UMondli ujeqeza esihlalweni esingemuva njengoba ethunga iMercedes-Benz enesondo emhlane eyikhipha eyifaka ku-traffic.
“Ungakhathazeki, Baba,” kusho uMondli. “Phela thina singabantu phaqa! Akufanele sikukhohlwe lokho. Amaphilisi lawa, nemithi yabelungu kusebenza kufike lapho kuhluleka khona.”
UScelo uhlezi emuva nomkhulu wakhe okhombisa ukuzwela izinhlungu njalo uma imoto ingena ezikhinsini emgwaqeni.
“Ehlisa isivinini, Mondli,” kusho uMnumzane Msomi.
“Baba, ngicela wehlise isivinini,” kusho uScelo. “UMkhulu usezinhlungwini!”
“Ngicabangile. Uyazi ngivele ngayibona lento ukuthi injalo!” uMondli unqekuzisa ikhanda ngokuzithemba. “Konke lokhu okwenzekayo kuhambisana nncamashi nombono wami! Awushevu amaphilisi kanye nama-drip! UBaba sekuphele isonto lonke elele esibhedlela kodwa ugula kakhulu kunakuqala kunokuba alulame. Awubuke nje ukuthi uzace kangakanani! UMbambo uzokulapha, Baba. Akaze ahluleke uMbambo. Uyakhumbula ngesikhathi elapha umalume uBongani?”
UMnumzane Msomi uvuma ngekhanda kancane. Uyawezwa amaphilisi ezinhlungu awanikwe nguDokotela Mdluli egijima ngemthambo yegazi. UMondli usebatholile esibukweni esiphakathi lapha emotweni, ubabuka bobabili njengoba ekhuluma nabo.
UScelo ubuka umkhulu wakhe ngokukhulu ukukhathazeka. Umkhulu wakhe uphelelwa amandla umzuzu nomzuzu selokhu bephumile esibhedlela. Umzimba wakhe untenga nokujika kwemoto – uScelo usesondele eduzane kwakhe ukuze amsekele.
“UMkhulu ubuthakathaka, Baba,” kusho uScelo. “Angiboni sengathi kuyicebo elihle ukuba simkhiphe esibhedlela.”
“Nami ngiyabona ukuthi uBaba ubuthakathaka, Scelo. Kodwa ukumkhipha esibhedlela kuyicebo elihle. UMbambo uyinyanga elaphayo. Walapha umalume uBongani emuva kokuba odokotela sebehlulekile ngamamaphilisi nama-drip. Umalume uBongani wayephethwe isimanga sento – ingwici engapheli inyanga yonke! Sabona ukuthi kungcono simkhiphe esibhedlela simuse kuMbambo. UMbambo wamxilonga imzuzu emihlanu kuphela yaphela ingwici!”
UScelo ukhathazekile ngomkhulu wakhe, akamuzwa ubaba wakhe njengoba ekhuluma.
“Uyabona, Scelo, inkinga yethu thina bantu abamnyama ukuthi asisawusebenzisi umuthi wesintu. Asisawusebenzisi!” kusho uMondli. “Ingakho ubona izinto ziqhubeka zingasihambeli kahle. Sikhethe ukulahla konk-”
“Misa imoto, Baba!” kumemeza uScelo. “UMkhulu uyabuyisa!”
Kuyamethusa ukumemeza kukaScelo uMondli, amise imoto eceleni komgwaqo ngokushesha. UMnumzane Msomi ubuyisa agcine ephelelwe umoya. Kuyinto edabukisayo ukuyibuka. Babuyela emotweni baqhubeke nendlela yabo eqonde enyangeni, uMbambo.
Uyashehsa ukubabona uMbambo. Uphonsa amathambo phambi kwawo amadoda akwaMsomi, awabukisise, ashwaqe ebusweni.
“Yini, Mbambo? Ubonanani?” kubuza uMondli.
UMbambo unikina ikhanda, umangele.
“Amathambo akhombisa ukuthi ugogo kababa wakho ucasuke kakhulu,” kusho uMbambo.
UMnumzane Msomi uyaqhaqhazela, uzama ukunyusa ikhanda abuke uMbambo.
“Ugogo lona wayemthanda ubaba wakho, emnakelela kusukela emncane,” kusho uMbambo. “Uyena ugogo owenze ubaba wakho waba nakho konke lokhu anakho amanje. Uyena ugogo omenze ubaba wakho wagwilika. Uyena ombhekile njengoba esehleli namanye amadlozi akwaMsomi.”
Iso elilodwa likaMnumzane Msomi ligcwala unyembezi njengoba ekuvuma ngekhanda lokhu okushiwo uMbambo.
