NgoMsombulo WePhasika. Emuva kwezinyanga ezintathu.
U-Amahle uhleli yedwa emzini kadadewabo kwaW Section, Umlazi, impelasonto yonke yePhasika. Udadewabo nawo wonke umndeni wakhe uvakashele ezinye izihlobo eJohannesburg. Unabile ku-sofa, ubuka umabonakude. Isimo sezulu simbi selokhu iqalile impelasonto yePhasika; kuyabanda nemvula ishaya kancane.
Ukuthula endlini impelasonto yonke kumnike isikhathi sokubukisisa impilo yakhe. Sekuphele izinyanga ezintathu efuna omunye umsebenzi. Umsebenzi wobuntatheli uxosha abantu konokuba uqashe. Nalento ayenza kuRay Mthalane ayimsizanga ngalutho ngoba awekho amaphephandaba afuna ukumqasha. Usephila ngokubhala ama-profiles aphinde aphathe ama-social media accounts abaculi beGqom abambalwa baseThekwini.
U-Amahle usafufusa empilweni yokuba intatheli ezimele. Ukungaholi umholo ofanayo, ngosuku olubekiwe ekupheleni kwenyanga, kuyinto angakayijwayeli. Sekwenzeke izihlandlana ukuthi angalikhulumi iqiniso, etshela umastende ukuthi kukhona umsebenzi awenzayo phesheya kwezilwandle kanti empeleni usemzini kadadewabo eMlazi ulindele ukukhokhelwa ukuze akwazi ukukhokha i-rent. Kukhala umakhalekhukwini wakhe etafuleni. Uwuthatha awubuke. UNolwandle osebenza e-KZN Emergency Services lona omthintayo.
“Hi, Nolwandle. Angisakwazi!”
“Hi, Amahle. Ayisazani ngempela!”
“Ngikhona nje, Nolwandle. Angithi uyazi ukuthi angisekho e-Umlazi Herald?”
“Yebo, bangitshelile. Lalela, ngibone i-profile oyibhalile ngomculi uSandiso kuFacebook. Uyibhale kamnandi. Unekhono lokubeka amagama, Amahle.”
“Ngiyabonga. Ngibonga kakhulu.”
Uyasuka u-Amahle, ahambe amagxathi ambalwa phakathi endlini ekhuluma kumakhalekhukhwini.
“Lalela,” kusho uNolwandle. “Ngifuna usenzele into ecishe ifane nalento engiyifunde kuFacebook. Into emayelana nathi sisenkundleni sisebenza.”
“Yebo, ngingakwenza lokho. Ufuna sikwenze nini?”
“Namhlanje, uma kungekho okwenzayo. Ngiyaxolisa nge-short notice. Abesimo sezulu basitshela manje ukuthi kulindeleke imvula kanye nomoya onamandla eThekwini namhlanje. Ikhonyana imali esizokukhokhela yona, izinkulungwane eziyishumi.”
“Yebo! Ngizowenza lomsebenzi!” usho ehleka u-Amahle, ehluleka ukubamba injabulo. Ufika ewindini, aphenye ikhethini, abuke isibhakabhaka. “Uqinisekisile ngalomoya nemvula ekuthiwa iyeza? Kubukeka sengathi imvula iyaphela manje. Ngibona nelanga lilunguza emafini.”
“Nami ngiyadideka manje,” kusho uNolwandle. Uphuma ehhovisi lakhe, abuke isibhakabhaka. Ngempela amafu ayahlakazeka. “Akubukeki sengathi iyabuya imvula. Kodwa sitsheliwe ukuthi siphume siyosiza. Sizohlangana nawe Kwamnyandu Mall emuva kwamahora amabili.”
U-Amahle uyageza, agqoke i-jean, amateki, isikibha kanye ne-windbreaker. Umile phambi kwesibuko, ukama i-fade haircut yakhe, uyamamatheka njengoba inhliziyo ishaya ngamandla. Wagcina ukuzwa inhliziyo ishaya ngamandla kanjena ngesikhathi esabhala izindaba ezinohlonze zephephandaba i-Umlazi Herald.
Uthatha isambulela, aqonde erenki yamatekisi. Abantu baphumile ezindlini bagcwele umgwaqo, bamukela ukuphenya kwezulu emuva kokuvaleleka ezindlini impelasonto yonke yePhasika ngenxa yemvula. Izingane zigijima ngokukhululeka kwabantu abakade bavalelwa. Kukhona nokulunguza kwelanga emafini. Kuqala ukufudumala. U-Amahle ukhumula i-windbreaker.
Uthola iloli yakwa-Emergency Services imlindile Kwanyandu Mall. UNolwandle uhlezi eceleni komshayeli. Umamatheka anikeze u-Amahle isandla sakhe, emsiza ukuba angene elolini. U-Amahle uhlala emabhentshini angemuva kanye nabanye abasebenzi bakwa-Emergency Services. Umoya onephunga elingajwayelekile ungena ngamawindi.
“Uyalizwa leli phunga?” kumemeza umshayeli weloli, ukumamatheka akade enakho ngesikhathi bemazisa ku-Amahle sekunyamalele.
“Yebo,” kusho uNolwandle. “Kunuka sengathi sisolwandle.”
“Lokho kusho ukuthi uzamcolo uqhamuka olwandle, futhi uza nemvula eningi. Angiyithandisisi nakancane lento. Angikholwa ukuthi sizilungiselele ngokwanele kulento ezayo,” usho eyishaya izula iloli.
***
Sitshele: Ungawenza umsebenzi ogijimisa igazi (adrenaline-pumping work)? Uma ungawenza ungenza muphi?