UMarcus wayelala ephenduka embhedeni wakhe. Wayengayanga esikoleni, ngoba kwakunguMgqibelo ekuseni. Waqalaza efasiteleni. Ilanga lase liphuma. Wanyonyoba waya ekhishini. Wayazi ukuthi umama wakhe wayesalele. Wayesebenza kanzima ethunga izingubo edolobheni iviki lonke. NgoMgqibelo ekuseni wayethanda ukuzilalela.
UMarcus wabilisa amanzi ngegedlela kwathi lapho esebila unina wangena ekhishini.
“Sawubona, Mama. Ngethemba ukuthi angikuvusanga.”
“Cha,” emomotheka. “Ngiyabona ukuthi igedlela seliyabila. “Ngingayithanda inkomishi yetiye.”
UMarcus wenza inkomishi yetiye wayiletha.
“Ngabe ungasithanda isinkwa esithosiwe?”
“Ngingakujabulela lokho, ndodana,” esho emomotheka.
Kamuva, khona ekuseni uMarcus wama ngaphansi kwesihlahla samaganu elinde unina. WayeseStandard Bank, elungisa izindaba zakhe zokudonswa kwemali ekupheleni kwenyanga. Lalishisa ilanga futhi kunomoya. UMarcus wayecikwa indlela umoya owawuphephethela ngayo inhlabathi ebusweni bakhe. Wayelokhu egxumnagxuma eshintsha izinyawo ngenxa yokuphelelwa yisineke.
Kwakumatasatasa kakhulu ebhange ngalelo langa. Amakhasimende amaningi ayemi emgqeni womshini we-ATM. Kanti abantu abaningi babemi ngaphandle.
Namhlanje kwakuwusuku olukhethekile kuMarcus nonina. Udadewabo uGertrude wayezoza ezovakasha ephuma e-East London. Wayezoletha isoka lakhe ukuze lizobonwa umndeni wakhe. UGetrude wayenesifiso sokushada ngonyaka ozayo, ngemva kokuthola imvume yomndeni wakhe.
UMarcus wayemthanda uGertrude. Wayedlula uMarcus ngeminyaka eyisikhombisa, futhi wayehlale emphethe kahle nomfowabo. Namhlanje wayemethembise ibhola elisha. Wayemkhuthaza njalo ukuthi asebenze kanzima esikoleni. UGetrude wayejabula njengonina lapho uMarcus ethola umbiko wakhe wesikole wokuphela kwethemu.
“Usebenze kahle kakhulu, bhuti omncane. Ngizokuthengela ibhola elibiza kakhulu edolobheni! Ngiyazi ukuthi uwuthanda kangakanani umdlalo.”
UMarcus wayelokhu egxumagxuma eshintsha izinyawo zakhe. Wayefisa sengathi unina angasheshisa. Wayelokhu ecabanga ngebhola uGertrude ayemethembise lona. Wabona imoto ebomvu ihamba kancane emgwaqweni. Kwakukhona abantu ababili phakathi. Yahamba kancane yase ima ngasebhange. UMarcus waqaphela ukuthi umshayeli wemoto akazange ayicime injini.
Kwaphuma indoda ende esihlalweni somgibeli, igqoke isigqoko esehlisiwe savala amehlo ayo. Wazibuza ukuthi kungani le ndoda igqoke isigqoko esinomphetho ovuleke kangaka. Phela kwakunomoya, isigqoko sasingase siphephuke kalula. Indoda yahamba ishesha ingena ebhange. Yayiphethe isikhwama ngesandla.
Manje umgwaqo ongaphandle kwasebhange wawusuthule. Kwase kuduma umsindo wenjini yemoto nje kuphela. Wayelokhu ezibuza ukuthi kungani le ndoda ingayicimi. Ibhange laligcwele; unina wayezothatha isikhathi ngaphakathi.
Emva kwesikhashana indoda ephethe isikhwama yaphuma ngesidumo ebhange. Yayisizofika emotweni ebomvu ngenkathi umoya uphephula isigqoko sayo. Isigqoko sandizela ngaleya komgwaqo ngakuMarcus. Yathi ukunqikaza kancane, kodwa yabe isiphuthuma isigqoko sayo.