“GBH? Robbery?” kubuza uSiya ezincinza ubuso eqinisekisa ukuthi akaphuphi.

“Kunjalo, Grievous Bodily Harm and Robbery,” kusho iphoyisa.

“Cha, maphoyisa, nididekile. Lowodoti enihamba nawo ongikhomba ngomunwe yiwona okufanele uboshwe ngoba ungigqekezele,” kusho uSiya. Aqale ukuchaza udaba.

“Ngikululeka ukuthi uvale umlomo wakho uhambe nathi,” kusho iphoyisa, “ungasichazeli lutho ngoba uzozibopha ngalokhu ozokukhuluma. Gqoka, ndoda, usuyochaza udaba lwakho enkantolo.”

“Enkantolo? Niqinisile? Lenja enihamba nayo ingigqekezela kodwa kuboshwa mina?” uSiya azincinze ubuso futhi, uzitshela ukuthi usaphupha.

“Asihambe, Siya. Ukuqhubeka uphikisane nathi kuzokwenza sikubophele necala le resisting arrest. Vala umlomo wakho usidedele senze umsebenzi wethu. Gqoka sihambe, okudlula lokho sizokuthatha usagqoke ama pajama,” kusho leliphoyisa ebelithule sonke lesikhathi.

Uyaqhubeka nokuchaza uSiya. Uyakuzwa ukucasuka kwanda kuyena. Kuze kusize umama wakhe ombamba isandla.

“Yenza njengokusho kwabo, Siya. Uzochaza konke epolice station,” kusho umama wakhe.

Asivumele isimo uSiya, agqoke i tracksuit athathe no R50 emalini ayenze ngokushayela itekisi. Enye imali uyishiya kumama wakhe. Akalikholwa lelibhadi elimehlekelayo. Ucabanga nokumokola emaphoyiseni kodwa abuye awususe lowo mcabango ngoba ebona ukuthi akenzanga lutho, uyasukelwa. Uzitshela ukuthi iqiniso lizovela uma esechaza epolice station, yonke lento izodlula.

Ubona isikhathi emotweni yamaphoyisa sithi 2:45 am. Uphenduka abuke ikhaya lakhe njengoba imoto yamaphoyisa imthatha. Omakhelwane sebephumele phandle bagcwele amagceke bayambuka. Umama wakhe ugqoke igown yokulala uphatheke kabuhlungu. Udadewabo uNonhle ukhihla isililo, uphethe uOwethu, naye okhalayo.

Ukungena kwakho ebhandeni lengalo yomthetho akukho ukuphuma kuze kufike usuku lwakho enkantolo. USiya usifunda ngokushesha lesifundo. Akekho okulalelayo. Uzama ukuchazela amaphoyisa akuma holding cells udaba lwakhe.

“Khululeka, ndoda, ungachazeli thina. Uzoba nasosonke isikhathi sokuchaza enkantolo,” asho emdudulela phakathi evala isango ebusweni bakhe.

Utshela bonke abantu aboshwe nabo udaba lakhe. Uze azihlebele kwayena ngoba engakholwa ukuthi uboshiwe.

“Siya, woza la,” kusho izwi elivela endaweni emnyama kwi holding cell.

Lelizwi elimbizayo lincane, sakuhleba. USiya uzama ukukhumbula ukuthi alazela kuphi lelizwi kuvele kuvuthe umentshisi ulayitha ugwayi. Ukuvutha kwamentshisi kuveza isidlakela sensizwa. USiya azitshele ukuthi ngeke izwi elincane kangaka kube elalesidlakela. Mhlawumbe lomuntu ombizayo ungemuva kwesidlakela. Ubuye umqondo. Lelizwi elaso isidlakela. Igama lesidlakela uSmall, isela lezimoto ayefunda nalo ehigh school.

