USthembiso nenkosikazi yakhe, u-Ayanda, badilika etekisini. Abakhulumisananga indlela yonke ebuya edolobheni emuva kokuba intokazi esebenza ebhange ibeke ukuthi ubuphansi be-credit score bukaSthembiso yikho okudale ukuba angakwazi ukuthola imali ebolekisayo. Imali bayidingela ukulungisa uphahla olwalimala ngesikhathi kunezikhukhula emasontweni ambalwa adlulile.

Bayama isikhashana bebuka indawo abahlala kuyo, iPower, indlaleka ngaphansi kwabo. Izibazi ezashiywa izikhukhula zibonakala yonke indawo ePower. Imizi ibhidlikile, eminye ibhidlike izingxenye ezincane, eminye ibhidlike yonke – akusalanga nolulodwa udonga olumile. Imoto eyagugulwa umfula owawugcwele, yayishiya phakathi nomfula maqondana nePower, ilele ngecala. Uthule umfudlana manje, akufani nangesikhathi ugcwele uheleza, uduma sengathi izulu elidiniwe.

“Njalo uma ngibuka phansi emfuleni ngikhumbula usuku lapho umfula wawuheleza sengathi ulwandle oludiniwe,” kusho u-Ayanda, sakuhleba.

Amehlo kaSthembiso ahamba agcine emzini wakhe. Izindonga zamagumbi amabili alimala ngesikhathi kunezikhukhula zimile manje. Umakhi uqedela ukuzilungisa.

“Sinenhlanhla thina ngoba umuzi wethu uphakeme, ukude kunomfula. Sibonga ukuthi kwaguguleka udonga kuphela,” kusho uSthembiso.

“Ngiyazi, Sthembiso. Ngihluleka nokuqala ngikucabange ubuhlungu abakuzwayo abantu bakwaNdlovu. Uhlangana nabo umunyu ubhalwe ebusweni selokhu izingane zabo zamuka nomfula.”

Kuqhantsha imithambo ezingalweni zikaSthembiso njengoba ebambisisa oplastiki abaphuzi base-Shoprite abagcwele ukudla. Udilika ngokucophelela eweni elincane okumele adlule kulo ukuze afike emzini wakhe. Izikhukhula ezashaya kule ndawo emasontweni amathathu adlule zagugula umhlabathi kuleliwa, kwasala kuvele amadwala acijile. Maningi amaqakala abantu basePower alimele ngenxa yokubhinyilika behamba kule ndawo. USthembiso ushiya amaplastiki uma efika phansi, abuyele phezulu ukuze asize u-Ayanda adilike. Bathatha isikhashana bemile, behefuzela, uma befika phansi. Babuka emzini wabo babone izingane zabo ezingamawele ziphakamise izandla, zibingelela abantu abangaphesheya komfula.

Amawele ezwa umsindo woplastiki, aphenduke agijime ahlangabeze abazali. USthembiso ubuka ngaphesheya komfula, abone le ndoda ekade ibingelelwa amawele. Kuqhamuka enye indoda ixoxisane nale ndoda. Emuva komzuzwana womabili lamadoda angena emotweni ephuzi yakwa-Department of Public Works. Ihlehla ngesivinini lemoto, kushunqe uthuli uma isuka.

“Buka nje, Ayanda. Balungisa imizi yabantu abangaphesheya komfula kuphela,” kusho uSthembiso.

“Ingoba thina sakhononda ngekhansela, kanti bona ngaphesheya bahambisana nalo.”

Bobabili banikina amakhanda. Amawele afika ababambe abazali bawo, aphithane noplastiki base-Shoprite abalenga ezingalweni. USthembiso noAyanda babuka ukumamatheka obusebusweni bezingane zabo, kuphele konke ukuxakeka abanakho emqondweni okwesikhashana.

Amawele, u-Amile no-Andile, aneminyaka eyishumi. USthembiso no-Ayanda banezinye izingane ezimbili ezifunda e-boarding school. USthembiso uyena kuphela osebenzayo. Ngemadlana ayiholayo esebenza ependa izimoto kwaToyota eProspecton wakwazi ukwakhela umndeni wakhe umuzi. Umuzi wakhe usendaweni enemizi yemixhaso kanye nemijondolo kodwa uyikhaya elifudumele. Ngayo lemadlana engatheni ayiholayo wafundisa u-Ayanda e-computer college kodwa u-Ayanda wangakwazi ukuthola umsebenzi emuva kwalokho. USthembiso waqhubeka nokuseka u-Ayanda, wamfundisa ekolishi labahlengikazi. Sekuphele iminyaka emibili u-Ayanda efuna umsebenzi wobuhlengikazi emuva kokuphothula izifundo zakhe.

U-Ayanda ulethela uSthembiso ingilazi enamanzi abandayo, ahlale eceleni kwakhe ku-sofa.

“Ngabe kungcono ukuba nami ngiyasebenza. Ngabe ngiyakwazi ukukusiza,” kusho u-Ayanda, amehlo egcwele ukukhathazeka.

*** 

Sithsele: Isimo sika-Ayanda sikhombisani mayelana neSouth Africa yamanje?