Kudlula izinyanga ezine. UNtombi akabamukelile nakancane o-Asemahle noSambulo. Namuhla uSbusiso ubuya emsebenzini afice izingane zakhe zombili zihlezi egaraji zikhala.
“Kwenzenjani Asemahle? Kwenzekeni Sambulo?”
“NguMam’Ntombi,” kusho uSambulo.
“Wenzeni?”
“Besisekhishini senza amasemishi. Besisika upholoni. Uvele wathi thina senza impilo ibe nzima kuleli khaya. Wathi siyamosha. Uthe sisika upholoni owugqinsi kakhulu,” kusho u-Asemahle.
“Ini!?”
“Uthe usifuna sihambile uma ebuya,” kusho u-Asemahle.
“Baba ngicela usibuyisele kwaGogo. Singakwazi ukuzinakekela. Wena uma usithumelela imali sizokwazi ukuphila,” kusho uSambulo.
“Yebo, Baba. Uyasithuka uma ungekho. Uthi asilutho! Siyacela, Baba, usibuyisele ekhaya ngeke sikwazi ukuphila kanje!” Kubeka u-Asemahle.
“Ngeke kwenzeke lokho! Indlu yami lena. Ikhaya lenu leli. Leli khaya ngalakha ngemali yami engiyisebenze kanzima. Buyelani emakamelweni enu. Ngizokhuluma noNtombi.”
USbusiso ushayela azulazule elokishini, kwenye ingxenye ufuna uNtombi kwenye uzama ukwehlisa umoya. Ashayele inombolo kaNtombi.
“Ntombi utheni ezinganeni? Kungani ukhulume kanjena ezinganeni zethu?”
“Izingane zethu? Izingane zakho, Sbusiso. Ngakutshela ukuthi angeke ngikwazi ukugada izingane zakho. Ubaphoqile kimi. Awuzange ungicele imvume.”
“Imvume yani, Ntombi? Noma ubani onenhliziyo uyakuqonda ukuthi uma izingane zishonelwe ngugogo wazo obezigadile, ebezimthanda kakhulu, zidinga ukuba phakathi kwezihlobo osizini. Worse izingane zami, futhi wena ungumkami! Awukwazi ukukuthola enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi ube nobuntu kuzo?”
“Nakho-ke futhi! Ukumboza yonke into ngamazwi akho. Akulishintshi iqiniso lokuthi ungiphoqile!”
“Angikholwa ukuthi ufuna ukuthethelela izenzo zakho ezinonya.”
“Anginaso isikhathi salokhu. Sizoxoxa kamuva. Sala kahle. Thenga ukudla, ngizofika late.”
USbusiso ulimele kakhulu, unolaka. Ucabanga ujulile ngenkathi emile phambi kwe-bottle store. Unomqondo owodwa wokuthenga i-vodka futhi aminzise usizi lwakhe. Uyalingwa kodwa ukuzimisela kuyaphumelela. Wazibophezela ukuthi uzoyeka utshwala eminyakeni emihlanu edlule. Uyasigcina isithembiso sakhe bese engena, kodwa athenge ijusi yewolintshi. Uzihlalele emotweni yakhe, uziphuzela ujusi wewolintshi ucabanga ngoNtombi. Wenze konke ukukhombisa ukuthi umthanda kangakanani. Umenzele ikhaya kanye namawele abo. Umnike impilo yobukhazikhazi lapho engadingi lutho. Uyena yedwa endaweni ohlala ekhaya ongasebenzi.
USbusiso uzwa ubuhlungu obukhulu esiswini. Bushaya kakhulu ubuhlungu kangangokuthi uyazi ukuthi lento emphethe ibucayi. Azishayelele abheke esibhedlela.
Udokotela umnika umjovo wezinhlungu futhi wenza nokuhlolwa okuthile. USbusiso ucabanga ukuthi umuthi wezinhlungu udlala ngengqondo yakhe uma ezwa udokotela ethi unesifo sofuba samathumbu.
“Ngiyithole kanjani?” Kubuza uSbusiso emuva kokululama ekwethukeni kokuqala.
“Kuyinto evamile kubantu abanesifo sikashukela. Uyawaphuza amaphilisi esifo sikashukela?”
“Ngisebenzisa umjovo kuphela kodwa uma kunesidingo. Bekungadingeki ukuthi ngiwusebenzise inyanga yonke manje ngoba amazinga kashukela egazini ami kahle.”
Avume ngekhanda udokotela. “Ngizokunikeza amaphilisi e-TB. Kufanele uwathathe nsuku zonke njengoba uyalelwe izinyanga eziyisithupha. Kufanele unamathele kuwona amaphilisi ngoba ngeke kuphele uma weqa ngisho usuku olulodwa ukuwaphuza.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Kufanele enze njani uSbusiso ngendlela aziphatha ngayo uNtombi?