UNora akafiki esikoleni ngakusasa. UNzwaki uhamba ayombheka sesiphumile isikole. Uyazi ukuthi akufanele umuntu osenkingeni ahlale ezivalele yedwa, kumele kube nabantu axoxa nabo. Umfica uNora enza ukudla, akhumbule ukuthi kwayena ugcine ukudla ngesikhathi eya emsebenzini ekuseni. UNora uyamchazela ukuthi akazange afike esikoleni ngoba kuthatha isikhathi eside ukuya nokubuyaya e-clinic yaseTsolongo.

“Bekunjani ukugcwala e-clinic? Uwatholile amaphilisi?” kubuza uNzwaki, eluma isinkwa esinojamu nebhotela.

“Uyazi, Ma, eTsolongo abanayo le nkinga esinayo yokushoda kwamaphilisi.”

“Bona benza ngani?”

“Bona bawathola ngesikhathi amaphilisi anele, futhi awapheli. Bangitshele ukuthi wonke ama-clinic akufanele ngabe ayashodelwa. Okungenze ngazibuza ukuthi mhlawumbe kukhona izinkinga ezikhona e-clinic yethu,” kusho uNora. “Bathe ngingabuya ngenyanga ezayo ngizolanda amanye amaphilisi kodwa bathi kumele ngizame futhi e-clinic yalapha endaweni ngoba iseduze nami.”

“Ngizokhuluma noJoe, Nora, ngizwe ukuthi kwenzakalani ngendaba yamaphilisi e-clinic. Phela empeleni uyena uJoe obhekelene nokuwa-order amaphilisi,” kusho uNzwaki ebuka isoso elisemathangeni. “Kodwa angazi ukuthi ukubuza kwami kuzosiza ngani ngoba akafuni ngisho nokungikhulumisa kulezi zinsuku,” ukhulumela phansi, kuyezwakala ukuthi imphatha kabi indaba yakhe noJoe.

“Ma, uyazi ukuthi ungakhuluma nami uma unenkinga,” uNora uzama ukumenza akhululeke.

Abantu abasha bakuthola kulula ukukhuluma ngayo yonke into. Kanti kubantu abakhulile kulukhuni ukukhuluma ngezinye izinto. Okwenzeka emshadweni, phakathi kwakho nomyeni wakho, okwakho naye kuphela. Yisona siyalo omama abadala abakunika sona uma ushada, bethi leyo iyona ndlela yokubamba ikhaya. Kodwa uNzwaki udinga ukukhuluma nomunye umuntu ngoba kukhona into emdidayo ngoJoe.

“Akasenaso isinqe umyeni wami. Kuba ukufika nje ekhaya ubone ngaye esephuma futhi ehamba. Ngilala ngingazi ukuthi ukuphi nokuthi uzobuya nini. Uyazi ukuthi kubuhlungu kanjani ukulala ungalele ngoba ucabanga ukuthi kukhona okubi ukuvelele umyeni wakho?” Isoso lisahleli emathangeni kodwa manje uyasithinta kuphela isinkwa, akasadli, uthando lokudla selunyamalele.

“Usuke wakhuluma naye uJoe ngale ndaba? Uke wamchazela ukuthi akwenzayo kukuphatha kanjani?” kubuza uNora.

UNzwaki unikina ikhanda. Akanikini ikhanda ngoba ephika ukuthi eseke wakhuluma noJoe. Unikina ikhanda ngoba esho ukuthi usehlulekile. Usewazama amahlandla amaningi ukukhuluma nomyeni wakhe kodwa uJoe aphendule ngokumedelela nangokumthethisa. UNzwaki usehlulekile, akasazi ukuthi kumele enze njani.

“Akalubambi ucingo uma ngimfonela kodwa ifoni ihlale isesandleni sakhe,” kuqhubeka uNzwaki emuva kwesikhashana. “Angazi ukuthi wangithengelelani lefoni ngoba angimtholi uma ngimfonela. Naye akangifoneli,” ukhipha ifoni esikhwameni ayibeke etafuleni. Uyibuka efuna ukubona ukuthi uJoe uke wafona yini noma washiya umlayezo efuna ukwazi ukuthi unkosikazi wakhe ukuphi.

Ufuna ukubona ukuthim uJoe usenendaba naye noma cha.

“Ma, ngike ngezwa amahlebezi,” kusho uNora. UNzwaki umbuka ngamehlo athi, ‘Qhubeka ukhulume’. “Kunamahlebezi … ngomyeni wakho.” Athule uNora. UNzwaki uzwa inhliziyo ishaya ngamandla.

“Kulungile, Nora, ngitshele. Kungcono ngizwe ngomuntu engimaziyo,” kusho uNzwaki.

“Abantu bathi uJoe unomuntu athandana naye, umuntu wesifazane osemncane –eqinisweni… ingane encane.”

Nali iqiniso. Seliphumele obala. Manje uNzwaki uyazi ukuthi lokhu abekusola futhi ekwesaba kuyikho.

Uyavalelisa kuNora, ambonge ngokuba umngani woqobo, aqinisekise ukuthi konke kuzolunga. Uyaziqinisa ngoba empeleni ufisa ukukhihla isililo. Uhamba yedwa, eshaya kancane eqonde kwakhe eyidingida ngomqondo le ndaba ayizwile ngomyeni wakhe.

Uhamba obhuqwini, umqondo udidekile, kuduma imibuzo ekhanda: ‘Ngobani? Kwenziwa yini uJoe ajole? Kanti empeleni mina angimanelisi yini? Uqale nini ukuthandana nomunye umuntu? Uqale nini ukubhidlika umshado wethu?’

Kwangathi ukuzibuza ecabangana noJoe kumenza aqhamuke ngoba uvele ambone.

UNzwaki uyazi kahle imoto yomyeni wakhe, ngeke imdide ngisho kunjani. Iyona kuphela iMazda 323 ekhona lapha endaweni. Ngabe icasheleni emahlathini eceleni komgwaqo? Ufuna ukusondela abone ukuthi uJoe wenzani. Ufuna ukubona ukuthi uJoe uhleli nobani emotweni.

Ngempela nangu uJoe ephuma emotweni. Uhamba aye ebhuthini, ayivule, kube khona into ayikhiphayo. UNzwaki akaboni ukuthi iyini le nto ayikhiphayo ngoba ubuqamama, futhi sekuqala ukuhwalala. Kukhona omunye umlisa angamazi ophuma emotweni alandele uJoe. Lo mlisa ubukisisa le nto ephethwe uJoe, kube khona naye akunika uJoe. Lo mlisa uthatha lokhu okusesandleni sikaJoe, ahambe. UJoe ungena emotweni ayishaye izule kodwa ayibhekile ekhaya.

Noma kungathiwani, kukhona okushaya amanzi kule nto eyenziwa uJoe nalo mlisa.