U-Aphiwe akakwazi okuningi ngomndeni kaMama wakhe. UMama wakhe nguye kuphela oyingane kaGogo. UGogo usanda kuzohlala nabo lapha ngoba esephethwe isifo senhliziyo. Selokhu u-Aphiwe aqala ukuhlakanipha wazi uGogo njengomuntu oziphilela yedwa futhi onenkani. Akaze nangelilodwa ilanga uGogo akhulume ngezinsuku zobusha bakhe. U-Aphiwe akaze abone nesithombe esisodwa sikaGogo esayingane.
Ukukhuluma ngezinsuku sobusha bukaGogo akuvumelekile kwakuMama ka-Aphiwe. “Asikhohlwe ngokwenzeka kudala,” uGogo wayephendula kanjena uma uMama ka-Aphiwe ebuza ngomlando womndeni.
Kodwa namhlanje kunenjabulo emehlweni kaGogo nokuthula ebusweni njengoba u-Aphiwe embuka esibukweni.
“Kusho ukuthi uyazi yonke le ndawo ebizwa ngoMkhumbane?” kusho u-Aphiwe egcoba i-conditioner ezinweleni zikaGogo.
“Ngakhulela eCato Manor, ekhaya eligcwele uthando, Aphi. Umndeni wami unomhlaba omkhulu esasidlala kuwo. Sasineplazi elisebenzayo.”
“Umhlaba omkhulu, ngezikhathi zobandlululo?” u-Aphiwe akakukholwa lokhu akuzwayo. “Kanjani Gogo ngoba i-Cato Manor indawo yabelungu?”
“Phela Aphi sikhula thina i-Cato Manor kwakuyindawo yabo bonke abantu – abamnyama, amakhaladi, abelungu, namandiya. Omakhelwane bethu kwakungamandiya, abakwa-Perumal. Ngale kwabo kukhona umndeni wamakhaladi, abakwa-Petersen. Ekupheleni komgwaqo kukhona umndeni wabelungu, abakwa-Ferguson.”
“Ngamuphi unyaka, Gogo?
“Kusukela ngizalwa ngo-1940 ngize ngikhule. Kusukela ngivula amehlo kuze kube izinsuku ezihlasimulisa umzimba lapho sikhishwa ngendluzula emakhaya ethu.”
UGogo uthula isikhashana ngoba eseqala ukuphatheka kabuhlungu emphefumlweni. Usula unyembezi. “Ngesikhathi sekufakwa ogandaganda kwabhidlizwa imijondolo, imizi, amabhizinisi kanye namasonto.”
“Manje kwakufanele niphume nishone kuphi njengoba benixosha?”
“Basikhomba emalokishini ayesanda kwakhiwa KwaMashu, eMlazi, ePhoenix eWentworth naseChartsworth. Uhulumeni wobandlululo wawusifaka emalokishini ngokwebala. Basiphoqa ukuthi sihlukane.”
“Kwenzakalani eplazini lenu nasemizini yomakhelwane bakho emuva kokususwa ngendluzula?”
“Okubuhlungu ukuthi njengoba sasuswa ngendluzula nje asitholanga imali ngemizi yethu. Abantu ababenezithabathaba, ezakhiwe iminyaka eminingi zidluliselwa ezizukulwaneni, bakhishwa bayofakwa emizini emincane emalokishini. I-Cator Manor yaphenduka i-‘White Area’. Abelungu bazitapela emhlabeni wethu.”
U-Aphiwe unikina ikhanda.
“Kunjalo, Aphi. AbakwaFerguson bagwilikiswa yikhona lokhu. Bazitapela yonke lemizi eyayisemgwaqeni wethu. Namanje ngizwa kuthiwa umhlaba omningi khona ngowabo. Imindeni yabelungu yaqubuka ngokuphazima kweso kwathi imindeni yabamnyama, amakhaladi, namandiya yona yalahlekelwa yikho konke.”
