“Aaahhh, Mama, yizo bona.”
UNonyaniso uyakhwaza engaphandle eyadini. Umama usebenza esitiyeni sakhe esikumgama ukusuka endlwini. UNonyaniso ume emnyango wetyotyombana lamaplanga esilisebenzisela ukugcina iinkuni. Ndiyambona umama. Ugcwalisa intsuba yokugqibela yokunkcekceshela kumgqomo wamanzi emvula. Yonke imihla ngokuhlwa kufanele isitiya sakhe semifuno sinkcenkceshelwe. Akathembi namnye ukwenza lo msebenzi, uyazenzela.
Ndisondela kule ndawo imi uNonyaniso ephakamisa izandla phambi kwempumlo yakhe. Kuthi bhu iimpukane eziluhlaza kwiplastiki etyheli esezinyaweni zakhe. Xa ndisondela ndiphantse ndikhuphe ngenxa yevumba elibi apho. Ngaphakathi kulo plastiki kukho umlenze obolileyo wegusha onyakazela izibungu neempethu. Ubusoloko uhleli apha iiveki ezimbini. Ndandiqhunywe yintsangu ngela xesha ndandiyifihla ndayilibala ngokukhawuleza emva koko.
“Biza, umama.”
“Hayi, hayi, hayi, yima kuqala.”
“Uthetha ukuthini Sabelo? Umama kufuneka ayibone le nto.”
UNonyaniso uyahamba uwelela ngaphaya kweyadi uya ngakumama. Ndimtyhalela emva. Izandla zam zithi xhakamfu ilokhwe yakhe endala athanda ukuyinxiba xa ecoca. Ndiva isandi sokukrazuka kwayo ezandleni zam.
“Sukumxelela umama ngale nto. Uya kundibulala.”
“Hayi, uza kukulungisa.”
“Hayi, uya kundibulala. Akuyifuni nawe lo nto, akunjalo?”
“Yintoni leya iseshedini?”
“Ngumlenze wetakane legusha. Ndiwufumene kumhlobo.”
“Sabelo, ungayenza njani lo nto? Yeka ilokhwe yam. Uyibile la gusha? Ifihlelwe ntoni?”
“Hayi, hayikhona dadewethu.”
“Kungangcono ukuba ayibiwanga. Phambi kokuba uqonde, uza kuba kwiqela lemigewu nibeke ubomi benu nonke engozini.”
“Ndithembe. Akukho qela lamigewu,”ndiyaxoka.
“Kulungile ke, andizukumxelela umama. Ungaphindi uyenze le nto.”
Ngalo njikalanga ndabaleka ndaya kwindlu endala edilikileyo apho iqela lethu lidla ngokudibana khona.
“Bafethu, khaniqashele ndisandukubona bani esela kwaMaDlamini?” Ndatsho kula makhwenkwe.
“Yima, utata wakho. Okanye yima, hayi, wasweleka, ayinakuba nguye,” watsho uLwando ngeliphoxayo wakugqiba wadubula ngentsini.
“Ayihlekisi lo nto, Lwando.” Andiyithandi le nto yokuhlekisa ngotata wam.
“Ja, uxolo mfethu. Uqhunyiwe lo. Ubone bani?” Kubuza uMfundo.
“UTat’uLudwe.”
“Ubani? Oh yah, kucacile akabhatalanga kwaLwana. Ugqibile ngoku ukubenzela oba bubhanxa bezitena zodaka.”
“Yabona ke Sabelo, uyathetha ngoku,” watsho uLwando undinika izol.
Ngalo lonke ixesha ndiphatha izol ndiva kukho into enyukayo emqaleni kum. Ingathi umzimba wam awuyifuni ngendlela ethile.
Ngokuya ndandimncinane umama wayedla ngokwenza isikhungo, rhoqo ebusuku phambi kokuba siye kulala. Ndandidla ngokuthandaza naye. Ngoku, endaweni yokuthandaza nditshaya izol. Usathandaza yena isikhungo, int’enayo andibikho apho mna. Umama akakholelwa kwenye into ngaphandle koTixo. Ngamanye amaxesha andimazi nalo Tixo amthandazayo. Undiphatha njengenkunkuma. UNonyaniso nguye ofumana zonke izinto ezintle.
“Heyi, heyi, Sabelo. Yeka ukuphupha. Tsala, tsala udlulise lo zol,” wakhalaza ngelo uLwando.
“Oh yeah, uxolo,” ndatsho ndingqiyama emva eludongeni lwendlu indala yonakeleyo yodaka.
“Makazilelwe, masithwale iikawusi zethu ezimnyama ezintloko namhlanje ebusuku xa sisiya kuba sikhumbula utata ka-Sabelo,” watsho uLwando. Sisoloko sithwala iikawusi ezimnyama ezintloko ukuze singaziwa. Andazi kutheni uLwando esoloko ethetha ngotata ngoku.