“Ugogo ucasukile ngoba unika ubaba wakho izibusiso kodwa ubaba wakho akaze ambonge nakanye. Amathambo angikhombisa ukuthi iyona lento egulisa ubaba wakho!” kusho uMbambo.
UMbambo ususa amehlo emathanjeni, abuke amadoda akwaMsomi.
“Manje kufanele senzeni ukuze silungise lesi simo?” kubuza uMondli.
UMbambo uthatha amathambo, awaxukuze ezandleni, aphephethe, awaphonse phansi phambi kwamadoda akwaMsomi futhi. Kuphela isikhashana ewabukisisa amathambo. Ubukeka ejulile njengoba ewafunda amathambo. Uqeda ukuwafunda, abe eseyahleka.
“Hhayi ugogo lona akafuni okuningi,” kusho uMbambo. “Nina kufanele nihlabe inkomo, nishise impempo, nixolise kuyena. Emuva kwalokho kumele nilihlanze itshe lethuna lakhe.”
UMondli uvuma ngekhanda.
“Kukhona nomuthi engizomunika wona ubaba wakho. Kufanele niwushise lo muthi njalo ekuseni uze uphele. Ubaba wakho kufanele awufake ebhodweni, kuzothi uma usha ahogele intuthu yawo,” kusho uMbambo.
“UBaba uzolulama uma sikwenza konke lokhu?”
“Yebo, ubaba wakho uzosinda. Uzovuka abe ngumqemane!” kusho uMbambo.
Kuthulekile emotweni njengoba bebuya emzini kaMbambo. UMnumzane Msomi uzumekile. UScelo uyakhuluma kumakhalekhukhwini. UMondli unezinsolo ngoba uScelo uphendula ngokusebenzisa igama elilodwa futhi ukhulumela phansi. UScelo ubona ukuthi ubaba wakhe uyambuka esibukweni, asheshise aqede ukukhuluma kumakhalekhukhwini.
“Ukhuluma nobani ocingweni?” kubuza uMondli. “Ukhuluma noZinhle?”
“Yebo, Baba. Ngikhuluma noAnti Zinhle.”
“Angifuni ulokhu ukhuluma nalowo. Uyangizwa?”
“Ngeke ngikwazi ukwenza lokho, Baba. Ungu-Anti wami phela!” kusho uScelo.
“Ungu-Anti wakho kodwa ungcolile!” kusho uMondli.
UMondli ukhuluma ngezwi eliphezulu lokuthetha. Livusa uMnumzane Msomi lelizwi elithethayo.
“Uyazi ukuthi uZinhle wabulala ugogo wakho?” kusho uMondli.
Usephendukile ubuka uScelo esihlalweni esingemuva.
“Kahle, Baba. Usuqalile futhi ngalento yakho,” kusho uScelo.
“Vele kunjalo! Wabulala uMa behlangene nesonto lakhe nomfundisi wakhe!”
“Kahle, Mondli!” kusho uMnumzane Msomi.
UMondli ucasuka kakhulu kunakuqala, “Vele kunjalo! Kufanele siyeke ukuyimbathisa lendaba, Baba. UZinhle nomfundisi wakhe batshela uMa ukuthi ayeke ukuphuza amaphilisi okulapha ushukela ngoba bethi igazi likaJesu selimsindisile! Yena qobo lo mfundisi obiza amadlozi ethu ngamadimoni!”
“Kahle, Mondli! Thula!” kumemeza uMnumzane Msomi. Ukhungwa ukukhwehlela okumqeda umoya uMnumzane Msomi.
“Hhayi bo! Ukahle nje, Baba?” kubuza uMondli ethukile.
“Cha! Ngifisa ukubona ulwandle, ngiphumuze umqondo,” kusho uMnumzane Msomi.
“Ufuna ngikuse kuliphi ulwandle?” kubuza uMondli.
“Angiyi ndawo nawe wena, Mondli. Angifuni ungithelele ngokucasuka kwakho ngaphezulu komdlavuza, ushukela nesifo senhliziyo. Sishiye emzini wami eZimbali.”
“Kodwa Baba kufanele sikhulume ngalokhu asitshele khona uMbambo. Kufanele siqale maduze ukulungiselela umsebenzi wesintu okufanele siwenze,” kusho uMondli.
UMnumzane Msomi ubuka uMondli ngamehlo akhombisayo ukuthi nguye umzali, uMondli uyingane. “Ngithi kuwena sihambise eZimbali!” umemeza ngezindebe eziqhaqhazela ngokucasuka.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ukubhekwa amadlozi kungakwenza ugwilike? Ngabe ‘ukusindiswa igazi likaJesu’ kuyazilapha izifo?