Ngoba busuku uBontie uyandifowunela. Ndibloka umnxeba ngokuzenzekelayo. Andimfuni ebomini bam nokuphanjaniswa kwakhe ngamakhwenkwe.

Kodwa ndaqala ndacinga: ngoNksz. Kuswane nokuzisola kwakhe awakuthwala iminyaka ngeminyaka. Ngesazela sakhe sokuvisa kabuhlungu abanye. Ndiyafuna ukuba ngumntu omdala ngenye imini, ndisole izenzo zobutsha bam? Ndizive ndinokudana kuba nditshabalalise ubuhlobo obuhle?

Hayi. Hayi khona!

Ndifowunela uBontie nangona sekusemva kwexesha. Kwaye uvakala onwabile ukuva ukuba ndim.

“Leah! Ndiyavuya ukuba ufowunile. Kudala ndikukhumbula. Uxolo ngazo zonke izinto ezinolunya endizithethileyo. Ungandixolela?”

“Akukho nto endizakuyixolela,” ndiyaphendula. “Yilibale. Ndixelele ngeentaba. Ububaleka imarathoni kunye noTheo?”

“Baleka? Uphambene? Khawube nombono wam ndibaleka. Hayi, ndenze into engcono ngakumbi. Ndiye ndahlala noRhea ndaqalisa ukuzoba zonke iintyatyambo ezisedlelweni ezingqonge thina. Kwaye bekumnandi nje. Ndilibele ukuba ukuzoba ndikuthanda kangakanani na.”

Ndiyamvuyela umhlobo wam. Ndiyavuya singabahlobo kwakhona.

Kodwa intsasa yangoLwesithathu ifikile kwaye ndibuyele ekuxhaleni ngalo mzukulwana kaNksz. Kuswane enza ingathi ukhona. Ngethemba lokuba uza kube elibele ngayo yonke le nto. Iinkumbulo zabantu abadala zingaphazamiseka, ndiyazi.

Kodwa ulibele. Ndikwigumbi labasebenzi ndiphunga iti yakusasa xa kungena umongikazi wamayeza endibiza. UNksz. Kuswane uyandibuza.

Intliziyo yam ibebuhlungu. Ndiza kumelana njani noku? Ndiza kusibulisa njani isitulo esibomvu esingenamntu ndenze ingathi umzukulwana wakhe uKhaya ngokwenene usegumbini? Kuza kwenzeka ntoni ukuba andikwazi kungathiza kakuhle? Kuza kwenzeka ntoni ukuba uNksz. Kuswane uyeva ukuba kukho into engalunganga?

Kwaye u-Sister Thembeka akakwazi ukuza azokundinceda. Uxakekile ulungiselela ukufika komntu omtsha.

Ndingena egumbini lokulala likaNksz. Kuswane, ndinyanzelisa uncumo ebusweni bam, ndizama ukulawula intliziyo yam ebetha kakhulu.

Kodwa isitulo esibomvu asikho ze. Akunjalo konke konke. Umfana omncinci uhleli phaya. Kwaye xa ndingena, uyaphakama.

“Leah?” utsho. “UnguLeah? NdinguKhaya. Umakhulu wam ebendixelela konke ngendlela olunge ngayo nonobubele ngayo kuye. Ndiyabulela kuwe ngalo nto.”

Andikwazi kuphendula. Ulwimi lwam luqhoboshekile. Ngaphezu kokuqhobosheka kolwimi. Kubonakala ingathi ndilibele ukuba kuphefumlwa njani. Lo Khaya ungaphaya kokomelela, ngaphaya kokubanomtsalane. Amehlo akhe mahle ukogqitha akaZack. Acacile anyanisekile kwaye ngawokwenyani, andijongile.

Ndinqwenela kangangoko akwaba bendinxibe kakuhle. Nezihlangu ezichophileyo. Kunye ndiqabe ne-make-up. Kodwa akabonakali ingathi uqaphele.

“Ndingakwanga?” uyabuza.

Andikwazi kuthetha. Ndikwazi ukunqwala kuphela. Kwaye ubeka iingalo zakhe kum andange ngeli xesha uNksz. Kuswane esincumela ekumqamelo wakhe.

Uyandanga kwaye ndinqwenela ukuba oku kwanga kungaze kuphele.

Libala ngokuthakazela! Libala ngeentlantsi nange-pheromones! Oku kungathi yiKrisimesi noNyaka Omtsha nosuku lwam lokuzalwa ne-fireworks zidityaniswe zaba yinto enye. Ngakumbi. Ndiva ingathi ekugqibeleni ndilifumene ikhaya lam.

Uhlaziyo

Ikhona into ekuthiwa lidinga labathathu? Kufanele, kuba besikade siba namadinga abantu abathathu rhoqo ngoLwesihlanu iinyanga ezintandathu ezidlulileyo: uBontie noTheo, uRhea noTebogo, mna noKhaya.

Ewe kangengeenyanga ezintandathu ezidlulileyo. Phofu asisoloko siphuma rhoqo. Ngelinye ixesha sidibana nje kwelinye lamakhaya ethu sitye isidlo sangokuhlwa kunye okanye sidlale imidlalo yevidiyo okanye sibukele ii-DVD. Ingakumbi xa kuza kuphela inyanga.

Kodwa nokuba senza ntoni, ezi ndibano zangokuhlwa ngoLwesihlanu zonwabisa kakhulu kuthi sobathandathu.

Intsalela yempela-veki, uKhaya nam siyichitha sisodwa kunye. Sifundana ngcono ngakumbi, njengokuba uBontie noTheo besenza.

Owu kwaye ndiqale ikhosi kwisikolo sasebusuku. ‘I-Geriatric Psychology: Ukukhathalela abantu aBadala’. NguKhaya ondifumanele iinkcukacha zoqhagamshelwano, ondikhuthaze ukuba ndifake isicelo. Kwaye no-Matron wenze amalungiselelo okuba i-Oak Ridge ihlawule inxalenye yemali yokufunda kwam. Uthi kukho amathuba amahle okuba ndakwenyuselwa xa ndithe ndafumana idiploma. U-Sister Thembeka undinceda nge-assignments zam nezifundo zokusebenza ngaphandle kwegumbi lokufundela. Kuninzi okufundwayo nokufuneka ndikuqondile. Kodwa kuyathabathekisa.

Okungcono ngakumbi, kwigumbi lokufunda ezantsi epasejini, uBontie uthatha ezinye izifundo ezongezelelweyo zobugcisa. Uzifumanele i-internship kwi-arhente yeentengiso. Kwaye akayeki ukuthetha ngayo. Ingathi, akuzange! Thetha ngokunamathelisa ingqondo.

Ngoko: imisebenzi yamaphupha nabafana bamaphupha ethu sobabini. Yeyiphi enye into enokufunwa yintombi?

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Khawusichazele: Ingaba eli bali likwenze wacinga ngokwahlukileyo ngabantu abadala? Ukuba kunjalo, ngeyiphi indlela?