UZelwande uthi galo yephuka. Ubalekela impilo yakhe. Uhamba ngezindlela zesiZulu buqamama nomgwaqo, agcine ewubonela kude umuzi acishe wadlwengulwa kuwo. Umfutho uphela ngokushehsa emzimbeni ngoba uyabona ukuthi uphephile manje.
Ingqondo ikudlala iphindelela konke okwenzekile. Uhlala phansi ngemuva kwesihlahla akhale emuva kokuzibona ukuthi umanaphanapha kanjani. Ukhipha ijezi esikhwameni, aligqoke. Uzilungisa isiketi. Uhlala isikhashana emuva kwesihlahla, alinde. Kuyashesha ukufika ukuhlwa, abuyele emgwaqeni.
Unyusa izinyawo ngoba kukhona imoto eyehlisa isivinini ihambisane kanye naye. Lemoto iwuhlobo lweSUV emnyama, namawindi adimile. Akaboni ukuthi ngubani ophakathi. Usuka ngejubane. Iyaqhubeka nokumlandela lemoto. Umshayeli wehlisa iwindi amemeze: “Hello”. UZelwande ujeqeza eceleni amangale uma ebona igeza lensizwa elimamatheka kamnandi.
“Hello, dadewethu. Uya ngakuphi? Ngingakunika u-lift,” kusho lensizwa.
“Ngiyabonga kodwa sengizofika lapho engiya khona,” kusho uZelwande.
“Kanti sisi akuyona inkinga. Izwe alisaphephile ukuthi umuntu wesifazane angahamba yedwa ebumnyameni. Ngivumele ngikubeke lapho oya khona.”
“Cha! Ngishilo nje ukuthi angiludingi usizo lwakho. Ngiyeke!” uZelwande usekhihla isililo.
“Angeke ngazixolela uma ngikuyeka uhambe wedwa emgwaqeni omnyama kanjena. Kwenzenjani kodwa ntokazi enhle nakangaka?”
“Angeke ukwazi ukungisiza!” UZelwande uma nse, akhale.
“Ngicela ungene emotweni, ntokazi. Ngizokuhambisa ngikuyise lapho ofuna ukuya khona. Kungiphatha kabuhlungu ukubona umuntu wesifazane ehlukumezekile. Ungesabi, angeke ngikwenze lutho,” kusho lomlisa.
UZelwande usula izinyembezi. Ukukhathazeka ngaye okusebusweni kulomlisa kumenza abone ukuthi angamethemba. Izinyawo zakhe ziyaqaqamba; akazi nokuthi uhamba nje uya kuphi njengoba sekumnyama. Lomlisa uphuma emotweni azungeze, avulele uZelwande isicabha.
“Igama lami nginguThobani Khumalo.”
“Mina nginguZelwande Mhlongo,” usho engena emotweni.
UThobani ubuka uZelwande. Bayagqolozelana imizuzwana embalwa, bamamatheke bobabili. UZelwande uzizwa efudumala umphefumulo njengoba bebukana noThobani. NoThobani izizwa kanjalo ncamashi. Isuka ihambe imoto.
“Ulibangise kuphi, Miss Mhlongo?”
“Ngilibangise eChatsworth, Unit 2. Bengizobheka amatoho ngapha eMerebank.”
“Manje ubuzoyiqwala ngezinyawo yonke lendlela ende kangaka ebheke eChatsworth?”
“Yebo. Wena ulibangise kuphi?”
“Ngiphuma emhlanganweni wasemsebenzini kodwa manje sengiyagoduka ngiya emzini wami eHilary.”
Amehlo kaZelwande ayagijima, afike emunweni wendandatho esandleni sikaThobani. Lutho, ayikho indandatho. UZelwande uzwa ukukhululeka angakaze akuzwe nomunye umntu wesilisa njengoba bexoxa. Kuba sengathi sekwaphela ishumi leminyaka bazana. UZelwande uyamubikisisa uThobani njengoba eshayela. Inde ngethambo lensizwa, insundu ngebala futhi iyigeza. Imamatheka kalula. Amakha aziqhole ngawo anuka kamnandi futhi kuyacaca ukuthi awenani eliphezulu ngoba awaxhili noma agcwele imoto yonke. Akupheli sikhathi esingakanani bazithole sebefikile eMathinini.
“Ngiyabonga ngosizo lwakho, Thobani. Inkosi ikubusise,” kusho uZelwande edilika emotweni.
“Bengingeke ngikhululeke emphefumulweni ukube ngishiye intokazi enhle njengawe ithwabaza yodwa ebumnyameni.”
Bamamatheka bobabili.
“Ngicela ungiphe inombolo yakho yocingo. Ngifisa ukuphinda ngikhulume nawe.”
UZelwande uthathekile ngoThobani kodwa uyazi ukuthi asikho isikhala sokujola empilweni yakhe. “Cha, angeke ngikwazi ukukunika inombolo yami,” kusho uZelwande.
“Please,” kuncenga uThobani.
“Uyazi yini? Uma kwenzeka siphinda sihlangana futhi, ngizokunina inombolo yami yocingo.”
“Kulungile,” kusho uThobani emamatheka.
UThobani ubuka uZelwande engena phakathi kwemijondolo eMathinini. Uyehla emotweni alandele uZelwande buqamama. Umamatheka yedwa njengoba ebukisisa ukuthi ungena kuwuphi umjondolo uZelwande.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe uThobani uyindoda eqotho? Uma uvuma yini ekwenza uvume?