UZip uthatha i-diary ayibukisise. “Buka la, Thando. Lidatshuliwe i-page losuku anyamalala ngalo uZikhona.”
UThando uhambisa isandla kwi-page le-diary. “Shesha Azipho! Thola ipeni lomsizi,” kusho uThando.
UZip upequlula emjondolo wakhe agcine elitholile ipeni lomsizi. Bobathathu bangunga i-diary. UBrice noZip babuka uThando njengoba ehlikihla leli-page ngepeni lomsizi. Lokhu okwakubhalwe uZikhona kuleli khasi elidatshuliwe kuyavela kuleli-page alihlikihla ngepeni lomsizi uThando. Uyaqeda uThando, bobathathu babukisise.
“Ukhona okwaziyo ukufunda lento ebhalwe la?” kubuza uZip.
“UZikhona wayebhala ngale ndlela uma ephuthuma,” kusho uThando.
Umusho wokuqala ucacile. “Kukhona amantombazane e,” kufunda uThando.
Umusho olandelayo awubonakali kahle.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi leli gama lithi ‘arbou’” kusho uBrice.
UThando uhlikihla ngepeni lomsizi ekuqaleni nasekugcineni kwaleli gama.
“E Harbour!” bobathathu basho kanyekanye.
“Igama elilandelayo lithi is c.o.n.t.a.i,” kusho uThando.
UZip uthatha ipeni lomsizi ahlikile.
“Lithi ‘container’!” kusho uBrice.
Umusho olandelayo uyinombolo: 34089LX.
UThando uthi, “UZikhona wayethi, kukhona amantombazane e-harbour kwi-container! Inombolo yona ichazani?”
“Mhlawumbe wabona le nombolo esithombeni noma kwi-video ngesikhathi ebuka ifoni kaSpokes ngephutha,” kusho uZip
“Kungenzeka kube inombolo ye-container,” kusho uBrice.
“UZikhona wabona ukuthi lento ibalulekile, wayibhala phansi ngokushesha,” kusho uThando.
“USpokes noTrevor bambulala ngoba ebone lokhu, bafuna ne-diary yakhe ishiswe,” kusho uBrice.
UThando ubuka uZip athi, “Azipho, thumela lokhu esikutholile ku-Detective Mtolo eMowbray.”
Kukhona ukuphuthuma ezwini likaZip manje. Uthumela konke abakutholile kuDetective Mtolo. Uphendukela kuBrice noThando athi, “Lokhu okubhalwe uZikhona kuzwakala sengathi ukushushumbiswa kwabantu. Kumele sizame ukuyivimba lento. Kumele siqonde e-harbour kwamanje ngoba amaphoyisa azithathela esawo isikhathi.”
“Nginayo imoto ekhaya,” kusho uBrice.
Bobathathu bagijima baqonde kwaBrice. Bangena emotweni ayishaye izule uBrice bephikelele e-harbour.
Kungena ucingo kuZip luvela kuDetective Mtolo. Uyaqinisekisa ukuthi inombolo ye-container le eyabhalwa uZikhona.
“I-Container isekhona e-harbour. Sisendleleni eya khona nabanye ozakwethu,” kusho uDetective Mtolo.
UThando, uBrice noZip bafika e-harbour esefikile amaphoyisa. Bama eduzane kwe-yellow tape babukele amaphoyisa ezungeza le-container. Izicabha ze-container zivulwa ngodlawu okuthiwa i-‘Jaws of life’. Amaphoyisa avula izicabha kuphume inqwaba yamantombazane. Amaningi abukeka edidekile. Amanye amantombazane awadlulile eminyakeni engu-12.
“USpokes usinike ikheli lomshushumbisi ophezulu, uTrevor,” kusho u-Detective Mtolo efika kuZip, uBrice noThando. “Abanye ozakwethu baphikelele khona njengoba sikhuluma. Inkinga esinayo ukuthi sidinga umuntu ongakwazi ukumkhomba uTrevor. Angimethembi neze uSpokes.”
“Ngingamkhomba mina, ngake ngambona,” kusho uBrice.
Bangena emotweni ka-Detective Mtolo baqonde eCamps Bay. Bafica inqwaba yamaphoyisa ithatha ubufakazi kulesi sithabathaba somuzi.
“Lindani lapha,” kusho uDetective Mtolo.
UThando, uZip noBrice bayabona u-Detective Mtolo ekhuluma nelinye iphoyisa. Bayabona nokuthi lokhu akuzwayo u-Detective Mtolo akumuphathi kahle.
U-Detective Mtolo ubuyela kubo emotweni enikina ikhanda. “Bafike lapha uTrevor esebalekile. Uphume ngesamagundane ngoba iphunga le-cigar lisagcwele endlini. Namaqhwa engilasini ye-whisky awakancibiliki. Simushwebe kancane.”
U-Detective Mtolo ubuka ukudangala ebusweni baThando, uZip, noBrice, “Ningadangali. Jabulani ngoba namhlanje nisindise izimpilo zamantombazane angu-34. Khululekani, uTrevor sizomthola. Ngiyanithembisa.”
UZip ukhomba uThando, athi, “Udadewabo kaThando, uZikhona, osindise izimpilo ezingu 34.”
Uvuma ngekhanda uThando, ahleke, athi, “Vele uZikhona ubengumuntu onesibindi.”
Baphindela elokishini. UBrice ucima imoto esangweni lakwaThando eParadise Road. Bayabukana bobathathu bancomane ngokuthintisana izibhakela.
UThando ubuka imoto kaBrice isithela ekhoneni likaParadise no- Heaven Road isiyoshiya uZip. Ungena enyonyoba endlini, avule isicabha segumbi likaNandi. Udadewabo ulele ubuthongo obujulile.
“Nandi,” kumemeza uThando.
UNandi uvula amehlo. Ukhulumela ebuthongweni, “Yes, Thando.”
“Simtholile oyedwa wababulali baZikhona. Lo omunye amaphoyisa asezithendeni zakhe. Bazombamba maduze.”
UNandi uphuma embhedeni agxhume abambe uThando. “Ngiyabonga, Thando mfowethu.”
Umoya wasekuseni obandayo ushaya ikhwela ushweza eParadise Road. UThando ugoqoza iphalishi elibilayo esitofini. Uma esicabheni segumbi likaNandi.
“Vuka, Nandi,” kusho uThando. “Sesishayile isikhathi sokuya esikoleni”
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Sitshele: Ngabe ekugcineni kwale ndaba ikhona inguquko oyibona kuThando?
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Le ndaba isitshelani ngempilo ephilwayo? Kungenziwa kanjani ukuze senze impilo ibe ngcono?