Kusemini abantu bebade. Ilanga libasile, likhipha umkhovu etsheni. Kuyaphithizela kwaMkhize, kubo kaNomvelo. Omakhelwane sebebuthene khona babuka uNomvelo edlikiza, eyahayiza futhi engabambeki. Phezu kwakho konke lokhu uyahhema nje uNomvelo, ukhuluma izinto ezingazwakali.
UNomvelo uyahayiza maqede asukume. Bonke omakhelwane bayabubona ubuso bukaNomvelo kodwa ayichazeki lento abayibonayo emehlweni kuyena: ubukeka sengathi akuyena neze, sengathi ayikho impilo kuyena. Omakhelwane besilisa bamile bazenze udonga ngasesangweni ngoba uNomvelo ufuna ukuphuma egcekeni. Usuka ngejubane azame ukudlubulundela kodwa bayambamba omakhelwane.
“Kodwa umntanami ungenelwe yini?” kukhala uMaNgubane.
“Kufanele umhambise enyangeni ngokushesha!” kusho omunye womakhelwane, uMaNgema.
“Kodwa ngizomhambisa kanjani enjena? Uma exaka abantu besilisa abaningi kangaka mina ngizombamba kanjani ngizigugele kanjena? Uzongihlula mina abaleke aqonde lapho lento emphethe embizela khona.”
“Awuthi ngikhulume nendodana yami ukuze inihambise ngemoto,” kusho uMaNgema. Uphuma ngokushesha uMaNgema, abuye esehamba ngemoto nendodana yakhe.
Kuba umzukuzuku ngesikhathi amadoda endawo ebopha izinyawo nezandla zikaNomvelo. Uyatabalasa ezama ukudlubulundela. Uyajuluka aqhubeke nokuhhema. Bazama kaningana ukumfaka emotweni, bagcine bephumelelile ukumfaka esihlalweni esingemuva.
Luyehla ulaka kuNomvelo njengoba imoto ishushuluza ilibangise eMsinga. Untekenteke manje. Balibhekise eMsinga enyangeni engukhokhovula, uNdlovu. Bahamba amahora ambalwa bagcine befikile endaweni esemaphandleni eMsinga.
Umuzi kaNdlovu unolawondi abaningi. UNdlovu ubuka isimo sikaNomvelo, abone ukuthi sibucayi kakhulu, maqede abangenise kuqala kunabanye abantu abalindile. UNdlovu ukhothisa uNomvelo izihlungu, aphinde amphuzise umuthi. Emuva kwalokho uthatha uNomvelo noMaNgubane abahlalise komunye olawondi.
“Ngicela ningilinde la. Umntwana uzozizwa engcono emuva kwehora,” kusho uNdlovu.
UMaNgubane ugona uNomvelo – ulokhu emshushuzela, emsula nomjuluko. Uyayibona ingane yakhe ibuyelwa amandla. Kancane kancane useyaqala ukuba uNomvelo amaziyo. Uyabuya uNdlovu emuva kwehora, athole ukuthi usengcono ngempela uNomvelo.
“Kwenzakalani ngomntanami?” kubuza uMaNgubane.
“Umntwana wakho unedlozi, Mama. Kufanele aqale ukuthwasa ngokushesha. Uma kungenzeki lokho uzomswela lomntwana,” kusho uNdlovu.
UNdlovu ubuka uNomvelo ngokukhulu ukukhathazeka. UMaNgubane uyabona ukuthi lendoda ikhathazekile ngoNomvelo.
“Kodwa nkosi yami! Usho ukuthi amadlozi ayamfuna? Usho ukuthi uzoshona?”
“Yebo, Mama. Uzoshona uma engaluvumi ubizo lokuba isangoma. Ibucayi indaba yomntwana. Kufanele asale kwamanje ukuze aqale ukuthwasa. Amadlozi enu akhethe ukuthi kube imina engimthwasisayo,” kusho uNdlovu.
UNomvelo ubelokhu ethule njengoba uNdlovu ekhuluma. Uqala ukukhuluma uma uNdlovu efika kulendawo yokuthi kufanele asale. “Ini? Angisaphindeli ekhaya?” kubuza uNomvelo ehlahla amehlo.
