USiya uvuka engekho esimweni esikahle. Uzizwa elahlekelwa yithemba futhi engendoda yalutho ngoba sekunesikhathi engawutholi umsebenzi.

Ubhekha i cellphone yakhe, afike egameni likaMakhendlas. UMakhendlas usebenza enkampanini eholela kahle. UMakhendlas useyithemba likaSiya lokugcina ngoba kade ezama ukuthola umsebenzi kodwa engaphumeleli. Ushayela uMakhendlas ucingo, kodwa angene kwi voicemail. Ukhetha ukumbhalela iSMS.

Please, Makhendlas, don’t forget about me. If a job comes up call me. Please.

Siya

USiya uciphiza u SEND ezibuza ukuthi bekufanele yini abhale u ‘Please’ kabili.

USiya uyakwazi lokhu kulahlekelwa ithemba ngoba wake waba kulesisimo ngaphambilini. Lokhu kwenzeka emuva kokuphothula izifundo zakhe, kwaphela unyaka wonke engawutholi umsebenzi. Kwaphela unyaka wonke evuka njalo ekuseni engenathemba ngekusasa lakhe. Nakhu futhi usebuyele kulesisimo sokuvuka elahlekelwa ithemba.

Ubheka i cellphone yakhe futhi, afike egameni lomngani wakhe uLunga. Ezinsukwini lapho evuka elahlekelwe yithemba, ngathi angakhuluma noLunga. Amahlaya kaLunga nokungadikibali kwakhe kuyakuqeda ukulahlekelwa yithemba kuSiya.

Nangempela, uLunga uphendula ngohleko olukhulu.

“Howzit, Siya, my brother?”

“Sho, Lunga. Howzit lapho? Kuyabheda ngapha. Kunswempu ngempela, mfwethu.”

“Nangapha kunswempu, Siya. Ngithumele ama applications yonke indawo ongayicabanga but not one reply as yet. Kodwa kukhona okuzoqhamuka sooner rather than later, bro, ungasabi,” kusho uLunga.

“Wahefuzela ngathi uyagijima. Ukuphi?”

“Hayi, no Siya, ngigumba ama trench. Kukhala ipiki nefosholo, bro. Umalume ungitholele umsebenzi enkampanini yakhe. Ikwagobiqolo, mfana, kuholwa u R70 ngosuku.”

“R70! Kodwa kukhona nje okwazi ukuzithengela khona ngalawo makinati? Ayikho phela leyomali?”

“Ubungambona uMa ngesikhathi ngimtshela ukuthi ngiyawuthatha lomsebenzi,” kusho uLunga ephela insini, “ubephatheke kabi bekungathi ngimtshela ukuthi kukhona isihlobo esishonile.”

“Yo, Lungs, ubephoxeke ngaleyondlela?”

“Ngimuzwe ekhuluma nomngani wakhe ocingweni ethi: ‘Kanti izingane zethu ziyela lokhu e university? Ngempela kwenzakalani ezweni lethu? Izingane zifundile kodwa imisebenzi ayikho? Yazi, uyasihlanyela uhulumeni, mina ngizoqonda khona eUnion Buildings ngibatshele ukuthi bangadlali ngezingane zethu’,” kusho uLunga elingisela ukunswininiza kwezwi likamama wakhe ncamasi. USiya aphele insini.

“Unamahloni okutshela abantu ukuthi ngisebenzaphi, kodwa angimgxeki. Wake wakuzwaphi ukuthi iBusiness Management graduate igumbe ama trench?”

“Noma iBussiness Management graduate incenge umsebenzi kumuntu ofana noMakhendlas? Singawutholi umsebenzi unyaka wonke, bro? 365 days sijika nelanga, Lungs?”

“No ijumpile, Siya. Wonke umuntu ukhala ngalento. Umisebenzi ekhokha kahle ayikho eSouth Africa”

“Yini eyenze wawuthatha lowomsebenzi? Ngagcina uthi awusoze washaya ipiki nefosholo.”

Waphela indakazo uLunga. “Uyazi, Siya, ngibone unyaka uqhubeka umuntu engawutholi umsebenzi. Besengikhathele ukucela imali kuMa. Ngikhathele nokugingqika kwicouch usuku lonke ekhaya. Ngemali engiyithola kulomsebenzi ngiyakwazi ukuzithengela i airtime nama cosmetics. Uyazi kubangelana amahloni kangakanani ukuthi uyindoda endala ucele imali ye roll-on? Ngiba nayo nemali yokwenza ama job applications.”

“Ngiyakuzwa, Lungs, iqiniso lelo. Njengamanje ngibuka u R50 wokugcina phakathi kwami nokuhlupheka,” kusho uSiya ebuka imali ayiphethe esandleni.

“Hey, uma kungaveli lutho ngingakutholela isikhala la. Sigumbe nawe ama trench mngani wami.”

