UMarcus walunguza engemuva kwesihlahla somganu. Kwakunzima ukuyibona kahle le ndoda ngoba yayibheke phansi. Kodwa njengoba isondela lapho uMarcus emi khona, ilanga lakhanya ecicini lendoda. Icici lalimise okwekati, igolide lase likhazimuliwa yilanga. Indoda yahlwitha isigqoko sayo yabe isigijimela emotweni.
Umnyango ongasemuva wemoto wase uvele usuvuliwe. Yalahlela phakathi isikhwama yabe isibhaklaza umnyango. Yagxumela esihlalweni esingaphambili semoto. Yayingakavali ngisho nomnyango ngenkathi isimoto isiduma, izula. Amathayi ashelela emgwaqweni oshisayo, onenhlabathi. Ngokuphazima kweso nje umgwaqo wawusugcwele abantu abathukuthele. Bonke babephuma begijima ebhange.
“Isela! Isela!” bememeza.
“Kulungile,” beqinisekiswa ngomunye wesifazane. “Abantu basebhange sebewabizile amaphoyisa.”
Ngempela, engakaligwinyi, imoto yamaphoyisa yasho iqhamuka emgwaqweni. Kwakukhona amaphoyisa amabili emotweni.
“Uyakukholwa kodwa lokhu? Ibhange lisanda kuphangwa. Indoda ibiphethe isibhamu!”
UMarcus wagxunyiswa yizwi likanina. Akazange ambone ngisho nalapho eza ngakuye.
“Ngilibonile isela,” kusho uMarcus.
“Kumele ukhulume nephoyisa-ke uma kunjalo.”
“Sicela usitshele konke okubonile,” kusho iphoyisa elizacile. Wabe esebatshela konke, iphoyisa lakubhala phansi. Lalihlatshwe umxhwele indlela uMarcus ayenembe ngakhona ekuchazeni lokho okwenzekile.
Lapho uMarcus eseqedile ukukhuluma nephoyisa, yena nonina bahamba ngezinyawo belibhekise ekhaya. Kwase kuyisikhathi sokufika kukaGertrude nesoka lakhe.
Itafula lase lidekiwe, nokudla sekulungile. UMarcus nonina bahlala belindile, kodwa uGertrude akazange afike ngesikhathi. UMarcus wayengasahlaliseki. Wayelokhu esukuma, eqalaza efasiteleni.
Kwaqhamuka unyanyavu lweMercedez Benz emgwaqweni. Yama ngaphandle kwendlu yakubo.
“Mama, woza ngokushesha. Sebefikile.”
UMarcus wavula umnyango wagijimela ngaphandle. UGertrude waphuma egijima emotweni. Washo wawola umfowabo.
“Sawubona, Marcus” esho emomotheka. “Uya ngokuba mude njalo uma ngikubona.” UGetrude waya esihlalweni esingasemuva semoto. Wanikeza uMarcus ibhola elisha sha. Kwaphuma indoda ende ngasesihlalweni somshayeli wemoto. “Ngingathanda ukukwazisa kuJonathan Jeffreys. Iyo-ke le ndoda engizimisele ukuyishada.”
UMarcus wayixhawula. Kwakungathi uyayazi. Kweza umama naye ezoyibingelela. UJonathan wajikisa ikhanda lakhe ukuze ambingelele, wabe esesineka lapho ebingelela unina kaGertrude. Ilanga lalikhanya ecicini ayelifakile. Kwakuyicici legolide futhi limise okwekati.
UMarcus wazizwa enesiyezi. Wayecabanga ukuthi uzoquleka. Akukwazi phela ukuthi kube yiyo le ndoda ephange ibhange namhlanje ekuseni? Kukhona iphutha elithize, esho ecabanga.