USenzo ukhuluma nawo wonke umuntu osondelene noZelwande eMathinini. Akapheli moya noma izinsuku ziqhubeka kucaca ukuthi uZelwande unyamalele wangashiya mkhondo. Uyaqwasha ebusuku adle amathambo engqondo, azibuze aziphendule ukuthi ngabe washonaphi udadewabo.
“Senzo! Senzo!” kumemeza u-Aphile entathakusa.
USenzo ungena nezicabha egumnbini lika-Aphile. “Kwenzenjani?”
“UZelwande usebuyile?”
“Cha, Aphile,” kusho uSenzo.
“Ubuyile, Senzo. Kade ngimuzwa manje ememeza igama lami nelakho!”
Inhliziyo kaSenzo iphuka iphindelela. Uyabona ukuthi u-Aphile ubephupha ngoZelwande.
“Ubuphupha, Aphile. Qhubeka ulale. Vele uMgqibelo namhlanje, asiyi esikoleni.”
Ekuseni kukhona umuntu ongqongqozayo. Kungena uMxolisi. Ujwayele ukubabheka uMxolisi selokhu kwanyamalala uZelwande, futhi ufona njalo esiteshini samaphoyisa abuze ngokuthi seluhambe kangakanani uphenyo. Kukhala umakhalekhukhwini kaMxolisi esathi ubuza impilo.
Uyamamatheka uma eqeda ukukhuluma kumakhalekhukhwini.
“Iphoyisa laseVerulam leli ekade ngikhuluma nalo. Lithi bayawuthola omkhondo. Lithi kukhona umuntu obafonelile wabatshela ukuthi bazomthola kuphi uZelwande!”
“Ukuphi?”
“Ukwelinye lamafamu angasetshenziswa muntu uma uphuma kancane eVerulam.”
“Uya … usaphila?”
“Lomuntu ofonile uthe wamushiya esaphila ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule. Kusho ukuthi ubemuthumbile. Kufanele ngihambe ngiye khona …”
“Sizohamba nawe,” kusho uSenzo no-Aphile bengena emotweni kababa kaMxolisi. UDetective Njili uyithumelile i-location yefamu kuMxolisi.
Bafika ngesikhathi amaphoyisa esondela egumbini elincane elingemuva komuzi omkhulu kuleli famu.
UZelwande ucabanga ukuthi uyaphupha. Uzwa izwi elimemeza igama lakhe kude, alizwe limemeza eduze, emuva kwalokho ezwe ukuthi kukhona ozama ukubhodloza isicabha.
“Police! Zelwande are you in there?”
“Yes! Yes!” umemeza ngezwi eligcwele ukujabula nokukhathazeka.
Amaphoyisa abhodloza isicabha. Bamuqaqa ozankosi. Amandla akanawo kodwa kuthi uma ebona u-Aphile, uSenzo kanye noMxolisi awathole amandla, angijime abagaxe.
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UNoxolo uxoxa noMrs Khumalo kanye noSnothile emzini wakwaKhumalo eDurban North. Bahlezi ngaphansi kompheme kuveranda emuva kwendlu. Abamuzwa uThobani engena ngesango, ebona imoto kaNoxolo, enyonyoba endlini agcine esondele eduzane kwabo. Ukuzwa konke abakhuluma ngakho.
“Iyodwa into ezokwenza wenzeke lomshado, Noxolo. Tshela uThobani ukuthi ukhulelwe,” kusho uMrs Khumalo.
“Yebo,” kugcizelela uSnothile.
“Ngiyafisa ukuba ngikhulelwe, kodwa silale kanye futhi akukapheli izinsuku eziningi salala,” kusho uNoxolo.
“Kusho ukuthi nonke nihlangene kulento!” Kubhavumula uThobani.
Bathuka bome, izinkomishi zetiye ziphahlazeke phansi. Khona kusenjalo kungena amaphoyisa agcwale igceke.
“Kusho ukuthini lokhu kudlova enikwenzayo emzini wami?” UMrs Khumalo ubuza uDetective Subramoney.
Uyoma abe mhlophe eshaqekile uma ebona uZelwande, uSenzo kanye no- Aphile beqhamuka emuva kwamphoyisa.
UZelwande uqondisa umunwe kuMrs Khumalo. “Uyena impela lo, detective! Uyena uMrs Khumalo owangithumba!”
“Mrs Khumalo you are under arrest for kidnapping this young woman. You will need to come with us right now to the police station.”
“But … Thobani … do something!” uhayiza eyofakwa emotweni yamaphoyisa.
UThobani usezandleni zikaZelwande manje, bakhala izinyembezi zenjabulo. Akamuzwa nokumuzwa unina ememeza. “Zelwande, sthandwa sami. Uyaphila!”
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Sekuphele unyaka emuva kokuthunjwa kukaZelwande. Izinto zishintshile. UMrs Khumalo noSnothile baboshiwe. Uyise kaThobani uhlala yedwa eDurban North manje. UThobani umuvakashela njalo uyise kodwa akayingeni indaba kanina nodadewabo.
Liphume lithe saka ilanga eHilary namhlanje. Kodwa amafu ahlangana ngokuphazima kweso. Isibhakabhaka siphenduka sibe mnyama. Izulu lidedela imvula epholisayo.
U-Aphile, uSenzo kanye noThobani baphuma endlini bame kuveranda babuke imvula. UZelwande uphuma ekugcineni endlini. Uphethe ingane yakhe encane ezandleni. Bayama bonke, balalele umoya opholile ohamba nemvula.
Kusenjalo bezwa kuthi “Ma…” kuqhamuka emlonyeni omncane wengane kaZelwande noThobani. Bonke bayasondela bayingunge ingane. “Ma-ma,” kusho ingane futhi.
Bayahleka bonke bashintshisane ngokumphatha uNomvula.
“Bengithi … bengithemba ukuthi … igama lokuqala azolikhuluma bekuzoba uBaba,” kuhleka uThobani.
“Umzwile, angithi? UNomvula ufuna umama wakhe,” kusho uZelwande. Uyacabanga yedwa ngaphakathi ukuthi: Ingane yethu isilethele lokhu okuchaza igama layo – imvula eletha impilo. Impilo entsha kuthina sonke.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Uthini umbono wakho ngalendaba?