Ajabule ukubona umuntu amaziyo, kodwa okumjabulisa kakhulu ukuthi lomuntu amaziyo uSmall. USmall uneminyaka ephila impilo yobugebengu ngoba waqala ukuntshontsha izimoto besafunda isikole. Wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi akudlalelwa kuSmall. Ngisho ejele kuyaziwa ukuthi akasukelwa ngoba uphenduka isilwane uma esecasukile.

USmall alulalele udaba lukaSiya. USiya akubeke ukuthi ugqekezelwe nakho konke okunye okwenzekile.

“Wena Small, uboshweleni?” kubuza uSiya.

“Bangifice ngihlakaza i Golf VI GTI. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke lingibophe lelicala. Amaphoyisa ayathanda ukungihlukumeza. Abefuna ngibakhokhele isimokolo, nganqaba. Ngathi singayithola kusasa i bail ngoba ngoLwesihlanu i public holiday. Ngeke kulunge ngiboshwe i long weekend yonke. Futhi ibirthday yendodana yami ngale weekend,” kusho uSmall.

Abufiki ubuthongo kuSiya. Ubuka izigebengu alele nazo kwi holding cell. Ababulali, abadlwenguli nababamba inkunzi baboshwe ndawonye nomuntu ontshontshe uswidi esitolo. Akuwenzi umqondo lokhu kuSiya. Ubona ukuthi iziboshwa kufanele zihlukaniswe ngamacala eziwenzile. Kuthi esahlaziya lomcabango, isango livuleke kungene umutu osolwa ngokubulala egcwele igazi ezandleni nasezingalweni.

USiya uno R50 ebhulukweni le tracksuit. Lemali uyinika uSmall ukuze avikeleke. USmall usechazile –kodwa naye uSiya uyazi ukuthi kuhamba kanjani ngoba unomalume owake waboshwa – ukuthi kudingeka akhokhe imali ukuze angahlukumezeki uma kwenzeka bethathwa beyiswa eWestville Prison. USiya uhlala ebhekile ubusuku bonke bungafiki ubuthongo.

Bathathwa bayiswe enkantolo ekuseni. Lokhu uSmall benoSiya kade bengafuni kwenzeke, kuyenzeka. Amacala abo ahlehliselwa uMsombuluko, ilong weekend bazoyidlela kuma holding cells ase Westville Prison. UNonhle umnika uplastic onezimpahla zokushintsha no R50 imoto ezobathatha ingakahambi.

Ngoba uSmall uyisigebengu iziboshwa ezishaya inombolo azisondeli nokusondela kubona befika eWestville Prison. USiya ubona ukusebenza komnotho wasejele ophethwe iziboshwa. Konke kuyadayiswa – ukuvikeleka, ukudla, ugwayi, nezidakamizwa. Nelungelo lokuchitha isikhathi ngokudlala amaphepha liyathengwa. USiya akasuki eduze kukaSmall ngoba engafuni ukuxakaziswa njengalabo ababoshwa bengenayo imali.

Noma kunjalo, uSiya uyazwela ukuthi usejele. Ijele ulibona lifana nesihogo. Ubona abantu beziphathisa okwezilwane. Okuningi akubonayo ukhetha ukukukhipha nje kusangena enqondweni yakhe ngoba ebona ukuthi kuzomlimaza inqondo uma ekubeka ekhanda.

Abantu abambalwa asebahlala iminyaka belinde kuqulwe amacala abo sebephambanelwe amakhanda. Ebusuku bamemeza ngathi banamadimoni. Omunye osolwa ngokubulala uhayiza kuze kuse, ekhala ngokuthi uyambona lomuntu ambulala, avuke ekuseni izindlebe zopha. Akalali zonke izinsuku azichitha ejele uSiya. Lokhu okumehlekele akakufiseli ngisho nesitha sakhe sokugcina. Ukukhala kokhiye basejele nokumemeza kweziboshwa kuduma ekhanda lakhe nangoMsombuluko esendleleni eya eNkantolo.

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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukuboshwa kwenza umuntu ahlukane nobugebengu?