“Ngiyaxolisa, Mdu,” kwasho uPadlock. “Khumbula nokuthi siyolanda isizumbulu semali. Cabanga nje ukuthi emahoreni ambalwa sizobe siphethe uR 500 000.”
Wancibilika ebusweni uMdu, wamamatheka. “Kunjalo impela, njayami! Futhi ngizohamba unomphela eMlazi uma sesiyihlukanisile imali. Ngeke niphinde ningibone.”
“Uzohamba uyephi?” kwabuza uPadlock.
“Angikazi kahle hle. Kodwa ngifuna indawo enokuthula, eseduzane nolwandle,” kwasho uMdu.
UMdu waphendukela kumina wabuza wathi, “Wena uzokwenzani ngemali ozoyithola, Spha?”
“Ngizothola malini?”
“Uma kuwu 500 000 njengoba sicabanga uPadlock uzothola 200 000. Nami ngizothola u200 000. Umuntu wethu ongaphakathi okhiphe inombolo uzothola u50 000, nawe uzothola u50 000.”
Ngezwa inhliziyo ibhakuza kakhulu ngesikhathi ngizwa isamba semali engizoyithola.
Angizange ngithandabuze, ngathi, “Ngizobuyela esikoleni ngifundele i-trade efana ne-carpentry noma ukubeka isitini.”
Waqhuma egigitheka uPadlock, wathi, “Uyisidunyelwa ngempela wena, Spha. Yini ufune ukuphindela esikoleni kodwa uyazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi ayikho imisebenzi ephilile ebekelwe abantu abamnyama besilisa la eSouth Africa?”
UMdu wangibuka ngokuncoma, wathi, “Uwena oyisilima, Padlock. USpha ucabangela ikusasa lakhe. Akafani nathi esiphilela inamuhla kuphela.”
Lavela ibhodi elibhalwe ukuthi ‘Port Shepstone’. Ngathinta i-indicator.
“No, qhubeka uqonde,” kwasho uMdu. “Kufanele silande enye imoto kuqala.”
UMdu wangiyalela indlela. Saqhela ekugudleni ulwandle, sangena endaweni engaphakathi kwezwe. Itiyela lanyamalala, umgwaqo waphenduka ubhuqu. Utshani nezihlahla zaziluhlaza okujiyile, kucaca ukuthi ayiswelwa imvula kulendawo. Umoya engawuhogela ngesikhathi ngehlisa iwindi kwaba sengathi ungivuselela amaphaphu. Emuva kwamakhilomitha ambalwa sangena egcekeni elikhulu. Sasingekho isakhiwo kuleligceke ngaphandle komjondolwana. Lomjondolo kwakuyigaraji. Kwakukhona iveni ewuhlobo lwe-double cab emhlophe ngaphakathi. UMdu noPadlock bafaka izinamatheli ezibhalwe ukuthi ‘Ugu Municipality’ ezicabheni eziphambili kule-double cab emhlophe. Sasheshisa sangena kuyona sonke.
Indawo ethengisa usikilidi yayisendaweni egcwele amafemu edolobheni lasePort Shepstone. Sapaka imoto emgwaqweni, buqamama nesango, sagqoka izigqoko zomfaniswano wabasebenzi bakamasipala.
“Nazoke, madoda, sesifikile,” kwasho uMdu. “Kuzohamba kanje. Wonke amathuluzi asemuva esikhenkeni seveni. Sizokhipha ama-cone sibiyele ngawo indawo esizoyisebenza. Kukhona imishini emithathu youkugunda utshani, umuntu nomuntu unomshini wakhe. Ngiphethe nesinye isigubhu saphethiloli ukuze ungasipheleli.”
Sagqoka izinto zokuzivikela uma ugunda utshani- izibuko, izifonyo, okokuvala izindlebe, amagilavu, amabhuzu– sasebenza. Sagunda utshani onqenqemeni lomgwaqo oluvundle indawo ethengisa usikilidi. Sasebenza sengathi umsebenzi wethu ngempela ukugunda utshani. Saze sathathatha ikhefu, sadla. Sasebenza kwaze kwaba ntambama. Sabutha utshani sabufaka emapulasitikini amnyama sawaphonsa esikhenkeni seveni.
“Nazoke,” kwasho uMdu. “Sesishayile isikhathi sokubamba inkunzi. Wena, Spha, uzosala la emotweni. Ulindele ukusuka uma sesiphuma nemali. Imoto ilokhu iduma, siyezwana?”
“Sho, ngiyezwa.”
Bashintsha izingubo bagqoka ama-jean, izikibha kanye namateku. Bagaxa ojosaka abanezibhamu emahlombe, baqonda esangweni. Babebukeka sengathi bangamakhasimende ayothenga ugwayi omningi ngesikhathi bewela umgwaqo.
Kwaphela imizuzu emine benyamalele ngaphakathi. Angikaze ngizwe imizuzu emine idonsa ngaleyandlela eyadonsa ngayo selokhu ngazalwa. Zazimanzi umjuluko izintende zezandla. Amehlo engasuki esibukweni esingaphakathi emotweni.
Bagcina bephumile. Baphuma behamba bekhululekile. Bamamatheka sebesondele emotweni. Ngafaka igiya lokuqala. Ukumamatheka kwabo kwanyamalala ngoba kwakhala i-alarm. Ngabona kuthi pheshe ilanga ewindini.
Ngaqala ngicabanga ukuthi ilanga elikhanya ewindini eliphezulu ebhilidi. Kodwa empeleni kwakuyiwindi elivulekayo. Kwavela umbhobho wenhlokohlela yesibhamu. Umlilo ophuzi waphuma ulandelana ngokushesha kuwona lombhobho, isibhamu sidubula. Yasho inhlamvu kwananela amabhilidi. Kwathatha umzuzwana ngaphambili kokuba ngihlanganise ukuthi siyadutshulwa.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ubona engumlingisi onjani uMdu? Uyisigebengu esingajwayelekile, noma zonke izigebengu nazo zingabantu abacabangayo futhi zinobuntu?