Uthando umuntu aluthola kubazali lungefaniswa nalutho emhlabeni, kucabanga Siphokazi elele embhedeni. Ulikhumbula kahle loluthando futhi uyalulangazelela nakuba sekwadlula iminyaka eyishumi abazali bakhe bashona.
“Ukube nginamandla okuzikhethela okwenzeka empilweni ngabe abazali bami ababhubhanga emlilweni owabashisa baphenduka umlotha,” ukhulumela phansi sakuhleba uSiphokazi njengoba ephenduka embhedeni.
USiphokazi wayeneminyaka eyishumi nanye ngesikhathi abazali bakhe beshona, manje uneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye. Impilo ibinzima eminyakeni eyishumi edlule. uSiphokazi uhlala KwaNongoma nogogo wakhe ohola isibonelelo sikahulumeni kuphela. Nokho lokho akumthenanga amandla, kunalokho impilo enzima ayiphilayo imenze wasungula izinto ezintsha. Kusukela eneminyaka engu-13 ubeyenza imali eyengeziwe ngokuwashela abantu basendaweni izingubo. Imali ayenzayo kanye nemali yesibonelelo sikahulumeni kagogo iyabasiza ukuthi bazigcine bephilile.
USiphokazi ufunde izifundo eziningi ngempilo kugogo wakhe, kodwa eminyakeni embalwa kudingeke ukuthi afunde okuningi eyedwa ngenxa yokuthi impilo kagogo yayiwohloka ngemuva kokutholakala ukuthi unesifo i-Alzheimer’s Disease. USiphokazi ubenamaphupho okuphasa umatikuletsheni, afundele i-BComm Degree aphinde athole umsebenzi oholela kakhulu. Kodwa lokho sekumele kumiswe ngoba sekumele anakekele ugogo wakhe.
KunguZibandlela endaweni yakwaNongoma. USiphokazi uthola umsebenzi uyindlala ngenxa yokuthi abantu basemakhaya ngamaholidi; intsha eningi efundayo noma esebenza kude isekhaya futhi iyona ewashela imindeni yayo. Ucabanga indlela yokwenza imali lapho ezwa izwi likaGogo wakhe ngaphandle kwesicabha sekamelo lakhe lokulala.
“Siphokazi, mzukulu wami. Usuvukile?” Kubuza uGogo.
“Ngiyeza, Gogo,” kusho uSiphokazi.
“Sheshisa, ngibulawa indlala, mzukulu wami.”
USiphokazi wenza iphalishi njengoba ebuka uGogo wakhe oneminyaka engu-67. I-Alzheimer’s Disease imenze waguga kakhulu uGogo kuleminya emine selokhu aqala ukugula. Uke akhohlwe ukuthi ungubani uSiphokazi. Useze wakhohlwa ukupheka nokufunda. Lokho kumphatha kabi kakhulu uSiphokazi ngoba uGogo wayepheka ukudla okumnandi futhi wayemsiza uSiphokazi ngomsebenzi wakhe wesikole esafunda amabanga aphansi.
Kungqongqoza umuntu esicabheni sasekhishini. NguNonkanyiso, umzala kaSiphokazi, ohlala bude buduze nakubo kaSiphokazi.
“Hawu, mzala! Usuvukile ekuseni kangaka?” Kusho uNonkanyiso
“Kungemuva kuka-8, akusekuseni kangako,” kusho uSiphokazi.
“Kusesekuseni kakhulu. Ukube ngise-varsity, bengizovuka cishe ngabo-10. ”
“Hhayi-ke nina nenza ngokuthanda kwenu ema-varsity. Kodwa uma kufanele uphante njengami kufanele ufunde ukushesha uvuke. Kuvele kube yingxenye yempilo yakho nje,” kusho uSiphokazi.
Kuthuleke isikhashana, uSiphokazi adonse umoya.
“Ngitshele, Siphokazi. Kungani ungaqhubeki nemfundo yakho? Ngisho ngoba wawuphase kahle kakhulu ku-matric. Ngiyazi ukuthi imiphumela yakho ingakungenisa emanyuvesi aphambili ezweni.”
“Akulula njengoba usho. Kufanele nginakekele uGogo. Muva nje usegula kakhulu.”
“Kungenzeka noma kunjalo mzala, ngisakholwa ukuthi kumele ngabe usenyuvesi ufundela iziqu. Ungalithola itoho wenze imali yokukhokhela umuntu ozosala noGogo amgade. Ngiyazi ubaba wakho ubengakufunela lokho naye, ubengumalume ongamfisela noma ubani. Ubehlale esho ethi mina nawe sizohamba phambili kulomndeni wethu,” kusho uNonkanyiso.
“Ngiyakwazi lokho Nonkanyiso. Kodwa-”
“Kodwa yini? Siphokazi isikhathi sokuthi usukume manje ulwele ikusasa lakho nokufunayo empilweni. Ngiyazi uyamthanda uGogo futhi ufuna ukumnakekela. Ngiyazi ukuthi lesi yisinqumo esinzima kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi ukuya enyuvesi kuzonisiza nobabili ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.”
“Ngiyezwa Nonkanyiso,” kusho uSiphokazi.
Bachitha usuku lonke ndawonye. Bahlanza indlu, baxoxe babheke uGogo.
Ukuxoxa noNonkanyiso kwenza uSiphokazi akhumbule izinsuku ayejwayele ukukhuluma ngazo nomama wakhe. Wayeyintandokazi yabazali bakhe ngoba wayeyedwa.
Uphakela uGogo ukudla, kodwa inhliziyo yakhe ibuhlungu. Izinyembezi zehla ezihlathini njengoba elele embhedeni wakhe. Uyazibuza ukuthi ubuhlungu bokushonelwa abazali bakhe buyophela yini.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Wake washonelwa umuntu omuthanda kakhulu, noma waba sesimweni sokunakekela umuntu ongakwazi ukuzinakekela? Wakwenza kanjani lokhu?