Kuvela uTat’uLudwe ecula emngama:
Ndidlaaaa,
Amaqhosha ebhatyi yaaaam
Andinxili, ndiyashusha
(Ndida imali yam, imali yam. Andinxili, ndiyashusha nje.)
Utat’uLudwe umana ephakamisela udondolo lwakhe emoyeni ngamanye amaxesha. Uqhwalela kabuhlungu kodwa ndiyabona ukuba xa kufike ixesha lokuba alwe uya kusebenzisa induku yakhe njengesixhobo.
“Psss! Phantsi, phantsi,” wasebeza uLwando. “Sondelani,” woleka.
Ndiphakamisela umzimba wam uvele kancinane phezu kwengca, izandla zam zivulekile emhlabeni. Ndihamba ngokuthe cwaka.
“Mfundo, leqa ezipokothweni zakhe; zibambe uqine. Ungamniki ithuba lokuba akhuphe i-Okapi yakhe.”
“Kulungie,” waphendula uMfundo.
“Sabelo, yiya ngasemva ubambe intonga yakhe.”
“Ndik’bambile.”
“Kwaye ndi…ndiza kufika ebusweni bakhe…”
Njengegquba leengcuka zilindele ukuhlasela, silala nca phantsi emhlabeni. Wathi akusondela kuth uTat’uLudwe, ngeemitha ezimbalwa, vumbululu, savela.
“Yintoni nale!? Buphi ubuso benu?” Wakhala uTat’uLudwe esijamele ngawo omane. Akaboni ukuba ngubani osivale ngeekawusi.
Ngokungathi ndibethwa ngumbane ndiva umvumbo xa endityabula engalweni ngodondolo lwakhe. UMfundo uzombele izandla zankhe ezipokothweni zikaTat’uLudwe.
“Ssshhh,” Lwando ulumkisa uTat’uLudwe.
“Kwekhu madoda, zizithunzela ezivelaphi ezi?” Wakhala uTat’uLudwe.
ULwando wafutha ngathi yinyoka kufuphi nobuso beli xhego.
“Ndiyacela, ningandibulali,” wabongoza uTat’uLudwe.
“Ndihloniphe ke, heyi wena, ungazong’hlanyisa, ” waphakamisa ilizwi uLwando.
Ivelaphi ke leyo? Ndazibuza xa ndibona kwizithunzi ezimnyama umfanekiso wemela enkulu yasesilarheni. ULwando wayijiwuzisa phambi kobuso bukaTat’uLudwe.
“Lahla intonga le. Voetsek! Yilahle.”
Ndiyayiva ingalo kaTat’uLudwe iyekelela, ithamba. Kungona ndiqonda ukuba andilitshintshanga ilizwi lam.
“Masiguqulele iipokoto zakhe,” watsho uLwando.
Siyoma umzuzwana. Andiyikholelwa le yenzekayo.
“Khawulezisa!” Wahlahlamba esingxolisa uLwando.
Ndilahla intonga kaTat’uLudwe phantsi. Ndibamba iingalo zakhe zombini ndizibeke ngasemva.
“Oh yini? Imali yabantwana bam, ” wakhala uTat’uLudwe xa uMfundo engena ezipokothweni zakhe kwidyasi yakhe.
“Sakwenyusa amafu. Yithi tu xhego!” Wamngxolisa uLwando.
“Thululenai kum zonke iipokotho,” watsho uMfundo.
Wenze kakuhle ndoda,” watsho uLwando. Wajiwuzisa imela kwakhona, phambi kwamehlo kaTat’uLudwe.
“Ngoku, ndimamele kakuhle xhegondini,” watsho uLwando. “Uyandiva! Uyandiva? Guqa phantsi. Lala ubeke ubuso bakho phantsi. Ungashukumi. Hey!” ULwando uphakamisa esi sandla sinemela. UTat’uLudwe wagxadazelela emva. Wangqiyama ngam. Uvakala esinda ngoku.
“Lala phantsi, xhego, nca ngesisu phantsi,” ndiyamsebezela endlebeni. Ilizwi lam litshile. Uguqa ngamadolo ebambelela ngezandla zombini phantsi. Ubeka ubuso bakhe engceni. Wakhala kancinane.
Wathi akuba phantsi uLwando wajika wabaleka. Salandela, sehlisa umlambo. Phakathi kwengca ende sibala imali. Emva koko siphindela kula ndlu indala sitshintshe sinxibe impahla yethu yesiqhelo. Sohlula imali sigoduke. Umsebenzi wobo busuku ugqityiwe, ndiyathemba.
Xa ndihamba endleleni eya ekhaya ndibona isithunzi sime emathunzini kufuphi neepali ezintsha zombane. NguSihle. Kunokwenzeka ulinde uNonyaniso. Ndiyamgqitha, kodwa andithethi nto kuye. Ndingena esangweni ndikhulule izinja entanjeni. Ukuba uya ngasefestileni kaNonyaniso, izinja ziza kumbamba.
Ndingena endlwini nditshixe ucango ze ndiqhwite umlilo. Kuvela ilangatye elityheli ebumnyameni.
“Mhhm, unuka ngathi yifama etshayo yentsangu. Ndicinga ukuba lixesha lokuba ndikuchaze kumama.” NguNonyaniso. Ume ebumnyameni undilindile. Ingaba umbonile uSihle ngaphandle? Ndithemba ukuba akambonanga. Andizumxelela nokuba umlindile phaya ngasepalini.
“Ndicinga ukuba lixesha lokuba uvale umlomo wakhe uye kulala. Iyafana umama akandihoyanga nje,” ndimphendula ngokukhawuleza.
“Unguwe, Sabelo. Ubhuti wam othandekayo. Akufanelekanga ube udlala intsangu.”
“Kwaye kufuneka uphume ezintweni zam.”
“Ahm, sokhe sibone.”
“Uya epatini yalo Nosiviwe wakho?” Ndiyambuza.
“Ndiza kuya emini qha phaya. Ebusuku ndiza kube ndino…”
“Sihle, mandiqashele. Andifuni kuphinda ndimbone apha ekhaya Nonyaniso. Kukundidelela oko nomama, uyazi.”
Nangoko, andimxeleli ukuba uSihle ungaphandle. Andizukuyenza lo nto. Hayi, andisoze.
Egumbini lam ndiyangqengqa ebhedini ndimamele isandi samatye emazinkini. USihle wakha wayenza le nto kanye, ezama ukuba uNonyaniso amqonde ukuba ukho ngokugibisela amatye ephahleni egumbini lakhe. Kodwa kuthe cwaka yonke into ngoku.
* * *
Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ucinga ukuba kutheni uSabelo engamthandi kangaka uSihle?