USphelele ufica uMaSkhakhane ehlezi endlini yokuphumula.

“Usubuyile ekugcineni mfana wami. Unjani?”

“Ngiyaphila, Ma. Wena unjani?”

“Ngiyaphila. Ukudla sekulungile. Asilinde uBaba abuye ngaphambi kokuba sidle,” kusho uMaSkhakhane.

“Kulungile, Ma.”

UMaSkhakhane uyakuzwa ukukhathazeka  ezwini likaSphelele. “Ngabe konke kuhamba kahle, Sphelele?”

“Cha, akuhambi kahle, Ma.”

UMaSkhakhane uhlezi kusofa obhekene noSphelele. “Yini mfana wami? Uyazi ungangitshela noma yini.”

“Ngifuna ukuqhubeka nemfundo njengabanye ontanga bami. Kodwa…” Athule isikhashana uSphelele.

“Qhubeka,” kusho uMaSkhakhane.

“Kodwa ngiyangabaza ukuthi uBaba uzongivumela ukuthi ngihambe kule ndawo njengoba efuna ngihlale eduze kwakhe. Angiyithandi impilo engiyiphilayo, Mama.”

“Kodwa le mpilo isinikeze konke esinakho, Sphelele.”

“Ngikwazi kahle lokho, Ma. Kodwa ngifuna ukuya enyuvesi ukuze ngizokunikeza impilo ekufanele. Impilo emsulwa lapho kungadingeki ukuthi sihlale sijeqeza emuva njalo.”

UMaSkhakhane ubheka phansi. “Kulungile, mfana wami, ngizokhuluma nobaba wakho.”

USphelele ulalisa okwengane encane ngemuva kokudedela lomthwalo abewugcine esifubeni. Ufisa nokuba senyuvesi azitholele abangani abasha. Usaphupha iphupho lakhe elimnandi ngesikhathi kuzwakala umsindo omkhulu esicabheni sakhe omvusa ebuthongweni.

“Sphelele, ukhona lapho?” Kumemeza uDennis njengoba ebhaklaza isicabha segumbi elingemuva.

“Yebo, Baba, ngikhona.”

“Phuma lapho. Kumele sikhulume.”

USphelele ugqoke isikibha nesikhindi, avule umnyango. “Unjani, Baba?”

“Ngiyaphila, Sphelele. Lalela kunomsebenzi okumele siyowenza endaweni yaseMbongolwane eShowe.”

“Awukwazi ukungishiya kulomsebenzi, Baba? Nginezinto ezimbalwa okufanele ngizenze.”

“Yini engaka kuwe kulezi zinsuku?”

“Akukho lutho. Ngiyakucela, Baba, ungishiye ngemuva kanye nje.”

UDennis ubuka uSphelele okwesikhashana. Unikina ikhanda, bese ethi, “Kulungile, ngizothatha omunye. Asihambe siyodla isidlo sasekuseni, ukudla kungaze kubande.”

“Ngiyabonga, Baba. Ngizogeza ubuso, ngiyeza.”

UDennis ungena endlini enkulu. Ufica uMaSkhakhane elindile etafuleni lasekhishini.

“Uyaphila MaSkhakhane?”

“Ngiyaphila Baba. Unjani?”

“Ngiyaphila. Ngikhathazekile kancane ngoSphelele.”

Udonsa umoya uMaSkhakhane maqede abuke uDennis emehlweni. “Kukhona udaba okumele silukhulume, Baba.”

UDennis uphakamisa amashiya, maqede ahlale. “Uzwakala ukhathazekile. Kwenzenjani?”

“Izolo uSphelele ungitshele ukuthi nibe nokungaboni ngaso linye.”

“Yebo. USphelele ukhulume kabi.”

“Uyangitshela umfana. Uyazisola kakhulu ngalokho. Kuningi nje akucabangayo. Umfana ufuna ukuya enyuvesi ngonyaka ozayo.”

“Ufuna ukwenza ziphi izifundo?”

“Unephupho lokuba ngummeli. Ufuna ukuba nekusasa eliqhakazile.”

