U-Aphiwe akabe esabanga isicefe ngemibuzo emuva kokuba uGogo esevumile. Bahamba indlela yonke bezithulele belalele umculo emotweni. Bathenga ukudla e-shopping mall eAmanzimtoti baphikele ekhaya. Bayadla emuva kwalokho uGogo aphuze amaphilisi. Uhambo lumukhathazile uGogo, udinga usizo luka-Aphiwe esuka e-lounge ukuya egumbini lakhe eseyocambalala.
“Kwagcina kwenzakaleni kuReggie Perumal, Gogo?” kubuza u-Aphiwe njengoba emsiza ukuze agibele embhedeni.
“Iqiniso elimsulwa ukuthi angazi ukuthi waphelelaphi, Aphi.”
“Kwenziwa yini ukuthi ungamuthungathi, Gogo?”
“Yena kwenziwa yini ukuthi angangithungathi?” kubuza uGogo ekhulumela phansi, ukhuluma sakuhleba uma amaphilisi eseqala ukusebenza.
U-Aphiwe akanayo impendulo yombuzo kaGogo.
“Ngamuthungatha, Aphi,” kusho uGogo, sakuhleba. “Ngamthungatha ezixukwini edolobheni. Ngangimthungatha njalo uma ngidlula ezindaweni zokudlela. Ngezinye izikhathi ngangisuka ngiyohlala emarenki amabhasi asemalokishini amandiya nginethemba lokuthi ngizomubona. Ngangihlangana naye kuphela uma ngiphupha ngaye. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngazitshela ukuthi mhlawumbe waduka nezwe, noma wazitholela intombazane yendiya washada. Phela ukuthandana kwabantu bezinhlanga ezehlukene kwasekuboshelwa emuva kwe-Group Areas Act. Noma kuthiwa ngangimthola kwakuzoba nzima ukuthi sibonane, siqhubeke sithandane.”
“Ngiyezwa, Gogo. Futhi ngiyabona ukuthi njengoba ungixoxela loludaba ufisa kube imina engixoxela uMa.”
“Yebo, Aphi. Angazi ukuthi ngizoqala kuphi mina ukumxoxela,” kusho uGogo. “Ngicela umtshele wena, mntanomntanami.”
Kuba ukubuya kwamama wakhe emsebenzini, uAphiwe umxoxele konke akutshwele nguGogo mayelana noReggie Perumal. U-Aphiwe nomama wakhe babambana isikhathi eside bekhala. Umama ka-Aphiwe usula izinyembezi abe esephikelela egumbini likaGogo. Ungena khona avale isicabha. Akukho ukuthethisana namhlanje, kuzwakala amazwi akhulumela phansi njengoba uGogo nendodakazi yakhe bexoxa amahora amaningi.
“Wayengumuntu onjani nje, Ma?” kubuza umama ka-Aphiwe.
“Kwakuyindoda enhle enomoya ophansi,” kusho uGogo. “Amehlo akho nawakhe afana ncamashi. UReggie wayengazi ukuthi sengikhulelwe ngesikhathi sisuswa ngendluzula eCato Manor. Sobabili sasisebancane singakholwa ukuthi sizosuswa ngempela. Bobabili obaba bethu babelwela ukuthi singasuswa. Thina sasisothandweni sicabanga ukuthi ukubhikisha sikhalela i-Group Areas Act kuzophumelela.”
“Yena wake wakutshela ukuthi umndeni wakubo uzoya kuphi uma ususwa e-Cato Manor?”
“Sasingayikhulumi leyo ndaba ngoba sasingacabangi ukuthi kuzokwenzeka,” kusho uGogo.
“Kodwa kwakufanele ungitshele, Ma. Kuyilungelo lami ukuthi ngimazi ubaba wami.”
“Ngiyazi kodwa nami nganginezizathu zami ezenza ngahlala yonke le minyaka nale mfihlo,” uGogo usula izinyembezi. “Ngangingafuni ukucabanga ngalezinsuku ngoba okwenzeka ngazo kwangihlukumeza kakhulu emphefumulweni wami. Ngabona ukuthi uma ngikwazisa nawe uzohlukumezeka.”
“Kodwa, Ma, kwakufanele ungazise. Sasizokumela sobabili. Uyazi ukuthi konke ubunzima bempilo besiwa sivuka sobabili.”
“Ngiyabona manje ukuthi ukukhuluma ngalento kuyawelapha umphefumulo. Ngizwa inhliziyo yami ikhululeka. Ngicela ungixolele, ndodakazi yami.”
Umama ka-Aphiwe uvuma ngekhanda, ubambe isandla sikaGogo.
“Okunye okwenza ngingakutsheli ingoba ngangingeke ngivume kwaziwe ukuthi uxubile izinhlanga ngezikhathi zodlame olwalubheduka emalokishini. Abantu babebulawela ubala, ngangisabela impilo yakho. Ngiyazi ukuthi kuyilungelo lakho ukwazi ngobaba wakho. Kodwa ngangizokwenza kanjani? Phela alikho ibhuku elineziyalo zokuthi abantu abehlakalelwa yilokhu okwasehlakalela kumele baphile kanjani.”
“Ngiyakuzwa, Ma.”
“Ngazama ukukukhulisa ngokukuvikela,” uGogo ubamba isandla sendodakazi yakhe asiqinise. “Ngangisaba ukuthi uma ngikutshela usemncane uzophuka umphefumulo. Ngingazi ukuthi uzoyithatha kanjani le ndaba.”
“Khona wangivikela, Ma. Ngibonga kakhulu ngakho konke ongenzele khona uwedwa empilweni yami kodwa ngifuna ukumthungatha ubaba. Kumele ngimthole. Ekugcineni kwakho konke ungubaba wami.”
“Yikho lokhu okwakenza ngisabe ukukutshela ngaye usemncane. Ngangisaba ukuthi uzokhohlwa ukuzimisela esikoleni unake ukuthungatha ubaba wakho.”
“Ma, kumele ngimuthole ngoba kungenzeka ukuthi usaphila.”
“Vele ukhohlwe yilento, mntanami, uziqhubekele nempilo yakho.”
“Sekwaba lula ukuthola umuntu omthungathayo manje, Ma. Nginabangani abasebenza e-Home Affairs nase -licensing department. Nakanjani unayo i-ID ne-driver’s licence. Ngizozama ukumbheka.”
“Yena wayeyindoda eqotho enothando. Angakujabulela ukuhlangana nawe. Ngiyakuvumela ukuthi umthungathe,” kusho uGogo.
UGogo ugcina ezumekile bebambene ngezandla nendodakazi yakhe.
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Sitshele: Ukuthola kulula ukukholwa ukuthi imithetho ye-apartheid yayithi kuyicala ukuthandana kwabantu abanebala elihlukene? Ngabe umama ka-Aphiwe wenza kahle ngokufuna ukuthungatha ubaba wakhe emuva kweminyaka eminingi kangaka?