Iyashushuluza imoto ihambisa uNomvelo eShowe. UNomvelo uncike ewindini lemoto uyacabanga. Yonke into eyenzekile ilokhu ibuya engqondweni. Ucabanga ukuthi uSakhile uzothini uma ezwa ukuthi udlwenguliwe. Kungenzeka phela amale ngenxa yokuthi udlwenguliwe. Kodwa ubuye azinike ithemba lokuthi uSakhile wakhe angeke ayenze leyonto. Usizi uluthwele ngamahlombe manje. Usekhale kwaze kwabuhlungu amehlo, adumbile kancane.
Bafika nje uMaNgubane uyawasha emnyango. UMaNgubane ubona uNomvelo etatanyiswa kuvele kumcacele ukuthi kukhona okungahambi kahle. Ugijima asondele kubona uMaNgubane.
“Maye! Nomvelo kwenzenjani?” kubuza uMaNgubane esula izandla.
“Mama . . .”
“Mntanami udliwa yini?”
“UNdlovu …”
“Wenzeni uNdlovu? Ngitshele, Mvelo.”
“UNdlovu u…”
“UNdlovu wenzeni? Khuluma ungesabi!”
“Ungidlwengulile, Mama,” usho ngokwesaba ebheka phansi.
“Hhayi bo! Ini?” kuyahiza uMaNgubane.
Ngokuphazima kweso uNomvelo bamthatha bamuse emaphoyiseni. Ufika khona avule icala lokudlwengulwa. Basuka lapho baqonde Eshowe Hospital. Odokotela bamenza i-rape kit ukuze amaphoyisa athole i-DNA kaNdlovu. Ngesikhathi uNomvelo ethola ukululekwa ngokwengqondo, amaphoyisa alibangisa eMsinga ukuyobopha uNdlovu.
Amaphoyisa athola uNdlovu egqula imithi.
“Ndlovu siyakubopha,” kusho uSayitsheni Mthembu.
“Nibopha mina? Ngiboshelwani?”
“Uboshelwa ukudlwengula uNomvelo Mkhize. Yonke into oyisho manje ingasebenziswa enkantolo. Unelungelo lokuzitholela ummeli uma ungenaye inkontolo izokutholela,” kusho uSayitsheni Mthembu emfaka ozankosi.
“Niyangazi ukuthi ngingubani mina? Ngizonishaya ngezulu khona manje. Ningabopha uNdlovu nina?” kumemeza uNdlovu.
Amaphoyisa ahudula uNdlovu, asondele naye evenini.
“Nimenzani umnyeni wami? UNdlovu akadlwengulanga muntu! Myekeni!” kukhala uMaCele.
UMaCele umile manje phakathi kwamaphoyisa neveni.
“Wemama suka endleleni yethu ngoba nawe sizokufaka ozankosi,” kusho elinye iphoyisa.
“Umnyeni wami akanacala. Lentombazane inamanga!” kusho uMaCele esuka endleleni.
Amathwasa wonke asephumile ayabuka.
“Mseshi nami ngifuna ukuvula icala ngoba nami uNdlovu ungidlwengule ephindelela,” kusho uNokuthula esula izinyembezi.
“Nami uhlezi enginukubeza kodwa bengisaba ukukhuluma,” kusho uSenzeni.
“Ninamanga nina!” kuthetha uMaCele.
“Sayitsheni mina angikaze ngidlwengule muntu.” Kusho uNdlovu.
“Thathani izimpahla zenu,” kusho iphoyisa.
Wonke amathwasa esifazane aqoqa izinto zawo ahambe. Aqhamuka abe maningi amantombazane anukubezwe uNdlovu. Lokho kwenza ukuthi icala lakhe libe bucayi.
Ngabo lobo busuku uSakhile uvakashela uNomvelo esibhedlela.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi usuzwile ukuthi kwenzakaleni,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ngizwile sthandwa sami. Ukuthi nje …Ukuthi angikholwa. Angikakholwa ukuthi iyiqiniso lento.”
“Impela ngindlwenguliwe…” usho adazuluke kakhulu ngokukhala uNomvelo.
“Lenja ngifuna ukuyibulala ngezami izandla! Sengathi ingabolela ejele ngoba uma kwenzeka iphuma mina ngizoyihlinza ngiyikhiphe inhliziyo iphila,” kubhavumula uSakhile ngolaka.
“Abantu bebangaka emhlabeni yini lento yenzeke kumina?”
“Nomvelo ngiswele amazwi okukududuza. Sthandwa sami ngiyaxolisa kakhulu ngokukwehlakalele. Ngizizwa ngiyisahluleki sendoda. Bekufanele ngikuvikele ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kusho uSakhile. Naye uyakhala manje.
“Akulona iphutha lakho Sakhile. Ubuzongivikela kanjani ngisemazweni? Futhi ubuzokwazi ngani ukuthi kuzokwenzeka lento eyenzekile?”
“Ngiyakuthembisa ukuthi kusukela namuhla angeke ngivumele usuke emehlweni ami. Ngifuna ukukuvikela ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kusho uSakhile embamba isandla.
Impilo kaNomvelo ayizange isafana emuva kwesigameko esenzeka. Isikhathi esiningi usichitha yedwa. Akathandi ukuvakashelwa, ufuna ukuba inkomo edla yodwa. Kumthatha isikhathi eside ukuba adlulise lento eyenzeka kuyena. Empeleni akasoze ayikhohlwe.
Ugcina ekhetha ukufuna umuntu ozomthwasisa kodwa ehlala kubo. Nebala bayamthola umama oyinyanga. Uhambo lwakhe nabadala lulula ngoba uthwasiswa umuntu wesifazane futhi uhlala kubo. Kuphela unyaka aphothule ukuthwasa, avule isigodlo sakhe.
Imisebenzi yakhe iyababazeka. Kusuka abantu emazweni akude bezofuna usizo kuyena. Kuthi kuphuma ilanga abantu abafuna usizo kuyena sebegcwele igceke baphuma ngesango. Imali ingena ingenile. Ugcina esekwazi ukujabulisa uMaNgubane ngendlela ayifisayo.
Abantu abathwasisayo ubaphatha kahle. Wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi banethezekile futhi abahlukumezeki.
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Namuhla usuku lokulotsholwa kukaNomvelo. USakhile usethole umsebenzi oholela kahle. Kuyaphithizela ekhishini kulungiselwa abakhwenyana.
“Mama wahleka wedwa. Kwenzenjani?” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ngiyaziqhenya ngawe mntanami,” kusho UMaNgubane emamatheka.
“Ngiyabonga, Mama,” kuphendula uNomvelo.
Sitshele umbono wakho: UNomvelo uyafunda ukuthi ukudlwengulwa akufanele kube iyona into evimba ikusasa eliqhakazile kulabo abazithola bebhekene nakho. Futhi uNomvelo uyaqhubeka nokufeza ubizo lwakhe, athwase agcine eyisangoma. Isikhombisani lendaba kaNomvelo?
