Sangena endaweni eyi-bed and breakfast edolobheni eligudla ulwandle elibizwa nge-Hibberdene. Ngasala no-Owethu emotweni, u-Linda wangena phakathi wakhokhela igumbi lethu.
Asizange siwavule amakhethini. Sasingazange silale ngokwanele ngoba sasivuke ngovivi sabaleka ePort Edward kodwa noma kwakunjalo abufikanga ubuthongo siseHibberdene. Ngafunza u-Owethu i-Purity ngesikhathi uLinda enabile embhedeni egqolozele ubala. Ngazibuza ngaziphendula ngifuna isixazululo senkinga esasibhekene nayo. Yonke imicabango yami yayiphelela ngami ngimile phambi kukababa, ngimxoxela ngezinkinga zami, ngicela usizo kuyena.
“Unesiqiniseko sokuthi ubaba wakho uzosinika usizo?” kwabuza uLinda.
“Kufanele asisize. Yena uhlala nonkosikazi wakhe omusha nezingane zakhe lowo nkosikazi kodwa ngisazwana nobaba. Futhi-ke ngiyigazi lakhe, angeke angilahle ngidinga usizo olungaka kuyena.”
“Sizohlalaphi eMsinga? Sizolalaphi?”
“Ubaba washiya umuzi wakhe ngesikhathi eseshada futhi emuva kokushona kukamama. Sizohlala kuwona lowomuzi. Indlu yona incane, nophahla lunezindawo ezivuzayo kodwa into esingayilungisa ngosuku olulodwa leyo ngoba imali sinayo.”
“Imali yokusiphilisa yona sizoyenza kanjani, Spha?”
“Leyo yona bengingakayicabangi. Kodwa sizobona, icebo lizozakha. Kodwa manje njengoba ungibuza ngiyacabanga ukuthi kufanele siyicabange nendaba yokungena embonini yamatekisi. Ngizocela ubaba ukuba angikhulumele kosomatekisi, ngithenge itekisi, bangifake eMsinga Taxi Association. Vele abanikazi bamatekisi bayawadayisa amatekisi abo amadala uma sebefuna ukuthenga amasha.”
ULinda wangibuka ngamehlo agcwele ukukhululeka kodwa futhi agcwele ukukhathazeka.
Wathi, “Isona isixazululo esingcono kunazo zonke ongazicabanga lesi?”
“Isona esingcono kunazo zonke okwamanje. Ngike ngacabanga ukuya emaphoyiseni kodwa nakanjani ngiyazi ukuthi amaphoyisa azongibopha ngoba ngadlala ingxenye enkulu ngesikhathi sibamba inkunzi. Nakanjani lizongigweba lelicala. Kanti futhi uma siqhubeka sikhuluma noMpilo sizibizela igodi. Ukuya kubaba eMsinga isona isixazululo engisibonayo mina.”
ULinda wasukuma wasondela kumina no-Owethu. Wathatha u-Owethu. Izingalo zami zabazungeza bobabili, sabambana kanjalo isikhathi eside.
“Sizoya nini eMsinga? Asihambe kwanamhlanje uma sekuhlwile, Spha. Angeke ngisakwazi ukumela lokhu ukuhamba kwethu silokhu sicasha.”
“Sizohamba kusihlwa, sthandwa sami.”
Ukukhathazeka ebusweni bakhe bancibilika baphenduka ukumamatheka.
“Awuthi ngiphume ngiyositholela ukudla. Asidlile imini yonke,” kwasho uLinda
Ngagudluza ikhethini kancane. Labe selishona ilanga. Ngabukisisa ulwandle buqamama, kwakheka icebo ekhanda: Enye indlela yokugudluza uMpilo nabafowabo endleleni yethu. Lelicebo laqala ukuqhamuka liyizithombe – umakhalekhukhwini, izipopolo kanye negumbi lehhotela e-Umhlanga Rocks. Ukuziphindiselela kwakubila kuyo yonke imithambo emzimbeni. Yebo, nakanjani sasizoya kubaba eMsinga siyocela ukuvikelwa ngabangani bakhe abangosomatekisi. Kodwa uMpilo kwakufanele ajeze ngokushisa umuzi wethu. Kwakufanele ajeze ngobuxoki ayebenzile ezama ukungiholela ophathe.
U-Owethu wagigitheka ezinyaweni zami. Ngamuqubula, ngamudlalisa ngokumdonsa izihlathi kancane. Ngamhlikihla ikhala lakhe ngekhala lami, wagigitheka kakhulu kunakuqala.
Ngathi kumntanami, “Umama wakho unendima enkulu okumele ayidlale kulelicebo elisha engizoqhamuka nalo, Owethu.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe ukufuna ukuziphindiselela kuzoziletha noma kuzozinciphisa izinkinga empilweni kaSpha?