Njengoba u-Aimée esehamba emgaqweni owubhuqu oyela endlini yakubo, kuma inja eboshelwe esihlahleni ngeketanga. Ikhonkotha ngendlela engasabisi futhi eyisicefe.

“Hayi thula wena!” UNks van Rheenem uyamemeza, eyikhahlela. Uhlezi ngaphandle esitulweni esigoqekayo esesigugile sasolwandle, ucweca amazambane, ebheke isitaladi. Indodana yakhe engasebenzi, uRicardo, ucubungula injini yemoto ephezu kwezitini, esigqwalile ngenxa yezimvula zasebusika. Kodwa isenayo umculo, ukhuphula ivolumu ngokushesha lapho ebona u-Aimée.

“Oh, sexy lady… wop… wop…. wop… wop… wop …Gangnam style…” kukhala iculo. URicardo ushikisha ukhalo lwakhe bese uyahleka. Umama ka-Aimée uvamise ukukhala ngomculo akawudlalayo. Manje u-Aimée uzwa ukukhala komculo ophuma kumjondolo wakubo – Napesi yo nde motema na Ngai. Umculo wasezweni lakubo.

URicardo aphakamise nakakhulu iculo elithi ‘Gangnam style. Manje sengathi kunempi phakathi kwabo bobabili. Impi ongekho oyoke ayinqobe.

UNks van Rheenen uvuma ngekhanda ku-Aimée, bese esho into akahlale eyisho njalo.

“Nina bantu kumele niqaphele. Bashise isitolo samaSomali, Esayithi B. Sasha sangqungqa. Lawo maSomali angamaMuslim, kodwa awafani namaMuslim wethu,” uyanezela. “Angizifuni izinkinga lapha.” Usho sengathi useyazisola ngokubaqashisa igumbi elincane ngemva kwebala lakhe. Kodwa uyazi ukuthi abekho abantu ‘bakhe’ abangase bakhokhe imali yokuqasha akayibizayo yomjondolo ongenwa yimvula ebusika.

“Abantu abayithandi indlela enithatha ngayo imisebenzi yethu,” kumemeza uNks van Rheenen. “Bheka uRicardo, akasebenzi. Akawusizo lwalutho.” Ulahla amakhasi ebhakedeni.

U-Aimée uphusha umnyango womjondolo ukuwuvula bese wehlisa umculo.

“Ingabe mama kuyiqiniso?”

Umama wakhe upheka esitofini esibeka amabhodwe amabili esiphezu kwetafula elincane endaweni yokudlela.

“Yini eyiqiniso?” Uyeka akwenzwayo bese ubheka u-Aimée.

Ukuthi bashise isitolo sika-Ali kuSayithi B?”

Angazi. Uhlale njalo enendaba ethize emayelana ‘nani bantu'” Umama wakhe ulingisa izwi lomnikazi wendawo yabo. “Nina bantu niya esontweni? Nina bantu nipheka ukudla kwenu okungaziwa. Ninukisa yonke indawo. Kungani nina bantu nikhulumela phezulu kangaka?” U-Aimée uyahleka. Umama wakhe ukhuluma sengathi nguye kanye uNks van Rheenen. Kodwa izwi lakhe liphinde libuyele esimweni. “Besinjani ke isikole?”

“Besilungile.”

“‘Silungile’ nje?”

“Ngithole abangani uNokiwe noChantelle. Bahlala eduze nalapha.”

“Kuhle lokho. Ingabe unawo womsebenzi wesikole wasekhaya?”

“Kumele ngibhale, kusho u-Aimée, elingisa ngobuso “indaba emayelana nami siqu. Konke okumayelana nami. Kodwa ngisayogeza kuqala.”

Usisi wakhe omncane ubambe ibhulashi sengathi umbhobho uyacula. “Sengathi usohlelweni olubizwa ngokuthi i-Idols. Uguqe phezulu ebhentshini: “Hey sexy lady… wop… wop… wop…” Iculo li-gevaarlik ne akunjalo Aimée? Ayoba.”

“Mulalele. Angimuzwa ukuthi uthini. Ubuya esikoleni sezinga eliphansi manje yonke into isi-gevaarlik‘ na-‘ayoba‘ futhi hhayi ‘ayoba‘,” kukhalaza umama wabo.

