USphelele ujulile ngemicabango njengoba ebheke ekhaya. Usamangele ukuthi yini eyenze uDennis amvumele ukuthi aye enyuvesi. Ujabule engxenyeni ethile kodwa ngokwazi kwakhe uDennis impilo yakhe yonke, kunengxenye encane yomqondo enokungabaza.
“Kazi yini eyenza uBaba avume yonke lento. Ngiyazi ukuthi akangithandi; angikaze ngenze lutho olulungile emehlweni akhe. Uhlale efuna ngimsize emisebenzini yakhe yobugebengu. Ngiyayizonda lento yokuthi abazali bami abangizalayo bangilahla emgqomeni. Engabe basaphila yini?” kusho uSphelele
Usajulile ngokwemicabango, uhamba ngendlela encane yezinyawo. Uzwa ngesandla simthinta ehlombe. Aphenduke abone umngani wakhe, uMenzi.
“Hheyi, bru, kwenzakalani? Kungani ukhuluma wedwa njengohlanya?”
Athuke uSphelele, avule amehlo abuke uMenzi. Unwaya ikhanda bese ethi,
“Akukho lutho, bru. Ngicabanga ngempilo nje. Unjani?”
“Ngiyaphila. Ngimangazwa ukukubona ukhuluma wedwa. Ingabe usukulungele ukuya e-UJ? Ngezwa ukujabula kwezwi lakho ngesikhathi ungitshela ukuthi bakwamukelile.”
“Sengikulungele, bafo. Ngilindele usuku manje. Kwenzakalani ngawe?”
UMenzi uhambisa isandla phezu kwembhungculu ecwebezelayo. “Akukubi neze. Ngithandazela nje ukuthi ngithole umsebenzi eThekwini maduze ukuze ngikwazi ukuhlala endaweni engcono. Angisakwazi ukulinda ukuhlala endaweni enobugebengu obuncane kunalendawo esiyibiza ngokuthi yikhaya. Ngikhathele ukuzwa kuqhuma izibhamu nsuku zonke.”
Lumuthi heqe uvalo uSphelele, phela naye uzizwile lezo zibhamu futhi wazi kahle ukuthi uDennis ubenesandla kukhona.
“Uyazi, Menzi, ngiyaye ngifise sengathi ukube angikhuliswanga kulendawo. Ngizibonela ikusasa eliqhakazile kodwa ngeshwa awukwazi ukuzikhethela ukuthi ukhulele kuphi, futhi awukwazi ukukhetha nabazali bakho.”
“Kuyiqiniso lokho, bafo. Futhi kuvele kube nzima ikakhulukazi uma umuntu owenza yonke lemikhuba engumzali wakho. UDennis u-”
“Iyeke nje leyo Menzi. Angifuni ukukhuluma ngaye. Ngizokubona,” kusho uSphelele maqede ahambe.
***
Kudlula izinyanga ezintathu. UMaSkhakhane kanye noDennis bathengela uSphelele izimpahla zokugqoka nazo zonke izinto ezisetshenziswayo azozidinga ekhempasini. UDennis akasahambi noSphelele emisebenzini yakhe yobumnyama. Kodwa kuthi sekusele isonto ukuthi ahambe uSphelele, uDennis ambizele endlini enkulu. Yibona kuphela nje endlini, kwazise phela uMaSkhakhane usahambile uyothenga eMandeni.
“Sphelele uyahamba ngesonto elizayo! Uzizwa kanjani?” Kubuza uDennis.
“Ngijabule kakhulu, Baba. Iphupho lami liyafezeka.”
“Kuhle lokho. Ngikubize ngoba ngidinga silumane indlebe. Nawe uyazi ngiphusha amabhizinisi amaningi.”
Inhliziyo kaSphelele ishona phansi uma ezwa uDennis ekhuluma kanje.
UDennis uyawubona umoya wakhe ushintsha. “Khululeka, mfana wami, akuyona into ebucayi.”
“Yini lena okhuluma ngayo, Baba?”
UDennis uthatha isikhwama se-laptop esiseduze kwezinyawo zakhe. Uvula isikhwama se-laptop, akhiphe iphasela elingangesitina eligoqwe ngephepha lokugoqa kanye nopulasitiki wokugoqa. Ubamba iphasela, bese ephenduka eqinisa ubuso abuke uSphelele.
“Yilokhu engikhuluma ngakho, Sphelele. Enginakho la i-cocaine ehamba phambili eNingizimu Afrika. Ngidinga ukuthi ungidayisele yona phezulu laphaya eJozi. Ngiyazi ukuthi abafundi ngeke bakuthole ukwanela iyona. Lona umenzi wemali oqinisekisiwe futhi nginayo iningi lapho ivela khona. Uzovele udayise lokhu, sabelana ngenzuzo, uma iphela ungazise bese ngiletha elinye iphasela.”
“Cha, Baba. Ngeke ngikwenze lokho. Awukhathali yini ukucekela phansi izimpilo zabantu? Senganele ngobugebengu manje. Mina njengoSphelele, ngizoqala impilo engcono ehlanzekile, enokuthula eJozi,” kubhoka uSphelele.
“Sphelele! Sphelele! Sengathi ukhohliwe ukuthi ukhuluma nobani. Unjena nje kungenxa yami. Ngakukhipha emgqomeni abazali bakho bangempela sebekulahlise okodoti! Kodwa namuhla ungitshela ngempilo engcono! Wazini ngempilo engcono?”
“Bengingasho ukuthi-”
UDennis usephakamise izwi lakhe lagcwala indlu yonke. “Impilo engcono kuphi! Impilo engcono ilena engikunika yona! Futhi uma ungafuni ukudayisa le-cocaine ucabanga ukuthi imali yendawo yakho yokuhlala nokudla nezincwadi izovelaphi? Ucabanga ukuthi lizokuna kuzokwehla imana ezulwini?”
“Cha, Baba,” kusho uSphelele ngamahlonyana.
“Yebo, Sphelele. Uzoyidayisa le-cocaine uthanda ungathandi! Siyezwana?”
Izwi likaDennis selizwakala indlu yonke. Uvuma ngekhanda uSphelele njengoba ezama ngayo yonke indlela ukubamba izinyembezi.
“Kuhle lokho, mfana wami. Nanguke uSphelele engimaziyo,” kusho uDennis.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Uthini ngombono obekwa nguDennis? Ngabe ngempela uSphelele kufanele akwenze konke okufunwa nguDennis ngoba nakhu amthola emgqomeni wamthatha wamnika ikhaya?