“No worries,” kusho uSamir enika uThando i-airtime. “Your sister always pays. I give you airtime.”
“Thanks, Samir,” kusho uThando efaka i- airtime.
Ufonela ucingo laZikhona angene kwi-voicemail. UThando uhamba ku-NO Paradise Road ebheke phansi ebuka ucingo aluqhafazayo. Akayiboni inqwaba yabantu abagijimayo aphambana nabo ngoba yena ubhalela uZikhona i-sms. Uphakamisa amehlo amangazwe ukuthuka nokukhathazeka okusebusweni kubo bonke abantu aphambana nabo. Mhlawumbe bagijimela ukuyobuka ingozi yemoto, kusho uThando ekhuluma yedwa.
Kugcina sekuthule cwaka emgwaqeni. Uqhubeka azame ukufonela uZikhona, kodwa angene ku-voicemail. UThando ubheke phansi, ubuka ucingo lwakhe, ubhalela uZikhona enye i-sms. Uzwa kumemeza umama thizeni. Wondlekile lo mama, uyagijima, uyahefuzela.
“Nkosi yami! Senibonile ukuthi leso sidumbu esitholwe eMonwabisi Beach esomuntu wesilisa noma owesifazane? Ngabe akuyena uStella wami nje lowo otholwe lapho?” kusho lo mama ekhuluma efonini, ehlengezela izinyembezi.
UThando kwayena akazi ukuthi usithatha nini isinqumo sokuphenduka alandele lo mama okhathazekile kanye nalo lonke uquqaba akade ephambana nalo. Lo munyu awuzwe ugijima emzimbeni ngesikhathi ebuka uZikhona ephuma ngesango izolo ubuya uphindaphindekile manje. Akaboni nokuthi usegijima ngesivinini esidlula wonke umuntu. Udlula eshweza kuNandi nabangani bakhe.
UNandi ubuka ukukhathazeka ebusweni buka Thando. “Thando!” kumemeza uNandi. “Thando kwenzenjani?” umemeza ejaha uThando.
UNandi umfica uThando eMonwabisi Beach. Kunabantu abaningi abazobuka lokhu okwenzakalayo lapha. Cishe ilokishi lonke likhona lapha kodwa awukho umsindo, wonke umuntu ukhuluma sakuhleba. UThando angeke akhumbule ukuthi wamubamba nini ngesandla uNandi kodwa izelamani zingena khona kulesi sixogwana sabantu zibambene ngezandla.
Bangena bebambene ngezandla bagcine befikile phambili. Bafica amalambhu amaphoyisa aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kanye ne-police tape ipheshulwa umoya wasolwandle. Amaphoyisa ayagumba lapha esihlabathini solwandle. Elinye lamaphoyisa licwila kulo mgodi abawumbayo livumbhuke nesikhwama esibomvu umbala.
“No! No! No!” kuhayiza uNandi. “Isikhwama sika Zikhona lesi! God no!”
UThando noNandi bagijima badabule i-police tape. Bobabili bancane ngomzimba kodwa badlula sengathi awekho lamaphoyisa azama ukubavimba. Emgodini olapha esihlabathini solwandle umzimba womuntu wesifazane ulele ubheke phansi. UThando noNandi abadingi uphendulwe lo mzimba ukuze babone ukuthi lo muntu ngudadewabo omdala, uZikhona.
Kumangala wonke umuntu ngoba uNandi uhayiza agcine equlekile.
“Ngabe niyamazi lomuntu esimthole lapha?” iphoyisa libuza uThando.
UThando uvuma ngekhanda, ziyagobhoza izinyembezi. Inhliziyo yakhe iphuka iphindelela ebona izingozi ezigcwele ebusweni bukaZikhona. Ushone ehayiza, amehlo avulekile, bamklinyile.
Engqondweni kaThando kulokhu kuphindaphinde umbuzo owodwa: Kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi umuntu onehliziyo enhle njengoZikhona abulawe kabuhlungu kanjena?
***
Sitshele: Ubukulindele loku kuphenduka kwale ndaba? Ucabanga ukuthi ubulaweleni uZikhona?