“Bengicabanga ukuthi uzojabula,” kusho usisi wakhe omncane. Akukhona kanti lokho okufunayo – ukuthi sihambisane nesimo?”

“Kodwa ningakhohlwa. Awukwazi nokukhuluma ulimi lwethu.”

“Wayemncane kakhulu, Mama, kusho u-Aimée. “Noma kunjalo ke, isiZulu ulimi lwethu manje.”

“Kade ungeke usho kanjalo, uma umulalele,” kusho umama wakhe.

“Ufuna ukuthi sihambisane nesimo. Ufuna ukuthi sigqame? Yikhona kuyikuphi?”

Ngokushesha usuku lwasesikoleni lumuphatha kabi u-Aimée futhi ufuna ukukhala. Ugcwalisa ibhakede ngamanzi endlini yangasese. Ukhumula ihembe lakhe bese ebheka amanxeba asengalweni nasemlenzeni wakhe.

Amanxeba ayizinkumbulo eziphilayo azithola ngobusuku abacishe baphuma ngalo eCongo, bedlula umngcele wasesiFundazweni saseCyangugu ohlanganisa idolobha laseBukavu neRwanda. Ukhumbula indlela ababekwazi ngayo ukubona Umfula iRuzizi ogelezela eLake Kivu, lapho ngokushesha babezwa abantu bememeza futhi abafana ababebahola bebatshela ukuthi wonke umuntu athule futhi bahambe kancane ngoba amasosha ayesondela. Wayethuke ngale ndlela yokuthi waze wazichamela.

Owesifazane othile wayememeza, ememeza umfana wakhe oneminyaka eyishumi owayebanjwe ngamasosha. Lowo owesifazane wayethukile ngenxa yokuthi bonke babazi lokho okuzokwenzeka – ukuthi ingane yakhe yayizoqeqeshwa njengesosha futhi ifundiswe ukubulala. Umama ka-Aimée wambamba, wamqinisa, futhi u-Aimée wayelibona uvalo lubhalwe emehlweni kamama wakhe. Naye u-Aimée inhliziyo yakhe yayishaya kakhulu.

Abafana abaholayo ukuya emngceleni baqala ukumemeza: “Kimbia, kimbia, wanajeshi wanatufuata!” (Balekani, balekani, amasosha ayasilandela!)

Abantu baqala ukugijima futhi u-Aimée nomkhaya wakhe balandela. U-Aimée wayengaboni ukuthi uyaphi. Waqhuzuka wawela phansi ematsheni. Kodwa sasingekho isikhathi sokuma nokukhala. Ubaba wakhe wamphakamisa baqhubeka nokugijima. Amagatsha ezihlahla ayelokhu emuklwebha futhi kwathi lapho sebefikile emngceleni kwakumele badlule ucingo olunamahhuku acijile. Lamusika, kodwa wayesendikindiki futhi akabuzwanga ubuhlungu njengoba igazi lalisaphazeka ezingubeni zakhe.

Kuze kube manje akazi ukuthi basinda kanjani ngalobo busuku. Kuba sengathi kwakuyiphupho elibi. Kodwa amanxeba asezingalweni nasemlenzeni wakhe awubufakazi bokuthi kwakuyinto yangempela, indlela abacishe bafa ngayo ngenxa nje yokufuna inkululeko yabo.

Ufihla amanxeba ngezingubo zakhe bese ebuyela egumbini lokudlela lapho umama wakhe emnikeza incwadi yokubhala nepeni. “Ngikuthengele lokhu,” kusho umama wakhe. Wenze ukuthi kube khona indawo etafuleni elincane.

U-Aimée uqabuza umama wakhe. Uvula incwadi. Amaphepha amhlophe angenalutho. Ukuqala kabusha. Ikhasi elingabhalwanga. Ithemba.

Ubhala igama lakhe nosuku.

Ucisha ‘u-Aimée’ bese ebhala ‘Amy’. Igama lakhe elisha, okulula ukulibiza.

Umama wakhe unikina ikhanda lakhe bese enza umsindo wokungavumelani. “Sikunikeze lelo gama. Lisho ‘uthando,’ Aimée. Wawuluthando lwethu.”

“Ngangiyilo?” kusho u-Aimée ngendelelo.

“Useyilo. Uma wenza umsebenzi wakho wesikole wasekhaya.”

