Siphelo
Indoda ekhangeleka icaphukile ibalekise imoto ingena emanzini adame endleleni. Izibethe zamanzi izihlangu zam. Idlulile, indishiya ndithukisela ndinjalo.
Xa ndisondele kuloBulela, ndimbone ehleli esitupini. Unxibe isikipa sakhe seSundowns. Intliziyo yam noko yabanokuxola ukumbona kwam.
“Heita, Bulela mfethu, tjo veetjo. Ndifumene umabhebeza otshoyo ntanga,” ndimxelele ndisangena egeyithini.
Undijonge ngokungandithembi. Uphakamisele phezulu i-Amstel yakhe. “Xoki,” utshilo esosula isanti encamathele ngaphantsi kulebhotile yakhe. Watsho ephakama.
“Suka apha S’phe. “Iphi i-proof yaloo nto?” ubuzile ehesha engakholelwa.
“Bendimfowunele ekuseni emva kokuba ndikhaphe uYonela. Ungandikhapha siyokumbona eSimons Town.”
“Ndizakuyikholelwa xa ndiyibona ke le uyithethayo.” Ugqibezele isiselo sakhe. “Mamela, kuqala kuzakufuneka siye kwelancinzo lam.
Usoloko ekhalaza ukuba andichithi xesha laneleyo naye. Ucinga ukuba nguye yedwa. Ikhe yenzeke khona loo nto ntwana?”
UThulani uphume kwindlu yangasese engaphandle xa kanye esitsho uBulela. Usivile.
“Mjita, kufuneka uqalise ukuhlonipha amantombazana,” utshilo ngelixesha ahlamba izandla zakhe kwimpompo engaphandle.
“Awutshongo ukuba umfundisi ulapha,” ndisebeze endlebeni kaBulela. Uhlekile enikina intloko.
“Jonga lendlela niphethe ngayo amantombazana mjita. Imbi. Ulala nale, enye ifike emva kwe-hour. Nidlala ngothando.”
“Thulani, vala lomlomo ukuba akunanto ingcono yothetha, uyandiva?” nditshilo kuye. Uyandicaphukisa. Usoloko enje. Wabanentombi enye qha ebomini bakhe. Umxhaga wokwenyani.
“Khawucinge S’phe mfethu. Ubungathini ukuba ibingumntwana wakho oyintombazana lo uphethwe ngoluhlobo?”
Ndimthe jezu ngamehlo njengokuba ethetha. Ndambonisa ukuba ndinikina intloko.
“Uphambene lo mfana. Indoda kufuneka ibenayo into esecaleni,”utsho endiqobela iliso uBulela.
Bulela
“Jongapha Thulani mfethu, kukho apho kufuneka siyekhona. Sizakubona ukubuya kwethu.”
UThulani usiheshe ngomva wesandla watsho ephuma ngegeyithi.
Ukufika kwethu kuloZimkhitha simfumene ehlamba impahla phandle. Lo unemilenze emihle. Yeyona nto ndiyithandayo ngaye leyo. Namhlanje unxibe ushoti omfutshane. Uyayazi ukuba ndiyawuthanda umzimba wakhe.
“Hey, s’thandwa sam, sona sodwa,” ndimbulisile ndimanga ngemva. Ndatsho ndimphuza entanyeni.
“Hey sithandwa sam, uqaphele. Umama ukhona,” undilumkise ndatsho.
“Ewe ke, asizukuhlala.”
Iyamsebenzela ke le uSiphelo. Kufuneka efike kuloNqabisa wakhe eSimons Town kwangexesha. Sihambile sishiya uZimkhitha, sathatha iteksi eya eFish Hoek. Ndiqinisekile ukuba uyandibhatalela uS’phe. Nguye kaloku ofuna ukundibonisa intombi yakhe entsha.
“Khawutsho, S’phe mfethu, uyayazi ukuba uNqabisa unazo na iitshomi? Mhlawumbi nam ndingazifumanela umabhebeza.”
“Andiyazi mfethu. Khawulinde sifike phaya.”
Ndibalisele uS’phe ngempikiswano ebendinayo noThulani phambi kokuba afike. “Khawufane ucinge, ebephinda-phinda lento inye ebeyithetha nangoku ubusowufikile. Uthi masingawajoleli amantombazana ethu. Ndimxelele ukuba amantombazana ebenyanisekile, nathi ngesingabajoleli. Basivuma besazi, angathini ukungabinayo intombi umntu ongangam! Kwaye nabo banawo amadoda.”
“Uye wathini uThulani?”
“Ewe, ebesithi, ‘ja … ja … kodwa kufuneka ubuze ukuba intombi inayo na indoda okanye hayi.’ Khawufane ucinge, ubutyhakala obunjalo. Ukuba intombazana iyandithanda andikuzimoshela ngokubuza ngendoda yayo.”
Wayihleka uS’phe.
Siphelo
Sifike sakhe salinda esitishini saseSimons Town. UNqabisa uze phaya, ndambona ukuba nguye.
“Uyawabona lamadywantsi ntwana, ngawam booi,” ndiqhayisele uBulela. Usuke wandijonga nje akathetha nto.
Usamnkele ngezandla ezishushu uNqabisa, wasanga. Ayiloncumo kuBulela, ubuso buqhekekile. Ndimazise kuNqabisa yatsho isithi masiye kuyo eflethini intombi.
Ukufika kwethu apho uBulela akasosithethi njengokuba eqhele ukwenza. Ndicinga ukuba wothukile ukuba intombi yam inendawo yayo. Uthe uzakusela ijusi akubuza uNqabisa. Mna ndithe ndizakusela amanzi ndingacingisisanga.
Ndimbukele uBulela emane ezinika ngokujonga uNqabisa xa ecinga ukuba andimboni. Akanokuyivuma ke umhlobo wam xa ndinombuza sisodwa. Andimbeki tyala. Intle intombazana.
Ukhululekile ndimva nangokuthetha uNqabisa. Uvalo lwam luyabetha kancinci kodwa ndiyavuya ukubalapha.
Emvakokuba sincokole imizuzu edlulileyo pha kweyeshumi, ndixelele uBulela ukuba kuza kufuneka sihambe. Indenza iintloni ngoku indlela amjonga ngayo uNqabisa. Ndim kaloku ekufuneka ndimthi nca ngamehlo. Sithembise uNqabisa ukuba sakuphinda sibuye kwakhona sizokumbona.
Usixelele ukuba akakaqiniseki ukuba uza kuyakusibona nini eMasi.