Umbani wezinhlungu esiswini uvusa uMnumzane Msomi ekuseni. Uyawezwa amanzi ekhala egumbi eliseceleni kwelakhe – uBatho, umhlengikazi omnakekelayo ekhaya, uzilungiselela ukuqala kosuku.
UMnumzane Msomi uvuka abambe i-walker. Uyatabalasa ezama ukusukuma, azimele izinhlungu, agcine esukumile. Uyatotoba agcine efikile esihlalweni esihambayo.
Ugwinya amaphilisi ezinhlungu, ehlise ngamanzi abandayo. Ufaka umuthi awunikwe uMbambo ebhodweni. Kuba ukuqala ukusha kwawo umuthi, adonse ibhodwe alisondeze ebusweni ahogele intuthu.
Uqhubekela e-lounge ekhwehlela intuthu yomuthi. Uvula umabonakude, athole ukuthi uBatho uwushiye ku-Gospel Channel. UMnumzane Msomi ubuka isikhashana abone umfundisi, naye ongowaseNigeria, eshumayela ngogqozi esontweni elikhulu eligcwele abantu.
Intuthu yomuthi kaMbambo egcwele amaphaphu kuMnumzane Msomi, amaphilisi ezinhlungu agcwele egazini kanye nokushumayela akubona kumabonakude kusebenza konke ukudambisa imizwa. Umhlengikazi wakhe, uBatho, umthola khona elele e-lounge. Kuyamthusa lokhu akubonayo uBatho, acabanga ukuthi uMnumzane Msomi ushonile.
“Baba Msomi! Baba!” kumemeza uBatho emnyakazisa.
UBatho ubeka iminwe yakhe emqaleni nasesihlakaleni kuMnumzane Msomi ebheka ukuthi inhliziyo iyashaya noma isithule yini. UBatho uzizwa ekhululeka uma ethola ukuthi iyashaya inhliziyo. Kodwa kuthatha imizuzu embalwa ngaphambi kokuba avuke uMnumzane Msomi.
“Ungivusa ngiphupha iphupho elimnandi, Batho,” kusho uMnumzane Msomi evula amehlo.
“Ufike kanjani lapha usuka egumbini lakho, Baba?” kubuza uBatho exilonga amehlo kaMnumzane Msomi ngokuwakhanyisa ngethoshi elincane.
“Ngitotobile ngazifikela mina,” kuphendula uMnumzane Msomi ebalekisa amehlo ekukhanyeni kwethoshi.
“Ngempela? Ubungazizwa izinhlungu? Ubunawo amandla?” kubuza uBatho.
“Bezikhona izinhlungu kodwa ngigwinye amaphilisi, ngahogela umuthi kaMbambo, ngabuka nenkonzo kumabonakude,” kusho uMnumzane Msomi.
UBatho akakukholwa lokhu okushiwo uMnumzane Msomi ngoba akasenawo amandla okuzenzela okuningi. UBatho uyabona nokuthi useyazumeka futhi.
“Ubuphupha ngani?” kubuza uBatho ezama ukuba angazumeki futhi uMnumzane Msomi.
“Angizwa?” kubuza uMnumzane Msomi.
“Ngisho leli phupho elimnandi engikuvuse uliphupha, Baba. Bekwenzekani kulona?”
“Bengiphupha ngonkosikazi wami. Kade emuhle, egqoke ingubo enezimbali.”
“Hhayi Bo! Ngempela Baba? Kade enzani unkosikazi wakho?”
UMnumzane Msomi uvula amehlo kakhulu, amamatheke, “Ubehleli esihlalweni engaphakathi kwendlu enezimbali kuwo wonke amagumbi. Emamatheka engibiza ukuba ngisondele kuyena.”
UBatho uyayeka ukuxilonga uMnumzane Msomi. “Kwenzekani emuva kwalokho, Baba?”
“Akwenzekanga lutho. Wena Batho ungivusile.”
“Ngiyaxolisa, Baba, ngokuthi ngikuvuse uphupha iphupho elimnandi kanjena.”
“Ungakhathazeki, Batho. Ngiyazi ngizophupha ngaye futhi unkosikazi wami. Yilona kuphela iphupho engiliphuphayo kulezi zinsuku.”
“Ngikwenzeleni ozoyidla, Baba?”
“Ungangenzeli lutho, angilambile.”
“Ngeke, Baba, ungitshelile ukuthi usuwaphuzile amaphilisi kodwa wazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi kumele uwathathe uma usudlile kuphela. Ngizokwenzela iphalishi okungcono ngoba uma ungadli manje amaphilisi azovusa ama-ulcer.”
“Kulungile, Batho. Ngizolidla iphalishi.”
UBatho uyaqalaza egumbini laMnumzane Msomi njengoba endlala umbhede. Uyabona ukuthi ngempela uMnumzane Msomi uwathathile amaphilisi ezinhlungu. Nentuthu yomuthi igcwele ekhishini, kusho ukuthi ngempela uziphekele ngokwakhe umuthi. Uyamangala uBatho ngoba konke lokhu kunyakaza akwenzile uMnumzane Msomi kudinga amandla angasenawo njengoba egula.
UMnumzane Msomi uvala amehlo. Uzama ngawo wonke amandla ukuba libuye iphupho akade eliphupha kodwa lutho ukubuya iphupho. Uyakhumbula ukuthi kuzoba usuku lokuzalwa lwenkosikazi yakhe ezinsukwini ezimbili. Ubezoba neminyaka engu-85 ukube usaphila. Uhamba ngesihlalo sakhe sagesi angene ehhovisi lakhe lapha endlini. Ufika ocingweni ashayele uZinhle noMondli, bazwane bobathathu njengoba ekhuluma.
“Usuku lokuzalwa lamama wenu luyeza ngempelasonto,” kusho uMnumzane Msomi. “Kulo nyaka ngifuna sihambise ngendlela esasenza ngayo ngesikhathi esaphila. Ngifuna sihambise ngendlela esasenza ngayo ngesikhathi nisazwana nobabili. Ngifuna sihambe siye eplazini, futhi ngifuna nifike nazo zonke izingane zenu. Ufike nomkhwenyana, Zinhle. Wena Mondli ufike nonkosikazi.”
UZinhle noMondli baphendula ngokuphefumulela phezulu kuphela.
“Niyangizwa ukuthi ngithini?”
“Yebo, Baba, ngiyakuzwa,” kusho uZinhle. “Kodwa ngeke ngiphumelele ngoba kufanele ngiye emhlanganweni wasesontweni ngempelasonto.”
“Nami kufanele ngiye emhlanganweni wesakhiwo esisakhayo e-Stanger, Baba,” kusho uMondli.
“Hlehlisani yonke imihlangano yenu!” kusho uMnumzane Msomi. “Ngizobe sengashona ngokusuku lokuzalwa lamama wenu ngonyaka ozayo!”
“Cha, Baba,” kusho uMondli.
“Ngiyakucela, Baba, ungakhulumi kanjalo,” kusho uZinhle.
“Vele ngikhuluma iqiniso! Ngifuna nina nobabili, izingane zenu, umkhwenyana wakho Zinhle kanye nonkosikazi wakho Mondli! Ngifuna kushaye ihora lesihlanu ntambama ngoLwesihlanu wonke umuntu esefikile eplazini!”
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe uMnumzane Msomi wenza kahle ngokuthi akhulume ngokufa kwakhe kalula kanjena? Ngabe lokho kuzosiza ukuba zibuyisane izingane zakhe?