Xa uNzwaki efika ekhaya akazange azi ukuba azenze ntoni na. Wayedinga ukuba akhe abethwe ngumoya angacingi ngoNora. Wayeza kumnika ixesha lokuba akhe aphole. Xa selungele ukuthetha uNora , wayeza kwenza njalo. UNzwaki wazenzela ikomityi yeti wayisela eyithele chu, kodwa ingqondo yakhe ingakwazi ukuyiyeka le ndaba. Kwakutheni ukuba uNora athethe kanje ngoJoe? Wayesazi ni ngoJoe? Kwaye kwakutheni le nto kufuneka uNzwaki azihluphe ngaye?
UNora wayenomsindo kwaye wayengayazi into ayithethayo, wagqiba kwelo uNzwaki egqibezela iti yakhe. Kwakufuneka azigcine exakekile okanye wayeza kuphambana. Waphakama waqalisa ukucoca. Wayeseleyigqibile indlu emva kweyure waze wadlulela ezimpahleni. Wazibeka kakuhle iimpahla zikaJoe; wayeza kuhlamba iimpahla ngempelaveki.
Kuthe kwenye yeepokotho zikaJoe uNzwaki wafumana iphetshana. Kwakubhalwe inombolo kulo ngombhalo obhalwe ngobunono. Wazibuza uNzwaki ukuba ingaba le nombolo ibalulekile kusini na. Ingaba uJoe seleyifakile na kwifowuni yakhe? Kwakungekho gama kuyo ngakho oko uNzwaki wayengenakwazi. Kwakuza kufuneka ambuze xa esekhaya.
Kwankqonkqozwa emnyango wahamba waya kusabela.
“Molo, Mam’Nzwaki.” KwakunguNora, encumile ngaphaya komnyango. UNzwaki wanqwala wabhekela ecaleni emvulela ukuba angene. Wayengakuthandi ukubizwa uMam’uNzwaki, ngakumbi ngumntu asebenza naye. Kodwa uNora wathi kuvakala kungenambeko ukumbiza nje ngegama. UNzwaki wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabini ngaphambi kukaNora waqalisayo emsebenzini; wayefana nje nomama wakhe.
“Ndicela uxolo ngokwenzeke namhlanje, bendingazimisele kuba krwada,” kwatsho uNora, ejonga uNzwaki owayebeka iketile yamanzi. Wayehleli phezu kwesofa entsha yesikhumba emnyama emilise okuka L eyayisandula kuthengwa nguJoe, edlala ngomqamelwana wesofa ombala we-orenji. UNzwaki wazisa ithreyi kwitafilana yekofu wahlala ejongene noNora.
“UMkhize nam …” watsho uNora emva kwexeshana, waza wathula, kunzima ukuba agqibe eso sivakalisi. Aba babini babengazange bakhe bathethe ngezinto zabucala kodwa ngoku kwakukho le ntwazana eyayizakuxelela uNzwaki ngobomi bayo bezothando.
“Besithandana. Besigqibe ekubeni singaxeleli mntu kuba … uyazi, abantu bayakuthanda ukuthetha.”
UNzwaki wanqwala. Waqaphela ukuba uNora wayethetha ngexesha eladlulayo. Kucacile ukuba oku yinyani.
“Ufanele ukuba ubuse uwavile amarhe – ngoMkhize nam? Ngam?”
“Uyazi”, uNzwaki wasela iti yakhe, “Kukhona izinto ezimbalwa endizaziyo ngamarhe. Umntu akufuneki akholwe yonke into ayivayo.” UNzwaki wayefuna ukunika uNora ixesha alifunayo ukuba athethe udaba ngeyakhe indlela ebeka elakhe icala.
“Sasithandana. Sasithetha ngabantwana nokukhula side soluphale kunye, Mama. Kodwa wavela nje …” Izandla zikaNora zaqala ukungcangcazela waze uNzwaki waqonda ukuba olu daba aluphelele apha.
