Wehla ngejubane uBhekani. Ungena endleleni yesizulu afike emfuleni iNgwempisi. Ugoba aphuze amanzi ngoba nakhu esehefuzela. Uthi esaphuza kanjalo abone umfanekiso wesithombe sakhe emanzini. Kumcacela ngokusobala konke ukukhathazeka okumsingathile. Uzomtshela kanjani kodwa uDelani lendaba emxakile?
Into ayazi kahle ngukuthi kumele amtshele kuqala uDelani angaze ezwe ngabanye abantu. Nebala, uhlamba ubuso emfuleni angene indlela. Uhamba nje uthatha uyabeka ngengqondo. Uthi enganakile azibone esengena egcekeni lakwaMkhize, kubo kaDelani.
“Sanibona ekhaya,” kubingelela uBhekani.
“Yebo ndodadana,” kuphendula isalukazi esingunina kaDelani.
“Ninjani kodwa, ma?”
“Siphilile ndodadana sibulawa yilanga nje.”
“Yebo lona likhipha umkhovu etsheni impela namuhla.”
“Ngisho ingane ithi iphumela phandle uzwe isikhala phela lomhlabathi uvutha bhe!”
“Ingabe ikhona lensizwa, ma?”
“Yebo ukhona. Ucambalele lapha elawini lakhe.”
“Kulungile. Ngiyabonga, ngisayombheka.”
Aphume uBhekani ayongena elawini likaDelani. Nebala, amfice elele ethe ja embhedeni; ulalise okwengane encane. UBhekani usondela kuDelani, amqabule. Uvula amehlo nje uDelani abone isthandwa sakhe phambi kwakhe.
“Bhekani waqhamuka ngisaphupha ngawe, sthandwa sami,” kusho uDelani emamatheka.
“Yehlisa izwi, Delani. Umama wakho uzosizwa, nangu lapha emnyango ephula izinkuni,” kusho uBhekani.
“Useyapheka njalo kushisa kanje? Umama akafuni ukuhlala phansi. Wangaswabuluka nje, Bhekani wami? Kwenzenjani?”
“Akulutho, sthandwa senhliziyo yami. Ngikhathazwe ukushiswa yilanga ngenkathi ngiza ngapha.”
“Woza ulale lapha eduze kwami uphumule. Ngizokwenzela umbhubhudlo,” kusho uDelani.
“Kulungile, ngingabonga kakhulu.”
Aphume uDelani, anquntule ulamula esihlahleni. Nangu ehayiza ibhadi ngoba ebona unwabu. Unina aphuma endlini endiza ezobheka ukuthi kwenzakalani.
“Kazi waba ngumfana onjani? Usaba unwabu pho?” kusho unina kaDelani, ebhula ihlombe.
“Ngisuke ngathuka, mama,” kusho uDelani ehefuzela.
“Kazi uyolwa kanjani namabutho uma usasaba unwabu.”
“Mina mama angifuni ukuphatha izinduku ngilokhu ngishaya abantu.”
“Wonke amabhungu lapha endaweni aphatha izinduku futhi asina ingoma. Kanti ngempela kwakhala nyonini ngawe, Delani?”
“Mama, ngicela siyiyeke lendaba.”
Ungena endlini, aklaye ulamula, awukhamele emanzini. Ufaka ushukela, agoqoze. Nebala uzwela kahle ushukela. Uthatha izinkomishi, aphume. Ufika elawini lakhe athole ukuthi uBhekani useshaya obudala ubuthongo. Uyasibuka madoda isithandwa sakhe silele. Libuye manje ithemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga bayoba nenkululeko. Phela sekuphele iminyaka eminingi befihlile ukuthi bayathandana.
EmaQadini ayikhulunywa indaba yabantu abathandana bengubulili obubodwa. Uma kukhona ababanjwayo bayiswa enkosini babulawe noma badingiswe endaweni kanye nemindeni yabo. UDelani uhlezi efuna ukuthi babaleke noBhekani baye kude lapho bengeke baphazanyiswe muntu khona. Inkinga ukuthi uBhekani akavumelani naye mayelana nokubaleka.
UDelani uhluthulela isicabha maqede angene embhedeni athokomale eceleni kukaBhekani. Ubheka phezulu, abuke izicabucabu zigijima ophahleni. Ufisa lenjabulo yezicabucabu ezilokhu zijahana. Ubuka ngamehlo engqondo begijimisana noBhekani emfuleni, bethelana ngamanzi beshibilika bebhukuda. Kuthi esacabanga kanjalo kumehlule ukushisa ngoba uyajuluka uyaqathaza. Uvuka avule isicabha. Uthatha ithawula elilenga esipikilini emuva kwesicabha, asule uBhekani umjuluko esiphongweni. Aphaphame uBhekani. Athi phayi phayi, evula amehlo.
“Sengilale isikhathi esingakanani?”
“Ulale isikhathi esincane kabi. Ngone ngokuthi ngivale isicabha, wavele wajuluka waphaphama.”
“Ubuganga nawe. Ungavala isicabha kushisa kanje?”
“Phela bengifuna ukukuqabula kahle ulele futhi singabonwa muntu.”
“Ngiyakuthanda, Delani,” usho embuka emehlweni.
“Nami ngiyakuthanda, Bhekani. Ubusuzwile ukuthi lempi kaThobile isingahle iphele? Ngizwe kuthiwa inkosi ithe isiyamazi umuntu emkhethile ukuba ashade noThobile.”
“Uzwe ngobani? Kuthiwe ngubani?” Ubuza nje isifuba siyagubhazela uvalo.
“Yini, sthandwa sami? Wethuka kangaka?”
“Hhayi akulutho, ngiyazibuzela nje.”
“Bengingakezwa kahle ukuthi ngubani kodwa ngizothola maduzane.”
“Ubani ke lo okuchathazela izindaba ezingaka?” kubuza uBhekani.
“Habe! Usufuna ukungiqhatha?”
“Kanti awungithembi yini, sthandwa sami?”
“Ngiyakwethemba. Ake siyeke ezabantu sibheke ezethu, sthandwa.”
Usukuma avale isicabha futhi uDelani. Bagqolozelana emehlweni eside isikhathi lesi. Basondelane. Baqabulane. Babambana isikhathi eside ekukhululekeni kwelawu likaDelani.
***
Sitshele Umbono Wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi ikusasa libaphatheleni oDelani noBhekani mayelana nobudlelwano babo?