“Hayi ke ndikuphathele ikofu namaqebengwana amabini. Ndicinge ukuba ndikongeze isixhaso size sitye sobabini phambi kokuba undijikelezise kulo msebenzi wakho mtsha,” Ndatsho, ndihlala kwisihlalo esingqamene noKabelo.

“Usisithandwa wena. Uyazi, ndiyazicaphukela ngokwenza le nto, kodwa andizo kukwazi tu ukukubukisa le ndawo namhlanje. Ndisazama ukuziqhelanisa nalento yokuba ngumphathi weliSebe lokuzoba. Ndinomsebenzi omninzi ekufuneka ndiwenzile.”

Wawathetha la mazwi ethe qhiwu ipheke pheke elibhaliweyo esandleni, engandiseso. Ngoko nangoko, yapatyalaka imini yam. Andikwazi ukuqumbela isithandwa sam nje kuba sixakekile-kakade usandula ukuqala kulo msebenzi.

Nantsi ke ingxaki, andinanto yakwenza imini yonke kwaye ndandizimisele kakhulu ukuchitha ixesha kunye naye. Eyona nto ingamndla, ndaza kuziphosa apha ndonke esakube efumene lo msebenzi, njengomphathi omkhulu. Ngenxa nje yeso sizathi sodwa ebemele noko ukuba azame ukulenza ixesha lethu sobabini, nokuba kukunye ke nje.

Akukho lula ukuba ndingabi nako ukuzisola okuthile xa sele ndigqibe iinyanga ezi ntathu zonke ndilapha ndingafumani msebenzi. Ukuhlala ekhaya imini yonke, ngokuphandle nje, kuyandiphambanisa. Kodwa ke nokuba sendikhathazeke kangakanani na, andinakuyikhuphela kuye loo nto, kwaye ke le ndoda ndiyithanda ukufa ngoko ndizimisele ukwenza yonke into eyonwabisayo. Kuba ekugqibeleni nam iyandonwabisa loo nto. Eweke, nokuba ayindonwabisi ncam, kodwa ndiyaxola, kwaye asiyonto imbi noko leyo. Kufuneka ndijonge kwicala elilungileyo, njengokuba uKabelo wasoloko endikhumbuza. Okubalulekilyo kukuba sikunye.

“Hayi bo Thato, sukubonakala udanile torho. Mamela, kutheni ungajikelezi uhamba hambe apha esikolweni? Kusolo kukho into eqhubekayo apha. Ndiza kuzama ukuwuleqa nam lo msebenzi wam ndiwugqibe ukuze mhlawumbi sibe nexesha lokuba sitye kunye isidlo sasemini.”

“Kulungile, nokuba ayisosidlo sakusasa, ucuntsu akafan noshici. Ndiza kube ndihambisa ixesha phaya kwithala lee ncwadi. Kungaba mnandi oko.”

Ndajikela ngaphaya kwedesika yakhe, ndamphuza kancinci emilebeni, ndakugqiba ndaphuma ndamshiya ukuba enze umsebenzi wakhe.

Kwindlela eya kwithala lee ncwadi, ndaqaphela indawoo entle enengca eluhlaza apho abafundi babehleli khona bezincokolela kamnandi elangeni. Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndiye kwelo cala kuba kakade kwakucaca ukuba ingaba yinto yemihla ngemihla le. Wayephazama uKabelo-kwakungekho nto inamdla iqhubekayo apha. Abantu babezenzela izinto zabo yayindim nje obonakala eyabula nje engenanjongo.

Ndazibhaqa ndithe chu ndijonge kwinto esabu restyu, ebizwa ngokuba kukwaMadiba. Ndithe ndisaqwalasele kulo mbhalo njalo ndeva ndigilwa ngumntu, wandigila ndaya kuthi thaca ngeempundu phantsi. Emva koko kwathi saa amaphepha ndawo yonke.

