Ngentseni elandelayo ndiye kulo-Agnes. Ndifike ndama emnyango. Yena ndiyambona ufulathele uyasebenza etafileni.
Ndichwechile ukuya kuye. Phambi kokuba ndimbambe emagxeni uye wajika.
“Hey, look at you! Inokuba uziva ngcono.” Unoncumo ebusweni bakhe.
“Kunjalo Agnes, mandibulele kuwe,” ndiphendule ndatsho.
Usondele kum wandanga. Siphinde satsho kamnandi ukuphuzana.
Hayike ngoku zaguquka izinto.
Ndive isithonga.
Lavuleka genge ucango.
Bhunxe phambi kwethu uChino.
Kodwa namhlanje enganancumo njengalaChino ndambona ukufika kwam. Ukhawulezile ukuya ku-Agnes. Wamtsala ngeenwele.
“Akufanelanga ukuba umphuze, sibhanxa!” umngxolisile ngomsindo. Utsala iinwele zakhe ngoku.
“Yima. Yeka! Umvisa kabuhlungu,” ndikhwazile ukuba apheze uChino. Angayenza njani into enje? Angathini ukungabikwicala lethu?
“Wena, bekufanele ukuba uphuza mna!” ngomsindo uguqukile weza ngakum.
“Hayi, ayiyo leyo into endiyifunayo.”
“Awuziva ukuba uthini.”
“Ngoku nguwe oyaziyo ukuba uNana ufuna ntoni? Eshe, hayi ndiyaxakwa!” u-Agnes ungxole watsho. Uvalo lubethe ngamandla kum ngoku. Ngengayithethanga le ayithethilewo.
U-Agnes uyangcangcazela. Ubhuti wakhe unomsindo ongaphaya. Uyasithuka uwisa nezinto. Usibiza ngezifebe, kodwa asizizo tu ke tana. Singabantu.
“Yimani ngoluhlobo!” umbakrazze ucango ephuma ngomnyano.
Sishiyeke apho singayazi ukuba sithini. Singazifihla phi?
“Masikhwele phezu kwetyotyombe. Angaphinda abuye esenomsindo,” uvele nelocebo u-Agnes.
Kwaye unyanisile, angabuya elugcwabevu ke ngoku ubhuti wakhe.
Undincedisile ukukhwela phezu kwetyotyombe emvakwendlu. Sijonge phantsi kwimingxunya esemazinkini.
UChino udubuleke wangena endlwini ehamba noChenzira namanye amakhwenkwe.
Uthe phala-phala.
“Bebelapha ngoku kungekudala. Bebesenza iziman …”
“Intoni? Bebesenza ntoni?” uChenzira ubuzile, ezama ukumthomalalisa.
“Bebephuzana. Ayifuneki loo nto. Ibingamanyala!”
“Oobani Chino? Sixelele oobani? Ngobani abebephuzana?” uphinde wabuza uChenzira.
“Udadethu, u-Agnes nalentombazana isandukufika ebumelwaneni,” uphendulile uChino. Ilizwi lakhe livakala ukuba unomsindo nenye nje into endingayaziyo. Kungathi wophuke ngaphakathi.
“Sizokuthini ke thina apha Chino? Usibizele ntoni?”
“Majita, aninokundixelela ukuba asinokwazi ukuyilungisa le into.”
“Singobani thina? Eloxesha ladlula!” uChenzira uvakala enomsindo ngoku: “Ukuba ucinga ukwenza into embi kulamantombazana, ungandibali mna.” Uguqukile waphuma uChenzira.
“Uyinkukhu Chenzira, igwala lenkukhu.”
“Ukuba ukubayinkukhu kuthetha ukuba andidlwenguli amantombaza ngenxa yokuba bengawathandi amakhwenkwe, hayi ke ungandibiza loo nto.”
Ukuba ukhona ofuna ukulandela uChenzira makaphume ngoku,” utshilo uChino sekungathi akaqinisekanga ngoku.
“Awunokwazi ukuyitshintsha indlela abantu abangayo,” uphinde watsho engaphandle uChenzira.
Ulandelwe yenye inkwenkwe. Nala mabini amakhwenkwe ashiyekileyo aye aphuma.
UChino ushiyeke endlwini yedwa.
Sihleli apho phezu kwendlu. Ngubani ongasixelela ukuba into esiyenzayo ayilunganga? Yena lowo uxelelwa ngubani?
Into ebalulekileyo kum yeyokuba u-Agnes usecaleni kwam.
Into ebalulekileyo kukufumana ukonwaba ndibambelele kuko.
