Injalo lo nto. Andikwazi ukujongana nenyaniso yokuba ndiza kufumana ntoni apho. Ndiphila ndenza ngathi akwezekanga nto. Ndiyaqhubeka ndingayithatheli ngqalelo inyaniso yokuba andikayi exesheni – ngokuphuma namanye amantombazana ndithandane noSandile. Ngokwamkela isipho selokhwe yakhe eCentury City. Yaye, ixesha elininzi, ndiyakwazi ukulibala ukuba ukuthethwa kwetyala lokudlwengula likabhuti kuyasondela kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezizayo. Ndizama kangangoko ukulibala obunye ubomi bam.
“ULwesihlanu uthetha inkululeko ntombazana,” watsho ehleka uSandy. Yayikukuphela kwesigaba sokufunda eyunivesithi. Sizihlalele kwiziko labafundi sibukele abafana bedlala i-pool table. Kugcwele apha kweli ziko. Wonke umntu uxakekile. Ndiziva ndikhaphu-khaphu ngoku ndifunde ndade ndagqiba isigaba sonke sexesha lokufunda. Silinde uNosie osithengela iziselo ebharini.
“Inkululeko – uthetha ukuthini ngalo nto?” Ndiyahleka.
“Bubusuku bokuphuma kwamantombazana.”
“Hayi! Andiyi kwandawo namhlanje chommie.”
Waphendula ngelo: “Kuza kube kudlala uNtando noMafikizolo kwirestyu yama-Italian namhlanje.”
“Unyanisile chommie?” Ndibuza, ngomdla ndifun’ukwazi.
“Ndingakuxokisela ntoni?” waphendula ngelo.
Endlwini ngalo njikalanga, xa ndandixiba ilokhwe yam ndilungiselela ukuphuma, ndiyazibona ukuba ndiyatyeba. Iyandibamba ngoku. Andikwazi ukungayihoyi into yokuba andikayi exesheni ixesha elide noko. Yaye nditya kakhulu. U-antie oko endondla ngokutya kwakhe okuninzi, okungcamlisa iintupha okoko ndafika apha. Mhlawumbe ndiyatyeba nje qha? Ndinqwenela kangangoko ukuba kube njalo.
Eish, ukuba ndikhulelwe lo nto iya kuthetha enye nje into endingafuni nokuyicinga. Ingaba uTixo angandenzela imimangaliso ndibe andikhulelwanga? Ndiyathandaza, ngeli xesha ndivala izip yelokhwe yam. Ndiyazi ukuba ngoMvulo kufuneka ndiye ekliniki ndiye kuzijonga. Okwangoku ndiza kuphuma ndizame ukungacingi ngale nto.
Ndithumelela uSandile i-sms:
Masidibane kwirestyu yama-Italian malunga nentsimbi ye-7 ngokuhlwa
Akaphenduli. Kodwa xa sifika kwirestyu yama-Italian ndibona imoto yakhe.
“Baphi ooZia, Nosie no- Zen bona chommie, baphi?” Ndibuza kuSandy xa angenayo.
“Uyabazi, nje. Sele bengaphakathi…”
“Ngena. Ndiza kukulandela kwangoku,” ndiyamxelela.
Ndilapha ngaphandle ecaleni kwemoto yakho.
Ndicela uphume torho. Undiphathele into eselwayo
USandile uphuma neepakethe ezimbini zotywala nethanyana le-J&B whiskey.
Uyandiphuza ze abeke iziselo ezi phezu kwemoto yakhe apha ngaphambili. “Nazi sthandwa sam.”
“Enkosi babe.”
Sime ngaphambi kwemoto yakhe siyasela. Siyaphuzana ze athi uSandile, “Baby, ndicela ukuya nawe endlwini kobu busuku banamhlanje?”
“Ngelinye ixesha. Ndifuna ukujayiva ngoku. Ngubani u-DJ?”
“NguMax kuphela.”
Xa ndingena ngaphakathi uSandy ujiwuzisa amathanga eqongeni kudlala umculo we-house .
“Yiza ngapha,” wandikhwaza.
“Ingathi sele unxilile nje. Usele phi?” Uyabuza uZia.
Ndiziva ngathi ndiyagula ngoku. Andikwazi kum ngqo.
“Khanizole mantombazana. Ndiyifumene emntwini wam.”
“Ngoko ke, isemthethweni. Ngumntu wakho…ngu-Ben 10 wakho,” utsho uSandy.
“Yebo! Uza kuyekela ntoni?”
UNosie uyabuza, “Yintoni le oyiselileyo?”
“Lithanyana le-J&B nesayida ze-Strong Bow,” nditsho.
“Yiyo lo nto uhlale kangaka nje,” watsho uSandy.
Ndiyajayiva eqongeni ndingazi nokuba kunini. Xa ndisiya kufuna amanzi ebharini ndibona uSandy ethetha noSandile. Uneentloni, uzincokolisa naye. Ndimjonga ngenye indlela ke ngoku. Ndaziva ndinesicaphucaphu ndibaleke ndiye ngasese apho ndifike ndakhupha. USandile uyeza kundijonga.
“Masambe,” ndiyamxelela.
Kodwa ukho uSandy, enditsalela ngasemnyango. “Uhamba nam ngoku Nonyaniso, hayi naye,” watsho ngeliqatha. “Ndimthembisile u-antie wakho. Unxilile ngoku.”
“Ndiza kuqinisekisa ukuba uNoni uyofika ekhaya ekhuselekile,” watsho uSandile. Ndiyaqala ukulibona elinye icala likaSandy. Wasijamela kakubi ngexesha sihambayo. Unxile kakhulu qha, ukuba akakho ngaphezu kwam.
USandy unomona usijonge ngomsindo ngexesha siphuma kwindawo yentselo.
Sabelana ngesondo emotweni kaSandile. Andiva kwanto. Hayi, akukho kwanto – ndiziva ndilahlekile. Ndikhumbula ukuphathwa nguSihle ngoku. Ndithe ndakufika ebhedini yam ndazisonga ngeengalo zam ngala ndlela adla ngokwenza ngayo uSihle.
Ngokungathi uyandiva ebumnyameni, yangena i-sms:
Ndiyakuthanda kwaye ndiyakukhumbula. Mathongo
amnandi yaye uziphathe kakuhle.
Ngobo busuku emaphupheni ndizibona ndibuyele ekhaya elalini yam.
“Buyela epatini uzonwabise,” watsho uSihle, endibetha kancinane ezidleleni.
“Andiyi ungekho wena.”
“Hamba. Kufanele ndifunde. Ndinoviwo.”
“Kulungile ke, kodwa ndiza kubuya ngokukhawuleza,” ndiyakuthembisa.
“Thatha ibhotile apha efrijini.”
Ndathi xhakamfu ibhotile ye-Smirnoff ndabaleka ebumnyameni. Ndiyawuva umculo usitsho endulini. Ndiyaziva iichommie zam zingxola zigigitheka. Ndibalekile ukuya kubo. Ndityhala ucango. Kukho umntu olutsalayo aluvule ngaphakathi. NguSabelo…”
Emva koko ndivuke ndikhala. U-antie uyandithuthuzela ndiphinde ndilale.
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Khawusichazele: Ucinga ntoni ngoNoni olele noSandile?