Siphelo
Sibone ukuba masigqibezele imini yethu ngeebhiya ezimbalwa kwaManda. Sihleli ngaphakathi ngelixesha uNokubonga neetshomi zakhe bengena. Abasiboni. Sihleli ekoneni. UBulela ubabizile ukuba bazokuhlala nathi.
“S’bhanxa! Uzokubathengela iziselo. Andinamali mna,” ndimsebezele ndatsho uBulela.
“Sukubanangxaki mtshana, zonke ndiz’phethe. Ndizokwazi ukuyenza loo nto.”
Ukuhlala kwabo phantsi bakhangeleke bengonwabanga. Andiqondi ukuba uNokubonga ebelindele ukusibona apha.
“Benizimisele ukuhlala ningamantombi ninodwa ngobubusuku?” ndimbuzile.
“Hayi, hayi siyavuya ukubanani.”
“Owu, bendicinga ukuba kukho into esiyimoshayo.”
UNokubonga uxelele umhlobo wakhe uBertha ukuba afowunele omnye wabahlobo babo. Uthe makamxelele ukuba bazokudibana kowabo. Uqobele uBertha iliso. Ithetha ukuthini ke loo nto? Ndizibuzile. Mhlambi zizinto zamantombazana.
UBertha waphuma esehla ngesitepusi esiya kukhangela indawo ethuleyo yokufowuna.
“Hey, s’thandwa sam, utata wakho uzokuhamba nini ukubuyela eSaldanha kwakhona?” Ndimbuzile uNokubonga.
“Andiqinisekanga. Ukwikhefu, mhlawumbi uzakukhe ahlale.”
“Mxelele ukuba akhawuleze ahambe. Usivimba ixesha lethu lokonwaba, sobabini,” ndiqhule ndatsho.
Undijongile wancuma.
Ukubuya kukaBertha uBulela ucele ukubathengela iziselo. Bakhethe iBrutal fruit xa ebaxelela ukuba iSarita ayikho.
UNokubonga umane endijonga. Andimgqibi ukuba ucinga ntoni kanye kanye.
Kukokuqala sihleli esimokolweni sobabini.
Nokubonga
“Sihlobo, khandixelele ngohlelo lokuqala. Uye wathini?” ndisebeze endlebeni kaBertha.
Ndinexhala ngoMorris. Mhlawumbi ulinene xa engaselanga kuphela. Izolo ebusuku undibonise elinye icala lakhe endingaqinisekanga ukuba ndiyalithanda.
Njengokuba sihleli sisela kuye kwacaca ukuba uBulela unomdla kuBertha. Ndicinga ukuba uSiphelo uyayazi kwaye ufuna ukubanika ithuba bebodwa. Undicele ukuba masiphume phandle.
Andizinzanga kwaphela. Ndakuyithini into yokudibana noMorris ehamba neetshomi zakhe phandle. Kodwa ndizakuthini kuSiphelo njengokuba esithi masiphume? Ndiphumile naye.
Ukufika kwethu ngaphandle ukhangeleke engayazi ncam esizakuyenza khona. Ucele ukundithengela amaphiko enkukhu awojiweyo. Siwele indlela sobabini ukuya kuwathenga loo maphiko. Ndime ngasesitendini ndiwatya ngelixesha yena ethetha nabanye abafana abaqhuba imoto eluhlobo lweGolf emhlophe. Ukubuya kwakhe uthe masingene kwakhona ngaphakathi.
Phezulu sifumene uBulela ewufake watshona umlomo wakhe kokaBertha.
“Hayi Bertha!” ndizive ndisitsho.
Kuyacaca ukuba uBulela umfuna ngamandla ngoku. Umphathe esidleleni ngesandla watsho ephinda emphuza entanyeni. Usijongile wanoncumo olugezayo uBulela. Uphinde wangqiyama kuBertha ezama ukumkhulula amaqhosha ehempe. Uxhume xa kulapho ke uBertha.
“Hayi Bulela,” ukhwazile.
Ndijonge kuSiphelo. Kucacile ukuba uyayithanda le yenzekayo.
“Khawutsho, yinto eniyenzayo le xa niphume nabahlobo bakho?” ndimqhule ndatsho.
“Uphambene Nokubonga. Sekhe wandibona mna ndisenza lento?”
Andimazi ukuba uthetha inyani na.
Siphelo
Ndithe kuBulela masikhe siphumele ngaphandle.
“Awuchithi xesha ntanga ne!” ndimqhule ndatsho ngelixesha sisehla ngesitepusi.
Sime ngaphandle sakhe sancokola.
“UBertha uthi unayo indoda. Kodwa ngubani ongangavumi uBulela?” utsho ngetshamba ezichwetha amagxa. “Ndimsa endlwini yam namhlanje ntwana,” uphinde watsho egqibezela isiselo sakhe.
“Ewe nje, usiskhokho ntwana,” ndimvumele ndatsho.
Ndikhuphe ifowuni yam ndatsho ndifowunela uNqabisa. Undixelela ukuba ulele. Ndimqhayisele ukuba ndisaphume namajita ke mna.
Emvakoko ndibethe inombolo kaYonela.
“Hi Nqabi,” ndibulisile emvakoko ndema … kuzakufuneka ndilungise izinto kwamsinyane apha.
“Ngubani uNqabi?” ubuzile ndimva ukuba uyakrokra.
Ndimxelele ukuba ndisandula kubona umhlobo wam endamgqibela kudala esikolweni e-Orange farm eRhawunini, uNqabile. Phew! Iphantse yayingxaki le, ndizicingele ndisitsho.
Ukubuyela kwethu phezulu uBulela uhleli zava, ntofontofo ecaleni komabhebeza wakhe omtsha.
Ukungena kwabafana abacula umculo we-rap ababesigezele ngaphambili sibone ukuba masihambe. UBulela ubambe uBertha ngesandla ngoku siphumayo. Andimbambanga mna uNokubonga; ndihambe nje apha ecaleni kwakhe.
Ndinamahlahla kaloku, ngubani owaziyo ukuba sibonwa ngubani.
Siye ngakuloBulela. Yena noBertha bangene ngaphakathi.
Ndiqhubekile noNokubonga ukuyakutsho ekhaya.