“Kunjalo, mntanami,” kusho uNdlovu.
“Ngicela ukuphindela ekhaya ngilande izingubo zami nezinye izimfanelo ezidingekayo. Ngizobuya kahle ngoMsombukulo. Angiboni ukuthi amadlozi asengacasuka ngoba ngizohamba izinsuku ezimbalwa, futhi aseyazi manje ukuthi ngilivumile ubizo lwami,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Kulungile, mntanami, ngizokubona ngoMsombuluko,” kusho uNdlovu.
Kuba ukufika nje ekhaya uNomvelo aziphonse embhedeni, akhihle esikaNandi. Ubona ikusasa alihlelile lishabalala phambi kwamehlo ngokuphazima kweso.
“Ungakhali, Mvelo. Ngizofika ngizokubona uma ngithola ithuba,” kusho uMaNgubane embambatha uNomvelo emhlane.
“Mama mina angifuni ukuba isangoma! Angifuni!”
“Ngiyazi ukuthi akuyona into oyifunayo le, kodwa iyona ndlela lena abaphansi abafuna ukuthi uyihambe. Ibona abakukhethelile. Nami angeke kube lula ukuthi ngihlukane nawe, mntanami. Njengoba uyihlo engasekho emhlabeni uwena kuphela ithemba lami.”
“Ngiyasaba, Mama.”
“Ungesabi, ngane yami. Qina isibindi. Isikhathi sokuthi ukhule manje lesi.”
“Ngiyabonga ngokungimisa idolo, Mama.”
UNomvelo uhleli yedwa elawini lakhe. Amehlo agcwele izinyembezi njengoba ecabanga ngoSakhile. Akazi nokuthi uzoqala kuphi ukuchazela uSakhile lendaba yobizo lwakhe. Akazi ukuthi uzoyithatha kanjani uSakhile lendaba yokuthi sekufanele izithandwa sakhe sibe isangoma. Umcamelo umanzi te izinyembezi manje, ikhanda liyankenketha. Amehlo asevuvukele ngoba usekhale isikhathi eside. Kuvele kuthi memfu umngani kaNomvelo, uZama, esicabheni selawu.
“Sawubona, Mvelo ntombi. Unjani?” kubingelela uZama ehlala eduze kwakhe.
Akaphenduli uNomvelo, kodwa uvele akhale kakhulu.
“Ukhalelani Nomvelo? Kwenzenjani?”
“Kunzima. Kunzima, mngani wami. Kunzi…” abindeke angabe esakwazi ukuqedela inkulumo.
“Khuluma nami, Nomvelo. Uyangethusa manje,” kuncenga uZama.
“Ubona nje angihleli ngiyahamba,” kusho uNomvelo esula izinyembezi.
“Uhamba uyaphi? Usuthole umsebenzi yini?”
“Cha ngiyothwasa eMsinga,”
“Ini!?”
“Yebo, Zama, kunjalo. Ngizohamba ngoMsombuluko. Kusasa nje usuku lwami lokugcina ngilapha Eshowe. Sithole ukuthi njengoba ngigula ingoba izinyanya zakithi zifuna ngiyothwasa,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Phephisa ngane yakwethu. Ungabe usakhala kakhulu.”
“Ngizomtshela kanjani uSakhile lenkinyankiya enjena? Ngizomqala ngaphi nje?”
“Uma ekuthanda ngothando lweqiniso kufanele akudedele uhambe ngoba ubizo lwakho lolu.”
“Ngizophila kanjani ngaphandle kwakhe, Zama?”
“Uzophila, Mvelo. Khona kuzoba nzima ekuqaleni uma usafika, kodwa uzojwayela. Wena uhlakaniphile futhi unesibindi. Ngiyazi ukuthi ayikho into engakuhlula.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Kukhona isisho esithi, “Uma umuntu umthanda, mudedele ahambe. Uzobuyela kuwena uma ekuthanda ngempela. Uma engabuyi kusho ukuthi vele kwasekuqaleni ubengakuthandi.” Uyavumelana nalokhu? Yini eyenza uvumelane? Noma yini eyenza ungavumelani?