Siphelo
Ndifika nje endlwini uNokubonga uye wangena. Akachazi ke lo xa esiza. Uvela athi gqada. Mhlawumbi ucinga ukuba angafika ndihleli nenye intombazana. Kudala ndimxelela ukuba makangayenzi lento. Ayontlonipho leyo.
“Heyi, ubusedolophini?” ubuzile uNokubonga.
“Ewe sithandwa sam. Bendiyokulanda lebhulukwe.”
Uyibukile, watsho ehlala phantsi ebhedini. Ulayite umabonakude.
“Baby, ungaqumbi torho. Andizukwazi ukuzokulala kuwe namhlanje. Utata uzobe ekhona.” Uqale watsho.
Undiphuze esidleleni.
“Hayike, yabambi ke leyo sithandwa,” ndikhalazile.
Undijonge ngokukhathazeka, “Oh, my love. Sizakubanexesha xa utata emkile kwakhona.”
“Ndiyayiqonda sithandwa. Kutata wakho ndiyayazi umthetho ngumthetho,” nditsho kuye.
Lo unamehlo amahle. Lonto ne-ezi lakhe zezona zizathu ezabangela ukuba ndimplite.
Ukuhamba kwakhe ndifowunele uYonela. Uvumile ukuzokulala kum.
Ukuphela kukaGenerations kunkqonkqoziwe emnyango.
“Heyi, nguwe.” Ndimangile watsho ehlala phantsi. Namhlanje kukokuqala ezakunditakela. Besisoloko sidibana emini. Ndiyazicingela ndizibuza, inokuba uziva njani ngobusuku bokuqala engazukulala kowabo? Hayi, andikhathali, ndiyavuya ukuba elapha qha.
Yonela
Ndifike uSiphelo exakekile kwifowuni yakhe njengesiqhelo. Uyikhusela kanobomi. Akafuni ndiyibambe.
Ndimphuze emlonyeni, ndatsho ndihlala ecaleni kwakhe. Ubeke ifowuni yakhe ebhedini eyijongise phantsi. Watsho endiwisa ngomqolo. Siphuzene kwakhona, endinyumbaza. Ndiyihleke kanobomi ndingakwazi nokuzibamba. Ndiyathanda ukuhlala naye. Ndiyamthanda.
Umculo utsholo phezulu kwi-jukebox esesimokolweni esikufutshane kowabo. Andiyivanga ngelixesha ikhalayo ifowuni yam. USiphelo uyibone ilayita wandinika eyiqwalasele.
“Ngumama ufuna ukuqonda ukuba ndiphi,” ndimxelele.
“Ndiza kukuthengela i-airtime ubuyele kumama wakho ngeSMS. Uzakuthini kuye kuqala?” undibuzile.
“Ndizakumxelela ukuba … ndizakuthi kumama ndiza kulala kuloZandile.”
Ukuphuma kwakhe esiyokuthenga i-airtime nesiselo esibandayo evenkileni ndifumene i-album yakhe. Iphezu kwetafile, igqunywe ngamaphepha. Ndiyityhila tyhilile ndimbona efote namantombazana amaninzi. Ungakhathazeki Yonela, zimini zakudala ewawungekho kuzo wena ezi, ndizixolise ndatsho. Ndiyiphose etafileni kwakhona ndakuva izingqi.
Ukungena kwakhe uSiphelo undinike i-artime. “Enkosi,” nditshilo kuye ngelixesha ndibhala eya kumama i-SMS. Ukugqiba kwam ndiyicimile ifowuni.
“Nxa, uyaphazamisa.”
Uyithandile ke leyo. Ndimbona apha ebusweni. Unditsalele ebhedini kwakhona.
Siphelo
Sibambene sibukana ebhedini. Emva kokuba sivisene kamnandi, uYonela uye walala.
Ndithathe ifowuni yam ndatsho ndibhalela uNqabisa i-SMS.
Hey Nqabi, m so bored
M struggling to fall asleep.
How u doin?
Xandiphinda ndijonga ixesha, kusandokubetha intsimbi yeshumi elinambini ekuseni. Ndilindele impendulo esuka kuNqabi. Ixesha lihambile umhlobo wam omtsha engandiphendulanga. Ndifuna ukumenza intombi yam. Nantso qha into endiyicingayo ngoku.
UYonela uvukile wayokuchama epheyilini.
“Heyi, awulelanga?” undibuzile.
“Hayi ngoku. Undivusile sithandwa,” nditshilo kuye. Ukucela kwakhe uxolo ndifune ukuhleka kulohoki imnyama, ikhanyiswa yi-TV kuphela. Akazinto!
Ndicinge ngoBulela. Soloko endixelela ukuba amantombazana awalali. Qho eguquka okanye evuka ebusuku, intombazana emtakeleyo isoloko ihleli. “Kutheni bengalali nje?” usoloko ekhalaza esitsho.
Uphinde wangena ezingubeni. Andiphindanga ndathetha naye ebusuku.
Soloko esithi akafuni ukubambelana namanye amantombi kum. Ewe, ndiyamthanda, kodwa indoda kufuneka ibenayo into enayo ecaleni. Akasokuze ayiqondisise ke le.
Hey, waz up, Noks?
Ndicofe “send” umyalezo esiya kuNokubonga.
Nokubonga
Ifowuni yam ikhale kanye. NguSiphelo. Ndiva kakubi ngoba ndilele ecaleni kukaMorris ebhedini yakhe. Usele kakhulu. Uye watipa emva kokuba eyifumene into ayifunayo. Kodwa ke, uSiphelo akazukwazi ngaye. Ndizakuqiniseka ukuba loo nto ihlala injalo.
Ndazi kwa ukuqala ukudibana kwam naye uMorris, ukuba linene. Ndandiphethe ibhokisi yekeyiki enkulu yetheko lomhla wokuzalwa womtshana wam ndisuka kwaSpar. Wandimisela ngemoto yakhe wandisa ekhaya. Zange andibize mali.
Ukuphinda kwakhe ukuzakundibona ucele ukundithengela i-airtime. Ndamxelela kaloku ukuba andinamali yokuthenga i-airtime nam ndimthumelele i-SMS xa endithumelele. Saqala ngaloo ndlela ukuthandana.
UMorris uyaguquguquka apha ebhedini ngelixesha ndibhalela uSiphelo.
Your msg woke
me up now. My dad
keeps walking past
my room. I think he
is checking on me
UMorris akazinzanga ebhedini. Ifowuni yam iphinde yakhala, kulelixesha ke uMorris athethe into endingayivanga. Kodwa akavukanga.
Ndivule ifowuni phantsi kwengubo. Kukho i-SMS entsha.
Gud, your father
Is right … sleep tight
Awazinto mfana, ndizicingele. Kufuneka ndihambe kwasekuseni kuloMorris. Ndingavuya ukuba unokundigodusa ngemoto.