Kusebusuku isikhathi ngu 2:30 a.m. futhi kuthule cwaka ebukhosini. UMaHlongwane uyaqalaza – ngempela kucishiwe kuyona yonke imizi; akekho noyedwa umuntu ovukile. Uyacathama ukuze angabonwa muntu, azimpintshe egebeni alivulile ocingweni okubiyelwe ngalo. Uphuma ngokushesha, angene indlela. Unyuka intaba nje uyahefuzela. Ulibhekise kukhokhovula womthakathi, uMpendle. Uyahefuzela njengoba engqongqoza esicabheni emzini kaMpendle.
“Vula isicabha, Mpendle,” usho sakuhleba uMaHlongwane.
“Hawu uzokwenzani la, wena wasebukhosini?” Kubuza uMpendle ngokumangala.
“Ngizokwenza isigwili, Mpendle.”
“Ngingakusiza ngani, wena wasebukhosini?”
“Ngizofuna umuthi, Mpendle. Ngifuna umuthi othi thi! Umuthi obulalayo!” kusho uMaHlongwane.
“Shh. Ungazimemezi izinto ezinjalo ebusuku.”
“Ngifuna lomuntu lishone ilanga lakusasa esefile,” kuhleba uMaHlongwane.
“Inzima lento oyifunayo, kodwa ngizolakha icebo.”
“Imali ayiyona neze inkinga, Mpendle. Kuzoba malini?”
“Awukhokhelwa ngemali lomuthi.”
“Kanti ngizokhokha kanjani? Ngingakutholela noma yini oyifunayo, Mpendle.”
“Angifune mali yakho, khumula ungene embhedeni.”
“Angiqondi kahle kungani kumele ngikhumule?”
“Angithi uyazi ukuthi lomuthi owufunayo iyingozi. Ngakho wena awuqinile. Kufanele uthintane nami ngokwenyama ukuze ngisho beyohlola bangaboni ukuthi ungubani. Ngakho kufanele mina nawe senze ucansi.”
“Uma ngingafuni?”
“Kuzothi kushona ilanga uwena ozobe ufile.”
Nangempela uMaHlongwane wenza njengoba uMpendle esho. Uma beqeda ukulala, uMpendle unika uMaHlongwane idosha elinomuthi ofana namanzi kanye nomuthi ongamagxolo esihlahla.
“Uzosebenzisa lomuthi ongamanzi ukuze ubulale ngawo. Usebenza ngemizuzwana embalwa, ungunqamula juqu! Amagxolo wona uzowagxoba uwahlanganise namanzi uchele ngawo egcekeni. Uchele igceke lonke ukuze kungabi khona nomuntu oyedwa ozosola ukuthi uyathakatha,” kusho uMpendle.
Uthi ebuyela ekhaya uMaHlongwane ilanga libe selithambama. Uthi engena esangweni abone izithandani ezinguManqoba noMbali zigonene emthunzini. Uzwa kuthi xhifi enhliziyweni. Ungena endlini yakhe avale isicabha.
Ugxoba umuthi abize amagama abo wonke. Kuthi phakathi namabili awuhlanganise namanzi umuthi ebhakedeni. Uphumela phandle achele egcekeni lomuzi wakhe. Uyanyonyoba aqhubekele phambili, afike awuchele phambi kwesicabha somuzi walapho kuhlala khona uBhungane noMaNdlovu. Ubuyela emzini wakhe, wanelisekile ukuthi akekho umuntu ombonile. Wethuka ome njengoba evula isicabha ngoba uzwa izwi lomuntu wesilisa likhuluma emuva kwakhe.
“Mamncane wenzani? Ngakubamba,” kusho izwi lomuntu wesilisa.
UMaHlongwane uyaphenduka abone ukuthi ngunogada ojwayele ukuba sesangweni lona okhulumayo.
“Ngikubambile uthakatha. Ngiyokuceba enkisini njengamanje!”
“Kahle bo mfana akunjengoba ucabanga.”
“Uma kunjalo kusho ukuthi angeke ube nenkinga uma ngitshela iNkosi.”
“Asikho isidingo salokho.”
“Ngiyahamba njengamanje.”
“Ima, ima kancane. Usho ukuthi ayikho into engingayenza ukuze lendaba iphelele phakathi kwami nawe?”
“Cha ayikho! Wena ungumthakathi nje kuphela ngisaya kumphathi sigodlo ngiyomazisa ngalendaba! Futhi wonke umuntu kufanele asazi lesi senzo sakho!”
Uyafulathela unogada. Uthi qala qala uMaHlongwane – kucinyiwe kuyona yonke imizi. Uzizwa ekhungwa inzondo. Uthatha inguzunga yetshe alandele unogada. Ufika alithi saka itshe esiphundu sikanodaga. Uyama ambuke unogada elele phansi opha igazi ekhanda, amamatheke uma embona ukuthi akasaphefumuli ufile.
“Ubofunda ukunaka izindaba zakho,” kusho uMaHlongwane sakuhleba.
Ufela isidumbu ngamathe maqede aqalaze – awukho umuzi okhanyayo namanje. Ungena endlini yakhe, akhiye isicabha.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi ikhona indlela yokuvimba uMaHlongwane?