USphelele uthola ukuzethemba ngemuva kokubhekana nemizamo kaMzwa yokumqola. Ubala imali aseyenzile bese ethumela ingxenye yayo kuDennis ukuze amsuse isikhashana.
USphelele uchitha amahora amaningi emtatsheni wezincwadi woMnyango Wezomthetho, efunda amacala. Ufunda ngokuvikeleka kwezimpimpi nofakazi bombuso. Uzuza ulwazi olwengeziwe mayelana namandla okuxoxisana.
Uyacabanga izinsuku eziningi impela afinyelele esiphethweni sokuthi akasoze akhululeka ngempela kuDennis ngaphandle kokuba amnikele emaphoyiseni. Uyazi ukuthi ubeka impilo yakhe engozini ngoba uDennis ungumbulali. Kuyisinqumo esinzima ukusithatha njengoba uDennis umkhulise ngayo le mali ayithola ngokwenza ubugebengu.
“Kodwa uma ngingamnikeli ngeke ngigweme ukuthi ngigcine ngiboshiwe. Kuzomele ngicabange ngokusinda kwami manje. Ngifuna ikusasa eliqhakazile, elingenangcindezi, elihlanzekile,” kusho uSphelele ezihlebela.
Nakuba azi ukuthi yini okudingeka ayenze, kodwa kunzima ukuyenza. Uhlala usuku ecabanga enqikaza kodwa agcine ngokuthi eqonde emahhovisi le-Johannesburg SAPS Organised Crime Division.
“Ngicela ukukhuluma nomseshi,” uSphelele etshela iphoyisa endaweni yokwamukela izivakashi.
“Ngabe kumayelana nani?” kubuza iphoyisa.
“Kumayelana ne-network enkulu yobugebengu esebenza phakathi kweKZN neGauteng,” kusho uSphelele.
“Kulungile. Hlala phansi.”
Emuva kwemizuzu eyishumi umseshi uholela uSphelele ehhovisi lakhe.
“Mina nginguDetective Mlaba. Ngingakwenzelani?”
“Igama lami nginguSphelele. Nginolwazi nge-network enkulu yobugebengu esebenza phakathi kweKZN neGauteng. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuthi ngikunike imininingwane ngifuna ungithembise ukuthi ngizovikeleka ngokuphelele,” kusho uSphelele.
“Ngeke ngikuthembise lutho uze unginike imininingwane,” kusho uDetective Mlaba.
“Mseshi Mlaba ngikholwe uma ngithi nginalo lonke ulwazi ozoludinga ukuze aboshwe lomuntu. Nginolwazi ngokubulala, ukuqola nokudayisa izidakamizwa. Kodwa ngaphambi kwalokho ngidinga ukuthi ungithembise ukuthi angeke ngishushiswe.”
“Ngitshele lokho onakho ngizokhuluma nomphathi wami.”
Udonsa umoya uSphelele, abuye awukhiphe. Ukhiphe isitini se-cocaine esikhwameni, asibeke phezu kwetafula likaDetective Mlaba. Amehlo kaDetective Mlaba agcwala ukwethuka.
“Ngingakunika indoda engiphakela le-cocaine. Uphinde abe inkabi embonini yamatekisi. Ngike ngambona ebulala abantu, ngambona eshaya abantu baze bafe.”
U-Detective Mlaba ukhipha i-notebook yakhe bese ebhala phansi njengoba uSphelele emxoxela yonke into. Uhlala ehhovisi amahora amaningi etshela u-Detective Mlaba ngamacala amaningi abona uDennis awenza.
U-Detective Mlaba uletha amanye amalungu ethimba lakhe. Baphuma ehhovisi babuye namadokodo amacala okubulala angakaxazululeki. Amacala amaningi awokubulala abanikazi bamatekisi. USphelele uhlanganisa uDennis emacaleni ayisithupha okubulala.
“Kuwo wonke bengishayela imoto. UDennis wayengitshela ukuthi ngingayicishi imoto. Wayengena endlini ngizwe kuqhuma isibhamu, aphume sihambe.”
“Kusamele sixoxisane njengethimba kodwa kulokhu ositshele khona ngingasho nje ukuthi uzovikeleka,” kusho uDetective Mlaba.
“Ngiyabonga,” kusho uSphelele, izinyembezi zizehlela.
