Ulitholile uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali futhi udlala ngalo ekilasini, engaqaphele elokhu elidlulisa phakathi kweminwe yakhe. UMandla akekho esikoleni isonto lonke – okujabulisa uPrincess.
U-Aimée ubuyekeza ukufunda i-SMS yakaMandla ngokuphindaphindiwe.
Ubaba wami ukhona. Kukhona ibhizinisi okumele ilungiswe. Ngizokubona maduze.
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“Bantu isono. Ukhumbule isithandwa sakho?” kusho uPrincess. “Ukhathele nguwe. Ngiyethemba ubaba wakhe umtholele intombi engcono ekhaya. Yingakho engekho la.”
UPrincess ubheka u-Aimée futhi. “Yekela ukwenza leyonto. Iyacika ngempela. Ilethe lapha,” kusho uPrincess bese ehlwitha uhlamvu lwemali esandleni sika-Aimée. “Awuyona intombazane encane, angithi? Asikho isidingo sokuba ubambe lolu hlamvu lwemali olungasile ngaso sonke isikhathi.”
“Libuyise,” kusho u-Aimée, kodwa uPrincess uselifake ekhukhwini lakhe.
“Siphi manje isithandwa sakho sizokusiza?” uPrincess ugcona u-Aimée. “Angimboni ndawo, wena uyambona? Ngikuzwela isono!”
U-Aimée ufuna ukuphuma kuPrincess, kodwa uPrincess akamvumeli.
“Usewubonile umkhaya wakho?” Kubuza uPrincess. “Ngiyazibuza ukuthi kazi ubaba wakhe uzothini lapho ehlangana nababa wakho? Inkosi nomgadi wezimoto? Lokho kuyathakazelisa ngempela.”
“Akayena umgadi wezimoto.”
“Pho kungani ngimbone endaweni yezitolo? Vele, futhi wayengathengi, wayesiza ubaba wami ukupaka imoto yakithi. Isono – simuphe amasenti angamashumi amahlanu.”
U-Aimée uyafutheka intukuthelo. “Akayena umgadi wezimoto! Unguthisha. Unesiqu esiphezulu. Ngiyaqiniseka lokho kungaphezu kwalokho ubaba wakho anakho.”
“Emaphushweni wakho,” kusho uPrincess. “Mhlawumbe, isiqu sokupaka izimoto, abangani bakaPrincess nabo bayahleka. “Ngakho ke ungacabangi ukuthi ubaba kaMandla uzokwamukela emkhayeni wakhe. Yebo, buyela emkhayeni wakini. Kungenzeka bakubekele umfana ongcono wekwerekwere.”
* * * * *
Ngolwesihlanu ebusuku kukhona i-SMS ephuma kuMandla.
Unjani? Letha isitulo ngeSonto?
Mxx
Uyalala emomotheka.
Kodwa phakathi nobusuku kukhona oshaya umnyango. Ubaba wakhe uvula umnyango nguNks van Reenen, umile emnyango ugqoke ingubo yakhe yokulala nenye indoda nowesifazane. Babayamemeza.
Nina bantu kumele niphume niphele lapha! UNks Jeffrey uthi bashise umjondolo wakhe ngoba uqashisa nina bantu. Kumele nihambe. Phumani!”
“Asikwazi ukuphuma manje… ku…”
“Kumele ngenzenjani? Angiphephile. Bazoza bezoshisa indlu yami. Kumele nihambe. Bazosuka besibulala sonke. Ningabuya kusasa nizolanda ifenisha. Manje phumani. Hambani!”
U-Aimée uhamba nomkhaya wakhe ebumnyameni bedabula ilokishi, baya esitolo sefenisha. Bazolala khona lapho namuhla bese kusasa becela umalume ukuthi bahlale naye.
Phakathi namatafula nemibhede, u-Aimée ubona isitulo sikaMandla. Uzigoqa kuso bese ezama ukulala. Ufuna uMandla manje. Umthumela i-SMS:
Ngicela uze esitolo, ngiyakudinga
Kodwa ayikho impendulo. Kungenzeka isebusuku kakhulu uselele.
Ngalobo busuku u-Aimée uphupha abantu bezungeze isitolo sefenisha. Bememeza futhi bephakamisa izibhakela zabo. Umkhaya wakhe uphakathi esitolo, bebheka ngaphandle ngemva kwamatafula. Begogobele, bethukile. Kukhona uPrincess nabangani bakhe. Bonke bayamemeza baphakamisa izibhakela. Kukhona umamekazi kaMandla. Bonke bayakloloda. UPrincess uthatha ithini likaphethiloli bese elithela kwisakhiwo, ngokwenza isiyingi phansi enhlabathini. Uphonsela umentshini bese kuba namalangabi omlilo. Bavalelekile ngaphakathi futhi bayaxhileka. U-Aimée ubheka ngaphandle entuthwini ucabanga ukuthi ubona uMandla. Uyahamba.
U-Aimée uyaphaphama ephelelwe umoya. Umama wakhe uyamanga.
“Kuzolunga. U-Jean Luc uzosisiza kusasa. Sizokwenza icebo. Sizohlala nomalume. Ungahamba uye esikoleni usuka lapho.”
Phakathi nobumnyama uthumela uMandla i-SMS futhi.
“UPrincess uthathe uhlamvu lwami lwemali.
X
Umama wakhe uphulula izinwele zakhe. “Zama ukulala. Ngikutshele indaba?” U-Aimée uvuma ngekhanda. “Kwakukhona umkhaya owawuhlala endlini enhle ezweni elihle elinezihlahla nemifula. Kukhona izinyoni ezihlahleni, okwatapeya bebakhulu njengamabhola ezinyawo.”
“Amabhola ezinyawo?”
“Yiqiniso,” kwengeza ubaba wakhe.
Ekugcineni u-Aimée uyalala umama wakhe elokhu emuphulula izinwele.
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Sicela umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kungani abanye abantu besongelwa abantu abaphuma kwamanye amazwe?