UWandile uvuswa umsindo wokunswininiza kwezinyoni okuhambisana nokuduma kwekhanda. Uphakamisa ikhanda aqalaze abone ukuthi akayazi lendawo alele kuyo. Nangu uSboniso uhonqa uhudula izikhumba la eceleni kwakhe. Uyezwa ukuthi wonke umzimba uyankenketha ngenxa yezinhlungu. Uyasukuma, ahlale ngezinqa embhedeni, abone ukuthi kugcwele inqwaba yamajazi omkhwenyana asebenzile eceleni kombhede.
Asikho isikhathi sokwetshisa lokhu akubonayo ngoba uthuka ome ezwa ukuganklazeka kwesicabha.
Unyakazisa uSboniso. Ukuganklazeka kwesicabha akuphezi; lomuntu ongqongqozayo ufuna ukungena njengamanje. USboniso usazumekile.
“Awuvule umnyango wena Sboniso!” Kuthetha izwi lomuntu wesifazane ngaphandle okuzwakalayo nje ukuthi ucasuke ugane unwabu. “Vula!”
Uphaphama ngokushesha uSboniso, aphakamise ikhanda. Uqala ahline elalelisisa kahle ukuthi kwenzekani. Emuva kwalokho uWandile ukubona kucace bha ukutatazela emehlweni kaSboniso. Isifuba siyagubhazela wuvalo nakuWandile manje. Lomuntu ongqongqozayo uganklaza isicabha akaphezi. Kuzwakala sengathi ufuna ukusihlakaza sibe izingcucu angene.
“Ubani lomuntu ongqongqozayo?” ukwesaba ungakubamba ngezandla ezwini likaWandile.
“Unkosikazi wami lowo. Kufanele uphume njengamanje ngoba uzokuhlinza uphila uma engakufica ulele embhedeni wakhe!” Usho lokhu nje uhlahle amehlo uSboniso.
Usukuma adiyazele uSboniso, afike ewindini alivule. UWandile ugqoka ngokushesha alandele eduze. Uthi lungu ngekhanda uWandile abone i-swimming pool. Igumbi abalele kulo likujana naphansi njengoba lomuzi uyisitezi.
“Kufanele ugxume ngewindi ngoba angeke kulunge lutho uma uQhamukile ekufica la endlini!”
“Cha ngeke! Ngizogxuma kanjani njengoba kukude kanje phansi? Ufuna ngiphuke imilenze!?”
“Wentombazane umshado wami lona esikhuluma ngawo. Ngithe gxuma lana uphume ubaleke ungabheki emuva! Uzophuma lana ngefasitela bese uwela e-pool. Mina ngizociphasa inkinobho yokukuvulela isango bese uyaphuma uyabaleka!” Uselivule lonke iwindi uSboniso.
UWandile uyakubona ukuxhamazela kuyo yonke into ayenzayo uSboniso kanye nasemazwini awaphimisayo. Nangempela, uzimpintsha ewindini aphenduke abuke uSboniso. “Cha ngeke Sboniso kukude kakhulu phansi. Futhi angikwazi ukubhukuda. Uzothini uma ngilimala?”
“Vula isicabha njengamanje wena Sboniso!” UQhamukile uhayiza aganklaze isicabha kanye kanye.
USboniso ududula uWandile, aphume ngewindi. UWandile uwa ngekhanda abhaklazeke emanzini ase- swimming pool. Gwili gwili exhilwa ngamanzi kwazise phela akakwazi ukubhukuda. Azame bandla ukushaya idadamu elingatheni. Uyatabalasa kodwa agcine ekwazile ukubambelela onqenqemeni lwe- swimming pool. Kuthi esakhokha umoya, ezama nokusula amehlo, abone umuntu wesifazane omdadlana kunaye, uQhamukile, ubuso begcwele ukucasuka, egijima eqonde ngqo kuyena. Kuyacaca ukuthi uQhamukile ugcine engenile egumbini akade belele kulo uWandile noSboniso wambona egxumela e-swimming pool wabe esehla ngezitebhisi waqonda ngqo kuWandile.