“Owu torhowana uxolo! Awenzakalanga kodwa? Bendingajonganga.”
Intombazana enamehlo aqhum-qhum aqaqambileyo neenwele ezinde eziphothiweyo indijongele ezantsi, ithe naa izandla. Ndabamba isandla sakhe…hayi ke kwaqhuma uthuli! Igama linye endingayichaza ngayo indlela endavakalelwa ngayo ‘yaba ngunonca’. Wanditsala ndema ngenyawo, ndaziphuncula kuye ndingxamele ukuthatha isikhwama sam. Kwathi nje ukuba izandla zethu zidibane, kwaba ngathi kukho into endixaba emqaleni, ndithe ndakumjonga emehlweni, suka ndanga ndiphelelwa ngumoya, umqala nemilebe yasuka yoma nko.

Sisimanga santoni esi? Kwenzeka ntoni ngoku?

“Hayi akhonto…nam khange ndijonge.”

“Kuhle ke, ndiyavuya ungenzakalanga. Nam bendingaqwalaselanga, ndithe nzo kulo msebenzi ndiwufundayo -lo ngoku uthe qhu sarha kwindawo yonke!”

Kwangoko sangena emsebenzini wokuleqa amaphepha abhabhayo kwindawo le yonke. Ndazama ukunqakula amahlanu okanye amathandathu. Sanikezela emva kwemizuzu embalwa, xa kwaye kwabonakala ukuba sidlala ngexesha ukuleqa amanye amaphepha awayebhabhela phezulu phaya.

Ndaya kuye ndamnika la maphepha ndandikwazile ukuwaleqa. “Uxolo. Inokuba kuza kunyanzeleka uphinde uqalele ekuqaleni.”

“Hayi wethu, akhonto. Mhlawumbi le yintsikelelo efihlakeleyo. Mhlawumbi ndakutsho ndibhaqe isihloko esiphucukileyo emandibhale ngaso kwaye ke…”

Esathetha njalo waphazanyiswa yintombi yeBala etsho ngeenwele ezinde ezimnyama ifake necici empumlweni.

“Sino, kunini ndikukhangela indawo le yonke. Kutheni ungayiphenduli imiyalezo yam? Ndifumene esisimomondiya sitshisayo sentombi, kwaye nakanjani kumele sisimeme ethekweni lakho ngomso.”
“Itheko lam ke alingonomgogwana we-Apu yokuthandana, ndiyacela ungayenzi loo nto.”

“Phofu ke, molo wethu! Khawuthi awumnamntu torho,” watsho lo mhlobo ejika ejonga kum encumile.

“Akunjalo tu ke kanti.”
“Ungaxhali. Singayigcina iyimfihlo phakathi kwethu. Asoze ndiyichaze ukuba awuyithethanga.”

“Ndicinga ukuba mandithi chu apha kulo ndiza kutshata naye. Andiqondi angayivuyela into yokukhohliswa ndim.”

“Sumhoya Tori. Akathathi kakuhle emini ngakumbi xa engekho semqheleni. Mamela ke…ndiza kuba nethekwana kwakamsinyane. Ukuba awuxakekanga ungeza wethu,” Kutsho uSino.

“Sukummema. Akagqibeki ncam. Ngaske simeme abasetyhini esiqinisekileyo ukuba likhona ithemba lokugoduka nabo,” watsho uTori emthi baxu ngamehlo uSino.

“Itheko lam ayilolabantu abathile bodwa. Khawuthule futhi. Wamkelekile ukuza kwitheko lam…eshee…intloni ziyamnceda umntu-akhange ndizazise kuwe. Ndingu Sino, lo ke nguTori.”

“Sendiziqondele. Mna ke ndinguThato. Kumnandi ukudibana nani nobabini. Andiqiniseki ncam kuba ndingeza ethekweni lakho,” Ndatsho. Ndandizama indlela yokuphuncuka khe ndijongane nale yokubilelwa zizandla ngemizuzwana, kwaye amehlo am engasafuni ukusuka kwimilebe kaSino.

“Ewe yiza. Ngaphezu koko, yeyona nto onokundibuyisela ngayo engephi, ukhumbule kaloku ukuba ndiza kuqala ngokutsha ukubhala umsebezi wam, ngenxa yakho.”

“Kulungile ke. Unyanisile. Noxa ke besigilene sobabini!”
Wasuka wabonakala exole ngaphakathi, nam ndasuka andayeka ukuncuma.

Sixelele: UThato uthanda abantu besini esahlukileyo kodwa uzibhaqa enomdla kuSino, okwangumfazi. Ingaba ithetha ukuthini le nto ngemiba yezesondo?