“Nafika ekugcineni! Nguyena umakoti lo?” Injabulo iyachichima ebusweni kuMr Khumalo.
“Yebo, Baba. Nguye uZelwande wami lona.”
“Muhle!” kusho uMr Khumalo.
“Sawubona, Baba,” kusho uZelwande ngamahloni.
“Sawubona, mntanami. Siyakwamukela emndenini wakwaKhumalo!” UMr Khumalo wanga uZelwande.
“Ngiyabonga, Baba.”
“Ngenani. Ngenani! Netafula selidekiwe. Umama wakho uzoba nathi kungekudala. Uyamazi nawe ndodana ukuthi akadeli ukuzibuka esibukweni.”
“Baba, ukuphi uSnothile?” kubuza uThobani.
“Udadewenu ufonile washo ukuthi usendleleni, ndodana,” kusho uMr Khumalo.
Umsindo othi qhwa qhwa qhwa wenza ime ingxoxo kaThobani noyise. UMrs Khumalo uyamamatheka uma eqhamuka kodwa ashwaqe ebusweni uma amehlo akhe ehlangana namehlo kaZelwande.
Udidekile manje uZelwande. Uyamamatheka – kodwa uMrs Khumalo kubukeka sengathi umunyanya kakhulu ngomzuzu nomzuzu. Ukwenyanya okusebusweni kuMrs Khumalo kuyaphela uma kungena udadewabo kaThobani omncane, uSnothile.
Kuvela nezinyo lomhlathi kuMrs Khumalo uma ebona uSnothile. “Magcino wami omuhle!”
“Sanibonani nonke. Ninjani?” kusho uSnothile.
“Mehlo madala, thumbu wami. Konke kuhamba kahle esikoleni?” kusho uMr Khumalo.
“Yebo, Baba, konke kuhamba kahle. Kufanele ngabe kwamanje ngibhala i-assignment kodwa bengingeke ngingezi. Inkulu phela lendaba asibizele yona uThobani.”
“Inkulu ngempela futhi, dadewethu!” kumamatheka uThobani. Usondeza uZelwande eduzane kwakhe, “Uyena lona uZelwande: isithandwa sami, ubambo lwami.”
USnothile ubuka uZelwande sakumnyanya, ahleke inhlinini. “Usebenza kuphi uZelwande?”
“Okwamanje ngisabheka umsebenzi,” kusho uZelwande.
“Uma uthi, ‘usabheka umsebenzi’, usho ukuthi usuwaqeda esikoleni. Usuwazithola iziqu ze- degree?”
UZelwande uyezwa ukuthi ingxoxo isithatha indlela enokwahlulela kanye nokucwasa. Kodwa uyaziqhenya ngakho konke ayikho. Uphakamisa ikhanda aziqinise.
“Cha. Ngayeka isikole ngifunda uGrade 10 ukuze nginakekele udadewthu nomfowethu emuva kokushona kwabazali bethu. Kwaphoqa ukuthi ngibheke umseb–”
“Awuyibambe lapho nje. Uma uthi ‘usabheka umsebenzi’ kusho ukuthi uyimbungulu encela igazi likamfowethu? Angikholwa ukuthi uThobani ukhetha wena konokuthi akhethe uNoxolo umuntu ofundile. Hhayi umthakathile uThobani wena!”
USnothile noMrs Khumalo bayamamatheka kodwa kusobala ukuthi bayazenzisa.
“Kwanele Snothile!” kusho uThobani.
“Kufanele abuze uSnothile. Kufanele kuvele obala lokhu akubuzayo ngoba kuyacaca ukuthi ukudidile lomalambane kaJezebel!” kusho uMrs Khumalo.
“Thulani njengamanje! Umama onjani okhuluma kanjena nendodana yakhe ngomuntu emthandayo?” kusho uMr Khumalo.
“Hhayi khona. Le ntombazane ayikufanele, Thobani,” kusho Mrs Khumalo. “Wena udinga unkosikazi ofundile. Kodwa yini ungiphoxe kanjena, mfana wami?”
“Mama, Snothile! Thulani njengamanje! Akulona iphutha likaZelwande ukuthi impilo yakhe yenzeka ngendlela eyenzeka ngayo!”
“Akahambe ayoshada nabanye olopholo abafana naye,” kusho uSnothile.
UThobani unikina ikhanda. “Bese uyazibuza ukuthi kungani ngingakuvakasheli, Ma? Noma ngikufonele wena Snothile? Ningabantu abanezinhliziyo ezibandayo, ezinenzondo. Asihambe, Zelwande.”
UThobani ubamba uZelwande ngesandla baphume baphele.
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi uThobani uzokwazi ukuphikelela phambili nesinqumo sakhe sokushada uZelwande noma udadewabo nonina bengamfuni? Wena ubona kuyinto ekahle ukuthi umuntu ocebile ashade nomuntu ohluphekayo?