UThando uselilahlile ithemba njengoba elandela uCaptain Qinela. Uyazi, eqinisweni ilokishi lonke liyazi, ukuthi uCaptain Qinela akathembekile. Izigebengu ziyamokola kuyena ukuze zingaboshwa.
“Udadewenu ubulawe ngokuklinywa. Sithole nokuthi udlwenguliwe. Ubugcine nini ukumbona udadewenu?”
UThando uzulelwa yikhanda. Uhlezi nje ugqolozele uCaptain Qinela. Lokhu akuzwa kuphuma emlonyeni kaCaptain Qinela akakukholwa. Ulokhu ezincinza ingalo ecabanga ukuthi uzovuka kuleli phuphoelibi aliphilayo.
Abuze futhi uCaptain Qinela, “Thando, ugcine nini ukubona udadewenu?”
“Sikuphi isikhwama sakhe nefoni yakhe? Niwabhekile ama-fingerprints kulezo zinto zombili? Ikuphi enikwenzayo ukuthola umuntu ombulele?” kubuza uThando ngentukuthelo.
“Yebo, siwatholile ama-fingerprints esikhwameni kodwa imiphumela izothatha isikhathi. Zonke izinto zikadadewenu zilapha,” uCaptain Qinela unika uThando u-plastic omnyama womgqomo.
“Ikuphi enisekutholile njengoba niphenya?”
UCaptain Qinela usondela kuThando. “Phela nsizwa kumele wazi ukuthi asiphili kwi-TV crime series yaseMelika. Imiphumela yokuphenya ithatha isikhathi, Thando. Yekelela konke kuthina. Sizokwazisa uma kukhona esikutholayo.”
UThando unikina ikhanda, akahambisani neze nalokhu okushiwo uCaptain Qinela, “Kodwa alikho icala eniliphenya niphumelele kule police station. Uyakwazi lokho, ngiyakwazi lokho, ilokishi lonke liyakwazi lokho!”
“Akunjalo. Senza okusemandleni ngalokho esinakho.”
“Ayikho lento ongitshela yona!” kusho uThando ethatha u-plastic omnyama ephuma ngesicabha.
Ufika ekhaya afice uMam’Thembi nabanye omama bendawo behlabelela amaculo enduduzo. Umndeni uZikhona akade ewusebenzela, abakwa-Hamilton, ufika sekuhlwile. Kufika umndeni wonke: ubaba, umama, indodana kanye nogogo wakhona. Bafika bakhihle isililo phambi kuka Thando no-Nandi.
Ugogo wakwa-Hamilton ubuka isithombe se-matric dance kaZikhona odongeni ziqathake izinyembezi.
UHenry Hamilton, ubaba walo mndeni futhi isidlakela sendonda, ulokhu ebheke phansi. Izwi lakhe ligcwele usizi njengoba ethi, “UZikhona ubenobuntu, ubezimisela, ubenentshisekelo. Phezu kwalokho ezithobile.”
“Besihleka naye kushone ilanga. Kodwa ubani owenze isihluku esingaka entombazaneni yami,” kuhayiza uGeorgia Hamilton, umama wekhaya.
“Kukhona okungajwayelekile enikubonile ngoZikhona ezinsukwini ezidlule?” kubuza uThando.
“Uyazi njengoba ubuza manje,” kungenela uChris, indodana yakwa Hamilton. “Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi uZikhona uthe uzohlangana nomuntu thizeni mayelana nomsebenzi wokuma i-model. Ngamtshela ukuthi uzoba i-model enhle kakhulu. Phela uZikhona unomzimba we-model. Ngiqonde ukuthi ubenomzimba wokuba i-model. Ngiyaxolisa”
Bahamba bonke abantu, uNandi azumeke. UThando uvula u-plastic onezimpahla zika Zikhona. Zonke izinto zikaZikhona zikhona kulo-plastic. Kukhona nemali ku-wallet. Okungekho ifoni ne-diary yakhe.
“Ngiyakucela, Zikhona, khuluma nami,” kusho uThando ebuka isithombe kwi-ID ka Zikhona. “Ngicela ungikhombise umuntu okubulele, dadewethu.”
***
Sitshele: Ucabanga ukuthi bambulaleleni uZikhona njengoba ingathathwanga imali ku- wallet wakhe?