“Sawubona, ntokazi enhle.”

“Heyi wena, ngikhuluma nawe. Ulahlekile?” (Ngikhuluma nawe. Ulahlekile?)

“Yebo, ngisho wena. Ulahlekile Mabhebeza?” (Ulahlekile, ntokazi enhle?)

U-Aimée akakuqondi lokho okushiwo abafana abancike odongeni lwasesitolo. Bakhuluma ngokushesha, futhi bahlanganisa izilimi ezahlukahlukene. Basiyekile isikole: bahlezi nje, bayabhema, bachitha isizungu ngokubheka abantu abadlulayo futhi balinde noma yini engenzeka. Manje sekwenzekile ke. Le ntokazi enhle enesikhumba esimnyama, esicwebezelayo isanda kudlula, futhi nakanjani ilahlekile.

“Sawubona, ulahlekile?” kusho futhi omunye, ngenkathi elahlela phansi enhlabathini isinqamu sikagwayi wakhe bese esinyathela ngesithende sesicathulo sakhe se-Carvela mbumbulu. Ube esezisondeza ngaku-Aimée sengathi ukulungiselele kusengaphambili lokho ngaphambi kwesibuko.

Indlela akambuka ngayo, sengathi uyamkhanuka, kwethusa u-Aimée . U-Aimée ube ubheka emgaqweni, ufuna itekisi. Obekufanele ayigibelile isihambile. Wagijima ngemva nje kokuba isanda kusuka etsheni lonqenqema, igcwele izingane zesikole ziminyene, zihambisana neculo elithi Umlilo wa Big Nuz njengoba ugumuza ezipikheni. Usele yedwa manje futhi ulahlekile ume ngasendaweni egandayiwe.

Lolu usuku lwakhe lokuqala esikoleni esisha sebanga eliphezulu, elokishini elisha, ezweni elisha – futhi manje ngeke afike ngesikhathi.

“Uleqa esigela?” (Ngeke ufike ngesikhathi esikoleni?)

Umfana umgqolozele, ulinde impendulo. Kodwa ufundile: kuphephile ukuba ungaphenduli uma ungawuqondi umbuzo. “Yebo” kungenzeka akalungile. “Cha” kungenzeka ulungile. “Cha” kungenzeka akalungile, ‘yebo’ kungenzeka ulungile.

Ngakho ke akasho lutho, kunalokho uqala ukuhamba aqhele kubo, kancane. Akaqiniseki ukuthi isikole sakhe esisha silibhekise ngakuphi. Kodwa abafana ngeke bamnyeke ahambe kalula kanjalo nje. Baqala ukumlandela. Uyazizwa izicathulo zabo zinyathela indawo egandayiwe, uyabezwa besondela, kodwa beshiya amabanga ambalwa nje ngemuva kwakhe. Bayakujabulela lokhu – badlala ikati negundwane. Uyaqhubeka nokuhamba.

“Sawubona, sibheke. Sikhuluma nawe.”

Uyama bese uyajika.

“Hey, uphethe’nto?” Oyedwa kubafana ukhomba isibhakela sakhe esifumbathiwe. Ubambe into ethize kuso futhi akasaze abavumela ukuba bayithathe.

“Cha,” esholo phansi.

Uno ‘cha’ esandleni sakho?” Bayahleka futhi. “Veza le ‘no’ uy’phetheyo. Vula maan.” (Ngibonise lo ‘cha’. Vula isandla sakho.)

“Yebo” esholo phansi nakakhulu, egcina isibhakela sakhe sifumbathwe nakakhulu njengoba kunohlamvu lwemali kwintende yesandla sakhe.

“Yebo, noma, cha? “Iyona kuyiphi?”

Inhliziyo yakhe ishaya kakhulu esifubeni sakhe. Manje bayamzungeza. Uvimbelekile.

“Hola? Awusizwa?” bayahleka.

“UPHUMA… KUPHI?” kubuza umfana oyedwa, ephimisela amagama ngokunensa, ngezwi eliphezulu, ebusweni bakhe, sengathi akasizwa isiZulu. Ubheka umfana ngokuqondile emehlweni wakhe.

Uzama ukuphuma, kodwa bonke bayamvimba.

