UMrs Khumalo wehla ezitebhisini zomuzi wakhe egqoke ingubo ye-Versace. Ubingelela bonke abantu abazomubungaza emcimbini we 40th wedding anniversary yakhe. Ngeke usho, njengoba emamatheka, ukuthi nguye lona okade etshela abantu ukuthi babulale uZelwande. UNoxolo, intombazane afisa ukuba ishade noThobani, ukhona naye ushaya izandla kanye nabo bonke abantu abazobungaza uMrs Khumalo.
UMrs Khumalo ubizela uNoxolo eceleni. “Noxolo, ntombazane yami enhle! Ufike nini?”
“Ayikapheli imizuzu emihlanu ngifikile, Ma.”
Udonsa uNoxolo ngesandla, bangene kwelinye lamagumbi ezivakashi.
“Lalela Noxolo, angiwafuni amaphutha. Ngifuna ukuhlanganisa imindeni yethu. Ukuceba komndeni wakho nokomndeni wami ngifuna kuhlanganiswe ukushada kwakho noThobani. Lokhu kuzokwenzeka uThobani ethanda noma engathandi. Angisoze ngamvumela ukuthi ashade nentombazane yasemjondolo.”
Ukhipha ibhodlela elincane elinempushana phakathi. “Uthele lokhu engilazini kaThobani.”
“Kulungile, Ma. Angeke ngikwenzele phansi. UNoxolo akawenzi amaphutha. Wena buyela ezivakashini zakho. Mina ngizoyilungisa indaba kaThobani, ngiyakuthembisa.”
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uNoxolo uthola uThobani ethwayiza egcekeni. Namanje akukazwakali lutho ngoZelwande, yize esababona nsuku zonke oSenzo no-Aphile.
“Thobani! Mehlo madala,” kusho uNoxolo.
“Unjani, Noxolo?”
“Ngiyaphila. Asithole itafula sixoxe,” kusho uNoxolo.
Bahlala kwelinye lamatafula adekwe kahle akhona lapha egcekeni.
“Thobani, ngicela ungitholele amanzi. Ngifuna ukuphuza amaphilisi ekhanda. Ngisebenza kanzima kulezi zinsuku. Inkampani yethu iyasigqilaza ngoba kunemisebenzi eminingi eyitholile.”
UThobani usukuma alande ingilazi yamanzi. Ngesikhathi abantu beshaya izandla beshayela uSnothile okunguye okhulumayo, uNoxolo uthulula impushana engilazini kaThobani enogologo.
“Thobani, ngizwile ngalento eyenzekile ngengoduso yakho. Ngizwelana nawe. Ngifuna wazi ukuthi ungakhuluma nami uma ufuna ukuxoxa. Noma nini uma ungidinga ngikhona.”
“Hhayi khona empeleni … Noxolo …” UThobani uminya ugologo. Kusenzima ukukhuluma ngoZelwande.
“Ngizwelana nawe. Kunzima ukuhlukana nomuntu omthandayo. Kodwa ngesinye isikhathi kungcono kwenzeke ningakahambi ibanga elide othandweni … ungakagxili kakhulu ngothando nemali. Kodwa kuthathe kumina omunye umuntu wesifazane, lentombazane inbingakaze ikuthande kwasekuqaleni. Kodwa asiyiyeke lendaba. Asijabule.”
“Angeke ngimkhohlwe uZelwande. Angeke ngiqhubeke sengathi angilahlekelwanga isithandwa sempilo yami yonke ngendlela esolisayo. Ngiyamthanda uZelwande.”
UThobani uminya ingilazi, nenye elandelayo, nenye elandela leyo. Uyezwa ukuthi uzulelwa ikhanda manje. Uyadiyazela.
“Thobani kunganjani ngikushayelele ngoba awukho esimweni sokushayela manje. Ngizokushiya emzini wakho mina ngizogoduka ngo- Uber,” kusho uNoxolo.
“Kulungile. Ngiyabonga, Noxolo. Ungumngani woqobo,” kushwashwatha uThobani.
UMrs Khumalo ucifela uNoxolo iso ngesikhathi esiza uThobani ukuba angene emotweni. NaseHilary umsiza ukuba angene embhedeni. Uvala isicabha, naye akhumule izingubo, angene embhedeni noThobani.
UThobani uvuka kunkenketha ikhanda. Uyamangala ebona uNoxolo elele eceleni kwakhe embhedeni. Uphakamisa ingubo abone ukuthi unqunu uNoxolo.
“Noxolo! Noxolo!”
“Yebo, sthandwa sami,” kuphendula uNoxolo.
“Noxolo! Ungene kanjani la? Futhi yini u – si – nqunu?”
“Akuwona umbuzo engiwulindele emuva kobusuku obumnandi kanjena ongizwise bona? Wena ucabanga ukuthi kwenzekeni?”
“Angazi?”
“Kahle ukudlala ngami wena. Ungizwise ubumnandi engingakaze ngibuzwe. Ungikhiphele ingonyuluka yenhliziyo yakho. Ungitshelile nokuthi uyangithanda futhi ufuna ukungishada. Uze washaya phansi ngedolo. Ngivumile, sthandwa sami!”
UThobani ucasuka afe. “Khona bengidakiwe futhi angikukhumbuli okuningi kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi angizange ngicele ukuthi sishade. Yeka ukuqamba amanga! Phuma emzini wami njengamanje!”
“Kodwa uwena nje ongitshele ukuthi ufuna sishade ngokushesha! Ubuqamba amanga? Ubungikhohlisa?”
“Uma ngiwashilo lawo magama, kodwa futhi ngiyazi angiwashongo, kusho khona ukuthi bengiqamba amanga,” kusho uThobani. “Phuma, Noxolo, singaze sixabane!”
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi yini edala ukuthi uMrs Khumalo noNoxolo bangakholwa ukuthi uThobani umthanda ngempela uZelwande?