Kushisa bhe enkabeni yedolobha laseThekwini. Amatekisi aqhulula umculo ehla enyuka emigwaqweni futhi ashayele abagibeli ama-hoot. USibongile uhamba nge-Vivo yakhe encane yohlobo lwe-VW Polo futhi ujahile kulesi siphithiphithi. Akasakwazi ukulinda ukufika ehhovisi lapho ezobe enomhlangano khona wesitolo esizophekela inkampani yakhe esanda kuyiqala.
Umakhalekhukhwini wakhe ukhala ephaketheni ngesikhathi elinde ukukhanya kube luhlaza erobhothini. uyayibona inombolo kamakhalekhukhwini esesikrinini, ngekadadewabo uThando. Kodwa izwi lakhe lizwakala lihlukile namuhla njengoba uSibongile ephendula, ukuphefumula kwakhe kuyaphuthuma.
“S’bo, phuthuma ekhaya!” kusho uThando, ehefuzela.
Abe nokuxakeka ebusweni uSibongile.
“Yini, sekwenzenjani?” kubuza uSibongile.
“Uyagula uMama, sekumqalile futhi…”
“Ima ke Thando, ngangithe akaye kadokotela ekuqaleni, waya kodwa?” kubuza USibongile, ephazamisa uThando.
“Hawu S’bo, uyamazi nje ukuthi uMa unjani, unenkani, kanti futhi akazange alilokothe lapho,” kusho UThando, izwi lakhe liyaqhaqhazela.
Labe selishintha irobhothi liba luhlaza, kodwa ngoba wayesocingweni, akabanga nakho ukunaka uSibongile.
“Ayi bandla! Kusho ukuthi isizimisele ngokufa phela intomb’ endala…” kukhuluma uSibongile, esephazamiswa ama-hoot ezimoto emva kwakhe. “Ngicela ubuye ngikufonele ntombi, kukhona lapho engisaphuthuma khona.”
Washo eluvala ucingo uSibongile, eyigxoba imoto iyojika ikhona.
US’bongile uvula isango lakwakhe ntambama ecofa i-remote ngesandla sokudla asiveze efasiteleni lemoto yakhe. Ushayela imoto yakhe, ayifake ngaphakathi ngesikhathi isango livuleka kancane. Ungena endaweni yokupaka bese elinda imizuzwana ngaphambi kokuba aphume. Abubule abheke ucingo lwakhe abone isikhathi. Ubona ama-missed calls angu-12, ahlanganisa ayishumi kaThando kanye nezi-2 zenombolo angayazi. Efika lapha eDurban North uSibongile wafika waba isisebenzi sasendlini, esebenzela umdeni wakwaTembe owawuhlale umatasa. uBab’ Tembe ungummeli kanti unkosikazi wakhe uphethe isitolo esikhulu esokudla kanye nezimpahla edolobheni. Wayethi njalo uma ebuka uMam’Tembe uSibongile, abe nokuchazeka kanye nokugqugquzeleka ukuthi naye aguqule impilo yakhe. UMam’Tembe ungumgqugquzeli omkhulu kaSibongile ukuthi abe yilokhu ayikho manje. UMam’Tembe ungowesifazane ongene shí ebuKristwini futhi ozifelayo ngempilo nomsebenzi wakhe. Amamatheke kancane uSibongile njengoba encike esihlalweni sakhe semoto ecabanga indlela esiyihambile. eshiya uMgababa ngemuva, wayenentshisekelo enkulu ngalokho ayefuna ukukwenza, ukuthola impilo efanele yena nendodakazi yakhe, u-Adia ngayo yonke indlela. emva konyaka esebenze kwaTembe enakekela amadodakazi abo amathathu, wanquma ukulandela ezinyathelweni zikaMam’Tembe, njengokujoyina ibandla lakhe. AbakwaTembe bamphatha kahle, ngelinye ilanga uMam’Tembe weluleka uSibongile ukuthi enze izifundo ezimfishane ezingamsiza ukuthi aziqalela ibhizinisi. bamtshela ukuthi angazihluphi kakhulu ngo-Adia, bambhalise kwesinye sezikole ezibizayo amadodakazi abo afunda kuzo.