“Ucabanga ukuthi uyini wena sfebe?” Kusho uQhamukile emhlaba ngempama.
UWandile usezigoqile waba yibhola phansi, uvika ngezingalo evikela ubuso emvuleni yezibhakela nokukhahlelwa okudedelwa uQhamukile. Udonsa uWandile ngezinwele uQhamukile angcine emdedela uma befika esangweni. Ukhala ubumayemaye uWandile ngenxa yezinhlungu.
“Ngiyaxolisa! Ngicela bandla ungixolele, sisi!” Kuzixolisela uWandile osezigoqe ngezandla ewumfunzana lapha phansi
“Uhamba uwisa imishado yabantu, seqamgwaqo ndini!” Kuqathaka izithukuthuku kuQhamukile, amakhala avuleka evaleka evevezela.
Njalo uma uWandile ezama ukulunguza ngale kwezingalo acashe ngazo uzwa kusho impama. “Ngiyaxolisa, ngeke ngiphinde sisi! Mina bengingazi ukuthi ushadile uSboniso! Akazange angitshele!”
“Nihambe niyenga amadoda abantu! Wena udinga lokhu!” Kusho uQhamukile.”
Ucosha ipayipi elizacile lamanzi uQhamukile, abhaxabule uWandile ngalo emahlombe. Ukhalisa okwe-alamu uWandile futhi manje useqala ukopha emahlombe. Akakugqizi qakala lokhu uQhamukile. Kuthi ngesikade aqhamuke egijima uSboniso ezolamula. Uqhamuka emuva kukaQhamukile, amubambe ingalo. Naye ubuye adiyazele uSboniso. Nakuyena utshwala abuphelile kahle egazini. Uthi ezama ukubamba uQhamukile ivele imdudulele laphaya imakwabo. Ngqimu phansi uSboniso. Kuthatha imizuzwana eminingi ukuthi asukume.
“Qhamu, ngicela umyeke bandla ahambe,” kusho uSboniso encengela uWandile.
“Awungiyeke wena ngisaqondisa izigwegwe!” kusho uQhamukile eqhubeka nokutitinya uWandile ngepayipi.
“Qhamukile kwanele manje! Usumushaye kwanela. Usumlimazile. Buka nje ukuthi useyopha!”
Akasanyakazi manje uWandile. Igazi elopha emahlombe kuyena selimatise i-crop top yakhe ephuzi ngombala. UQhamukile uyayeka ukushaya uma ebona umonakalo awenzile.
“Nolwazi!” USboniso uguqa eceleni kukaWandile, amunyakazise.
“Sboniso use . . . Kungenzeka ukuthi usefile?” UQhamukile usehlahle amehlo.
“Angazi! Akasanyakazi! Akaphefumuli. Kodwa nawe Qhamukile ngikukhuzile!”
“Sizokwenzenjani, Sboniso?” Ukwesaba kuyacanasa emehlweni kaQhamukile manje.
“Kufanele simufake emotweni siyomlahla ndawana thizeni. Mina angeke ngikwazi ukuya ejele,” usho lamagama nje uSboniso uthwele izandla ekhanda.
Bayaqalaqalaza, akekho noyedwa umakhelwane obalunguza ngewindi. Imizi igqagqene kulendawo yasesilungwini eLaLucia. Bagoqa umzimba kaWandile nge-duvet, bamlayishe ebhuthini yemoto lwabo ewuhlobo lweSUV. Bahamba imizuzu engamashumi amabili, bagcine befike endaweni eyihlathi. Bayaqalaza. Akukho muntu okhona. Baqubula umzimba kaWandile, bawuthukuse ezihlahleni, babuyele emotweni bayishaye izule.
“Ngithembise bandla Sboniso ukuthi lendaba izohlala phakathi kwethu sobabili,” kusho uQhamukile ngokukhulu ukuzisola.
“Nawe gcina lento yokushaya abantu kanje uzoboshwa ngempela. Kodwa kulungile sthandwa sami, lento izophelela kuthina sobabili,” kusho uSboniso enwaya ikhanda.
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ububona bunjani ubudlelwano bukaSboniso noQhamukile? Ungakuchaza kanjani?