“Kodwa ungayicabanga kanjani nje into efana naleyo?” kubuza uGertrude. Kodwa empeleni hhayi ngoba wayethukuthelele uMama. “Ngiyakwazi ukwehlukanisa okuhle nokubi. Angisoze ngakwenza lokho kuwe noma kuMarcus.”
UMarcus wasukuma wahamba wayogaxa usisi wakhe. Izinyembezi zazilokho zigeleza ezihlathini zakhe. “Ngaze ngajabula, Gertrude. Bengingazi ukuthi ngenzeni.”
UMama wasukuma wawola zombili izingane zakhe ngezingalo zakhe. Bobathathu babambana.
“Ngiyaxolisisa ukuthi angikukholwanga, Marcus. Ngihlale njalo ngikufundisa okuhle kokubi, lapho uzama ukungitshela okuthize okungajabulisi, ngenqabile ukukukholwa.”
UMarcus wamomotheka futhi wesula amehlo wakhe. Wezwa sengathi kunesisindo esikhulu esisuswe emahlombe wakhe.
“Kuzomele ngishayele amaphoyisa ucingo, ngiwatshele konke engikwaziyo,” kusho uGertrude ephatheke kabi. “Ngeke ngikwazi ukuvumela uJonathan ukuba angabanjwa ngalokhu.” Wakhipha umakhalekhukhwini wakhe waqala ukuchofoza.
Kamuva ngabo lobo busuku uJonathan waboshwa ekhaya lakhe. Umshayeli wemoto yokubaleka naye waboshwa. Kwakungowesifazane. Wake wasebenzela ibhange, kodwa waxoshwa ngemva kokuthi kulahleke isamba semali. Yena noJonathan baphange amabhange ambalwa.
Phela wayetshele lowo wesifazane ukuthi uzomshada, njengoba nje ayetshele uGertrude. UJonathan wayeyisigelekeqe, enekhono lokukhuluma futhi ebukeka. Kudala eqamba amanga. ekhohlisa abantu abaningi.
Ngemva kokufakaza elahla uJonathan, u-Gertrude wahlala ekhaya okwesikhashana. Ihhotela ayesebenza kulo lalimnikeze amaviki ambalwa okungayi emsebenzini. Wonke umuntu wayejabule ngendlela ayesingathe izinto ngayo. UMama wayemphathise okweqanda futhi emphekela konke ukudla kwakhe akuthandayo. Kodwa uGertrude wayelokhu ethule nje. Ngezinye izikhathi wayebukeka edumele kakhulu.
Ngobunye ubusuku ngenkathi ehlezi embhedeni efunda incwadi, uMarcus wangqongqoza emnyango wangena ngaphakathi. UGertrude wamomotheka, kodwa uMarcus waqaphela ukuthi ukumomotheka kwakhe kwakungafiki emehlweni akhe.
“Ngiyaxolisa, sisi,” wabe esehlala phansi esitulweni esiseceleni kombhede wakhe.
“Ayikho into okumele uyixolisele, Marcus” esho engahleki. “Ngiyaziqhenya ngawe. Wenze into efanele. Kuzolunga.”
UMarcus wavuma kancane ngekhanda. “Ingabe ubumthanda kakhulu uJonathan?”
“Yebo,” esholo phansi. “Yiyo into enzima leyo. Bengingamenzela noma yini. Empeleni – ngaphandle kokuphanga ibhange,” ezama ukwenza ihlaya. “Kodwa ukuphila kumele kuqhubeke, Marcus. Maduze nje ngizobuyela emsebenzini wami edolobheni.”
UMarcus wavuma ngekhanda. “Unesibindi, Gertrude.”
“Ngiyabonga, bhuti. Manje yithi ngikutshele izindaba zakho. Ngenkathi ngisiza uMama ukuhlanza ikhabethe lasephaseji ngibone ibhola lakho lifihlwe lapho. Ubungalisebenzisi ngani?”
“Kade…” uMarcus wayengazi ukuthi athini. Wayengafuni ukutshela uGertrude ukuthi wayecabanga ukuthi ibhola lalithengwe ngemali entshontshiwe.
“Ngithenge lelo bhola ngemali yami engiyisebenzele kanzima,” kusho uGertrude, sengathi kade efunda imicabango yakhe. “Hamba uyolilanda sizohamba siyolidlala ngaphandle. Kunensizwa engiyaziyo ehhotela ethanda ibhola njengawe. Uma ngibuyela edolobheni ngizombonisa ukuthi nami ngiyakwazi ukudlala ibhola njenganoma iyiphi indoda.”
“Ake sibone ke, sisi!” UMarcus wamemeza ngenjabulo, egxumela phezulu eyolanda ibhola lakhe.
