USanele wayesendleleni ebuyela ekhaya, ehleka yedwa ezincoma ngokuqomisa intombi lena ababethi isichithe izinsizwa eziningi kodwa wafika wayinqoba yena.
Wayebuyela ekhaya nje ngenhloso eyodwa vo – ukugqoka ijezi ngoba nakhu kwakuqala amakhaza. Phela ekhaya insizwa lena yayibuyela ngoba isiyolala. Kuhle nje ukuthi sithi wayengahlali khona kepha elala khona. Kwajezi lelo lalikhishwe uThembelihle ongunkosikazi kaSanele, elikhipha ngenhloso yokuyoliwasha kanye nokunye okwakusemotweni. Wathi uma efika ekhaya wakhumbula ukuthi konje kwakukhona amaplastiki ayewaphethe anezinto ayezithengile engaqondile.
“Lento isingikhipha ezinhlelweni zami nje sengihamba ngithenga ngingahlosile. Phela bengiyobuye ngimungene kanjani lomtwana ngempela ukube angithenganga? I guess this is the price I have to pay to tap it,” washo sakuhleba emamatheka uSanele.
Wehla nawo wangena endlini wathola unkosikazi wakhe eqedela ukupheka.
“Sawubona myeni wami,” kwabingelela uLihle ngomoya ophansi. Kwachichima injabulo emehlweni kaThembelihle ebona kungena uSanele namaplastiki.
“Sthandwa sami, unjani?” kwabuza uSanele engabheke mpendulo, ebeka akuphethe etafuleni edlulela egumbini labo lokulala.
UThembelihle wasala wathulula izimpahla ezazishiywe umnyeni wakhe etafuleni. “Kodwa Somandla kanti uyayizwa imikhuleko yami yeminyaka? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi usuphendula imikhuleko yami manje? Uma kunjalo ngizokukhonza kakhulu kunakuqala,” wayekhuluma yedwa sakhuhleba uThembelihle. Wahlabelela umhlabelelo ahlale ewuhlabelela othi, “Umdumise njalo nasenhluphekweni,” ngephimbo lakhe elimtoti. Wabuka izimpahla lezi umyeni wakhe ayefike nazo, kukhona ama-spices odumo, kukhona amathishu, kukhona inyama nokunye nje okumbalwa. Phela uSanele wansondo lona wayengathengi lutho ekhaya, wayeqhamuka ngokuzolala. Ukuthi badlile noma abadlanga kwakungadokwe eligayelwe yena lelo. Wayema ngelokuthi wamufaka emsebenzini uThembelihle kwamasipala manje wayehlulwa yini ke ukuthenga ukudla okuzodliwa nguye.
Wayengathengeli ngisho ingane yabo izimpahla zokugqoka. Yonke imali yayithengela izintombi utshwala, akhokhe nama-rent ezingane ezifundayo lana, enye ithenge ukudla kwakhe nabangani koshisanyama. Utshwala obubizayo babuzothengwa ngani uma ezolibala ukondla umfazi osebenzayo ngempela? Wayezobonakala ngani ukuthi unestayela uma elibelele ukunaka indaba yokugqoka kwengane unina wayo esebenza? Yena wayezogqoka ngani lezimpahla zikanokusho azigqokayo ngempela?
UThembelihle wazizwa ebuyelwa ithemba ebona umyeni wakhe efika nezimpahla endlini ngoba kwakungafani naye. Wabuyelwa yithemba lokuthi njengoba wayehlala ekhala aze abezichitshana njalo ebusuku ekhuleka ukuthi umyeni wakhe abuye kuye, kube uSanele wakhe owayemuthanda. USanele wakhe owayekhuluma kahle namagama anoju kuye. Emkhuthaza futhi emseka ngandlela zonke.
“Sthandwa sami siyaphuma namajita siyobuka ibhola. Ngizokubona ngibuya,” kwasho uSanele. Waphuma kanjalo engalindanga mpendulo namubuzo.
“Hawu kodwa baba awusalindi nokudla uphume usudlile ekhaya,” kwabuza uThembelihle. Kodwa wayesekhuluma yedwa ngoba imoto yayisiyojika ngekhona.
UThembelihle wezwa izinyembezi zizehlela zilandelana ezihlathini. Kepha waziqinisa ngelokuthi akulungi kanye kanye konke. Wabonga lokhu okuncane ayekubona phambi kwamehlo akhe.
Kwaba ukuqala kobudlelwano bukaSanele noMbali. Yize uThembelihle wayekhala ubusuku nemini ekhuleka ukuba uSanele ashintshe kodwa alubanga khona ushintsho. Wayengezwa nabathi akashiye phansi ngoba uzomulandela ukugula ngaphandle akulethe ekhaya umyeni wakhe. Wahlala kanjalo ethembeni umtanomuntu. Wayevele athi uzobe emnika nini lokho kugula ngoba wayengasalali naye, efika azigoqe eceleni kwakhe uma kwenzekile wabuya ekhaya.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Uthini ngendlela uSanele aphatha ngayo unkosikazi wakhe? Ubona ukuthi kufanele abantu abashadile bahlukaniselane kanjani izidingo zasekhaya?