“Ndabezitha! Ndabezitha! Nansi indodakazi yakho, inkosazane uThembelihle, icela ukubhunga nawe,” kusho isigijimi senkosi, uVusi.

“Makangene!” kusho inkosi.

Uphuma ngokushesha uVusi, abuye esehamba noThembelihle.

“Baba, kunodaba engifisa siluxoxe,” kusho uThembelihle.

“Khuluma, Thembelihle. Okuhlula amadoda kuyabikwa.”

“Baba, kungani uThobile umvumela ukuthi ashade noBhekani ngikhona ngiyindodakazi endala? Ngokwesintu indodakazi endala yiyo okumele ishade kuqala bese abanye bayalandela.”

“Wentombazane! Ufika lapha esigodlweni sami uzodelela? Unyoko lo okuthume ukuba uzokhuluma lowodoti lapha kimi?” kusho inkosi ngolaka.

“Cha, baba. Umama akazi nokuthi ngilapha.”

“Umthetho wakho wena ngane uqhuba intwala ngewisa. Unyoko akakufundisanga yini inhlonipho?”

“Inkinga, baba, ngukuthi wena uthanda uThobile kakhulu thina abanye awunandaba nathi. Buka uThobile elakhe ikusasa lahlelwa ezelwe ukuthi uyoganela kuphi. Kodwa thina abanye eyethu indaba ishaywa indiva. Kanti thina sakonani, baba? Ingoba uThobile yena ezalwa ngundlunkulu?”

“Wena Thembelihle ngizokubhala ngemvubu kuphume ukudelela! Usithathaphi isibindi sokutshela inkosi ukuthi yenzeni?”

“Ngixolise kubaba uma ngizwakale kabi,” kusho uThembelihle ebheka phansi, ezenzisa sengathi uyahlonipha.

“Vusi!” Kumemeza inkosi.

Ungena egijima uVusi, aguqe eceleni kwenkosi. “Ndabezitha,” kusho uVusi.

“Vusi awuhudule lengane iphume iphele esigodlweni sami ngingaze ngiyilimaze!”

“Yebo nkosi,” kusho uVusi.

Inkosazane uThembelihle iyatabalasa iyahayiza njengoba uVusi eyihudula eyikhipha esigodlweni. Unina kaThembelihle, uMaNdlela, uqhamuka ngejubane ngoba ezwa indodakazi yakhe ihayiza ingayeki.

“We Vusi! Eyakho leyongane oyihudula kanje? Sicashalala ndini!” Kumemeza umaNdlela ngolaka.

UVusi udedela uThembelihle. Akabe esamnaka umaNdlela omethuka engayeki. UMaNdlela ubamba uzinyo bulala wakhe bandla, uThembelihle, bangene endlini.

“Kuhambe kanjani, Lihle? Utheni uyihlo?” kubuza umaNdlela ngexhala.

“Akuhambanga kahle neze, mama. Ubaba uvele wathi abangihudulele emnyango njengenja,” ukhuluma nje uyakhala.

“Thula mntanami ngizoqhamuka nelinye icebo.”

“Ungusathane umyeni wakho, mama. Ungusathane onezimpondo!”

“Musa ukukhuluma kanjalo ngoyihlo wena!”

“Vele, mama. Musa ukubalekela iqiniso. Washada kanjani nomuntu ononya kanjena?”

“Thembelihle! Pheza phela! Ngiyazi udiniwe, wena themba mina uma ngithi ngizolakha icebo.”

“Isikhathi siyahamba, mama. Ubaba angathumela noma inini umbiko kwaDladla mayelana nokuganiselana. UThobile noBhekani bazoshada noma nini kusukela manje.”

“Yehlisa umoya, Lihle. Thula ubheke. Umama wakho uzolakha icebo.”

 ***

Sitshele Umbono Wakho: Uyibona injani indlela inkosi ephatha ngayo indodakazi yayo uThembelihle?