USbusiso usekameleni lakhe ukhathazekile ngoNtombi ngoba sekuphele izinsuku ezintathu engalubambi ucingo lwakhe. Bathintana ngemiyalezo ku-WhatsApp kuphela. Anqume ukufonela umngani wakhe oseGoli, uMuzi, ukuze ezwe ukuthi kwenzakalani.
Ucingo lukaMuzi lukhala kabili ngaphambi kokuthi alubambe.
“Mfowethu bengithi ngizokufonela nami ngizwe ukuthi uzizwa kanjani namhlanje,” kusho uMuzi.
“Ngingcono kakhulu, Muzi. Amaphilisi ayasebenza. Ninjani nomndeni wakho?”
“Siyaphila mfowethu. Ngiyabonga ngokubuza.”
“Ngifona ngoba angikwazi ukuxhumana noNtombi. Uke wambona ezinsukwini ezimbili ezedlule?”
“Akekho nawe lapho eJozini?”
USbusiso uyakuzwa ukumangala ezwini likaMuzi.
“Cha uhambile ngoba ezofuna umsebenzi ngalapho.”
“Nawe umvumelile wazi kahle ukuthi uziphatha kanjani noma eseduze kwakho? Manje kumele uhlukumezeke ngokomzimba nangokwengqondo ucabange ukuthi wenzani ngoba ukude nawe?”
“Uyazi ngiyamthanda futhi angifuni izingane zami zikhulele ekhaya eliphukile.”
Udonsa umoya uMuzi.
“Yini, Muzi?”
“Ngike ngezwa amahlebezi kodwa angiwakholwa. Kodwa manje uma ungitshela ukuthi uNtombi akekho nawe kuyaqala ukuzwakala.”
“Ukhuluma ngani Muzi?”
“Mfowethu angiqondile ukwengeza osizini lwakho kodwa kumele ngikutshele. Abantu abambalwa bebengitshela ukuthi babone uNtombi emakilabhini nasenxanxatheleni yezitolo ebambene nensizwa okuthiwa uSipho.”
“Ini!?”
“Angikholwanga ngoba bengithi banephutha ngoba bengicabanga ukuthi unawe lapho eJozini.”
Athule kancane uSbusiso. Adonse umoya bese ethi, “Uyazi Muzi kwakufanele ngilalele. Kwakufanele ngilalele abangani nomndeni lapho bengitshela ukuthi ngingajahi ukushada. Kwakufanele ngizinike isikhathi ngimazi uNtombi.”
“Lalela ke mfowethu kumele ugxile empilweni yakho nasezinganeni zakho manje. Kumele wenze isiqiniseko sokuthi bayahlinzekwa uma kukhona okwenzeka kuwena,” kusho uMuzi.
Kuntambama, uSbusiso ujulile ngemicabango. Uyabona ukuthi izingane zakhe zizosala zinganakwa uma edlula emhlabeni. Unquma ukufonela uzakwabo wasemsebenzini, uMondli, odivosile amcele izeluleko.
“Unenhlanhla ngoba washada ngaphandle kokuhlanganisa amafa. Ngakho-ke unelungelo lokuthola ingxenye yalokho osukuqongelele ngemuva kokushada. Ngizokuthumelela imininingwane yommeli wami. Wangeluleka ngemikhiqizo eminingi yezimali ezoqinisekisa ukuthi izingane zami zizophathwa kahle uma kukhona okwenzeka kumina,” kusho uMondli.
“Ngiyabonga, Mondli. Ngizothintana nommeli wakho,” kusho uSbusiso.
Ngakusasa ekuseni uNtombi ubuya ekilabhini. Useqashe umsizi wasendlini ukuthi agade amawele ukuze akhululeke aphile ngokuthanda kwakhe. Ubuka umakhalekhukhwini wakhe, anikine ikhanda uma ebona inamba yama-missed call ka Sbu.
“Ntombi?”
“Unjani Sbu?”
“Ungenzi sengathi uyangikhathalela, Ntombi. Uwutholile umsebenzi?”
“Yebo, ngiwutholile umsebenzi. Yingakho ngikufonela.”
“Uwutholephi umsebenzi?”
“E-salon.”
“Ithini igama le-salon?”
“Ibizwa ngokuthi i-Home of Beauty.”
“Akuyona i-salon yomngane wakho leyo?”
“Kunani uma kunjalo? Yini indaba ngayo yonke le mibuzo?”
“Ubani lo Sipho obonakala ubambene naye? Futhi ubani obheke amawele njengoba niphuma nigida loSipho?”
“Okokuqala ngiqashe umuntu ozogada amawele uma ngisemsebenzini. Okwesibili ungalinge ungibeke icala ongibeka ngakho!”
“Kulungile, yenza njengoba uthanda. Kodwa sekwanele!”
Avale ucingo uSbu.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Wena ungenzenjani ukube uwena uSbusiso?