Ti. Ti. Ti. UWandile uvuswa ukukhala kwemishini. Uvula amehlo abone izindonga ezimhlophe angazazi. Ulele embhedeni, uxhunye i-drip engalweni. Uyezwa nokuthi kukhona namapayipi angena emakhaleni kuyena. Ikhanda liyasinda.

“Ngikuphi la?” Uphakamisa ikhanda embhedeni.

Umhlengikazi uyakubona ukudideka okusemehlweni kaWandile. “Ngicela ungaqali ukunyakaza. Usesibhedlela iPrince Albert Luthuli Hospital,” kuphendula umhlengikazi ngokumamatheka.

“EPrince Albert Luthuli Hospital?” UWandile uyaqalaza abone ukuthi zikhona ngempela ezinye iziguli ezikweminye imibhede.

“Yebo. Uyakhumbula ukuthi kwenzekeni kuwena?”

“Cha,” uWandile uyafifiyela ezama ukuzikhumbuza.

“Bekungozi makhaza ufika la esibhedlela. Ubu-dehydrated kanti futhi ubusuqalwa i-hypothermia.”

“Ngifike kanjani la esibhedlela?”

“Utholwe omama abakade beyotheza ehlathini eliseceleni kwemijondolo eseduzane naseGateway Shopping Mall. Bakuthole uqulekile babiza i-ambulensi,” kusho umhlengikazi. “Kufanele ubonge ukuthi bakutholile ngoba basindise impilo yakho.”

UWandile useyaqala ukukhumbula eseCubana Nightclub, uSboniso kanye nenkosikazi yakhe okuyiyo emshayile. Uhambisa isandla sakhe emabhandishini asemahlombe.

“Kukhona umuntu wakini okuvakashele. Kade efikile. Ngizombiza angene ngoba usuphapheme,” kusho umhlengikazi ethatha amafayela.

“Sekuphele isikhathi esingakanani ngilapha esibhedlela?”

“Ufike entathakusa. Awuthi ngikubizele isivashi sakho. Ngizokubuye ngikubheke.”

Emuva kwemizuzu embalwa kungena umzala kaWandile, uNonku. Ezwe kuthi xhifi ehliziyweni uWandile. Phela akamuthandisisi uNonku ngoba lentokazi iphila impilo eqonde yathi thwi – iyasonta, ayibuphuzi utshwala futhi iyazimisela esikoleni. UNonku uwuhlobo lwendodakazi unina kaWandile afisa ukuba unayo kunoWandile. UNonku uyalingana noWandile ngeminyaka kodwa yena wenza unyaka wesibili enyuvesi ezifundweni zeB Com. Nguye yena impela uNonku lona onakekela uMaMhlongo uma uWandile enyamalele eyobhiyoza ebusuku.

“Usuphapheme ekugcineni, mzala wami engimthandayo! USomandla mkhulu!” Kusho uNonku emamatheka. Uthatha isandla sikaWandile asibambe. “Bengikhathazekile ngawe, mzala! Ngendlela ebengikhathazeke ngayo angizange ngimtshele no-Anti ukuthi kwenzekeni kuwena ngoba ngisaba ukuthi uzophatheka kabi kanti vele uyazigulela naye. Ngaze ngajabula ukubona ukuthi uphila kahle kanjena.”

“Kahle nje, Nonku! Awume kancane! Sobabili siyazi ukuthi uze la esibhedlela ngoba ufuna ukungihleka!” Kusho uWandile maqede ahline.

“Ungayisho kanjani into enjalo kodwa, mzala? Uyazi ukuthi mina ngiyakuthanda futhi ngikukhathalele ngayo yonke inhliziyo yami. Vele kukhona lapho singaboni khona ngasolinye kodwa lokho kudalwa ukuthi ngifisa ubuyele endleleni eqondile. Ngikuphathele izingubo zokushintsha…”

“Ngiyabonga,” uWandile uyahlina ehliniswa izinhlungu njengoba enyakaza esondela ethatha upulasitiki. “Empeleni besingekho isindingo sokuba ukwenze lokhu okwenzayo, mzala. Ngiyabonga kakhulu.” UWandile uyancibilika, amamatheke.

