Ndingathini kuwe? Ewe, uTebogo ngumfana omangalisayo – ngaphakathi nangaphandle. Kwaye ewe, uBontie unyanisile: umama wam angathanda ukuba ndithandane nomfana ofana naye.
Kodwa akukho ntlantsi phakathi kwethu. Akukho nentwana evuthayo. Akukho nento ethi thiki xa endigona okanye ebambe isandla sam. Mhlawumbi ngamakhwenkwe angalunganga awenza intliziyo ibethe kakhulu? Amakhwenkwe angalunganga afana noZack? Ingcingane embi kangaka! Iyandikhathaza impela-veki yonke. Kodwa andithethi nto kuBontie. Uyaqhubeka ubalisa ngoTheo.
Kwelo, ubuncinci ngoMvulo ndingabuyela emsebenzini ndizalise ingqondo ngezinye izinto. NjengoNksz. Kuswane nondwendwe lwakhe lwangoMgqibelo.
“Kuhambeke njani?” Ndibuza inenekazi elidala. Ndityhala isitulo esibomvu ndisisuse endleleni ukuze sondlule ibhedi yakhe.
Ukondlula ibhedi yomntu olambathayo, umntu ohleli ebhedini ongakwazi kuhamba onjengoNksz. Kuswane kunzima. Kungona ndiqala ukuyenza kakuhle ngoku. Kodwa uncokola nje ngeli xesha u-Sister Thembeka nam simlungisa kakuhle simsa ngakwicala lakhe lasekhohlo.
“Owu Leah, uzile! UVusi Sekate. Yayingugxa wam emsebenzini. Kudala kakhulu ngoo-1980. Uyabona, bendikhangela ii-akhawunti ndabhaqa ukuba ubela inkampani. Ngenxa yoko ndaxelela umphathi wethu. Ngokwenene uVusi walahlekelwa ngumsebenzi wakhe. Wagxothwa kwangoko.”
Ndithi, “Kwelo, yayinguye unobangela. Kutheni kufuneka uzive unetyala ngale nto?”
Siguqula inenekazi elidala ngakwicala lakhe langasekunene ngoku atshibilizele kwishithi elisebedini. U-Sister undijonge ngamehlo awoyikekayo ukuze ndiqinisekise ukuba ndihlohla imiphetho ngendlela efanelekileyo.
“Hayi, awuqondi Leah. Wayesiba kuba wayefuna ukuhlawula amatyala esibhedlele omntwana wakhe ogulayo. Yandiphatha kakubi into endayenzayo, yonke le minyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu.”
Iminyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu! Nangoku ndiyazibuza: uNksz. Kuswane ukwazi njani ukumfumana emva kwexesha elingaka?
Ekugqibeleni ibhedi yondlulwe. U-Sister Thembeka wolula aze arabhe umqolo wakhe. Enyanisweni, nomqolo wam uyaqaqamba. Kufuneka womelele kulo msebenzi. Lixesha leti ngoku, kodwa ndiyahlala ukuze ndive lonke ibali likaNksz. Kuswane.
“Ewe Leah othandekayo. UVusi ufikile ngoMgqibelo. Ebehleli phaya kwesa situlo sibomvu ngeli xesha ndidomboza ndicela uxolo. Ebehleli apho ethule ixesha elide kakhulu. Ngenxa yoko ndandinexhala lokuba akazokundixolela. Ngenxa yokuba wayengazange azi ngaphambili ukuba ndim owamxelayo. Ndim owamgxothisayo.”
Kodwa ekugqibeleni, lo Vusi Sekate naye wamxolela uNksz. Kuswane, nangona ethathe ixesha ukwenza njalo.
“Omnye umthwalo ususiwe, Leah,” watsho uNksz. Kuswane.
Umongikazi wamayeza ufaka i-morphine ngesarinji keidriphu yakhe.
“Ngoku mnye kuphela umntu oshiyekileyo. Kodwa lo uza kuba ngoyena unzima kubo bonke. U-Isaac – nguye endamvisa kabuhlungu ukogqitha bonke abanye. Ngapha kokunyamezela. Andazi ukuba ndingajongana naye na. Ukuba ndingamfumana kwakhona emva kweminyaka emininzi kangaka. Inokuba uyandicaphukela. Ewe, inokuba undicaphukela kakhulu.”
“Yiminyaka engaphi?”
UNksz. Kuswane uphendula msinya. “Ku-Okthobha ozayo, iza kuba iyiminyaka engamashumi amathandathu ananye. Ewe, ndagqibela ukumbona kwiminyaka engamashumi amathandathu ananye adlulayo. Ukusukela ngala mini yayimbi, imbi kakhulu!”
Iminyaka engamashumi amathandathu ananye? Kwiminyaka engamashumi amathandathu eyadlulayo, uNksz. Kuswane wayemtsha. Ngokuqinisekileyo umntu osemtsha akanokwenza into embi kangaka?
“Wenza ntoni kuye, Nksz. Kuswane?” Ndiyabuza.
Kodwa i-morphine iyasebenza kwaye ubuso bukaNksz. Kuswane buye buzola. Amehlo akhe ayavaleka.
Kwaye ndiyacinga: kuphela ngabantu abathathu awabavisa kabuhlungu. Ebomini bakhe bonke! Ngokuqinisekileyo lirekhodi elihle elo?