“Kulungile mntwana’m, ungathetha nam, “ watsho ngelithambileyo.
“Besonwabele isidlo sangokuhlwa ngoLwesibini ebusuku kwaye bendifuna ukuthetha naye. Sesithandane ixesha elingangeenyanga ezimbini ngoku kwaye … kwaye … izinto beseziqala ukuqina.” UNora wakhe wathula waze uNzwaki wamvumela ukuba ake akhe umoya. “Ndimcelile ukuba afake ikhondom, kodwa wathi, ’Ngoba? Ukuba siza kutshata sibe nabantwana akunyanzelekanga mos ukuba ndifake ikhondom.”
Izidlele zikaNora ezimhlophe zaseziqala ukujika zibe bomvu ngegama ngalinye alithethayo. UNzwaki naye waziva efudumala; konke oku kungaqhelekanga okuyintetha engoMkhize neekhondom – asiyo nto wabe eyilindele.
“Ukwenzakalisile?” Wabuza uNzwaki ebeka ikomityi yakhe phantsi.
“Hayi, hayi. Akanakuze andise sandla. Ubecaphukile nje kwaye othukile ndiyacinga,” watsho uNora, amehlo akhe ewavalile. “Ndiyakuva. Ungumhlolo kwaye akafumananga thuba lakuba namanenekazi amaninzi emva kokusweleka kwenkosikazi yakhe. Kodwa bendicinga ukuba uza kuqonda kwaye sele … kulungele ukwazi.”
UNzwaki wayefuna ukubuza,”Ukwazi ntoni?” Kodwa wayesazi ukuba impendulo iza kuza emva kwemizuzu.
“Ndinentsholongwane yeHIV. Ndixelele uMkhize yho! waphambana. Uqale apho endibiza ngamagama angaphucukanga wade wathi uza kuxelela yonke ilali ukuba ingasondeli kum.” Ngeli xesha iinyembezi zasezisihla kwezo zidlele zibomvana.
UNzwaki waphakama waya ekamelweni. Wabuya, wahlala ecaleni kwentwazanyana leyo waza wayinika iithishu. Wabeka ingalo yakhe emagxeni kaNora kodwa wangathethi nto. Wayengazi ngokwaneleyo ngentsholongwane ukuba kube nento angayithetha. Amazwi ayimpazamo ayengasuka enze izinto zibe mbi nangakumbi kwaye ke wayedinga amazwi achanekileyo.
“Kunamayeza owaselayo?” Wabuza uNzwaki ngelithambileyo. Wanqwala uNora. “Sukulila kaloku. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo yimpilo yakho. UMkhize ubothukile kwaye mhlawumbi engazi ngokwaneleyo ngale meko, njengam. Kodwa uza kulunga. Uyindoda esisilumko kwaye wenza izinto ngendlela. Udinga nje ixesha nolwazi, qha.”
UNzwaki weva amagxa kaNora eqala ukukhululeka. Wayengathethanga kakhulu kodwa oko kwaba ngathi kuyasebenza. Abantu babedinga nje ithemba nokuqinisekiswa ukuba konke kuza kulunga, nokuba imeko injani na. UNzwaki wayekwazi oku ukusuka kwiminyaka yokusebenza nolutsha neengxaki zalo, nabazali balo.
“Kanti ubuphi iveki le yonke nempela veki?” Wabuza uNzwaki, emnika enye ikomityi yeti.
“Bendisekhaya,” watsho uNora ngoncumo. “Bendingakwazi ukujongana nokuba wonke umntu uyazi. Indlela abakujonga ngayo, iintetha apho ungaboniyo khona. Bendidinga ixesha.”
UNzwaki wanqwala. Wayengayiqondi ncam into uNora awayeyiva kodwa wayekwazi ukumsizela. UNora wayeyintwazanyana, entsha ekuhlaleni kwaye engekabi nazitshomi zininzi; loo nto yodwa nje yamenzela ubunzima.