“Kuyamangalisa lokho. Bekumele angitshele ukuthi ufuna ukwenzani uma eqeda u-matric. Bheka nje manje, sekuphele iminyaka emibili futhi akenzi lutho. Ngimthatha emisebenzini yami ngoba ngicabanga ukuthi akanalo ikusasa, ngakho esikhundleni sokuzulazula kungcono enze imadlana nami. Ngiyamthanda uSphelele, futhi ngikholwa wukuthi ekujuleni kwenhliziyo naye uyakwazi lokho.”

“Ngiyezwa Baba. Kuhle lokho,” kusho uMaSkhakhane.

“Ngizimisele ukumxhasa ngayo yonke indlela,” kusho uDennis.

“Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Baba.”

USphelele umile ngasemnyango, uyizwile lengxoxo. Kunokumamatheka okukhulu ebusweni bakhe. Izinto zizohamba kahle ekugcineni, ngiya enyuvesi, uyacabanga.

Uyazi ukuthi kuzomjabulisa uNolwandle ukuzwa lezi zindaba ezimnandi, futhi kuzoba lula ukuthi axolise kuyena ngemuva kokungaboni ngaso linye abasanda kubhekana nakho. Udla isidlo sasekuseni aqede lapho afonele uNolwandle.

“Yebo, Sphelele,” kuphendula uNolwandle ngomoya obandayo.

“Sawubona, sithandwa sami. Unjani?”

“Ngiphilile Sphelele. Ufunani kumuntu ongakusekeli?”

“Ngicela wehlise umoya, sthandwa sami. Ngidinga ukukubona.”

“Cha, Sphelele.”

“Usho ukuthini?”

“Sphelele ukhuluma noma kanjani  nami. Awukaze uyicabangele imizwa yami.”

“Ngiyaxolisa. Ngidinga ukukubona mathupha ngixolise.”

“Kuhle. Ngasiphi isikhathi?”

“Ngizobe ngilapho emuva kwamahora amabili,” kusho uSphelele.

USphelele wenza  imisebenzi yasegcekeni, ageze bese eqonda kuNolwandle.

“Besengikukhumbule, Nolwandle,” kusho uSphelele.

“Hawu? Mina bengingakukhumbuli, Sphelele. Ungishiye ngiphatheke kabi ngigcina ukukubona. Ngakho yisho into ofuna ukuyisho.”

“Nolwandle, sthandwa sami, ngicela uxolo ngakho konke engikushilo kuwe. Angifuni ukubeka izaba. Ngiyaxolisa ngokweqiniso.”

“Kulungile.”

“Okunye ukuthi ngikhulumile nabazali bami mayelana nokuya enyuvesi ukuze ngithuthukise impilo yami.”

Ushintsha ubusweni uNolwandle, amamatheke. “Oh Nkulunkulu wami, Sphelele. Ngitshele ukuthi unezindaba ezinhle.”

“Kunjengoba usho. Bobabili bavumelene ngokuthi ngingaya enyuvesi ngonyaka ozayo. Bangiseka ngokugcwele!”

“Yilokho kanye esikufunayo sobabili. Ngijabula kakhulu ngawe, Sphelele! Manje ungagxila ezintweni ezinhle. Oh Nkulunkulu, ngathi sengiyabona nje ungummeli ovelele lana eNingizimu Afrika.”

“Ngijabule kakhulu! Ngiyakuthanda Nolwandle, futhi angifuni ungabaze uthando enginalo  ngawe. Ngicela wamukele uxolo lwami.”

“Khululeka Sphelele, sengikuxolele. Kodwa ngikuxolela okokugcina ngokukhuluma ngendlela okhuluma ngayo nami. Kufanele ngihambe, muningi umsebenzi ongimele endlini.”

“Kuhle sithandwa sami. Ngeke ngiphinde.”

Bayangana maqede bahlukane.

Sitshele umbono wakho: Uyibona injani indlela aziphatha ngayo uDennis manje? Uthini ngokuxolisa kukaSphelele kuNolwandle?