotho, ehloniphayo. Uthi awusoze wahlukumeza omunye umuntu, futhi ngiyamkholwa.” Kwasho U Vuyisile.
“Kunjalo, Sir,” kwaphendula u Dumi.
“Inkinga, Dumi, ukuthi uphathise abantu abaningi ngehliziyo ebuhlungu ngalesithombe. Ngiyazi ukuthi ubungaqondile kodwa yilokho okwenzekile. Engikuthandayo ukuthi nobabili niyakwazi ukuzisola ngalokhu. Singasebenzela phezu kwalokho. Nakhu engikucabangayo.”
U Dumi no Alexa basondela eduze kwa Vuyisile.
“Ngifuna wena Dumi kubekhona umsebenzi owenzayo – some sort of service to the rugby community would be fitting, I think. Wena ucabanga kanjani?”
U Dumi wanqekuzisa ikhanda evumelana no Vuyisile. Wezwa ngathi kukhona umthwalo osukile emahlombe, wakwazi nokuphefumula.
“Kukhona icebo enginalo ngokunye engifuna ungisize ngakho.”
“Yebo, Sir. Ngingenza noma yini.”
***
Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Sitshele okuhle okuvelile ngalesi sigameko esenziwe uDumi kulendaba?