Ndilele ngomqolo. Intloko yam ibuhlungu. Ndicinga ngoLwando. Omnye wamadindala asejele undixelele ukuba ulwela ubomi bakhe esibhedlele. Wahlaselwa ngabazali benye yamantombazana adlwengulwa kwipati kaNosiviwe. Andazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kuMfundo. Andikeva kwanto ngaye.
Kuphela kwento endiyikhumbulayo ngosuku olusemva kwepati kaNosiviwe ligquba lamakhosikazi aselalini endikhomba xa ndandiphuma kula ndlu indala idilikileyo ngasemva elalini. Indawo yethu. Emva koko kwakho imikhwazo emva kwam. Amapolisa ayendileqa – elinye lawo yayingutata wenye yala mantombazana adlwengulwayo. Kuloko ekhawulezile ukufika. Siyenze njani into yokuba zizidenge kangaka? Yinto yokugqibela leyo endayikhumbulayo, ngaphambi kokuba ndijikele ngasemva kwiveni yamapolisa.
Bendisandukuba noNonyaniso ekhaya. Okoko elila etafileni ekhitshini. Ebengafuni kuthetha nam. Ebengafuni nokundijonga oku. Bekutheni angayi kulala kuloSihle? Ebebuyela ntoni epatini?
Ndikwazile ukuyigxotha imigewu ye-Black Tights kubuhlanti bakuthi. Kodwa ngoku, kwenzeke eyona nto yakha yambi. UTat’uLudwe akazange aqalise nokundibulisa ngentseni elandelayo. Kunokuba ukrokrele ukuba bendingomnye wala makhwenkwe amohluthele imali. Akakasazi esinye isiqingatha salo nto.
Ngoku ndisejele, emva kwezitshixo, ndivalelwe. Akukho mali yokundikhulula ngebheyili. Ndilinde umhla wetyala. Utata wala ntombazana uqinisekise ukuba iyenzeka lo nto.
“Bhantinti, kudala sikubiza,” yakhwaza enye indoda kwisisele sam. Umzimba wakhe onganxityiswanga ugcwele iitatto yonke indawo. Unesifuba esikhulu. Iingalo ezomeleleyo. Akanamazinyo amabini apha ngaphambili. Ngamaxesha athile ulwimi lwakhe luyaphuma kwela sango phakathi kwamazinyo. Le nto uyenza kanye phambi kokuba athethe.
“Hamba uye kutya,” watsho kum, kwakhona ekhupha olwa lwimi lwakhe lumhlophe phakathi kwesa sithuba. Sies maan, uyandonyanyisa. Onke amanye amabanjwa ahambile ukya kwindawo yokutyela. Uhleli utya inyama ekwiskhaftina se-ice cream. Njengokuba ndiphuma nje ndiyava ukuba undijongile. Ndiyoyika. Ndiyazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni ebusuku ejele.
Kwindawo yokutyela, amadoda anxibe ii-ovaroli ezi-orenji athobele ezitafileni. Amadodana asematsha, amanye mabi kangakanani, amanye ayabukeka, atya ngomona.
Ndithatha ukutya kwam ekhawuntareni apho kumi indoda ebhityileyo necephe elikhulu, iphaka. Phthaaa, ikhaphesthu eliphekwe ngamanzi nerayisi, zathi thaxa epleyitini yam.
Njengokuba ndihleli phantsi neqela lamadoda ndicinga ngento eyayithethwe ngutitshala wam. Wandixelela ukuba abantu abangcolileyo ngaphakathi bophula umthetho.
“Unentliziyo entle wena Sabelo. Jongi nto. Ungayenzi le nto kuwe. Ukuba akufundi usengaka ngobudala, unamathuba okwaphula umthetho.”
Sasithetha ngenkqubo yezifundo zam. Zazininzi iintsuku ndingasayi esikolweni kwixesha elidlulileyo lesikolo ndagqiba ngoko ukuba ndiyasiyeka isikolo.
Ndijonga la madoda andingqongileyo. La mathathu aphambi kwam mabi apha ebusweni kunzima nokuwajonga. Onke onzakele. Nganye kuwo ndenza into enye, ndiyacoca engqondweni yam ndijonga ukuba ayenjani ngaphambili.
Ndisusa isiva kwisidlele somnye, ndibuyisele iliso apho likrolonqwe khona. Ndiyaphinda ndimjonge ndibone indoda wayefudula eyiyo. Ndiyaphambana.
Ndisusa iitatto ebusweni benye. Ndibuyisela ulusu olususiweyo empumlweni yakhe. Ndibona unyana wabanye abazali endingabaziyo; ndibona unyana awayenguye ngaphambili.
Ndijonga aba babini. Akunyanzelekanga ukuba ndisebenze nzima kangaka ukubenza babukeke. Abantu abophuli umthetho kuba babi ngokwembonakalo, kodwa ngamanye amaxesha ulwaphulo-mthetho lubenza babe babi ngaphakathi.
Umama nguye ondenze ndambi ngaphakathi. Unike uNonyaniso uthando oluphindwe kabini kunolo aludingayo. Nolunye olwam lwalulapho nalo. Ndaguqukela kwiqela lam lemigewu, abafethu, abantu endibathembileyo – ngothando.
“Utya kancinane neh,” latsho elinye ibanjwa.
“Ja,” ndamphendula.
Kwakho into ehla ngegxalaba lam lasekhohlo yenza umothuko ombi ukuya kutsho ezinzwaneni. Ndajika ndajonga kule ndoda ineliso elinye ihleli ecaleni kwam. Wolatha kule ndawo ingenaliso.
“Le ndayifumana ngokuzama ukwala,” watsho. “Awukwazi ukuba yindoda ekhululekileyo apha. Awusoze ube yiyo, ungaphakathi kwezi ndonga. La madoda aphaya ngawo enze le nto,” watsho esolatha kulo mngxuma wakhe kwakhona.
Andikwazi kumphendula. Ndavele ndazikhethela ikhaphetshu elisepleyitini yam. Ndayiginya nje ndingayihlafunanga.
Umama akakandityeleli ejele. Akakandikhathaleli.
Ngosuku olulandelayo ndihleli ndikhala imini yonke. Ndiyoyika, ndibona indlela ubomi bam obutshintshe ngayo. Ndikhawuleze ndafika apho bendisiya. Ndithathe indlela eya cala-nye. Ndiza kufela apha, ndiyacinga.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba abantu bayakwazi ukubuyela kwisimo sabo sesiqhelo emva kokubanjwa? Ingaba bayamkelwa kwakhona ekuhlaleni?