U-Aimée uqala ukubhala indaba yakhe yothisha wesiZulu:

Ngazalwa eBukavu, idolobha Elisenayakatho Mpumalanga ne-DRC, eduze nomngcele waseRwanda. Sabalekela impi yombango ezweni lakithi. Ukuphila kwethu kwakusengozini. Sahamba amazwe amaningi aseAfrika ngaphambi kokuba size lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Ubhuthi wami omncane wabulawa umalaleveva kwamanye amakamu ababaleki eRwamwanja, engxenyeni esentshonalanga ne-Uganda…

Uyama. Lena indaba yakhe, kodwa futhi indaba yababaleki abayizinkulungwane. Lena akuyona indaba yakhe kuphela. Ungumbaleki kodwa okokuqala, ngaphambi kwalokho, ungu-Aimée Mwamba, umuntu, oyingqayizivele futhi okhethekile. Uqala phansi:

Igama lami ngu-Aimée. Lisho uthando ngolimi lwesiFulentshi. Umama wami wathi into engayidla okokuqala ngqa kwakuyi-fufu nesobho lamakinati. Ngisakuthanda namanje. Ngangidelela esikoleni, kodwa ngangenza kahle. Ngiasakhumbula ezinye izinto zendlu yakithi. Yayinkulu futhi iyinhle izungezwe ingadi yezitshalo nezilimo, mina nomngani wami uClaudette sasithanda ukusiza umama wami ukutshala. Ngalahlekelwa ngumngani wami, u-Claudette, esiphithiphithini sempi. Ngiyakuthanda ukudweba, kusukela kudala. Ubaba wami wasifundisa emakamu. Sasinenhlanhla, ngoba wayenguthisha. Sasibhala phansi enhlabathini izibalo. Wasifundisa yonke into akayaziyo ngezemvelo, umlando nesayensi. Ngiwuthanda kakhulu umkhaya wami. Ngiyakuthanda futhi ukulalela umculo we-R&B futhi iculo engilithanda kakhulu elikaNathalie Makoma, ungumculi odume kakhulu waseCongo. Umbala engiwuthandayo umbala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka.

Nginamaphupho amaningi ngekusasa. Nginamanxeba emzimbeni wami lapho ngasikwa khona ucingo, kodwa nginalo ithemba enhliziyweni yami.

Uyeka ukubhala,.

Udabula ikhasi bese uqala phansi.

Lapho ecisha ilambu ukuze ayolala uzwa umama nobaba wakhe bekhulumela phansi.

U-Ali kade eyindoda elungile. Abantu abaningi Esayithi B babevamise ukuya esitolo sakhe. Ngibone uNks Themba namhlanje ekuseni esikoleni sikaFrancoise. Kade ephatheke kabi ngale ndaba. Uthe u-Ali wayehlala emukweletisa njalo lapho ayengenakho ukudla okwanele nemali yokukhokha.”

“Ukube nje babazi ubunzima abhekana nabo eSomalia.” Izwi likababa wakhe lithulile. “Wonke umkhaya ka-Ali ubulewe. Kwakumele aqale phansi lapha, kusuka kwize. Wayeyindoda elungile. Ngempela bonke abantu baphatheke kabi. Kade efuna ukusinda nje lapha futhi azenzele ukuphila okusha.”

“Kungcono ngoba thina sisaphelele, no-Aimée no-Francoise. Kodwa ngiyesaba, Patrice. Akusona nje isitolo sika-Ali kuphela. Baqalile ukushisa imikhaya yababaleki Esayithi B. Bayabaxosha. Bekukhona isiteleka, abasebenzi basendaweni baxoshiwe, manje sebesola ababaleki balapho. Ngisaba ukuthi kuzofika nalapha.”

“Ngeke sikwazi ukuthutha futhi. U-Aimée usanda kuqala nje esikoleni esisha.”

“Kungase kudingeke ukuba sithuthe.”

U-Aimée usanda kuthola abangani abasha uNoki noChantele. Futhi kumele athole uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali kuMandla. Yilokho nje akakucabangayo.

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Sicela umbono wakho: Kungani kubalulekile ukuthi singabhekiseli kubantu ‘njengababaleki’, kodwa sibheke umuntu ngamunye njengomuntu oyingqayizivele?