Amateku awuhlobo i-Nike Air Jordan angena ephuma egcekeni lomuzi eKhayelitsha. UBrice wenza lokhu adume ngakho, ukudayisa izidakamizwa. Umatasa kakhulu ebusuku. Umalume wakhe ohamba nge-wheelchair usebumnyameni khona lapha egcekeni, ubhema ugwayi ubuka umshana wakhe.
UBrice uzwa kusondela ngalapho emi ngakhona esangweni ukunswininiza kwamasondo e-wheelchair kamalume wakhe. Uphakamisa amehlo ahlangane naka malume abone ukuthi umalume uzomuyala.
“Ngilukhumbhula sengathi izolo lokhu usuku owazalwa ngalo, mshana wami,” umalume uyakhwehlela, alahle isinqamu sogwayi. “Isifiso enganginaso ukuthi kube nguwe umuntu wesilisa wokuqala ongasona isigebengu kulo mndeni.”
“Singafisa sigcine lapho sithanda khona, Malume Steve, kodwa iqiniso iqiniso,” kusho uBrice.
“Ngiyakubona usuyinkosi lapha elokishini. Usuyi top dog yokudayisa izidakamizwa. Awazi mshana wami ukuthi ngiphoxeka kanjani uma ngikubona wenza lento oyenzayo.”
“All money is legal, Malume Steve. Angithi le tattoo esesifubeni sakho ibhalwe lokho?”
“Kunjalo, futhi ngifisa ukuyixikiza ngiyisule emzimbeni wami. Impilo yobugebengu yangifaka ejele, ngabulala. Nginezikhala ezingavaleki kunembeza wami. Ibona lobo bugebengu okwathatha imilenze yami njengoba ngingasakwazi ukuhamba. Manje ngiyi-”
Kukhala ucingo lukaBrice. Ngomunye wabantu ambamdayiselayo ofonayo. UBrice uyalalelisisa okwesikhashana, aguquke ebusweni acasuke.
“Ungangisukeli, uyangizwa? Ngizokuphula phoqo imilenze mina,” kusho u Brice ememeza ocingweni. “Imali inyuka iye phezulu, silima ndini. Ngikutshelile ukuthi ungake ulinge ubheme lento oyidayisayo. Angithi? Ngiyifuna iphelele leyo mali futhi uyilethe wena ngoba uzoba nenkinga uma ngizilandela yona mathupha.” uBrice acime ucingo.
“Ya nazo-ke! Uze ukhulumise okwazo izinswelaboya, mshana wami. Mr. Big Shot,” umalume Steve ubhuqa uBrice.
“Yazi, Malume, uhleze ungiyala ngalento yokudayisa izidakamizwa. Manje mangase ngiyeke sizodla ini? Sizogcwalisa izisu ngamatshe, inhlabathi, notshani? Awuhlukane nokungishumayeza. Wenza into engakufanele, Malume.”
Kuqhamuka imoto enamawindi amnyama, ime esangweni lakwa Brice. UBrice ungena ngokushesha esicabheni sangemuva, iqhubeke imoto. Ihamba kancane igcine imile ekugcineni komgwago. Phakathi la emotweni kukhona uSpokes nomlisa uBrice aqalayo ukumbona. UBrice akadingi ukuze amazi ngoba kuyazicacela ukuthi lo mlisa nguye isigelekeqe esiphethe konke. Umgexo owugqinsi wegolide newashi eliwuhlobo lwe-Rolex kuchaza konke uBrice angakwazi.
“Imali ikhona yonke, Brice?” kubuza uSpokes.
UBrice uvuma ngekhanda, anikeze uSpokes imvilophu enemali.
USpokes uvula le mvilophu anqekuzise ikhanda, akhombe lo mlisa oseceleni kwakhe, “Lona engihamba naye uTrevor, uphethe konke.”
UTrevor uphenduka abuke uBrice. UTrevor uphebeza uSpokes nomshayeli wemoto ngesandla ebakhipha emotweni.
“Ngizwa kuthiwa ufuna ukudayisa i-cocaine yami,” izwi lika Trevor liphansi, ngeke usho ukuthi nguye isigebengu esiphezulu.
“Yebo, kunjalo” kuphendula Brice. “Abantu bayidinga kakhulu i-cocaine. Singenza imali eningi ngokushesha.”
Avume ngekhanda uTrevor. Ubuka i-Rolex yakhe, “Ngizokwazi kanjani ukuthi ungumuntu othembekile?”
“Ngithembekile mina, Trevor,” kusho uBrice.
“Ngempela uthembekile?”
“Yebo.”
“Ukuze usondele kumina kumele ungikhombise ukuthembeka kwakho. Ngifuna ungenzele into eyodwa elula.”
UBrice uvuma ngekhanda, athi, “Kulungile, Trevor. Isho nje mina ngizokwenza”
UTrevor uthatha u-plastic esicabheni ahleli ngakuso. “Yilokhu kuphela okumele ukwenze ukuze ngikuthembe, Brice.”
UTrevor unikeza uBrice lo-plastic. UBrice awuzwe, kuzwakala sengathi ibhuku thizeni leli eliphakathi. “Yini le?” kubuza uBrice.
“Ukuze ngikuthembe kumele ngibone ukuthi uyakwazi ukwenza lokhu engikutshela khona,” kusho uTrevor.
“Ngiyakwazi ukulandela umlayezo mina.”
“Ngempela, Brice?”
“Yebo”
“Ngifuna uthathe lento uyishabalalise. Ngifuna ukuthi uma sihlukana uyishise iphele nya.”
UBrice uvuma ngekhanda.
“Ungavumi ngekhanda kuphela, Brice. Ngifuna ukuzwa uthembisa ukuthi uzoyenza lento engiyifunayo.”
“Ngizoyishisa lento iphenduke umlotha,” kusho uBrice.
“Nazoke,” uTrevor uhleka kuvele uthotho lwamazinyo egolide. “Uma wenze lento wangatshela noyedwa umuntu uzobona, Brice. Yonke i-cocaine ofuna ukuyidayisa uzoyithola.”
***
Sitshele: Ngabe uBrice uzokwazwi ukumela isithembiso sezigebengu asithembise uTrevor?