Siphelo
Kanye ngelithuba ndingena kwivenkile yamaSomalia, ndibone uYonela esiza phambi kwam.
“Hayi Siphelo, ndiyanqanda. Sukundiqhuba ngoluhlobo. Kutheni unqabe kangaka? Yindlela obaqhuba ngayo lena abantu obathandayo? utsho endanga.
“Heyi Yonela, kufuneka ndihambe. Utamkhulu wam uzokusibona.” Nditshilo msinyane kuye.
“Ndikhumbula undixelela ukuba wasweleka.” Ukhawuleze waphendula.
“Kufuneka uhlale usazi, sithandwa sam, abantu banootamkhulu kumacala amabini,” ndimphendule ngokukhawuleza mna kuqala.
“Yazi yintoni! Bendicinga ukuba uhle emazulwini wazokufundisa izinto ezimbalwa,” utsho ehleka.
“Ha, ha! Njengantoni?”
“Mhlawumbi kufuneka uzame ukubabona abantu ohlala ubaxelela ukuba uyabathanda, ngcono kunokuba usenza ngoku!” utsho izandla ezibeke esinqeni.
Ndimshiye apho uYonela.
Xa kanye ndiwela indlela kufutshane ekhaya ndithetshe uNokubonga kwimoto eluhlobo leUno. Ukhawuleze wafihla ubuso akundibona. Ingaba yimoto katata wakhe leya? Ingaba yilento engafuni ndimbone? Kodwa utata wakhe akaqhubi imoto eluhlobo leUno!
Ndicofe inombolo yakhe kwifowuni yam. Umculo ukhalela phezulu kuleUno. Undixelela ukuba mandiphinde ndifowune ngoba akandiva.
Ndingavuya ukuba akavumanga enye indoda. Akanokwazi ukuyenza loo nto kum. Ayikho intombi enokundenza lonto, hayi kuS’phe …
Nokubonga
“Andiyithandi indlela ondiqhuba ngayo ngamanye amaxesha,” ndiqale ndatsho kuMorris xa kanye siphuma kwimoto yakhe. Sikhubeke kumaplanga aphakathi kwendlu yakowabo netyotyombe lakhe. “Nditsho ukuba, awukwazi kaloku ukundithatha ndihleli nabahlo bam ngolo hlobo.”
Usuke wandijonga uMorris. Ndiyambona ukuba akafuni ukuthetha ngoku. Kodwa ndisalindele ukuba acele uxolo. Kodwa ukuba sikhe saqala ukuxambulisana, ndiyayazi ukuba uzakubeka izizathu ezininzi. Unjalo umthetho wakhe. Abazali bam ukuba bebemazi bebezakuthi uzakubaligqwetha.
“Andizukwazi ukulala. Kufuneka ndibuyele kubahlobo bam,” ndimxele ndatsho.
Utyhale ucango watsho ewela ngaphakathi kwelogumbi linye letyotyombe lakhe. Ibholithi yophuka kwiinyanga ezimbini ezidlulileyo. Akakazidubi ngokuyilungisa.
Ndiyayazi ukuba into inye ayifunayo ngoku. Ufuna ukundibeka ebhedini.
Ukhawuleze wabiwa bubuthongo. Hayi, watipa.
Abahlobo bam andibafumenanga apho ebendithathe khona uMorris. Ndicinge ukuba mandiye ekhaya.
Ebusuku ndizakuya kulala kuSiphelo.
Siphelo
Ukubuyela kwam endlwini ndifumene uNqabisa emamele umculo.
“Owu, uyamthanda uPro kid?” ndimbuzile.
“Ewe, kakhulu,” uphendule watsho.
Ndimgalelele isiselo. Uyithathile wandiqobela iliso. Ubonakala onwabile kwelityotyombe lam. Ndiyavuya.
“Ndicinga ukuba singayokufumana iziselo ezibandayo kwaManda.”
“Hayi, hayi namhlanje. Unazo ii-movies esingazibukela?” undibuzile. “Ndingathanda ukuphinda ndibukele u‘Tsotsi’ kwakhona.”
Singqengqe ebhedini sabukela u‘Tsotsi’. Ubeke intloko yakhe esifubeni sam. “Yintoni, uright?” undibuzile.
“Ja, utsh’ uba?”
“Ingathi wothukile yaye awonwabanga.”
“Ndiyavuya ulapha Nqabisa. Ndingathini ungonwabi?”
Nqabisa
Ukuphela kwemovie ndingqengqile ndijonge emazinkini. Amanye arusile. Amaphepha ahlohlwe ekudibaneni kwamazinki nodonga emacaleni. Ityotyombe lakhe licocekile kodwa.
Kunkqonkqoziwe emnyango. Akavumelanga lomntu usemnyango ukuba angene. Usuke wabuya nocango. Mhlawumbi ngomnye wabahlobo bakhe, ndizixelele. Ndaphinda ndangqengqa ebhedini.
Ndive ilizwi lentombazana, linyanzelisa: “kutheni namhlanje Siphelo?”
Ndixhumile. Phambi kokuba ndinxibe izihlangu ndive isithonga ngathi yimbokodo igadlela emnyango.
“Phuma apho s’febe!”
Intliziyo yam ibethele ukuma. Ndiyayazi ngoku ukuba ndikwenkulu ingxaki. Ndiva uSiphelo exelela lentombazana ayibiza ngokuba nguNokubonga ukuba yehle. Ithetha ukuthini loo nto?
Bangenile emnyango bobani. USiphelo uzibambe waziqinisa zombini izandla zalentombazana.
“Ungubani ke wena sisi?” ubuzele emsindweni.
“Uzan’thini?”
USiphelo uyeke izandla zakhe wakhawuleza watsibela ifowuni yakhe.
Ndicinga ukuba kufuneka uhambe,” uxelele lentombazana.
“Hayi! Ndizokulala apha,” intombi iphendule yatsho.
Andiyikholelwa ke le ndiyiva ngendlebe zam.
Kuphindwe kwankqonkqozwa emnyango. Phambi kokuba uSiphelo aphendule ingenile enye intombazana.
“Hayibo, Yonela. Awuzange waza apha ungandixelelanga,” ukhawuleze watsho uSiphelo.
Intombazana ime emnyango ngeshori. Izandla izibeke esinqeni, isijamele sonke apha endlwini.