“Ima kancane.”

“Uyakwazi ukukhuluma isiZulu? Noma uyikwerekwere nje?”

Kwabe sekudlubulundela intombazane, nayo egqoke iyunifomu efana neka-Aimée, isho ingena esiyingini. Yama ibeke izandla zayo okhalweni lwayo, inokudelela, ibukela phansi abafana.

“Vele uyakwazi ukukhuluma isiZulu. Zilima ndini! esho ebathethisa.

“Hayi suka wena Noki!” Abafana bayayazi le ntombazane.

Uthimisela phansi phambi kwabo. “Amagents. Amalosers. Uyacinga uCLEVA, so CLEVA! Iya kuntanga wakho.”

U-Aimée ufuna ukuyanga intombazane. Ivele yaqhamuka esikhaleni nje, njengesibusiso esiletha intukuthelo.

“Heyi wena, besizijabulisa nje.” kusho abafana, esho ephakamisa isandla sakhe, sengathi uyazinikela.

“Ucabanga ukuthi kuyajabulisa, ukungaqondi kahle?” Usho esebusweni bomfana. “Kumele ngabe wazi kangcono. Ayikho into owawuyiqonda ekilasini. Akunjalo, Dube? Yingakho nje ulapha. Waxoshwa esikoleni. Bheka manje ungumahlalela nje. Awuyi ndawo. Ngikuzwela isono!”

U-Aimée ulandela u-Noki, osuke ngokugijima kubafana elibhekise ngezansi kwesitaladi, ngasesikoleni. U-Aimée ubheka emuva ethukile, ebheka: indlela abafana abasabela ngayo kule ndelelo yale ntombazane? Kodwa manje sebehlekisa ngo-Dube, kubonakala sengathi bakhohliwe ngo-Aimée. Okwamanje, kodwa.

Ulandela uNoki. Igama lami ngu-Aimée”.

NginguNoki, kodwa ngethemba ukuthi ulizwile igama lami laphaya. Ingabe nawe uya eNkwenkwezi High?”

“Yebo, usuku lwami lokuqala futhi ngeke ngifike ngesikhathi.”

“Woza, sizogijima,” kusho uNoki. Yena no-Aimée base begijima ekuseni ezitaladini zaselokishini, bedlula ezindaweni zokuthengisa izitshalo nakwizimbawula zamalahle, lapho abesifazane beshisa khona inyama. Babheka amatekisi njengoba bedlula umgwaqo ophithizelayo.

“Laba bafana bacabanga ukuthi bahlakaniphile, kanti bayizilima nje,” kuhleka uNoki. “Abangani bakabhuti wami. Abababi kangako.” Izinwele zakhe ezilukiwe zishayisa izidlathi zakhe njengoba egijima. “Uphuma kuphi vele?” Kubuza uNoki, ephelelwe umoya.

“Congo.”

“Yini le oyiqinise kangaka esandleni?” UNoki ukhomba isibhakela sika-Aimée esifumbathisiwe.

Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba u-Aimée aphendule bangena esangweni leNkwenkwezi High futhi u-Aimée useminyene phakathi kwabafundi abayaluzayo, bonke bagijimela amakilasi wabo.

Bayama, bakhathele.

“Kulungile?”

“Yebo. Futhi ngiyabonga.”

“Noma yinini. Ufunda ibanga bani?”

“Eleshumi nanye A. Wena?”

“Eleshumi nanye B. Ngizokufuna ngesikhathi sekhefu. Ngizokwazisa kubangani bami abathize. Ngiyazi ukuthi kunjani ukuba musha esikoleni.”

Wahamba uNoki manje usele yedwa u-Aimée phakathi kwesikhishikazana sezikhwama nemizimba. Abafana namantombazane bayamemezana ngesiXhosa. Bakhuluma ngokushesha. Uzwa lapho nalapho nje. Amagama kuphela, ayantanta. Akakwazi ukuwahlanganisa ukwenza umusho.

Insimbi yesikole iyakhala lapho u-Aimée ethi uyajika intombazane iyamgudluza. Uyawa, enhlabathini. Isandla sakhe siyavuleka. Uhlamvu lwemali ekade eliphethe liginqikela phansi phambi kwakhe.