“Uyazi mos ukuba ungathatha ilifu. Emva kwento eyenzeke eklasini yakho namhlanje, ndiqinisekile uMnumzana Manene uza kuvisisa,” watsho uNzwaki ngeli xa uNora anikina intloko.
“Ndidinga ukusebenza.”
“Oh, akuswelekanga kanti,” watsho uJoe engena endlwini. UNzwaki waqaphela ukucaphuka elizwini lomyeni wakhe. Wayethemba ukuba uNora akakuqaphelanga oku.
“Ufanele ukuba uyazi ukuba akunakukholelwa onke amarhe alapha elalini,” watsho uNzwaki, esusa ithreyi.
UJoe wadumzela nje impendulo wabe seledlulela ekameleni. UNora waphakama elungiselela ukuhamba. “Kufuneka ndiye eTsolongo ngomso ndiye kuthabatha iipilisi zam ekliniki apho,” watsho.
“Kutheni na wethu usiya kude kangaka?” Wabuza uNzwaki, emkhapha emkhupha emnyango.
“Abanazipilisi zanele inyanga kule kliniki yalapha. Bakunika ezilingene iveki kuphela. Andikwazi ke ukusoloko ndilova esikolweni ukuya kuthatbatha ezinye. Ndiyathemba ukuba eTsolongo bangandinika ezilingene inyanga.”
UNora wabulisa wahamba.
Kamva xa uNzwaki alungisa isidlo sangokuhlwa wathetha ngosuku lwakhe, ecinga ukuba uJoe uza kungenelela. Wathetha ngenombolo ayifumene ehempeni yakhe wabuza nokuba ibalulekile na kodwa akafumana mpendulo. Wacinga ngoNora nendlela ikliniki engakwaziyo ngayo ukumnika iARV ezanele inyanga. Yayimcaphukisa into yokubona ehlupheke kangaka emoyeni.
“Joe, akukho nto unokuyenza na ngale meko yezi pilisi ekliniki? Itshomi yam emsebenzini ihamba phaya imini yonke ukuya kufumana iipilisi ezilingene iveki kuphela kuba abanazo ezanele inyanga. Iiklasi azifundisayo ziyahlupheka. Kwenzekani ngezi pilisi zasekliniki?”
“Ufuna ndenze ntoni? NdinguMlawuli nje.”
“Andazi. Awukwazi na uku-oda ezinye iipi –“ uNzwaki akawagqibanga loo mazwi.
“Yintoni le nto usoloko uphanda izinto ezingakufuni nganto nje? Uvumbulula ezintweni zam, ufaka impumlo yakho ezintweni zomsebenzi wam. Wazi ntoni kakade ngokusebenza ekliniki? Uyawazi umsebenzi endiwenzayo noxinzelelo endiphantsi kwalo? Akonwabanga na, Nonzwakazi? Heh? Ndihlala ndikuxelela ukuba uhoye izinto ezifuna wena. Ukuba lowa mfazi ubengafuni kujongana nokungafumani ziARV zaneleyo ngeqale ngokuqinisekisa ukuba akosuleleki!”
UJoe wambakraza ucango iiglasi ezisekhabhatini zangcangcazela. UNzwaki naye wothuka waxhumela phezulu sesi sandi. Ungenwe yintoni kodwa uJoe? Yintoni eyenza ukuba athethe zonke ezi zinto zimbi kangaka? Unokuba mhlawumbi uphazamile ubengazimiselanga kuzitsho?
UNzwaki waphatheka kabuhlungu zezi zinto wayezitsho ngoNora. Akukho mntuwenza ukuba osuleleke ngabom. UJoe ufanele ukukwazi mos oko, watsho ezicingela.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Inokuba baninzi ke mhlawumbi abantu abacinga ngale ndlela kaJoe ngabantu abanentsholongwane yeHIV?