“Ngendlela okungenzeki lutho ngayo ngiyacabanga ngempela ukuthi ngenze njengawe ”

“Ngingakakhohlwa nje, kukhona iparty kaZakwe ngelempelasonto. Ngizokulanda ngo 1 ntambama ngoMgqibelo. Zizowa strong, abantwana bazobe bechithiwe.”

“Kodwa ungacabanga kanjani ukujabula isimo sibheda kanje, Lungs? I am in no mood to party.”

“Hey, Siya, kufanele uphume endlini, mfwethu, otherwise worries will kill you. Owungitshele, ngempela kwenzakalani phakathi kwakho nomakhelwane wami uThandeka? Wena ungibuza ngaye, naye ungibuza njalo ngawe. Hlanganisani lento yenu, niyeke ukungenza i messenger yenu.”

“Ubuzile ngami futhi?” kubuza uSiya. Izinhlansi zothando phakathi kwaSiya noThandeka zaqhuma ngesikhathi beqala ukubonana. USiya wabuka ngale kobuso obuhle nokuma kahle kwalentokazi. Okwakicaza inhliziyo kaSiya ukuhlakanipha kwaTandeka. Uzibona esibukweni athole ukuthi uyahleka ngoba ecabanga ngoThandeka. Sekuphele amasonto amaningi agcina ukuzibona ehleka.

“Sizobuye sikhulume, Siya, nayi i site manager ingigqolozele ngoba ngikhuluma kwi cellphone,” kusho uLunga, “Nakanjani, bro, ngiyakulanda ngoMgqibelo siya enkwarini. UThandeka uzohamba nathi uma nawe uhamba. Nansi i site manager isondela, sizokhuluma later.”

Uzizwa engcono uSiya emuva kokukhuluma no Lunga. Uvula umsakazo wakhe we LG awuthanda kakhulu. Lomsakazo kanye ne LED TV wawuthenga esasebenza. Ubuka zonke izinto azithenga ezisegumbini lakhe ngokukhulu ukuziqhenya. Wasebenza isikhathi esincane – izinyanga ezingu 9 eyi manager kwi construction company nakwi catering company – kodwa kwabonakala umehluko. Babephila ngokunethezeka ekhaya likaSiya esasebenza, bengenazo izikweletu nokudla kuhleze kukhona endlini. Manje akasebenzi futhi ukhathazekile ngalokhu.

Angenelelwe iSMS:

Thandeka says please come with us to the party on Sat

L

OK, I will be there

S

USiya aciphize u SEND.

Ungena endlini ecula uSiya. Ukukhuluma noLunga kumenze wabangcono futhi unethemba ngokuthi uMakhendlas uzomtholela i interview. Umama wakhe uhleli ekhishini, I Jungle Oats iyabila ebhodweni esitofini, amehlo abuka incwadi kagesi ayibambe ngesandla.

“Ugesi unyukile futhi. Ngeke ngikwazi ukuyikhokha yonke lemali. Ngeke sikwazi ukuthenga ukudla uma ngiyikhokha yonke,” kusho umama wakhe emnika incwadi kagesi.

USiya uyayibuka, athi, “Inyuka njalo lemali. Ngifunde ephepheni ukuthi izonyuka futhi ngonyaka ozayo.”

“Ngithandaza njalo ukuthi uthole umsebenzi, ndodana. Ibimnandi impilo ngesikhathi usasebenza, besingasweli lutho,” ukukhathazeka kubhalwe emehlweni kumama kaSiya.

“Asithembe ukuthi umsebenzi uzoqhamuka maduze,” kusho uSiya esusa ibhodwe esitofini ngoba seliyasha.

“Ngiyombonga, ngimdumise uNkulunkulu ngalolosuku,” kusho umama kaSiya esukuma eyophaka, “Ngikuphakele, Siya?”

“No, Ma, I am fine. Ngisaya e tuck shop.”

Ukukhathazeka kuduma ekhanda likaSiya njengoba eya esitolo. Uzwa ephathwa ikhanda azitshele ukuthi uzothenga amaphilisi ezinhlungu. Esacabanga lokhu kukhale ucingo.

“Kusasa ngo 10,” kusho izwi eliyisihosha likaMakhendlas.

“Kusasa ngo 10? Kwenzakalani kusasa ngo 10?”

“Umosha i airtime yami ngalemibuzo yakho. Asihlangane emsebenzini kusasa ekuseni ngo 10. Ngikutholele i interview no supervisor wami. Ungalenzi iphutha lokungafiki ngesikhathi,” kusho uMakhendlas.

USiya uyaphenduka uphindela ekhaya. Ikhanda elimphethe selingaziphelela ngoba lo R50 wakhe wokugcina uzogibela ngawo ukuze afike kwi interview.

***

Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Ngabe lomsebenzi omusha uzoyiphendula impilo kaSiya?