“Uxolo,” kusho intombazane emgudluzile, kodwa ayibukeki izisola. Abangani bayo beza njengeqembu bamzungeze bese begqolozela u-Aimée njengoba esukuma, ethintitha uthuli esiketini sakhe.

Uhlamvu lwemali luphansi enhlabathini phakathi kwakhe nabo. Uhlamvu lwakhe lwenhlanhla.

Waphiwa ugogo wakhe ngobusuku u-Aimée agcina ukumbona ngabo, ngaphambi kokuba abaleke ezweni nomkhaya wakhe. Ugogo wakhe wayebuthakathaka kakhulu ukuthi angahamba nabo.

Umkhaya wakhe wawungakwazi lokho abakwaziyo manje: ukuthi abasoze bakwazi ukubuyela ekhaya. Ekuqaleni babecabanga ukuthi kwakuzoba okwesikhathi sezinyanga ezimbalwa nje kuphela ngaphambi kokuba bakwazi ukubuyela edolobheni lakubo. Kodwa impi yombango ayizange iphele; izinyanga zaba iminyaka futhi iminyaka yaba unaphakade…

“Lithathe Aimée, elomkhaya wethu. Umama wami waphiwa ubaba wakhe. Lithathe ungikhumbule ngalo.” Ugogo wakhe wacindezela uhlamvu lwemali esithendeni sesandla sakhe, ngabo lobo busuku obumnyama. Babe sebebalekela ehlathini elisabisayo, ubumnyama obungaziwa bagcwala abantu abamemezayo bebalekela amasosha.

U-Aimée wathatha uhlamvu lwemali walibamba esithendeni sesandla sakhe njengoba bedlula emingceleni. Wayelokhu eliphendula kaningi, elenza lishelele kancane kancane, njengoba ehlezi ekushiseni kwelanga usuku ngalunye emakamu ababaleki, engenzi lutho. Ehlezi nje, edla lapho kukhona ukudla, elindile. Elindile futhi ethandazela ukuthi ukuphila kushintshe. Elinde ukuthi kwenzeke into enhle: incwadi angayifunda, isikole angafunda kuso, ukugeza ngamanzi ashisayo, ukudla okumnandi, umbhede onethezekile. Izinsuku zaba izinyanga, kwaba iminyaka.

Uhlamvu lwemali luyigugu lakhe.

“Ligcine liphephile. Ungikhumbule. Ukhumbule ukuthi ungubani.” Leyo kwakuyinto yokugcina akatshelwa ugogo wakhe. Washona ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbili. Umkhaya ka-Aimée wezwa ngalokho besekamini lababaleki.

Manje usezolahlekelwa uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali ebaleni lesikole. Ngokushesha nje intombazane, ekade imgqolozele, iyazijikelezisa, imomotheka, njengoba kuza ngakubo umfana. Umfana omuhle, omude, owakheke kahle.

“Sawubona, Mandla,” kusho intombazane, njengoba izama ukuthi uMandla ayinake.

“Ima kancane, Princess,” esho, edlula kuye. Ubheke u-Aimée, ngokuhlina. Bese ubheka uhlamvu lwemali.

Uyagoba.

“Liyanyanyisa, ungalithinti. Liphuma kudoti inkosi eyaziyo ukuthi nakuphi futhi,” kusho uPrincess.

Uyalicosha, alifake eminweni yakhe. Muhle kakhulu, nokumomotheka okudelelayo futhi okuyinselele.

Ubheka uAimée sengathi uyindida azama ukuyixazulula. Umbheka phansi naphezulu bese u-Aimée eba namahloni njengoba emubhekisisa: yonke ingxenye yakhe, kusuka ezicathulweni kuya emehlweni wakhe amnyama ajulile.

Ukhipha isandla sakhe esinohlamvu lwemali esithendeni sesandla sakhe. Ulula isandla ukulithatha. Uyasineka bese evala isithende sesandla sakhe bese ebuyisela isandla sakhe.

“Uma uzitholele kusuke kungeyakho,” kusho uMandla. Wabe esehamba.

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Sicela umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kunjani ukungakuqondi lokho okushiwo abantu abakuzungezile? Kungakufaka kanjani enkingeni?