UZelwande uxinwa isilungulela emuva kwemizuzu embalwa ehambile uSnothile. Uphuthuma endlini encane, afike khona ahlanze. Lento – lokhu kuhlanza – sekwenzeke izinsuku ezintathu zilandelana. Ugcina ngokuyenza i-home pregnancy test ayithengile. Imiphumela injengoba akade ecabanga – ukhulelwe. Akakafuni ukutshela uThobani ngoba usafuna ukuya kudokotela okunguye ozoqinisekisa ukuthi ukhulelwe ngempela.
UThobani noZelwande bamenyiwe kwaKhumalo ukuzodla isidlo sakusihlwa. UZelwande uyaqaphelisisa ukuthi uSenzo akaphathekile kahle njengoba embuka ezilungisa ingubo yakhe esibukweni esise-lounge.
“Ngicela ungahambi, Zelwande. Ngizizwa ngishiywa yigazi ngalabantu bakwaKhumalo,” kusho uSenzo ngesikhathi kuhlangana amehlo noZelwande.
UZelwande uphenduka asondele kuSenzo. “Ungakhathazeki, Senzo. UMrs Khumalo noSnothile balibonile iphutha labo. Ngithembise ukuthi angeke usakhathazeka ngalendaba kusukela manje. Ungangenzela lokho?”
Uvuma ngekhanda uSenzo. UZelwande ujabula kakhulu angabe esabona ukuthi amehlo kaSenzo asagcwele ukukhathazeka njengoba begaxana.
“Ngifuna ukuxolisa sibukana ubuso nobuso kuwena noZelwande, mfana wami. Ngiyaxolisa ngendlela engiziphathe ngayo,” kusho uMrs Khumalo ngesikhathi efonela uThobani emsebenzini.
UThobani noZelwande babambene ngezandla njengoba bengena esithabathabeni somuzi wakwaKhumalo eDurban North.
“Sanibonani mndeni wami engiwuthandayo!” kusho uThobani ehlala etafuleni elidekwe kahle.
“Ninjani ndodana nawe ndodakazi?” kusho uMr Khumalo.
“Siyaphila, Baba,” kuphendula uThobani noZelwande kanye kanye.
UMrs Khumalo ubuka uZelwande ngamehlo ugcwele uthando. “Ndodakazi, nginamahloni ngendlela engiziphathe ngayo kuwena. Ngihluleka nokukubuka emehlweni. Angazi ukuthi bengingenwe yini.” Amehlo acweba izinyembezi. “Ngifuna ukuxolisa ukhona wonke umndeni wami. Ngicela ukuthole enhliziyweni yakho ukungixolela.”
UZelwande unweba ingalo, abambe isandla sikaMrs Khumalo. “Ngiyakuxolela, Ma. Singabantu sonke; sinamaphutha.”
UMrs Khumalo ukhihla isililo, asukume abambane noZelwande. “Ngiyabonga, Zelwande. Ngiyabonga ndodakazi yami entsha!”
NoSnothile uyasondela, babambane bobathatu. “Nami ngiyaxolisa, Zelwande. Ungudadewethu manje.” Uphenduka abuke uThobani. “Ngiyabonga, Thobani, ngokungitholela udadewethu.”
Umoya woxolo nenjabulo uheleza emzini wakwaKhumalo njengoba bedla isidlo sakusihlwa. Lowo moya uheleza emotweni kaThobani sebelibangise eHilary. UZelwande ulizwa luphindaphindeka uthando analo ngoThobani njengoba becula ingoma kaCeline Dion ethi My Heart Will Go On.
Bafika endlini bangene egumbini labo, bakhiye, bakhumule izingubo. Bangena embhedeni, baqabulane bebukana ngqo emehlweni. UZelwande ubeka ikhanda lakhe esifubeni sikaThobani.
“Sthandwa sami, nginezindaba ezimnandi,” kusho uZelwande.
“Ngilalele.”
“Ngisola ukuthi ngikhulelwe.”
“Ngempela, Zelwande?”
“Kufanele ngiqinisekise kudokotela kodwa i-home pregnancy test i-positive. Futhi sekuphele izinsuku ezintathu ngilokhu ngihlanza njalo ekuseni.”
UThobani usemi ngezinyawo embhedeni, ubuso becwebezela injabulo. “Ngizoba ngubaba?”
“Kunjalo, sthandwa sami.”
UThobani ugxuma embhedeni sengathi uyingane. “Ngizoba ngubaba!” umememza ephindelela.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kungani uMrs Khumalo noSnothile sebemuphatha kahle uZelwande manje?