“Kuyaswenkwa eState Theatre?” uModi ubuza umfowabo nonkosikazi wakhe ekhaya ebusuku.
“Sake saya khona kanye kuphela. Abanye abantu babeswenkile, abanye bezigqokele izingubo abazigqoka nsuku zonke. Angikholwa ukuthi kunendlela ethile okufanele ugqoke ngayo,” kusho uReabiloe, unkosikazi kamfowabo. “Kodwa kumnandi nje vele ukuswenka, uconse, uzizwe?”
“Sizosuka emsebenzini siye eState Theatre, ngizoshintsha khona emsebenzini,” uModi udedela umshana wakhe ohlezi emathangeni ngokucophelela, ahlale kukhaphethi.
“Ukuzikhipha kwakho kuyizindaba ezimnandi,” kusho umfowabo, uJonase. “Umzala uOmphile uyeza uzohlala nathi inyanga eyodwa.”
“Awu kodwa Nkulunkulu! Uzokwenzani la lowo?” uModi uyahluleka ukufihla ukucasuka akuzwa kushisa esifubeni.
“Ubhalisele ukufundela i-coding inyanga eyodwa. Ngiyaxolisa, Modi,” kusho uJonase. “Ngihlulekile ukunqaba ngesikhathi uAuntie engicela. Noma ngabe sizizwa kanjani ngoOmphile, umndeni kufanele unakelele umndeni.”
“Ngiyabona. Njengoba wena noReabiloe ninakelela mina.”
UModi uyabonga ngoba bamkhokhisa imali encane ngokuhlala nabo okwenza akwazi ukuqongelela imali abengeke akwazi ukuyiqongelela ukuba uhlala kwenye indawo.
“Kodwa hhayi, kubukeka sengathi uOmphile ulandela mina esuka eRustenburg. Wenza konke engikwenzayo, njengenjwayelo kusukela sisebancane.”
Uyahleka uJonase. “Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi wawufihla amathoyizi nezingubo ozithandayo ngesikhathi usemncane ngoba wayekuthatha konke uma ekubona.”
“Kubizwa ngokuntshontsha lokho. Wayefuna konke enginakho,” kuvuma uModi, ecikeka ecabanga ukuthi uzohlala inyanga yonke noOmphile. “Uma ehluleka untshontsha izinto zami, wayeziphula noma azidabule-ecekela phansi.”
UJonase uqubula ingane yakhe, uPhenyo, esizumekile kukhaphethi, ayomlalisa embhedeni. UModi noReabiloe basegumbini likaModi babuka izingubo, bakhetha azokugqoka uma bephuma noKhotso.
UModi wenze kahle ngokukhetha ingubo elula esawolintshi ngombala ngoba uKhotso uyamamatheka ngakusasa ebusuku uma embona eyigqokile. Izicathulo ezigolide ngombala kanye ne-shawl egolide ayiboleke kuReabiloe wayibophela okhalweni imenza abukeke sengathi uyincosimende.
“Waze wamuhle,” kusho uKhotso.
“Nawe umuhle, ugqoke kahle,” kuphendula uModi, ebuka ibhantshi likaKhotso.
Imoto kaKhotso iwuhlobo oluphambili, i-Audi. UModi ugculisekile ngendlela ashayela ngayo ngobunono uKhotso. Akenzi njengabantu besilisa abaningi abahlehlisa izihlalo kube sengathi zilele uma beshayela ngoba befuna ukubukeka be-cool. Isoka likaModi lokugcina lalithanda ukulalisa isihlalo, okwakumcasula uModi.
Nkulunkulu, akufanele acabange ngesoka lakhe lokugcina uNeo, ngoba lokho kuzolona usuku lwakhe. Ngempela kufanele akhumbule isifundo asifunda kuNeo ngaphandle kokukhumbula ukuthi wamphoxa kanjani lo mlisa.
“Uyakujabulela ukusebenza e-ECC?” kubuza uKhotso, bengena belandela uxhaxha lwezimoto emgaqweni omkhulu walapha eTshwane.
“Kumnandi, kodwa kufanele ngikutshele iqiniso. Ngibambe itoho kuphela laphaya. Ngiqongelela imali yokuba ngikwazi ukukhokha imali yokufundela ukuba i-cabin crew emabhanoyini kwaSAA eKempton Park.” UModi udedela umoya. “Inkinga ukuthi, umndeni wami awuhlupheki ngokwanele ukuba ngithole usizo lwezimali zokufunda, kodwa futhi anginayo imali eyanele yokufunda. Kufanele ngiqongelele imali isikhathi eside.”
“Wow! Uzimisele ukundizela phezulu ngempela,” kuncoma uKhotso.
“Ngafisa ukusebenza emabhanoyini selokhu ngandiza kanye kudala, kodwa imiphumela yami ye-maths ayibanga mihle. Angikwazanga ukwamukelwa ukuba ngifundele ukuba i-pilot,” kusho uModi egigitheka. “Kodwa imiphumela ye-English yona yayimihle. I-English ingeminye yemigomo yokungena esikoleni sakwa-SAA. Omunye umgomo omangazayo ukuthi kufanele ukwazi ukubhukuda! Ngenhlanhla kukhona idamu lapho sazifundisa khona ukubhukuda sisebancane lapho engakhulela khona eceleni kwaseRustenburg. Kodwa ngithatha izifundo zokubhukuda njalo ngoMgqibelo ukuze ngigcine ngiwumpetha. Ngifunda nezinye izilimi ngama-audio books.”
“Engikuthanda ngawe ukuthi ungumntu ozimisele.” Amazwi kaKhotso agcwele ukukhuthaza. “Futhi uzenzela wena – noma umndeni wakho uyakusiza?”
“Cha, angifuni bangisize. Bangisiza kakhulu ngesikhathi ngineminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu.”
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Uyavumelana noModi ukuthi akufanele silindele abantu bemindeni yethu basisize njalo?