Umndeni wangena ngaphakathi wahlala phansi etafuleni. UMarcus waqaphela ukuthi unina wayengayeki ukumomothekela udadewabo. Wayeziqhenya ngendodakazi yakhe nempumelelo yayo, sekuhlangana nesoka elikhangekayo. UMarcus wabheka uJonathan ongaleya kwetafula. Naye wayemomothekela unina, futhi encoma ukudla kwakhe okumnandi ayekulungisile.
Kungenzeka ukuthi ngenza iphutha, kucabanga u-Marcus. Angeke ngisacabanga ngalokhu futhi.
Ngemva kokuthi sekudliwe idisethi, uMama wasukuma wabe esesho lokhu ekweqisa ehlombe likaGertrude, “Ibhange lasedolobheni liphangiwe namhlanje ekuseni. UMarcus ulibonile isela.”
Inhliziyo ka-Marcus yaqala ukushaya futhi. Wayefisa sengathi ngabe uMama wayengashongo lutho. Wayefuna ukukhohlwa nje ngokuphangwa kwebhange. Wayewezwa amehlo kaJonathan embhekile. Ngemva kokuthi sebephuze itiye, uMarcus wasukuma. Wayefuna ukuba yedwa.
“Ngisayodlala ngebhola lami elisha.” Wayezwa sengathi uma engazange aphume endlini uzovele amemeze.
UJonathan naye wasukuma. “Ngizohamba nawe. UGertrude nonina banokuningi okumele baxoxe ngakho.”
UMama wamomotheka. UMarcus wayazi ukuthi unina uyamthanda. Wayenobuntu ngempela, futhi uMama wayekuthanda lokho.
Ngaphambi nje kokuthi bafike ngisho nasemnyango uJonathan wathi kuye, “Ingabe ukwazile ukubona ubuso bomphangi webhange?”
“Lutho phela, ” uMarcus ezama ukuzenza ongazi lutho. “Ngeke ngimkhombe ngisho nokumkhomba uma ngingambona.”
“Kuhle lokho,” kumomotheka uJonathan. “Ngizoshada usisi wakho. Manje sesizoba umndeni, ngakho-ke kumele sibe abangani.”
“Nakanjani,” kusho uMarcus, elokhu eshintsha ibhola ezandleni zakhe. Wayengeke abonise uJonathan ukuthi wayethuke kangakanani.
“Nginomsebenzi omuhle edolobeni. Ngizokwazi ukuthengela wena nomama wakho izinto eziningi ezinhle.”
UMarcus wavuma ngekhanda. Wayezwa sengathi uJonathan uyamesabisa.
“Ingabe uyakuqonda lokho engikushoyo, Marcus?”
“Yebo,” ephendula, ezizwa engaphathekile kahle futhi ethuke ngendlela emangalisayo.