Namuhla usuku lokuthi uSphelele ahambe elibangise eNyuvesi yaseGoli. Kufanele engabe ajabule kodwa akunjalo – ukhathazekile nge-cocaine ayiphethe. Kazi kuzothiwani uma ngingabanjwa nale-cocaine engaka? Uzibuza ecabanga. Akazange abuthi quthu ubuthongo futhi uphatheke kabi ukuthi impilo yakhe yonke ubelokhu ephakathi kwedwala netshe. Manje sekumele adayise i-cocaine ukuze akhokhele enyuvesi. Uthuswa ukungqongqoza esicabheni esajulile ecabanga.
“Sphelele lungisa ngoba sinohambo olude,” kusho uMaSkhakhane.
“Sengizolunga, Ma. Ngidinga nje ukugeza bese sihamba. Sengipakishile,” kusho uSphelele.
“Kuyasho ukuthi ubusujahile ukuhamba. Ubaba wakho uzobe elapha emizuzwini eyishumi bese siyahamba.”
“Kulungile, Ma.”
U-Dennis uyafika, bapakishe zonke izikhwama emotweni bangene emgwaqeni. Ukusuka eShowe uya eJozi kuthatha amahora ayisikhombisa. Inhliziyo kaSphelele isongela ngokugxuma isuke esifubeni sakhe njalo uma ebona imoto yamaphoyisa, unovalo lokuthi amaphoyisa azomisa imoto athole i-cocaine igqitshwe phakathi kwepotimende lakhe.
Udonsa umoya uSphelele njengoba imoto ingena emasangweni aseNyuvesi yaseGoli. UMaSkhakhane noDennis bayahamba bamshiye uma esezinzile ekamelweni lakhe.
USphelele ufonela isithandwa sakhe uNolwandle uma esezinzile e-res. Ushayela inombolo kaNolwandle njengoba ezihambela ekhempasini. Umakhalekhukhwini wakhe ukhala kabili ngaphambi kokuthi alubambe.
“Ngingakusiza ngani, Sphelele?” Kusho uNolwandle ehlina.
“Kwenzenjani sithandwa sami?”
“Lutho,” kusho uNolwandle. USphelele uyakuzwa ukubanda kwezwi likaNolwandle.
“Sengone ngani-ke kulokhu? Bengicabanga ukuthi uzoajabula ukuthi ekugcineni ngisenyuvesi?”
“Yebo, ngiyakujabulela impela,” kusho uNolwandle.
“Kodwa awuzwakali ujabulile.”
“Lalela, Sphelele. sengicabangile isikhathi eside futhi ngajula . . .”
“Ukhuluma ngani?”
“Sphelele sengifinyelele esiphethweni ngase ngithatha isinqumo. Wena noDennis niyizigebengu. Futhi angikholwa ukuthi uzoke ushintshe. Okungenani ukude manje ngakho ngingakutshela indlela engizizwa ngayo ngempela.”
“Ukhuluma ngani, Nolwandle?”
“Isizulu asitolikwa, Sphelele,” kusho uNolwandle.
“Manje sekuzobanjena phakathi kwethu?”
“Kunjengoba ngisho nje, Sphelele. Angikwazi ukuba nobudlelwano nesigebengu.”
“Nolwandle awukwazi ukukhuluma kanjalo. Ngiyakuthanda.”
“Sengikushilo engifuna ukukusho, Sphelele, ngicela ukwamukele lokho.”
“Angikwazi ukukwenza lokho. Ngiyakudinga eduze kwami!”
“Awungidingi. Usale kahle, Sphelele. Ngicela ungaphinde ungishayele ucingo. Sengikhathele ukuthethiswa noma yinini uma izinto zingahambi ngendlela yakho. Uma uzama ukungishayela futhi, ngizokubhulokha.”
“Ngiyathemba into ezokujabulisa leyo Nolwandle kodwa ke uhlezi ukwazi ukuthi mina ngiyakuthanda kakhulu, yingakho ngiketha nokuhlonipha isinqumo sakho.”
“Ngiyabonga, Sphelele. Usale kahle,” avale ucingo uNolwandle
Usala emangele uSphelele. Ulunguza ngefasitela egumbini lakhe isikhathi eside impela, ezama ukucubungula lokhu okusanda kwenzeka. Kuhambe amahora alale embhedeni wakhe azumeke.
NgeSonto uvuka esamangele ukuthi uNolwandle umalile. Aqale akhiphe izingubo zakhe, azithele phezu kwesitini se-cocaine epotimendeni.
“Ngizoqala kanjani ukuthengisa yonke le-cocaine kulendawo lapho ngingazi ngisho nomphefumulo owodwa?” kusho uSphelele.
Uyashesha ukulala ngeSonto, njengoba inhliziyo yakhe iphukile. NgoMsombuluko uyashesha ukuvuka njengoba elungiselele usuku lokuqala lwesonto, njengoba abafundi abasha baboniswa ekhampasi yonke.
Endleleni esuka kwi-main campus iya e-res, uSphelele uhamba ngemuva kwabafana ababili. Bakhuluma ngobusuku ababenabo ngeSonto. Bobabili bayaqhubeka nokuhogela, yize amakhala abo omile.
“Bekuwubusuku lobuyana,” kusho oyedwa kulaba bafana.
“Yebo. Futhi leya-cocaine ibinswempu. Angikaze nje ngilale selokhu sahlukana.”
“Nami ngokunjalo. bekuyi-coke e-right leyana. Imali yokuthenga isikhwama iyasho ukuthi ziyabuya lana.”
“Ngifisa sengathi ngabe sinoR500 namuhla ukuze siqhubeke.”
“Nami ngiyafisa.”
Kukhale ucingo koyedwa wabo. Ulubamba ucingo bese ethi, “Kuzomele ngiyobona intombi yami. Ngizokubona Qaphe.”
“Mcele akunikeze u-R250. Ngizolanda omunye u-R250 ukuze sithole esinye isikhwama,” kusho uQaphe.
“Kulungile,” kusho omunye asuke ehambe.
USphelele ulandela uQaphe baze bayofika lapho kuwelwa khona umgwaqo. Bathi bebukana emehlweni uSphelele athi, “Bhuti wami ngine-cocaine engcono kakhulu nokewayizwa empilweni yakho.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabangani ngesenzo sikaNolwandle sokwala uSphelele? Wena ubuzokwenza kanjani ukube nguwe uSphelele?