KwakuwuMsombuluko ekuseni. Wonke umuntu esikoleni wayekhuluma ngokuphangwa kwebhange. Izingane zazibuza uMarcus imibuzo eminingi, kodwa yena wayefuna ukukhohlwa ngalokho.
Ntambama uMarcus wahamba yedwa ebuyela ekhaya. Wabona imoto yamaphoyisa emgwaqweni ongaphandle kwakubo. Kwaphela nasozwaneni, nenhliziyo yakhe yaqala ukushaya kakhulu. Wayezibuza ukuthi kungenzeka yini ukuthi abe nesifo senhliziyo. Wacabanga izinto eziningi. Amaphoyisa ayethole ukuthi wayembonile umphangi. Manje phela babezombopha ngenxa yokungadaluli ulwazi olubaluleke kangaka.
Ngizokwenzenjani? ezibuza. Wazizwa esenesizungu nje, futhi ethukile.
Mhlawumbe ngcono ngibaleke kuze kwedlule konke lokhu, ecabanga. Umama uzodabuka, futhi uzokhathazeka. Kodwa lokho angithi kungcono kunokuya etilongweni?
Wayesezojika ahambe ngokushesha ngenkathi umnyango uvuleka, kuphuma iphoyisa ayekhulume nalo ngoMgqibelo.
“Sawubona Marcus. Kudala sikulindile.”
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“Sifuna ukukubonisa izithombe zezigelekeqe zendawo,” kusho iphoyisa elifushane kulana amabili.
UMarcus wakhipha kancane umoya omningi ayewubambile. Wazitshela ukuthi angatatazeli, konke kuzolunga. Wahlala phansi phakathi kwala madoda amabili. Kancane wahlolisisa isithombe ngasinye ababembonisa sona.
“Cha, akekho kulezi,” ebatshela. Abaphenyi babukeka bedangele.
“Sisanda kuzwa ukuthi ibhange laseGreen-Bushes liphangiwe namhlanje ekuseni. Sicabanga ukuthi yibo labo bantu ababili abenza lokhu. Futhi siyazi ukuthi umshayeli wemoto yokubaleka ngowesifazane.”
UMarcus waphefumula ngendlela ebonisa ukukhululeka. Wayefuna ukugxumagxuma nje, wayezizwa ejabule kakhulu. Akunakwenzeka-ke kube nguJonathan. Uma kunjalo, owesifazane oshayela imoto bekuzoba uGertude. Kodwa udadewabo wayengakwazi ukushayela imoto.
Wazizwa ekhathazekile ngoba akazange amkholwe uJonathan. Wayemcabangela nje ngokuthi uyamethusa. Ukuthi wayegqoke icici elifana nelomphangi, lokho akusho ukuthi unguye umphangi. Lokhu kuyabonisa nje ukuthi ungamcabangela kabi kangakanani omunye umuntu, esho ecabanga. Wayethemba ukuthi uGertrude wayezojabula noJonathan.
Kwedlula iviki. UMarcus wayeseqala ukukhohlwa indaba yokuphangwa kwebhange. Wayesejabule futhi. Esebenza kanzima ezifundweni zakhe, abuye achithe sonke isikhathi sakhe esikhululekile edlala ibhola. Umqeqeshi wakhe wamtshela ukuthi kwakunethuba elihle lokuthi athole ibhasari yebhola.
Emini ngoMgqibelo olandelayo uMarcus wavalelisa umama wakhe esho egijima ephuma endlini. Kwakukhona ukuphrakthiza ibhola ngehora lesithathu, kanti naye wayengafuni ukuphuthelwa yikho. Kodwa wabe eseqaphela iMercedes emnyama iza ngasemgwaqweni wakubo. Yayifana ncamashi nemoto kaJonathan, kodwa babengazele ukuzovakasha namhlanje.
UMarcus wama futhi wabukela njengoba imoto yayima ngaphandle kwendlu yakubo. Umnyango womshayeli wavuleka, kwaphuma uGertrude. Wayehamba yedwa. UMarcus wavese wama nje lapho ekhexile. Kanti udadewabo wayekwazi ukushayela!
“Ngikumangazile,” esho esineka. “Ngithole amaphepha ami okushayela kuleli viki. Bengifuna ukunimangaza wena nomama ngokufunda ukushayela.”
Wayebukeka ejabulile njengoba eme lapho nje. UMarcus waqaphela ukuthi kanti muhle kangakanani udadewabo. Weza wamanga. UMarcus wayengakwazi ngisho nokunyakaza; akazange akhulume nelilodwa igama. Wavese wama nje lapho, evula evala umlomo wakhe njengenhlanzi, egqolozele udadewabo.
“Ngiyabona ukuthi umangele ngempela,” kusineka uGertrude. “Ngizolanda wena nomama ukuba sihambe ngemoto. Singama endaweni ethize sithenge ukudla,” UMama waphuma futhi lapho ebona indodakazi yakhe, wavese wamomotheka.
“Wozani. Asihambeni,” esho egaxa ingalo kamfowabo. Kodwa uMarcus akakwazanga ukunyakaza lapho.
Ekugcineni lapho izwi lakhe selibuyile wathi, “Angifuni ukuhamba ngemoto. Kumele ngiyophrakthiza ibhola.”
Wayazi ukuthi unina nodadewabo babephatheke kabi, kodwa empeleni wayengenandaba. Lapho sebehambile, wahamba kancane wabuyela endlini. Wayengasafuni ukuyophrakthiza ibhola. Wabheka ibhola ayeliphethe, wezwa izinyembezi zigcwala amehlo akhe. Wavula ikhabethe elalisephasiji walahlela phakathi ibhola. Ingabe udadewabo wayemthengele lelo bhola ngemali ayephange ngayo ibhange? Imali entshontshiwe!