“Rose! Rose!” kumemeza uMrs Govender.

UZelwande akaphenduli. Usekhohliwe ukuthi igama lakhe aqanjwe lona leli. Umqondo ubuya emuva kwesikhashana ukuthi uMrs Govender ubiza yena. Usuka ngejubane aqonde lapho izwi likaMrs Govender liqhamuka ngakhona.

“Yes, madam,” kusho uZelwande, ehefuzela.

“What took you so long, Rose?”

“I couldn’t hear you, madam. The house is so big that sometimes I can’t hear when you are calling me.”

“Listen, I’m going to the market. Do some ironing,” uMrs Govender ukhomba intaba yezingubo ezisembhedeni. “I need the ironing done by the time I return. You need to work faster. I’m not satisfied with your pace.”

“Yes, madam. I’ll work faster, madam.”

UZelwande ungenela umsebenzi. Uyezwa kuthi qhwa qhwa qhwa kukhala izicathulo zikaMrs Govender eyophuma ngesicabha. Uyezwa nemoto ivuleka ivaleka, iduma. Uphenya ikhethini kancane ayibone iphuma ngesango imoto.

Ekugcineni walithola ithuba lokuphumula; kade esebenza kanzima selokhu efikile ekuseni. Uvala isicabha, aziphonse embhedeni. Ukunaba nje kancane kungawabuyisa amandla. Futhi ke nesikhathi sokuba athathe ikhefu sesishayile. Ucupha i-alamu kumakhalekhukhwini ukuze imvuse emuva kwemizuzu engamashumi amathathu uma kwenzeka ezumeka.

Uzwa … ngabe isandla? Ngabe isandla ngempela lesi esimupotopotoza ethangeni. Uvula amehlo. Ngempela isandla lesi esinyuka ethangeni lakhe! Ushaqekile njengoba ephenduka. Akakukholwa lokhu akubonayo!

UMr Govender usegibele phezu kukaZelwande ngokuphazima kweso. Umubhucabhuca amathanga. Uzimelele ngaso sonke isisindo sakhe phezulu kukaZelwande.

“Zisani bo! Ngisizeni bo!” kuhayiza uZelwande.

Ukukhala kwakhe ukuzwa kunezeleleka ngoba mukhulu lomuzi. Kuyamcacela uZelwande ukuthi kufanele azame ukuzilwela aphume ngaphansi kwesisindo esinzima sika Mr Govender. Uyawuzwa umsindo wokudabuka kwesiketi sakhe njengoba uMr Govender ezama ukumuvula imilenze ngendluzula.

“Sizani bo! Ngisizeni!” kukhala uZelwande.

“Shut up or I’ll kill you!” kusabisa uMr Govender.

UZelwande ulwa ngawo wonke amandla anawo. Uyezwa ukuthi sengathi kuyaphumeka ngaphansi kwesisindo sika Mr Govender. Ususa izandla zakhe emlenzeni kaZelwande uMr Govender, amucindezele izingalo.

Kukhona konke lokhu kutabalasa uZelwande ubamba i-vase esetafuleni eliseceleni kombhede. Uyakuzwa ukuthukuthela ekuhayizeni kwakhe njengoba eyiphisela ngawo wonke amadla anawo i-vase ekhanda likaMr Govender. Usukuma ediyazela uMr Govender, kugobhoza igazi ekhanda. Uzama ukubaleka kodwa akhubeke abhamazeke ngobuso odongeni.

Akalindi ukubona ukuthi kwenzakalani emuva kwalokhu uZelwande. Uthatha isikhwama sakhe athi galo yephuka.

Ufika esangweni ame nse. Uvalo lushaya kakhulu kunakuqala ngoba uyabona ukuthi liphakeme kakhulu isango, angeke akwazi ukugibela kulo aphumele ngaphandle. Ukhiye wesango usele endlini. Ujeqeza emuva, esaba ukuthi uMr Govender uzophuma endlini aqhubeke nokumunukubeza.

“Sizani bo! Ngisizeni!”

Livuleka khona lapho isango. UMrs Govender ubuya emakethe. UZelwande uphuma ngejubane lingakavuleki ngokuphelele isango.

Isiketi sakhe sitshekile futhi sidabukile kwezinye izindawo. Ihembe lona livuleke lonke, kuvele ubra. Ubuso bukaMrs Govender buphenduka bube mhlophe ngokuphazima kweso.

“Rose! Rose! What happened? Where are you going?”

***

Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe ukunukubezeka ngokocansi kuyinto evamile kubantu besifazane abangama-domestic workers?