“Ayikho inkinga, mzala. Phela siwumndeni, futhi engikwaziyo ukuthi umndeni uyanakekelana,” kusho uNonku embambatha umqamelo ewulungisa ukuze uWandile alale ngokunethezeka.

UNonku ulanda uWandile esibhedlela emuva kwezinsuku ezimbili. UWandile ufuna ukulala kancane, emuva kwalokho abuyele eCubana Nightclub ukuze athole izidakamizwa notshwala. Kanti akabuzanga elangeni. Kuthi uma befika ekhaya bazithele komama besonto abasonta noMaMhlongo begcwele indlu. Babambene ngezandla bayisikokela bazungeze uMaMhlongo ohlezi phansi. UWandile uphefumula ukukhululeka ngoba bangena usuyophela umthandazo.

“Hlala phansi, Wandile, lokhu kuvakasha kwethu okukhona okwaMaMhlongo kuphela kodwa sivakashele nawe, mntanami,” kusho uMaKheswa, unobhala wasesontweni. “Mntanami incwadi engcwele ithi hlonipha uyihlo nonyoko ukuze izinsuku zakho zande ezweni. UMaMhlongo uyakudinga, mntanami. Ukugula kwakhe akulona iphutha lakhe. Wena kufanele umhloniphe, umsize ngoba uyakuzala futhi uyakuthanda, Wandile.”

“Wandile usangaguquka, mntanami, usangashintsha ubuyele kuThixo. UNkulunkulu uthi woza umadixadixa unjalo. UNkulunkulu wethu uyalalela futhi uyaxolelana. Into engiyicela kuwe nje ngane yami ukuthi unakekele unyoko futhi umhloniphe. UNkulunkulu uzokubusisa uma wenza kanjalo.”

UWandile usethule sengathi uyasukelwa. Usehlome ikhanda phansi sengathi uyezwa ukuthi kuthiwani. Lapho yena ukude ngengqondo. Ucabanga ukuthi uzogqokani njengoba ezohamba aphindele eCubana Nightclub. Okumphatha kabi ukuthi umakhalekhukhwini wakhe akawazi noma wawushiya eCubana noma wasala esigamekweni sasemzini kaSboniso. Omama besonto abathulile njalo, bayaqhubeka neziyalo.

Uma kukhona okudingayo sikhona singomakhelwane,” kugcizelela uMaKhumalo. “Kuzomele uhlale ukhona lapha egcekeni ukuze uma kukhona okwenzekayo kube nguwena ogijimayo uzositshela.”

“Inombolo yami yocingo ikhona kumakhalekhukhwini kamama wakho. Ungithinte uma udinga usizo. Noma kungasiphi isikhathi! Siyezwana, mntanami?” kusho uMaMbuli, umaMfundisi.

“Yebo, ngiyezwa. Ngiyabonga bomama,” kusho uWandile.

“Wandile ngicela ungithembise ukuthi ngeke umshiye umama yedwa,” kucela umaMfundisi.

“Ngiyathembisa.”

“Futhi okunye nje ngicela ubhekane nezincwadi zakho zesikole. Kudingeka ukuthi uzimisele ngempela. Ufunde ngoba imfundo iwukhiye wekusasa lakho.”

“Yebo ngiyezwa.”

Uselokhu evuma nje enzela ukuthi behambe bamyeke ngesicefe. Bayahlabelela, baguqe, bathandaze. Ezwe ecikeka uWandile ngoba abasaqedi ukuthandaza. Sekuthi akasukume ehambe abashiye kanjalo, bethi bavula amehlo akasekho. Unikina ikhanda athi ‘Amen’ nawo wonke umuntu.

***

Sitshele umbono wakho: Ubona ukuthi yini ngempela ayidingayo uWandile?