Amazwi kaNomkhita aqhulayo avuselela uloyiko olungaqhelekanga kum. Ndilahlekelwe ngumhlobo wam osenyongweni uThobeka, kwiinyanga ezimbini phambi kokuba ndihambe. Umalume wakhe wambulala. Andiz’okungena nzulu.
Andikayeki ukunxiba mnyama ukusukela ngomngcwabo wakhe. Ingathi nawuphi na umbala wenza amehlo am abebuhlungu. Ingathi … ayindim.
Kodwa ngoku inkwenkwe enxibe isuti emanzi emnyama naluhlaza ikhokela umhlobo wam, onxibe iimpahla ezimhlophe ezibonakalayo kwi-breakers. Ubambelele kwisihlunu sakhe utsho ngesikhalo esibukhali. Ndikhusela amahle am elangeni, ndibajongile.
Suk’uhlekisa wethu. Akukho mntu ozakumxhwila kule dawo imnandi, kawonke-wonke apho kukho abantwana abombayo namanenekazi amadala ayadloba. Noxa kunjalo, amehlo am athe ntsho kwisuti yakhe emanzi eluhlaza njengoko inkwenkwe, engu-Adrian ibeka uNomkhita kwibhodi aze abeke isandla sonke kwimpundu yakhe ukuze amtyhalazele kwiliza. Umsonga ngeengalo zakhe ngakwibhodi yokutyibilika kwiliza aze akhwele, ekhala yimincili.
Ngeempela-veki utata wam nam sasiqhele ukuya kubukela abantu abatyibilika ngeplanga emazeni e-Buffels Bay. Ngenye imini ndabona intombazana encinane isiwa iphezulu kwiliza, itshibilikela ngaphantsi yavuka kwakhona, yasemoyeni.
“Ndifuna ukwenza laa nto, Tata.”
“Ewe?”
Ndanqwala. “Ndifuna ukuba yintombi etyibilika ngeplanga elizeni.”
“Sithandwa sam, kufuneka ufunde ukudada kuqala.”
Kwiliza lakhe elilandelayo uNomkhita uzama ukuzityhalela phezulu. Uwela elwandle aze ame ngeenyawo zakhe egxadazela. I-braids zakhe ezintsha ziyonakala. Inkwenkwe ibuyela kuye ityibilika ngomzimba, ibambe isandla sakhe imkhuphe kwakhona.
Ndingathanda ukufunda ukutyibilika ngeplanga elizeni.
Kwiliza lakhe lokugqibela, uNomkhita uguqa ngamadolo akhe, egigitheka luvuyo.
Ndiqinisekile ndingakwenza oku. U-Thobeka nam siqengqa amagongqo amadala e-oli ngeenyawo zethu, sime kuwo ngesantya esiphezulu kakhulu, malunga neemitha ezingamashumi amahlanu. Sikhwele iinciniba efama apho ndikhulele khona, ngoku siyaqhula.
U-Nomkhitha unyuka aye elwandle, iingono zakhe ziyabonakala kwimpahla yakhe yangaphantsi emanzi.
“Hee hake! Akululanga. Kodwa kufuneka uyizame Yonela.”
Inkwenkwe incuma kakuhle. “Yiza.”
Ndinyikinya intloko yam, ndolathe i-jean yam emnyama.
“Hamba ngoku unxibe iimpahla zakho. Sihlala kufutshane kakhulu,” watsho uNomkhita kuye. “Kanye ecaleni kuka-Pick n Pay ngentla kwe-“
Ndibeka isandla sam emlonyeni wakhe. Wenza isandi sokubhutyuza.
“Ngomso,” ndatsho ndikhwaza. Nantoni na enokumqanda ekunikiseni ngedilesi yethu kumntu esingamaziyo. “Ngomso, ndakuzama.”
“Yiza kwam kuqala,”utsho kum. “Ndingakuboleka isuti yasemanzini.”
U-Nomkhita uyandigqibela. “Ngabani ixesha?”
Undijongile. “Fikani ngentsimbi yokuqala. e-Church Road, nombolo 10.”
“Awu. Ndine-Taxation. Iiphiriyodi ezimbini.” Andiphosisi kwaphela.
Ingaba ndibone kuqaqamba ukucaphuka emehlweni akhe aluhlaza?
Uguquka ajonge kuNomkhita. “Wena?”
“Ngokuqinisekileyo,” uyancuma, engcangcazela. U-Nomkhita umonqelwe ngoku, isizathu esivakalayo sokushiya inkwenkwe enxibe isuti eluhlaza yasemanzini nenamehlo aluhluza abengezelayo endingakwazi ukubona phakathi kwawo.
“Sakubona ngoko,” utsho kuye, ngeli xesha sihambayo. “Awuzokuzisola.”
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