Injabulo esekhaya likaSiya ekuseni ungayibamba ngesandla uyikhombhise umhlaba.
“Vuka, Siya. Zilungiselele ngoba kungenzeka bathi ufike early,” kusho umama wakhe ngezwi eligcwele injabulo.
USiya uvuka ngokujabula, ukulahla ithemba kukude nemicabango yakhe. Ukujabula lokhu kugcwele indlu yonke. Ulungisa izingubo azozigqoka lapho kuqhamuka umshana wakhe onezinyanga ezingu 9, uOwethu, egaqa. Ugaqa aze afike abambelele eqakaleni likaSiya. Babukane nomshana wakhe, behleka bobabili. Udadewabo kaSiya, uNonhle, angene naye elandela uOwethu.
“Ingobani isikhathi i interview yakho?” kubuze uNonhle.
“Ngo ten.”
“Yekela izingubo zakho ngizoku ayinela. Ngeke ngikuvumele uye kwi interview ngezingubo ezinga ayinwanga perfect,” kusho uNonhle emsusa phambi kwe ironing board.
USiya aqonde egumbini lakhe emuva kwendlu, ashefe ageze.
“Kade ngagcina ukukubona ujabulile, Siya. Waze wamuhle, ndodana,” kusho umama wakhe embukisisa eseswenkile eshefile.
“Like a male model,” kusho Nonhle embhuqa.
Kukhale i cell phone kaSiya. Ayibuke, azwakale ethi: “Ngaze ngalenza iphutha! Kuzozonke izinsuku ngingalenza kanjani iphutha elingaka lokukhohlwa uku charger my phone?”
“Ungakhathazeki, Siya, ungayisebenzisa eyami endala. Ayinayo i facebook ne twitter kodwa isebenza kahle, futhi i battery igcwele,” kusho uNonhle.
“Thanks, Sis, waze wangisiza. This call from Makhendlas is one call I can’t afford to miss.”
USiya ashiye eyakhe i cell phone ikwi charger egumbini lakhe emuva kwendlu, akhiye isicabha.
“Thatha ne spare key,” kusho umama wakhe lapho esethi uyahamba uSiya, “Nathi siyahamba siya esibhedlela namhlanje. Phela usuku lwami lokulanda amaphilisi, uNonhle yena uhambisa uOwethu ukuthi ayothola umgomo.”
USiya ujulile ngemicabango elinde itekisi esitobhini. Uqhathanisa izifiso ayenazo esafunda kanye nempilo yakhe njengamanje. Wonke amaphupho ayenawo – ukuba nebhizinisi, ukondla umdeni wakhe, ukuthenga umuzi – amile nse. Kuqhamuke itekisi, ayimise agibele.
UMakhendlas uthe i interview ingo 10 am kodwa uSiya usefikile ngo 9:15. Ubukeka eyingcwenga yensizwa ezicuphile egqoke kahle. Uphethe yonke imininingwane kwi folder esandleni sakhe. Uyaqinisekisa ukuthi i cellphone ayikho ku silent. Uqalaza eqalazile esangweni ebheka uMakhendlas. Athinte uMakhendlas ngo 9:45, emazisa ukuthi usefikile.
“Ngizokubona uma usupervisor esekhululekile. Usematasatasa okwamanje,” kuphendule uMakhendlas.
Emuva kwamahora amabili, uSiya abone uMakhendlas esondela nendoda encane ngomzimba kodwa empunga ekhanda. Yiyo lendonda engu supervisor. USiya ababingelele ngokuhleka, kodwa usupervisor azihlinele.
“Kukhona lapho wake wasebenza khona?” kubuza usupervisor.
“Yebo, mnumzane, yonke imininingwane ikhona la kwi CV yami,” kusho uSiya eyikhipha i CV, “konke kulapha, nezitifiketi zami zikhona.”
“Hhayi, ungayikhiphi i CV. Ubukeka esemncane. Uneminyaka emingaki?” kubuza u supervisor ezibukela eceleni, kungathi akakhulumi noSiya.
“Ngina 22. Esikoleni ngiqende eminyakeni emibili edlule, sengike ngasebenza futhi. . .”
