“Angizwa, Baba?” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ngincoma umzimba wakho omuhle. Phela wena uyizintombi eziyishumi uwedwa,” kusho uNdlovu.
Ujuza amathe manje uNdlovu, uhalela uNomvelo. Akaphenduli uNomvelo ngoba uyesaba futhi udidekile.
“Awukufundiswanga ukubonga kini?” kusho uNdlovu ngolaka.
“Ngiyabonga, Baba. Bengicela ukugcatshwa owesifazane ngoba ngiya-”
“Ikwakho la? Uzongishayela umthetho kwami manje?”
“Ngiyaxolisa, Baba.”
“Uzothwasa noma uzodelela isigodlo sami?”
Useyakhala manje uNomvelo. Umzimba uyaqhaqhazela ngenxa yokwesaba. Akazi noma aphume abaleke noma abekezele aze aqede ukumgcaba uNdlovu. Igazi lakhe liyamshiya manje. Kuthi uma eqeda ukumgcaba uNdlovu, avele aphume ngejubane uNomvelo azivalele kulawondi. Ziyaziqathakela manje izinyembezi njengoba ezigoqile kumatilasi. Kungena uNokuthula emuva kwemizuzu embalwa.
“Kwenzenjani?” kubuza uNokuthula.
“Akukho lutho,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Pho ukhalelani, Nomvelo?”
“Izingcabo nje ezibuhlungu emzimbeni.”
UNokuthula ubuka ngqo emehlweni kaNomvelo agcwele izinyembezi.
“Nginayo i-airtime encane uma ufuna ukufonela ekhaya. Mhlawumbe uzozizwa kangcono uma ungezwa izwi lomuntu wasekhaya,” kusho uNokuthula.
“Ngingajabula kakhulu. Ngisacela ukubuza.”
“Kulungile, Nomvelo, buza.”
“Kwakwenzenjani mhla ubuya ukhala endlini ufika ekuseni?”
“Ungakunaki lokho. Izinto zalapha ekhaya ongeke uziqonde wena ngoba uyafika. Wena fonela ekhaya ngokushesha ngoba anginayo i-airtime eningi,” uNokuthula umnika ucingo, aphume ngokushesha.
UNomvelo ufonela uSakhile.
“Yebo sawubona,” kuphendula uSakhile.
“Sthandwa sami,” uvele akhale kakhulu uNomvelo.
“Nomvelo uwena lowo, Nomvelo?”
“Yebo, sthandwa sami imina.”
“Kwazwakala sengathi uyakhala pho?”
“Ngikukhumbule, sthandwa sami. Angisafuni ukuba la mina, Sakhile.”
“Nami ngiyakukhumbula, sthandwa sami. Kwenzakalani lapho, Nomvelo?”
“Angeke ngikwazi ukukutshela ngoba kuthiwa izindaba zalana kumele zisale lana. Bathi uma uzixoxela abantu bangaphandle kuzokwenzeka into embi kuwena.”
“Sthandwa sami yini lena elukhuni kanjena ohlulwa ukuyitshela mina?”
“Akulutho olutheni sthandwa sami. Bengikukhumbule nje kuphela. Iyaphela ne-airtime la. Ngiyakuthanda kakhulu.”
“Ngiyakuthanda nami, Mvelo,” kusho uSakhile.
Ngakusasa ebusuku uNomvelo nabanye ozakwabo bahlezi kulawondi wabo bayaxoxa bayancokola. Kuthi kusenjalo kungene uMaCele, unkosikazi kaNdlovu. Bambuka ebusweni kubacacele ukuthi ucasuke uthelwe ngamanzi uMaCele.
“Lalelani la nina mantombazanyana! Ikwami lana angeke ngiphathwe inina! Doti muni lona eniwupheke namuhla? Ngithe phekani isitambu nenyama yenkomo! Nina nenzani?”
“Siyaxolisa,” besho kanye kanye.
“Ninjalo anihloniphi ngikhuluma nani ningibuka ezinhlamvini zamehlo! Nginguntanga yenu yini mina?”
“Siyaxolisa, Ma,” kuncenga uNokuthula.
“Nixolisa ukunuka yini? Ubani obepheka namhlanje?”
Kuthuleka du – akekho ophendulayo.
“Ngikhuluma nani! Phendulani!”
“Imina, Mama,” kusho uNomvelo.
Amehlo kaMaCele abila ulaka athi njo kuNomvelo. Uyavevezela umnwe kaMaCele njengoba ekhomba uNomvelo.
“Uwena! Wena kade ngikubona ukuthi uyadelela! Selokhu wafika ukuzothwasa angikaze ngikuthande. Ngiyakubuka, abanye uma besebenza wena uhlala uchobe izinzipho. Isehhotela lana?”
“Cha, Mama,” kuphendula uNomvelo kuqathaka izinyembezi.
“Unyoko akakufundisa ukupheka?”
“Wangifundisa,” kuphendula uNomvelo ngomunyu.
“Uphinde upheke lodoti owupheke namhlanje uzongazi kahle mina,” esho ephuma egankaza isicabha uMaCele.
Uzigoqa ngengubo akhale uNomvelo.
“Ungakhali Mvelo. Impilo yalapha ekhaya injena ke. Nathi sesibekezelela ukuthi siphothule siphindele emakithi,” kusho uNokuthula emthulisa.
“Angisafuni ukuba la mina. Ngifuna ukuphindela ekhaya manje. Sekwanele phela ekhaya engixoshwanga,” kukhala uNomvelo ngaphansi kwengubo.
“Thula ntombi ungabe usakhala,” kusho uSenzeni, elinye ithwasa.
“Nami wayengangifuni ngisafika kodwa sekungcono manje,” kusho uNokuthula.
“Ngimenzeni njengoba engizonda kangaka?”
“Kulomuzi abakwazi ukuphatha abantu. Empeleni bayasihlukemeza nje,” kusho uThandi, elinye ithwasa.
“Uzongena enkingeni uma uzwakala ukhuluma kanjalo,” kusho uNokuthula.
“Iqiniso vele! Siyahlukumezeka kulomuzi. Thina senza yonke into, umama walana nezingane zakhe bawashelwa yithi. Kanti bona abanazo yini izandla?” kusho uNomvelo ngolaka.
“Ngicela sibekezele ngoba ayikho into esingayenza,” kusho uNokuthula.
Sitshele umbono wakho: UThandi uthi uNdlovu kanye noMaCele abakwazi ukuphatha kahle abantu. Ungayichaza kanjani indlela uNdlovu aphendula ngayo uNomvelo ngesikhathi ezicelelela ukuba kube ngumuntu wesifazane omgcabayo? Ungayichaza kanjani indlela uMaCele akhuluma ngayo namathwasa?