Ndibuyele elalini ndinyuka induli ndiphethe ibhotile yotywala. Ndiva ilizwi likaNosiviwe xa ndivula ucango. USabelo uzama ukundityhalela ngaphandle. Kutheni?
“Heyi chommie…” uNosiviwe uyabaleka uza kum, echwayitile. “Chommie chommie yam. Uze neyona bhotile ndiyithandayo.” Siyangana kucime izibane. Siyabaleka sikhala sigigitheka. Ngumdlalo na lo? Siya egumbini apho kusalayitile. Emva koko neso isibane siyacima. Sisebumnyameni obuthe tshu. Ayisengomdlalo ngoku…
Ndivula amehlo. Ndilele ebhedini. Kodwa kukho ingxolo yeemoto ngaphandle. Andikho lalini. Amehlo am amfiliba. Ndibona iinkwenkwezi kulandele ukukhanya kuphinde kube mnyama kwakhona. Emva koko ndiva ilizwi endiliqhelileyo. Ngu-antie. Ndiziva ndimanzi. Ndizimanzisile. Ndibona intambo phantsi, nesitulo esikhatyiweyo. Kodwa ndiyaphila.
“Iyeza inqwelo yezigulana. Hlala uphefumla njalo, sithandwa sam,” wandibamba ngesandla. “Enkosi Bawo ndikufumene kwangethuba.”
Kamva, kudala nje, esibhedlele, umalume ume ezantsi ebhedini. “Gqirha Smith, ingaba uza kuphila? Kwenzeka ntoni ngomntwana?”
“Usana luphilile yaye uza kukhawuleza aphile, ndiqinisekile ngalo nto. Ukuba ubungafikanga…” ayeke apho.
“Uza kumkhulula nini Gqirha?” Kubuza u-antie.
“Ngomso emva kwemini. Ndifuna ukujonga usana de kube ngoko…”
Andiyikhumbuli kakuhle into eyenzeke esibhedlele. Abongikazi. Iidriphu. Amazwi ezigulana ezikhalayo zisezintlungwini. Nam ndikhalela ngaphakathi.
Xa sele ndisekhaya, u-antie uthi. “Undothusile mntanam. Ungaphinde uyenze le nto kwakhona. Kufuneka undazise xa kukho into engalunganga. Besingazi nokuba ukhulelwe thina. ”
“Ndiyaxolisa Auntie.”
UNosie uza kundibona. “La nondindwa uSandy. Ndiyaxolisa Noni…” watsho, endibamba ngesandla. “Ngokukhawuleza uza kumbona naye ukuba uSandile ungudlalani onjani. Ufanelwe ngumntu ongcono kakhulu kunaye.” Uthatha ifoto kaSihle ayijamele. “Khawundibalisele ngaye,” watsho.
Andikwazi. “Yonke into imoshekile, Nosie. Ndiziva ngathi ilizwe lindijikele. Ndenze ntoni ukuba ndohlwaywe kangaka? ”
Athi umalume, “Siyakuthanda Nonyaniso yaye siza kukuxhasa. Ungaze uphinde uzame ukuzibulala Makhesa.”
USandy uthumela i-sms:
Ndicela uzame kangangoko
undixolele chommie.”
Mhlawumbe ngenye imini ndawuphinde ndimbone. Kodwa hayi okwangoku.
U-auntie uyandichazela, “Uxolo sesona sixhobo sikhulu esinokusisebenzisa ukwakha kwakhona ubudlelwane obonakeleyo.”
Umalume uyabuza, “yinkwenkwe okanye yintombazana?”
“Ndinethemba lokuba yintombazana,” watsho u-auntie.
“Yintombazana. Undichazele ugqirha ngokuya bebendihlola esibhedlele. Bendifuna ukwazi.”
Umalume uthi, “Bendicinga ukuba simthiye ukuba nguSiphukhanyo.”
Andikaqiniseki nokuba ndiyamfuna na lo mntwana sele bemthiya igama. Ndiza kumchazela njani uSihle ukuba ndikhulelwe? Njani? Ndiyamdinga ecaleni kwam. Ndifuna ahlale nam. Ngokuqinisekileyo angahlala nam ukuba undithanda ngenene, njengoko ehlala esitsho? Utsala umnxeba uSandile, kodwa andiwuhoyi. Iminxeba ephosiweyo elishumi. Makalinde. Ndicima ifouni yam.
Ngalo nikalanga ndeva u-antie nomalume bethethela phantsi. Emva koko beza kwigumbi lokuphumla apho ndibukele khona umabonakude.
“Noni, ibingumama wakho lowo. Amapolisa…omnye wabahlobo bakho, uNosipho, ukhumbule okuthile ngobusuku owadlwengulwa ngabo.” Ndiyabajamela. Intliziyo yam ithi bhum-bhum. “UNosipho uyakhumbula ukuba umhlaseli wakhe wayenxibe ntoni. Uyakhumbula ukuba amakhwenkwe amdlwengulayo ayenxibe ntoni. Amantombazana aselalini ebesoyika kakhulu ukuza ngaphambili achaze.”
“Lifikile ixesha lokuba ubatsalele ekhaya,” watsho ngelizolileyo umalume.
Nditsalela umama umnxeba siyalila sobabini.
Nditsalela uSihle umnxeba. “Kukho into ekumele ndikuxelele yona.”
“Ndimamele,” watsho. Yaye ndiyazi umamele nyhani. Uyandimamela ngenene. Akafani noSandile lo osoloko efuna ukuba kuthethe yena…kujongwe yena: uyathetha, uyathetha, uyathetha…“Inzima ngenene le nto, Sihle. Ndicela ungandigwebi.”
“Ungandixelela.”
Ndiyathandabuza. Inye kuphela indlela yokuthetha le nto. “Ndineenyanga ezintlanu ndikhulelwe.”
Kwathi cwaka. Yaba ngowona mzuzu mde. Uyazi ukuba ithetha ukuthini lo nto.
Emva koko wathi, “kuza KULUNGA. Xa ndandisithi ndiyakuthatha ndandinyanisile. Nokuba sikwimeko yokuphila okanye yokufa ndiza kusoloko ndinawe yaye ndiza kukuxhasa.”
“Ndiyabulela kakhulu Sihle. Ndikuthanda ngentliziyo yam yonke.”
“Ndiza kuza ngokukhawuleza,” wandixelela.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba kufanele ukuba indoda imamkele umntwana wodlwengulo kubudlelwane anabo nomama wakhe?