“Hayi, Lwando. Musa ukuthetha lo nto,” watsho uMfundo, edibetha emlonyeni ndifuna ukutsho into kuLwando.
“Masiziyekeni iikawusu bafethu, nixhalaba kakhulu. Wayengakhalazi qho uSabelo ngotata wakhe owayesoloko embetha ngoko wayesaphila? Kulungile, masinxibeni ii-tights zethu ezimnyama senzele uLudwe,” watshintsha uLwando.
“Licebo ke elo,” ndavuma, ndikhululekile kuba iqela eli liwasusile ngoku amehlo alo kobasekhaya ubuhlanti nakwiigusha zasekhaya.
Wanqwala uMfundo. Wangqiyama eludongeni.
ULwando utsala ngamandla izol nto leyo eyenza iphele le nto raa trr trr nqa nqa, nqaa nqa. Ndiyamyeka ayitshaye ndingamceli ukuba andidlulisele. Kuwela uthuthu ethangeni lakhe lasekhohlo. Amehlo akhe aphantse avaleke xa etsala okokugqibela intsangu. Uyitshaya ide ivuthe imtshise eminweni ze alahle lo nto iseleyo kwiphepha-ndaba elikufuphi naye. Edwangazela, ujamela udonga. Kancinane uyaphakama avuthulule uthuthu emathangeni akhe. Okoko evuthulula, nokuba uthuthu sele lusukile. Ndiyamvela xa ezibetha emathangeni okoko.
“Aarg… pthaaa!” Utshicela ngqo eludongeni – ekufuphi – akugqiba ajike. Intsalela yesikhohlela sakhe sisahleli esilevini sakhe.
“Sis maan, Lwando, sula isilevu, ” ndatsho kuye, ndijika ndijonga kude.
“Iphi ikawusi yakho emnyama?” wanyanzelisa kuMfundo. “Kutheni ungazilungiselelanga ukuya kumsebenzi wanamhlanje ebusuku?”
Wahlala kakuhle uMfundo, “Malunga nanamhlanje ebusuku…andiqondi…”
“Yintoni le ungayiqondiyo ngokuthwala itight yakho emnyama entloko?” Kubuza uLwando.
“Imission yanamhlanje mfethu…” Uyaqhubeka uMfundo. Kodwa wema. Amehlo kaLwando ondele kuye ngqo. Wawisa intloko.
“Thetha!” wangxola uLwando. “Uyoyika ukuqhekeza kwindlu yomntu omdala omnye ngoku? Ukuhlasela umntu omnye asiyonto. U-Antie undibalisela ukuba amaqela emigewu aseKapa enza izinto ezimbi kakhulu. Ndithetha ngokudlwengulwa liqela lemigewu, ukuba iimoto, ukuqhuba kudutyulwana, izinto ezimbi kanjalo. Apha ke sithetha ngemigewu engenalusini. Ngalo ndlela nifumana imali, nihlonitshwe. Nokuthandwa kwamanye amaqela emigewu liqela lakho.”
Ndinikina intloko xa uLwando ethetha oku.
“Andisiboni isizathu sokuba sihlasele sohluthele umntu omdala…kabini…” waqhuba uMfundo, ejonge emva ku-Lwando ngoku.
“Mfundo, Mfundo, andinayo nesenti apha epokothweni yam. Ilungile lo nto?” wanyanzelisa uLwando. “Hayi, hayi, hayi, sasithe kulungile ukuba iigusha. Ja, sathi siyalamba ngoko ke siza kuzinceda kule mihlambi. Lixesha lokuba silawule yonke le lali,”wabhengeza ngelo uLwando, ejonge kum waza waguquka wajonga uMfundo. “Kufuneka sisebenzisane njengeqela elomeleleyo. Sendiqalisa ukucinga ukuba ulibhetyebhetye mfethu.”
Ngalo mzuzu ndaziva ndathi ndingaphuma kwi-Black Tights. Izinto zazitshintshile. Andiyithandi indlela ezihamba ngayo izinto, okanye le nto ithethwa nguLwando ngoku.
“KULUNGILE, KULUNGILE, KULUNGILE, yimani! Ndiza kuyithwala itight,” watsho uMfundo xa esoyikiswa nguLwando.
Sifaka iitights ezintlokweni zethu ukuzogquma, sibaleke siphume. Ziyakhonkotha izinja zigxwale.
Kufuphi nobuhlanti bukaTat’uLudwe senza izikhalo ezifana nezezinja zasendle engceni, sime ngezandla namanqina. Sime ngeenzwane sisondelela endleleni yeenyawo. Akukho uthetha nomnye. Silindile.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ucinga ukuba uSabelo kumele enze ntoni?