Namuhla nguLwesihlanu. Ulaka lusehlile kuNomvelo ngoba kade evakashelwe unina ngayizolo. UMaNgubane ufike emphathele izinto ezimnandi. UNomvelo akazange ayikhiphe ingonyuluka kunina mayelana nezinto ezenzeka kulomuzi ngoba ubengathandi ukuthi aphindele Eshowe engaphathekile kahle emoyeni.
UNomvelo kanye namanye amathwasa basehlathini. Bonke balandela uNdlovu njengoba ebafundisa ngemithi. Ufike akhombe ngobhoko uNdlovu, amathwasa agumbe izimpande, azifake emasakeni. Kuthi besahamba kanjalo avele ame nse uNdlovu, aphenduke ababuke bonke.
“Abanye abagoduke manje, sizoficana ekhaya. Kuzosala uNomvelo ngoba kunento abaphansi bakubo abafuna ayifunde namhlanje,” kusho uNdlovu.
“Mina?” kusho uNomvelo ngokwesaba.
“Unenkinga yini ngalokho, thwasa?” kubuza uNdlovu embuka ngqo emehlweni.
“Cha, Baba,” kuphendula uNomvelo.
“Kuhle uma kunjalo. Akulungile ukuphikisana namadlozi ngoba uzolimala,” kusho uNdlovu. Uphenduka abuke amanye amathwasa. “Sheshani nina niphindele ekhaya ngoba kufanele ngiqale noNomvelo. Hambani!”
Nebala ajike amathwasa. Aqhubeke uNdlovu akhombise uNomvelo imithi yokwelapha ehlukahlukene. Eminye uyayazi ngokuyibona kodwa ubengazi ukuthi iyalapha. Eminye uyaqala ukuyibona. Bafika edwaleni elikhulu, ahlale kulo uNdlovu.
“Sondela, thwasa. Woza uhlale eduze kwami. Kunento ebalulekile ekufanele ngikucobelele yona.”
Asondele uNomvelo.
“Uyabona thwasa lento yabaphansi kufuna uyamukele ngenhliziyo yakho yonke ukuze izinto zakho zikukhanyele kahle. Siyezwana?”
“Yebo, Baba.”
“Lendlela oyihambayo ayilula neze. Kuningi osazokufunda. Noma ngabe kwenzakalani kufanele ubekezele ugcine uphothulile ukuthwasa,” kusho uNdlovu emthinta ibele.
Athuke manje uNomvelo.
“Musa ukuthuka angilumani mina,” kusho uNdlovu esondela emthinta amabele.
“Baba wenzani manje?” kubuza uNomvelo.
Akabange esaphendula uNdlovu. Umhlubula ibhayi aligqokile, akhwele phezu kwakhe. Ngenxa yokuthi baphakathi nehlathi akuzwakali ukuhayiza kukaNomvelo. UNdlovu udlwengula uNomvelo khona edwaleni lelo.
“Gqoka ngokushesha ungilandele sigoduke. Uma kukhona umuntu omtshelayo ngalento eyenzekile ngizokuhlanyisa mina! Emuva kwalokho ngikubulale!”
UNomvelo uyazibona izindebe zikaNdlovu zinyakaza kodwa akezwa lutho. Ukudlwengulwa kuvele kwenza kwathula du emqondweni wakhe. Kuba sengathi izindlebe zivalekile. Uyazizwa izinyembezi zehla ezihlathini kodwa kuba sengathi awukho umsindo okhona emhlabeni. Akakukholwa lokhu okwenzekile. Cha, ngeke kube ngukuthi ngidlwenguliwe, kucabanga uNomvelo. Uhlala eceleni kwesihlahla, agqoke. Uyazibamba ezishushuzela.
Ukuthula okusemhlabeni kuphela ngesikhathi ewezwa amazwi awakhulumayo ngesikhathi ezishushuzela. “Baba mnini mandla wonke kanti ngenzeni kangaka ungaze ungijezise ngobuhlungu obunjena?” kusho uNomvelo esula izinyembezi.
Usukuma lapho uNomvelo athi nyawo zami ngibelethe. Ugijima enqamula ihlathi engazazi ukuthi uqonde kuphi. Ugijima agcine ezwa umsindo wamanzi. Uwela umfula aqhubeke nokubaleka. Ubaleka agcine ezizwa ukuthi ubanjwa ngamajaqamba. Ubona umuzi obuqamama, aqhubeke aqonde kuwo. Kuthi esesondela abone umuntu wesifazane okhulile engena ngesicabha. Ufika khona, angqongqoze uNomvelo.
“Sawubona, Gogo,” kubingelela uNomvelo ehefuzela.
Isalukazi simbuka kanye uNomvelo kusicacele ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi. “Yebo mntanami kwenzenjani? Ngena ngaphakathi.”
“Ngiyabonga, Gogo,” kusho uNomvelo. Uhlala esihlalweni ekhishini, asule izinyembezi.
“Kwenzenjani?”
“UNdlovu ungidlwengulile! Ungidlwengulile!”
“UNdlovu inyanga?”
“Yebo, Gogo. Bengithwasa kuyena wangidlwengula!”
“Hawu kodwa Smakade! Ngaze ngakuzwela, mntanami!”
“Manje ngifuna ukugoduka, Gogo. Ngifuna nokuya emaphoyiseni ngimvulele icala!”
UGogo umubambela eduze uNomvelo. “Kukuphi ekhaya, mntanami?”
“Ngivela Eshowe.”
“Lalela mntanami, uNdlovu udume kakhulu ngapha. Noma ungamvulela icala ngeke aboshwe ngoba abantu abaningi uma bendinga umuthi babona yena. Kumele uyovula icala ngakini. Indodakazi yami inguthisha ifundisa khona la. Ngizoyicela ikugodukise,” kusho ugogo esondela kuNomvelo embeka esifubeni.
“Ngibonga kakhulu. Inkosi ikubusise,” kusho uNomvelo.
Sitshele umbono wakho: UNdlovu ucabanga ukuthi uNomvelo uzokwenza intando yakhe emuva kokumdlwengula. Kodwa akenzi kanjalo uNomvelo. Kuzoziguqula kanjani izinto lokhu okwenziwe nguNomvelo?