Isisindo sokushona kukaZikhona sibuya sonke sihlale emahlombe kaThando ebusuku abantu sebehambile. Uhlala emuva kwendlu akhalise okwengane.
UThando uzwa isandla ehlombe simduduza. Ucabanga ukuthi uMam’Thembi akhale kakhulu kunakuqala.
Uyathuka ezwa izwi lomuntu wesilisa angalazi lithi, “Khala ukudedele konke, mfowethu. Konke kuzolunga, Thando.”
UThando uphenduka ngamehlo egcwele izinyembezi, abone ukuthi uNjabulo “The Fist” Khumalo lona okhuluma naye. Okwake kwenziwa u-The Fist ebusheni bakhe kudume ilokishi lonke. Kudala, eminyakeni engu-20 eyedlule, kwabulawa ubaba wakhe ebanjwa inkuzi esendleleni eya emsebenzini ekuseni. U-The Fist wayeneminyaka engu-18 kwenzeka lokhu kodwa wabathungatha wababulala bonke laba bantu abayisithupha ababulala ubaba wakhe.
“UZikhona ubebaluleke kakhulu kumina,” kusho u-The Fist. “Wayemncane ngesikhathi ngiboshwa. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga sengiphumile ejele ngisanda kuvula i-gym, ngahlangana naye ngigijima ekuseni. Wangimisa wathi kimina, ‘Siyaziqhenya ngawe ngoba uphume ejele wavula i-gym. Siyabonga ngokunakekela intsha yasendaweni yethu’.”
U-The Fist ubuka kude, asule unyembezi. Izwi ligcwele umunyu njengoba ethi, “Empilweni yami yonke akekho umuntu owake wangitshela ukuthi uyaziqhenya ngami. Udadewenu uZikhona kuphela.”
“Ngiyabonga, bhuti,” kusho uThando.
“Anginakho okuningi engingakusiza ngakho kodwa ngicela wazi ukuthi iminyango ye-gym yami iyohleze ivulekile. Ungeza noma nini. Noma udinga ukuxoxa nje ngikhona.”
Ngakusasa ngeSonto uThando uvuka ephatheke kabuhlungu emphefumulweni. Uzwa sengathi uthwele umhlaba emahlombe. Uqonda e-gym ngoba engafuni ukuthelela uNandi ngalokhu kuphatheka babi.
Umqala kancane u-The Fist, amenzise ukuzivocavoca okulula – i skipping rope nama-sit ups.
“Lihamba kanjani icala nophenyo? Athini amaphoyisa?” kubuza uThe Fist, ebambe i-punching bag.
UThando uyishaya ephindelela i-punching bag. “Awasho lutho amaphoyisa, kusathule du.”
“Ngicabangile ukuthi kunjalo. Kulungile ima kancane,” kusho u-The Fist, “Thatha ikhefu, uphuze amanzi.”
UThando ukhokha umoya, aphuze amanzi empompini osekhoneni. Ubuka u-The Fist oseceleni kwakhe, athi, “Ukube nguwe othungatha ababulali baZikhona ubungaqala kuphi?”
“Wena ucabanga ukuthi bengingaqala kuphi?”
“Endaweni yokugcina lapho uZikhona abokanala kuyo.”
“Ikuphi lapho?” kubuza u-The Fist.
“EPhumza’s Tavern”.
U-The Fist uvuma ngekhanda amamatheke.
UThando uphindela ekhaya egijima. Ufica uNandi emile ekhishini ecasukile. “Ubukuphi, Thando? Uphumaphi?”
“Bengise gym.”
“Bekufanele ungitshele ukuthi uyaphi. Ifoni yakho ivaliwe, ngikhathazeke kabi. Sisanda kulahlekelwa uZikhona, kade sengicabanga ukuthi nawe usungilahlekele,” kugcwala izinyembezi emehlweni kaNandi.
“Ngicela wehlise umoya, Nandi,” uThando ududuza udadewabo. “Uqinisile bekufanele ngikutshele. Bengingazi nokuthi u-The Fist ufuna avalwe amafoni e-gym. Ngiyaxolisa.”
UNandi ubuka uThando emehlweni athi, “Thando.”
“Yebo, Nandi.”
“Uma ucabanga amaphoyisa azomthola umuntu obulale uZikhona?”
“Asithembe bazomthola ngoba uma behluleka ngizombheka ngize ngimthole.”
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Sitshele: Uthini umbono wakho ngokuziphindiselela, lokhu okuthiwa ‘iso ngeso’?