“Hayi!” Ndadubuleka.

“Hayi!” Wandilinganisa uNomkhita.

Sobabini siyawazi amalungelo ethu. Ngobunye ubusuke sabukela idotyhumentari ku-YouTube ngoJacob Zuma netyala lakhe elidumileyo lokudlwengula. U-Nomkhitha unyikinya intloko yakhe kweli polisa.

“Le ayo ndlela iyiyo. Ndakuxela kuGunyaziwe weZikhalazo ukuba uthetha njalo.”

“Ewe.” Ndamxhasa. Ndiya bhekabheka. “Sifuna ibhinqa.” Ndiya khwaza kwi-ofisi yokumangala, “Sifuna ipolisa elibhinqileyo torho! Le ndoda ibuza imibuzo engeyiyo.”

Ipolisa liyathukisa limbombozela. Liyakhwaza kwipaseji emnyama, “Inspector Khumalo! … Priscilla!”

Ipolisa elibhinqileyo elifutshane uthi gqi eyimbumbulu ephuma e-ofisini. Uneenwele ezimnyama ezibengezelayo ufake ne-eye liner eninzi.

U-Nomkhita umxelela konke engxamile, “ Kukho inkwenkwe emhlophe e-Church Street, ebeza kundidlwengula. Ewe, bendinobubele, ewe ndingene endlwini yakhe, kowa ezo nto azibali.”

“Kulula,” latsho ipolisa elibhinqileyo. “Uphi?” Umbuzo olungileyo ekugqibeleni.

Sonke sitsibela kwiveni yamapolisa, thina mabhinqa amathathu.

E-Church Street ucango olublowu luvulwe nka, i-wardrobe ayinanto. Iteki ye-Adidas ithe geqe kumnyango oya kwigumbi lokuhlambela. Ishithi lisehafini yebhedi, ezinye iimpahla zebhedi azikho. Ikani ye-Axe deodorant, ifleyva yetshokolethi, iqengqeleke ekoneni. Sijonga kwiimpawu zokumka kwakhe ngenxa yokupenika.

Ipolisa elibhinqileyo, u-Inspector Khumalo ligama lakhe, uthatha amanqaku ngesixhobo sam esiyintonga yekhethini esitratweni, ifestile eyophukileyo.

Ufikelela ngaphaya. Ekungamemi kwaso isidlwengu sishiye ihempe kaNomkhita ekrazukileyo ngaphantsi kwebhedi njengobungqina.

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Khawusichazele: Ipolisa eliyindoda ‘belisola ixhoba’ ngelinge lokudlwengulwa. Zeziphi ezinye iimeko ezibangela amabhinqa asolelwe ukudlwengulwa?