Sekuphele iminyaka emithathu uSibusiso noNtombi bashada. Umshado wabo ube nesigaba esifushane se-honeymoon; imifantu isiqala ukubonakala. Kule minyaka emithathu babusiswe ngamawele, u-Aphiwe noSimphiwe.
USbusiso uthuthukile emsebenzini, usekhushulelwe esikhundleni sokuba yimenenja kazwelonke kwaBeta Lift Maintenance. Uzipholele endlini yokuphumula nomngani wakhe uMuzi.
“Hheyi, Sbu. Ukuphi uNtombi? Sekunesikhathi eside ngingamboni. Ngisho ngifika izolo ntambama ubengekho. Useyasebenza?” Kusho uMuzi.
Adonse umoya kancane uSbusiso. “UNtombi uhambe nabangane bakhe. Ngikhathazekile ngoba angikwazi ukumthola kumakhalekhukhwini wakhe.” Athathe i-remote ashintshe isiteshi.
“Kodwa ungayivumela kanjani into enjalo ukuba yenzeke? Okubi kakhulu kuphakathi nesonto. Izingane kufanele ziye enkulisa wena uye emsebenzini.”
“Ngiyakwazi lokho! Kungani size sikhulume lento ekubeni kufanele ngabe sibuka ibhola?”
“Ungangizwa kabi, Sbu. Ngikhathazekile ngokuthi uthatha izinsuku eziningi kakhulu emsebenzini. Konke ngoba uNtombi wahamba wayozijabulisa nabangani bakhe? Uhambe nini?” UMuzi ubheke ngqo emehlweni kaSbu.
“Sekuyizinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili,” kusho uSbu. Athathe ingilazi yamanzi abandayo aphuze.
“Pho ugcine nini ukukhuluma naye?”
“Abantu besifazane banamalungelo, Muzi. Ngiyamthanda uNtombi kakhulu, injabulo yakhe iza kuqala.”
“Kuhle ukuthi awunankinga nokunakekela izingane zakho. Uyakujabulela kakhulu ukubanakekela. Kodwa noma kunjalo akulungile ukuthi uNtombi ashiye umndeni wakhe isikhathi esingaka. Ungowesifazane oshadile.”
“Uqinisile kodwa nami ngiqinisile uma ngithi injabulo yakhe iza kuqala.”
“Ngiyakuzwa, Sbu. Futhi angikwazi ukuphikisana nalokho.”
Kudlala imicabango engqondweni kaSbu. Noma engasho kodwa ukuhamba kukaNtombi nabanagani bakhe isikhathi eside engawubambi nomakhalekhukhwini kuyamkhathaza. Uyazibuza ukuthi ucabangani uNtombi ngokunyamalala ekubeni azi ukuthi izingane zabo ziyamdinga. Uyamdinga umkakhe ukuthi enze imisebenzi yakhe ngoba uyena yedwa osebenzayo kulo muzi, akakwazi ukuya emsebenzini anakekele izingane nomuzi eyedwa.
Kungenzeka yini ukuthi uNtombi waqamba amanga uma ethi uzothatha uhambo nabangani bakhe? Cha kungcono ngingakucabangi lokho ngoba uyazi ukuthi ngimthanda kangakanani. Lena imicabango edlala ekhanda likaSbu ebuka umabonakude.
“Kungani wathula kangaka, Sbu?” Kubuza uMuzi.
“Ngibonakala ngaleyondlela ukuthi kukhona engikucabangayo-”
“Ucabangani, sithandwa sami?” Kubuza uNtombi engena ngomnyango wegumbi lokuphumula ovuliwe. Asondele kuSbu, amqabule bese ethi, “Bengikukhumbule sithandwa sami!”
“Nami bengikukhumbula, Ntombi,” kusho uSbu.
“Ungangikhumbula kanjani nje uhlezi noMuzi?” Aphenduke abuke uMuzi ngokwenyanya. “Unjani Muzi?”
“Ngiyaphila, Ntombi. Bengikhathazekile ngokuthi ushiye umngane wami yedwa egade izingane futhi ebhekene nomsebenzi onzima esibhekene nawo-”
“Ungalinge uye lapho, Muzi. Ungangeni ezindabeni zethu.”
“Hawu Ntombi, sithandwa sami!?”
“Cha, Sbu! UMuzi kumele azi ukuthi akanalo ilungelo lokuphawula ngezinto ezenzeka emzini wethu. Sengibuyile manje, akahambe,” kusho uNtombi
“Ungakwenzi lokhu, Ntombi. UMuzi ungumngani wami.”
“Khululeka, Sbu. Bengiphuma vele. Ngizokubona ehhovisi ekuseni.”
UMuzi uthatha isikhwama sakhe se-laptop ahambe.
“Nx! UMuzi uyathanda ukufaka ikhala lakhe ezindabeni zabanye abantu,” kusho uNtombi.
“Ngicela uyeke ukuba njena Ntombi.”
“Kanjani, Sbu? Ziphi izingane zami?”
“Enkulisa. Usukhohliwe ukuthi namuhla nguLwesithathu?”
“Cha, angikhohliwe.”
USbu unokungabaza ngoNtombi njengoba eshayela eyolanda izingane enkulisa. Ucabanga indlela yokuthola ukuthi ukhuluma iqiniso yini uma ethi ubehambe nabangani bakhe.
“Ngizocela ukubona izithombe zohambo lwakhe nabangani bakhe. Kodwa ngiyamazi uNtombi, uzothetha abuze ukuthi angimthembi yini. Angeke ngikwazi nje ukuxabana naye,” kukhuluma uSbu emotweni.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Kungani uNtombi wayengaluphenduli ucingo ngesikhathi ehambile nabangani bakhe?