UBontie ume ngenyawo kwigumbi lam lokulala izandla zakhe zisesinqeni sakhe. “I-pheromones? Bububhanxa bantoni obu uthetha ngabo ngoku? Uza nje namampunge Leah.”
Ewe, uBontie nam siyaxoxa. Kodwa le ayiyongxoxo yethu eqhelekileyo ephela ngokuhleka kwethu sobabini. Kweli thuba ivakala ingathi inobuzaza. Ingathi oku ingasisiphelo sobuhlobo bethu.
Ndizama ukucacisa. “Noba kuyintoni Bontie. Akunamsebenzi. Andinak’uya kwidinga lezibini namawele ebusuku ngoLwesihlanu. Kufuneka ndivuke ekuseni ngoMgqibelo kuba ndiyaphangela ngempela-veki. Kwaye ndingenako ukuya ezintabeni emva kwemini ngoMgqibelo nani. Ishifti yam iphela nge-6 malanga.”
UBontie uyandingxolisa uthi ndiyaphosisa, uthi ndingoyena mhlobo ungalunganga awakhe wanaye, kwaye ndibeka umsebenzi wam obhanxekileyo, odikayo ngaphambili kunobuhlobo bethu.
“Ingaba ukhe weva ngegama elithi ukuthembeka, Leah? Hayi, kukhangeleka ingathi awuzange! Awazi ukuba umntu uthembeka njani. Kuphela into oyaziyo kukuphatha iipoti ezimdaka nokuqhuba izitulo ezinamavili!”
Kodwa andiphosisi. Kufuneka ndibe semsebenzini kulo Mgqibelo e-Oak Ridge. U-Sister Thembeka usekhefini kukho umtshato kusapho lwakhe. Kwaye ndim kuphela umkhathaleli okhoyo.
Kwaye ndiphakuphaku ngoku, mandikuxelele. Akwaba bendinokuhamba noBontie namawele, nangona uTebogo engandichukumisi kangako. Nokuba uhambo lwasentabeni lukhona uTheo noTebogo bangazilolongela imarathoni.
Kakhulu, ndiphakuphaku ngenxa kaNksz. Kuswane. Kuba kubonakala ingathi lo mfo u-Isaac uza kuza azokumndwendwela kulo Mgqibelo. Lo mfo, u-Isaac, omcaphukelayo. Lo owamvisa kabuhlungu ngaphezu kwakhe nabani na.
Ukwazile ukuqhagamshelana naye. Ungandibuzi ukuba njani. Kodwa uvumile ukumndwendwela. Kwaye ndiza kube ndindedwa, ngaphandle kuka-Sister Thembeka xa esiza. Ndiza kumelana njani nayo? Ndiza kumelana njani nayo ukuba lo Isaac uthatha isigqibo sokuba akamxeleli?
“Andiphosisi Bontie,” ndiyamxelela ngoku. Kubi ukubona umhlobo wam equmbile kwaye enomsindo. Kodwa yintoni endinokuyenza?
“Phofu yilahleko yakho!” UBontie uyandingxolisa. “Phofu ngubani okudingayo? Hamba uyokukhathalela abantu bakho abadala xa kucaca ukuba babaluleke kakhulu kunam. Ndiza kucela umzala wam uRhea ahambe nathi. Ewe! Ndiqinisekile uza kumfuna uTebogo. Ndiqinisekile uza kumbona ukuba ungumfana olunge kakhulu. Ndiqinisekile akazukuthetha ubuvuvu nge-pheromones nangezinye izinto. Kwaye siza kuba nedinga elihle lezibini. Nosuku oluhle phaya ezintabeni nawo wonke la moya ufreshi neentaka kunye neentyatyambo. Ndiqinisekile uRhea uza konwabisa ngaphezu kwakho!”
UBontie uphuma edubuleka egumbini lam lokulala waphuma nasendlini yethu, wambakraza ucango lwangaphambili. Andimleqi. Hayi! Myeke ahambe. Kutheni kufuneka ndikhethe phakathi kwakhe nomsebenzi wam? Buphi ubulungisa apho? Ngumhlobo onjani oza kundinyanzela ukuba ndenze loo nto?
Ngokuhlwa kwangoLwesihlanu, ndiyokulala kwangethuba ndizame ukuba ndingacingi ngesine sabo bekunye: UBontie noTheo kunye noRhea noTebogo. Kodwa iingcingane ezimbi zingena engqondweni yam. Ezinje Ndiyathemba ukuba baza kuba nexesha elibi! Ndiyathemba ukuba uRhea noTebogo bacaphukelane xa bejongene. Ndiyathemba ukuba uBontie noTheo babenengxabano yabo yokuqala.
Wafika uMgqibelo. Kwaye yiYure yokuNdwendwela e-Oak Ridge.
Ndime efestileni legumbi leti labasebenzi, ndijonge phantsi kwindawo ekupakwa kuyo iimoto. Kukho iimoto ezimbalwa ezimiswe phaya. Ligcuntswana nje. Nangeempela-veki, zimbalwa iiklayenti zethu ezinosapho okanye ezinabahlobo abaz’okundwendwela. Yinyaniso ebuhlungu leyo.
Kodwa ingaba enye yezi moto yeka-Isaac? Ndithemba njalo.
Okanye akunjalo.
Andazi ukuba mandithini. Andazi mandinqwenele ntoni. Andazi ukuba yeyiphi eza kubambi!
Ukuba u-Isaac akaveli uNksz. Kuswane uya kuva kakubi. Ndimshiye ehleli ebhedini enxibe inayithi yakhe ayithandayo nesiqholo sakhe asithandayo. Nesitulo sakhe esilungiswe kakuhle. Encume enethemba.
Kodwa kuza kwenzeka ntoni ukuba uyeza ze angavumi ukumxolela? Ukuba umxelela into yokuba usamcaphukela nangoku? Kuza kwenzeka ntoni? Uza kuyinyamezela njani lo nto? Yingcingane eyoyikisayo.