Indlela ende ebheke ePretoria iphula inhliziyo kaModi. Uyabona nokuthi noKhotso uphukile inhliziyo.
Ubuze imibuzo ngesikhathi eqala ukuzwa uModi ekhuluma ngokuhlukana kwabo. Akaqondi ukuthi kungani uModi efuna ukuhlukana naye. Naye uModi akamsoli uKhotso ngokudideka ngoba kade bejabulile, konke kuhamba kahle.
Kodwa ukwenzile obekufanele akwenze. Angeke esabuyela emuva manje.
Emuva kwesikhathi, ukubuza kukaKhotso kugcwala ulaka, kodwa ulaka lwakhe akalubhekisile kuModi kodwa kuyena uqobo.
Kuyabonakala ukuthi uyazisola ngokuba aziyekele, wabukeka njengesilima.
UModi uyadabuka, aqale ukuzwela uKhotso, kodwa uyazi ukuthi kufanele akwenze lokhu okubuhlungu okungenalo uzwelo ngoba ngabe unomona uma efuna uKhotso aqhubeke nokumthanda kodwa ekwazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi akukho okunye okuzokhula phakathi kwabo. Kungcono aphatheke kabuhlungu manje, kodwa kuzodlula.
Kuthulekile emotweni, kushubile, ayikho injabulo. UKhotso ukhuluma uma befika e-Excellence Conference Centre.
“Ngempela ngihluleke ngaleyo ndlela ukufunda umqondo wakho, Modi?” ubuza emuva kokucisha i-Audi.
UModi umbuka emehlweni, ngaphakathi inhliziyo yakhe iphuka izingcucu eziyinkulungwane.
“Ngiyaxolisa, Khotso!” usho echiphisa izinyembezi.
Uphuma emotweni, ahambe ngokushesha, asithele. Ukuba umile alubone usizi nokuhlukumezeka ebusweni kuKhotso omunye umzuzu, ngabe ukhihle isililo.
Usuku lunzima. Abanye abantu ababuyanga emuva kwempelasonto ende, uModi uzithola ematasa enza imisebenzi yabo. Akasitholi isikhathi sokuphumula, adonse umoya, acabange. Akusizi nokuthi uLebo ubuza ebuzile mayelana nohambo lwempelasonto.
UModi uyahluleka ukuxoxa ngokuthi konke kuphele kanjani. Izinhlungu zisezintsha kakhulu, kuyasika. Yingakho avele amamatheke – okwenza kube buhlungu kakhulu – asho ngokushesha ukuthi bekumnandi.
Umumnandi bangempela, angeke aphinde abuthole.
Nasekhaya, emzini kaJonase, ayikho indlela yokuba azithole eyedwa. Ulala egumbini elilodwa noOmphile. Umatasatasa u-Omphile, ulinganisa ezinye zezingubo zikaModi.
“Bengidinga isiqholo sakho sikaRihanna ngempelasonto, kodwa ubuhambe naso,” kukhononda u-Omphile.
UModi uhluleka nokuphendula. Ziningi izinto ezinzima kakhulu, kunokukhononda ngomzala ontshontsha izinto zakhe, ezimehlakalele empilweni yakhe – ukugula okwacishe kwathatha impilo yakhe eminyakeni eminingi edlule, izinsalela zalokho kugula ezisakhona namanje empilweni yakhe, nalokhu ukuphuka kwenhliziyo abhekene nakho manje.
Emuva kokudla kwasebusuku uphumela ngaphandle kwendlu. Uhlala esitebhisini, abuke isibhakabhaka. Ukukhanya kwamalambu asedolobheni kuzifihlile izinkanyezi, aziveli ngokukhazimula njengaseMabalingwe.
Mabalingwe. Ngabe iyona kuphela injabulo azoba nayo emhlabeni leyo?
Izinyembezi zehla sakunyonyoba ezihlathini.
UModi akapholi neze ngokuqhubeka kwesonto. Izinhlungu zokuhlukana noKhotso ziyamsinda enhliziyweni.
Ekuseni ngoMgqibelo, uthatha itekisi eyofundela ukubhukuda, enethemba lokuthi ukuba semanzini kuzompholisa. Kodwa kunalokho, amanzi amkhumbhuza ngesikhathi ebhukuda noKhotso eMabalingwe, nangaphambili kwalokho, ngesikhathi besemzini wabangani baKhotso, u-Andrew noYonayona.
Uphuma etekisini ehudula izinyawo, esondela emzini kamfowabo, uJonase. Uphakamisa amehlo emuva kokungena emgwaqeni omncane ongenela endlini, ashaqeke ame nse.
Imoto ewuhlobo lwe-Audi imile ngaphandle. Nakanjani uKhotso lona ambonayo ephuma endlini.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe uKhotso uzama ukubuyelana noModi njengoba elana? Noma kukhona okunye azokwenza?