“Mommy!” kusho intokazi engu-Adia ngeqholo, ibhonya isicabha semoto.
Wathuka kancane uSibongile, wathi ukubuyela emhlabeni kancane wayeka ukucabanga.
“Yebo, honey!” kusho uSibongile, esholo phezulu, evula isicabha. “Bheka ukuthi uMama ukuphatheleni, amaswidi!”
“Ay’ngeke Ma, you always bring me sweets” kusho u-Adia etshengisa ukudumala.
“Ehlisa umoya Adia, ngiphethe izindaba ezinhle! Asingene endlini siqale sithandaze, sibonge umdali,” washo ebe ehla emotweni uSibongile. Ubamba u-Adia ngesandla amdonsele ngaphakathi endlini.
Bangena kwisithabathaba sendlu bobabili beno-Adia. Bengena bashona ekamelweni lokulala lika Sibongile. uSibongile uthi engena nje, athathe ibhayibheli elihlezi phezu kwetafula elincane ngasembhedeni.
“Asiguqe sithandaze sibonge.”
Bathi nje bengaqeda nje ukuthandaza, u-Adia aqale adlikize phansi, apaquze akweqe namehlo.
“Ngegama likaJesu! Ngekama likaJesu demoni lini leli elingenela ingane yami!!” kusho uSibongile ehayizela phezulu.
Etatazela uSibongile, uthatha ucingo lakhe, afonele uMam’Tembe ngokuphuthuma.
“Sibongile ehlisa umoya sisi, uthi kwenzenjani?” kubuza uMam’Tembe.
“U-Adia, sekumqalile futhi…uyadlikiza..? uyahefuzela uSibongile.
“Okay, calm down sisi, uyakhumbula senzanjani last time? Ehlisa umoya nje, uzame ukukhuluma naye, kuzodlula manje lokhu…uzame nje ukukhuluma naye ngezwi eliphansi,” kusho uMam’Tembe ocingweni ekhuluma ngezwi eliphansi.
“Kulungile ng’zokwenza kanjalo, ng’zokwenza njengoba usho…”, kusho uSibongile, “Ng’yabonga kakhulu Ma.”
Kumubamba imizuzwana ukudlikiza u-Adia mase kuyamdedela.
Mase esevukile, uSibonile uyamtshela izindaba ezinhle ekade ezigcine ngaphakathi kuyena, mayelana nomhlangano wakhe. Umhlangano wakhe uhambe kahle uSibongile.
*******
“Sawubona Thando,” kukhuluma uSibongile ekhipha umoya, “Ngithi ake ngifone ngizwe ukuthi uMa usenjani?”
Lapho, uhlezi ubhale u-four embhedeni wakhe, phela sekusebusuku manje, kanti no-Adia uselele zwi ubuthongo.
“Unendaba kodwa S’bo?” kubuza uThando ngale kocingo.
“Hawu yebo Thando, phela umawami lowo, yini engada…” kukhuluma uSibongile, ephazanyiswa uThando emngena emlonyweni.
“Kahle ke sisi, ukube uyazi ukuthi umawakho ngithe ngikhuluma ngokugula kwakhe waphuthuma weza ngapha ekhaya,”kusho uThando, “Ngabe akusiyimi ngedwa omnakekelayo.”
“Thando musa ukukhuluma kanjalo, izinto azikho lula njengoba usho nje…” kusho uSibongile ekhokha umoya, “kanti nami ngihlale ngimubeka emthandazweni njalo uma ngilala.”
“Emthandazweni? Iheee ayi waze wangihlekisa ntombi…njalo nje usulokhu usifundekela ngalemthandazo yakho, oQwabe bakudinga ekhaya kanye nomshan’wami,” kusho uThando, evala ucingo.
Sitshele: Uyakholelwa emandleni amaphupho? Kungani noma kungani kungenjalo?