“Manje sekumele sikufake ohlelweni lokuvikela ofakazi ngoba kuzoba nenani ekhanda lakho uma nje sesibophe uDennis. Abanikazi bamatekisi bazokufuna ufile ngoba bayazi ukuthi uDennis kungenzeka ababophise. Udennis kuzodingeka agcinwe yedwa.”
“Kulungile, inqobo nje uma emisiwe,” kusho uSphelele. “Enye into engikhathazeke ngayo unkosikazi wakhe, umama wami.”
“Kufanele naye angene ohlelweni lokuvikela ofakazi,” kusho uDetective Mlaba.
“Ngiyabonga,” kusho uSphelele.
USphelele ashayela uDennis ucingo, ecela enye i-cocaine. UDennis aboshwa futhi athweswe amacala ayisithupha okubulala, ukuxhaphaza nokushushumbisa izidakamizwa.
Ngaphambi kokuthi uSphelele anyamalale ohlelweni lokuvikela ofakazi ucela ukushayela uMaSkhakhane ucingo.
“Sphelele! Ubaba wakho usefikile?”
“Yebo, Ma, ufikile,” kusho uSphelele.
“Uzwakala uphansi, mfana wami. Kwenzenjani?”
“Mama ngicela wazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda kakhulu. Ngifuna ukwazi lokho. Ngifuna ukukhumbule lokho njalo uma ucabanga ngami. Mama ngifuna ukubonga ngokungipha uthando emuva kokungalutholi uthando kumama ongizalayo. Ngiyabonga, Mama.”
“Ngicela ungakhali, Sphelele. Ngicela ungakhulumi kanjalo. Kwenzenjani? Kwenzenjani mfana wami?”
“Ngaphambi kokuthi ngikutshele ngifuna wazi ukuthi ngikwenzile engikwenzile ngoba bengicabangela ukuphepha kwakho,” kusho uSphelele.
“Hawu Sphelele. Ngitshele kwenzekeni,” uMaSkhakhane uyakhaola manje.
“Ngiwatshelile amaphoyisa, Ma. Ngibatshelile ngoBaba. Ngibatshele konke. Ukubulala, ukuphanga kanye nezidakamizwa. Uboshiwe futhi beza kuwe manje bazokufaka ohlelweni lokuvikela ofakazi. Bazokuyisa endaweni ephephile lapho uzoqala khona impilo kabusha kude noDennis nakuleyo ndawo. Bengimbuka ebulala abantu. Izidakamizwa ebengimdayisela zona zibulale umfundi!”
“Sphelele!” kukhala uMaSkhakhane.
“Ngiyakuthanda, Ma. Usale kahle,” uSphelele uvala ucingo.
Usala ebambe ucingo uMaSkhakhane. Usakhala njengoba imoto yamaphoyisa angayazi ingena egcekeni lakwakhe. Uthatha izimpahla ezimbalwa, angene emotweni, anyamalale.
USphelele uphila ngaphansi kwegama okungelona elakhe edolobheni elincane eliseFree State. Unengadi futhi udayisela abantu izithelo azitshalayo. Ubuye asize abafundi base-high school uma ethola isikhathi. Kuthi ngelinye ilanga kungene ucingo luvela ephoyiseni.
“Kukhona ofuna ukukhuluma nawe,” kusho iphoyisa.
“Hello, Sphelele mfana wami,” kusho uMaSkhakhane.
“Hello, Ma! Unjani?” kuphendula uSphelele ekhala.
“Konke kukahle ngaphandle kwenhliziyo yami. Ngizizwa ngiyigobolondo njengoba ungekho. Ngingakwazi ukucela amaphoyisa ukuthi ngizohlala nawe? Anginendaba ukuthi sizohlala kuphi, uma nje sihlala sobabili kuphelile.”
“Nami ngingakujabulela lokho, Ma. Ngiyaxolisa ngokudayisa uBaba,” kusho uSphelele.
“Ngiyakuxolela, mfana wami. Kukhombisile ukuthi usenawo unembeza.”
Emuva kwenyanga uSphelele noMaSkhakhane bayahlanganiswa. Baphila ngaphansi kwamagama ekungewona awabo edolobheni elincane eFree State, kude nobugebengu obucishe bashabalalisa izimpilo zabo.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Uthini umbono wakho ngalendaba?
