“Umama wayengumuntu owayehlezi ejabulile. Ubaba yena kuyindoda ezikhandlayo. Ngiyohlezi ngiyikhumbula ngentokozo impilo enenjabulo abasakhela yona sisebancane sinomfowethu. Ngesikhathi kuqala i-Group Areas Act ubaba kwakungomunye wabantu owalwisana nayo. Yena nabanye abantu abanesibindi bahlanganisa imibhikisho elwisana ne-Group Areas Act.”
“Ngempela, Gogo!? Kwagcina kwenzakaleni kokhokho bami?”
“Isigwebo seminyaka emibili ejele, yilokho okwenzeka kubaba wami. I-Heart attack yambulala ejele esaqede inyanga eyodwa yesigwebo sakhe. Kwaphela isonto elilodwa kushone ubaba umama naye washona ngenxa yenhliziyo ebuhlungu eyadalwa ukushona kwesithandwa sakhe. Emuva kwenyanga nesonto elilodwa sixoshiwe e-Cator Manor mina nomfowethu sazithola siyizintandane. Nomfowethu naye wabhungukela eGoli ngangaphinde ngambona.”
Imoto isime isikhashana ngaphandle kwehholo elokishini lapho abangani baGogo behola khona impesheni.
“Kwenzeka konke lokhu kanti vele senginezinyanga ezimbili ngikhulelwe umama wakho kodwa mina ngingazi. Ngazithola ngikhulelwe futhi sengiyintandane,” kusho uGogo.
UGogo uyathula isikhashana. Kuphela imizuzwana endwazile.
“Sesifikile ehholo, Gogo,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
UGogo udonsa umoya kakhulu, awukhiphe, bangene ehholo. Bafika ngaphakathi uGogo azise umzukulu wakhe kubangani bakhe. Bonke abangani baGogo bamubiza ngoPrincess. U-Aphiwe uyazibuza ukuthi kungani bemubiza ngaleli gama ngoba igama likaGogo uGloria. Ushesha ayithole impendulo yombuzo wakhe komunye wabangani baGogo.
“Simubiza ngoPrincess ngoba phela uzalwa ebukhosini. Ugogo wakho uyindodakazi kaMkhululi Ntuli. Bona laboNtuli okwakungeyabo kusukela emandulo yonke lendawo ekuthiwa i-Cato Manor.”
UGogo ujabulile njengoba ebona abangani bakhe. Uyamangala u-Aphiwe ebona uGogo ethola amandla endondolozela ihholo lonke ekhuluma nezixongwana zabanye ogogo. U-Aphiwe uzithola ehlezi nelinye idlanzana lezalukazi. UGogo udlula u-Aphiwe nalelidlanzana eshwibeka eyokhuluma nabanye abangani bakhe.
“Lowo uyoluka umuntu e-Cator Manor,” uGogo ukhomba u-Aphiwe njengoba edlula. “Ngicela nimxoxele ngezinsuku zethu sisebasha e-Cato Manor. Animtshele ngoMkhumbane.”
Bakhangwa ukujabula ogogo abahleli no-Aphiwe. Lowo nalowo umchazela ngezinto ezanzenzeka eCato Manor.
“Ama-beauty peagants esasiba nawo!”
“Ama- stage plays nama talent shows! Kudlala umculo sidansa!”
“Nosozimali ababesifuna phansi phezulu isiphalaphala sentonkazi yaseCato Manor, ugogo wakho, uPrincess Ntuli”
“Kodwa bahluleka bonke osozimali ngoba inhliziyo kaPrincess yabe isithathwe nguReggie Perumal”
“Uswahla lwensizwa enguReggie!”
Bonke ogogo bayahleka.
“Kwathi lapho sebethandana wonke umuntu wayengawuvali umlomo ngokufanelana kwabo.”
“Hhayi bona babefanelana, shame!”
“Kahleni bo ngezindaba zothando phambi kwengane nina.”
Bagigitheka bonke kanye naye u-Aphiwe.
U-Aphiwe ubuka uGogo esibukweni semoto njengoba bencenga kancane kwi-traffic sebegoduka. Useyazela uGogo kodwa ubukeka ejabulile emuva kokubona abangani bakhe.
“Gogo, ubani uReggie Perumal?”
“Ngikutshelile nje ukuthi yena nodadewabo uSanthisha kwakungabangani bami.”
“Abangani bakho bangitshele ukuthi ukuzwana kwenu kwakungaphezu kobungani.”
“Hhayi futhi ngalabo ndabakazipheli. Abazi ukuthi kumele bakhulume baphelele kuphi,” kusho uGogo.
Kunokumamatheka okungajwayelekile ebusweni bukaGogo njengoba ephendula u-Aphiwe.
“Ngabe uReggie Perumal nguye ubaba kamama. Ngabe nguye umkhulu wami?”
Amehlo kaGogo ahlangana naka-Aphiwe esibukweni semoto. Ukumamatheka kwakhe kunenkeshezana yosizi njengoba evuma ngekhanda.
“Yebo, Aphiwe. Nguye umkhulu wakho,” kusho uGogo.
***
Sitshele: Ucabanga ukuthi uReggie Perumal uyazi ngendodakazi yakhe no-Princess? Chaza ngempendulo yakho. Kuyakumangaza ukuthi umfowabo kaGogo wanyamalala?