“Inkinga ngani nina bantu abasebancane ukuthi niletha izinkinga,” kusho usupervisor engenela enkulumweni kaSiya, “Nginike abantu abaningi amathuba omsebenzi kodwa bona abazimiseli. Abafiki ngoMsombuluko ngoba baphethwe ibhabhalazi, lokho kwenze umsebenzi wami ubelukhuni.”
Akahleki nakancane usupervisor njengoba ekhuluma noSiya.
“Mina angibuphuzi utshwala, futhi uzobona kwi CV yami ukuthi angikaze ngilove nakanye emsebenzini ngesikhathi ngisaqashiwe,” kusho uSiya.
“Ngisabuyela emsebenzini. UMakhendlas uzokuthinta,” kusho usupevisor ephenduka ehamba.
“Ngabe kukhona okungalungile engikushilo?” uSiya ubuza kuMakhendlas.
“Angazi, Siya. Ngizokhuluma naye. Wena ngizokuthinta ngezikhathi ze lunch. Yazi anginayo i airtime. Awunawo u R50 lapho ngithole i airtime?”
USiya udinga u R10 wokugibela itekisi ephindela ekhaya, u R 20 wobisi nesinkwa. Uhlweza olusala lapho azithengele i airtime ukuze abheke imisebenzi kwi internet.
“Ayikho imali, Makhendlas. Ngingakunika u R 10 kuphela,” kusho uSiya. Uyazi ukuthi emhlabeni kuyakhokhwa kodwa unethemba lokuthi uMakhendlas uzomzwela njengoba ezikhalela.
“Letha wona lowo R 10. Ucabanga ukuthi ngizoyithathaphi i airtime yokukutshela ukuthi uthini usupervisor? Ngeke ngisebenzise i airtime yami ukusiza wena.” kusho uMakhendlas.
Akhiphe wona lowo R10 wokugcina awunike uMakhendlas.
Esetekisini ephindela ekhaya, ezibuza ukuthi kwenzakalani ngempilo yakhe, azwe kukhala ucingo lubhanyaza igama likaMakhendlas.
“Uthini usupervisor? Sikhona isikhala sami? Ngingamlethela nini i CV yami? Ngingayithumela nge email uma eyidinga.”
“Phola ntwana. Khohlwa indaba yama CV nama email. Awasebenzi ama email la. Imali yakho kuphela esebenzayo. Unayo imali engu R 2500?”
“Anginayo. Uyazi nje, Makhendlas, ukuthi nginezinyanga ezimbili ngagcina ukusebenza.”
“Zama ukuyihlanganisa lemali lingakapheli isonto. Uma unganika usupervisor lemali ngempelasonto, ungakwazi ukuqala ukusebenza ngoMsombuluko ozayo.”
“Ngempela? Lalela, Makhendlas, kukhona engingakuzama. Nginike izinsuku ezimbalwa, ngizohlanganisa njengendoda.”
“Baningi abantu abagaqele lomsebenzi. Uzotholwa umuntu okhokhe kuqala. Hlanganisa ngokushesha,” kusho uMakhendlas.
Ukujabula kugcwele ebusweni kuSiya. Akanayo imali, kodwa wathenga izinto ezibizayo esasebenza. Uzokudayisa konke – ilaptop, smartphone, LED TV kanye nomsakazo wakhe weLG – ukuze athole imali yokukhokhela usupervisor, nemali yokugibela eya emsebenzini.
Ilanga liphakeme, kuyashisa. USiya aqale endlini ukuze azipholise ngamanzi abandayo. Nendlala ingaphezulu ngoba uhambe ekuseni engadlanga. Ahlale phandle edla epholiswa umoya. Eseqedile, asukume aqonde egumbini lakhe emuva kwendlu eyothatha ilaptop ne smartphone ukuze ayokudayisa.
Liyamxhopha ilanga njengoba ehamaba. Uqala azitshele ukuthi ukuxhoshwa yilanga okwenza abone ngathi isicabha sasegumbini lakhe sivuliwe. Cha akulona ilanga elidlala ngaye. Konke akubonayo kuyiqiniso. Ugqekezelwe kwathathwa zonke izinto abezozidayisa ukuze akhokhele usupervisor.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Kulungile ukuthi uSiya akhokhe imali ukuze uthole umsebenzi? Lemali itholwa ngubani?