Uthe efika endlini nebala isoka likaNompilo lase lihambile. UNompilo uhleka yedwa ebala imali embhedeni wakhe. Phela isoka lakhe licebile ngoba lidayisa izidakamizwa. Lingumaqhuzu wabo bonke abadayisayo. Lidayisa lombulalazwe okuthiwa iwunga.
Afike angakhulumi okuningi uNothando kepha adonse usonginja wakhe. Azigoqe abe ngumfunzana kusofa. Yize egodola kodwa azame ukucimeza alale. Nakhu esevuswa iconsi elisho ngqo ekhanda. Avuke athathe indishi akhongozele. Njengoba ekhongozele ngendishi angeke akwazi ukulala ngoba ulele kusofa nendishi izochitheka. Ahlale kanjalo ekhongozele.
Nakhu nemvula isithanda ukuqina manje ngoba sekungena ngisho umngenela. Uhlezi uthule ubuka amanzi edlula phansi kukasofa. Aqala manje amaconsi anda lapha endlini. Imisindo eyenziwa amaconsi yaqala manje yaqina. UNompilo noZama bashaya obudala emakamelweni abo kwazise basanda kuthenga ukhethe olusha, ngakho izindlu zabo azinethi.
Azihudule alungiselele ukuya emsebenzini uNothando. Uhamba ngezinyawo uma eya emsebenzini ngoba ayikho ikhumbi engena lapho esebenza ngakhona.
Kube ukufika nje bamkhombe kwintaxa yezitsha ezichithwe phansi zidinga ukuwashwa. Kunomcimbi omkhulu ozokwenzeka ntambama. Aqale azihlambe ngokukhulu ukwenqena. Usemsebenzini ngesidumbu kepha ngengqondo ukude kabi. Ucabanga ngoXolani. Akakholwa ukuthi namanje akakaze amfonele.
Phela lento yokuthi bahlukane bebuye babuyelane into ejwayelekile. Vele ukukwebhana into yabo. Kodwa babuye babuyelane futhi. Kodwa manje kubukeka sengathi uXolani akabheki emuva. Ibuhlungu inhliziyo kaNothando kwagcina sekuqathaka izinyembezi.
Nebala safika isikhathi sakhe sokushayisa. Anyuke kancane ephuma emsebenzini. Namuhla kungcono usheshe waphuma. Phela kokunye kuyenzeka aphume ngobhadakazi. Afike endlini agwaqazise abambe umoya. Kuthe kusenjalo ezwe ubuwelewele emnyango. Sekubulawe omunye wabashushumbisi bewunga. Ubulawe omunye umshushumbisi ngoba lona oshonile ubemthathela amakasimende. Kuyaphithisela eZidindini kugcwele amaphoyisa. Sekuthi akazichamele uNompilo ngoba indoda yakhe imbambise enye yewunga.
“Ngizothini uma amaphoyisa ehamba nezinja? ULinda ungishiye necala elibomvu,” kusho uNompilo ephuma ebaleka.
Nanku umzimba sebephuma nawo. Abaningi bayakhala phela bekuyisoka leli, ubenezintombi inqwaba kanye nomama bezingane abaningi.
Emuva kwesigameko uNothando uthatha ibhukwana lakhe elincane abhale imicabango yakhe yosuku kanye nezifiso zakhe zempilo.
Ilanga liphume saka. Abantu bawashile banekile ubusaphasapha. Kuhhumuza izimpukane ngenxa yokushisa. UNothando uyawasha naye emnyango ngoba namuhla akayile emsebenzini.
Aqede ukuwasha agoqoze iphalishi. Impupu iyona ekhona endlini. Lithi lisagxabha iphalishi kungene uZama noNompilo bebuya ezitolo. Bathenge bakhithiza baphethe oshekasi. Bafike baqaqe oshekasi babo. Bakhiphe izingubo zabo zika nokusho abazithengile. Ekuqedeni kwabo baqaqa ukudla kwabo. Bathenge inyama yenkukhu ephelele nesinkwa.
Ukuthi bamuhlephulele ngisho iqatha leli lutho. Badla bashaya baphiphitha baze bacaba namathambo. Ezwe inhliziyo igwaza uNothando uma ebona abantu abayigazi lakhe bemenza kanjena. Uyazibuza ukuthi kanti vele wabona ngani. Ngoba ngisho esangena ekuthombeni akabanga ingane ewuhlupho ethanda abafana. Into yena ayeshade naye isikole kuphela.
Nakhu engasakwazanga ukuqedela ukubhala izifundo zakhe zikamatikuletsheni ngoba wavele wajuqwa ukugula esezoqeda ukubhala. Wayephathwa ikhanda elingapheli. Lokho kwamvimbezela ukuthi aqhubeke phambili empilweni.
Wayenamaphupho futhi nempilo yakhe yayithembisa. Lomshophi owamvelela wenza ukuba impilo yakhe ime. Ngisho esikoleni ayefunda kusona wayaziwa njengomfundi owayezikhandla kakhulu. Yena wayehlakaniphile kodwa wayezibophezela kakhulu emsebenzini wakhe wesikole. Othisha bakhe baphoxeka kakhulu ngokuthi akakwazanga ukuqedela ukubhala. Phela nabo babethembile ukuthi nguyena ozophasa kahle athole owodwa wemifundaze eyayikhiswe nguthishanhloko wesikole.
“Ungathela okuphuzwayo,” kusho uZama ebuka uNothando edoxoza iphalishi.
“Nazi nezincezu zesinkwa ezimbili ezisalile,” kusho uNompilo.
“Ngiyabonga.”
Yize ethole izinsalela zabantu kodwa uzodla asuthe. Athathe ingilazi achathaze isiphuzo.
“Angishongo phela ukuthi ngikupha yonke! Shiyela nabanye!” kusho uZama embuka ngoklulu.
Ntambana uZama noNompilo bazikhiphile. Athathe incwadi yakhe yokubhala izinkondlo acabange inkondlo angayibhala. Kufike inkondlo ekhuluma ngendlala. Ezwe ecikeka ukuthi kemele abhale ngosizi zonke izinsuku.
“Namuhla ngizobhala inkondlo enethemba. Ithemba ilona engilidingayo empilweni yami,” kusho uNothando.
Ezwe libuya ngempela manje ithemba. Athathe izincwadi zakhe ayefunda ngazo azigqolozele. Akhumbule zonke izinsuku engalali ebusuku efunda. Efunda ekuseni entathakusa. Efunda nangezimpelasonto. Izincwadi zazimlethela ukuthula ngoba uthola ithuba lokugxila kwenye into. Uthi uvula ibhuku lakhe lesingisi uyafunda ngenkathi kumemfuka uXolani emnyango.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe likhona ithalente onalo elikunikeza ithemba empilweni? Ngabe ukubhala, ukucula noma okunye?