“Ngicela ungixoxele ngomndeni wakho, Gogo,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
Kunokujabula njengoba uGogo ekhumbhula umlando womndeni wakhe. “Ubaba wami, ukhokho wakho, wayeyisizukulwane sobukhosi bakwaNtuli. AbakwaNtuli kwakungowabo lo mhlaba okuthiwa i-Cato Manor kusukela ngezikhathi zawo1730.”
Ugogo ubuka ukumangala okusemehlweni ka-Aphiwe njengoba emtshela ngomlando wakubo.
“UMkhululi Ntuli wayeyindoda eqotho,” kuqhubeka uGogo. “Ukube wazalwa ngesikhathi esingcono ngabe wagwilika kakhulu. Umuzi wethu wawuhleze umatasatasa. Sasidayisa izinkomo, ubisi, amaqanda nezinkukhu. Siphinde sibe ne-spaza shop egcekeni.”
UGogo uyamamatheka njengoba ebuka emehlweni ka-Aphiwe, kodwa ubuso bushesha bugcwale umunyu.
“Ngiyaxolisa ngokukukhumbuza ngalezo zinsuku, Gogo,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
UGogo usula unyembezi, “Kade ngagcina ukuzivumela ukuthi ngicabange ngalezo zinsuku ezimnandi zaseCato Manor kodwa njengoba ngizikhumbula namhlanje ngizwa ngihogela ubumnandi bomoya wakhona wasekuseni. Ngikhumbula abangani bami uReggie no-Santhisha Perumal, ukuphapha kukaLucy Ferguson, nomaqinase onguThobile Dladla. Sasingabangani noma sihlukene ngebala.”
UGogo ubuka ukumangala emehlweni komzukulu wakhe.
“Ngempela, Aphi. Phela i-apartheid yahlukanisa umphakathi owawuxubile. Leli phupho le-Rainbow Nation abakhuluma ngalo manje iphupho esaliphila thina. Saliphila singaboni ngoba sakhula siphila nazo zonke izinhlanga. Kwakuyinto ejwayelekile ukuvuka ubone zonke izinhlanga zingomakhelwane. Lento ekuthiwa i-Group Areas Act yabhidliza into enhle.”
UGogo ubanjwa umunyu, athule isikhashana. U-Aphiwe uyakubona lokhu, aguqule lokhu abakhuluma ngakho.
“Kulula ukuluka izinwele zakho, Gogo. Azishibiliki njengezami noMa.”
“Awuzithandi yini izinwele zakho, Aphi?”
“Ngiyazithanda, Gogo. Ukuthi bengifisa ukwenza ama-dreadlocks kodwa awenzeki ngoba ziyashibilika.”
“Lokho kwenziwa ukuthi ufuze umama wakho. Phela uxube izinhlanga.”
UGogo ubona esekhulumile ukuthi uphunyukile wakhipha imfihlo angakaze ayitshele muntu.
“Uxube izinhlanga?” kubuza u-Aphiwe emangele. “Kwenzeka kanjani uMama axube izinhlanga?”
“Sengikhathele, ngiyolala. Ngizokuxoxela kusasa,” kusho uGogo.
“Hawu, Gogo! Ngeke ungishiye ngilenga kanjalo nje,” kusho u-Aphiwe ebopha igoda lokugcina njengoba eluka uGogo.
“Ngithe kuwe ngizokuxoxela kusasa,” kusho uGogo ngokucasuka. “Ngikhathele. Ngilandele amaphilisi.”
“Kodwa ngicela udle kuqala, Gogo,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
U-Aphiwe noGogo wakhe bakhonzene kakhulu. Bayazwana, futhi bazana kakhulu. Namanje u-Aphiwe uyazi ukuthi kumele amuyeke uGogo njengoba esekhombisa ukucasuka. Uphakela uGogo ukudla, ame ekhishini ambuke njengoba edla. Izinkulungwane zemibuzo zigijima ekhanda lika-Aphiwe.
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Sitshele: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi uGogo angafuni ukukhuluma ngomlando womndeni ngaphambilini? Kwenziwa yini afune ukukhuluma ngawo manje?