Siwenzile umsebenzi wethu wemihla ngemihla: UMfundo ukokwabo, uLwando ukokwabo nekapteni yethu yebhola ekhatywayo, uPhumlani ukokwabo. Nditsho nendoda endala, uLudwe, osoloko ekho kwiseshini zethu zoqeqesho lwebhola ekhatywayo njengomqeqeshi wethu ongekho mthethweni, akazange asinde kwizandla zethu zobusela. Kulo nyaka uphelileyo seba iigusha ezintandathu zonke kubuhlanti bukaTat’uLudwe. Usazijonga nangoku ezo gusha zadukayo.
Iizangoma ezohlukeneyo zatshintshisana zimxokisela. Esinye samxelela ukuba kukho usomashishini waseBholothwa, ilali ekufuphi nathi, oweba ezi gusha. Esinye samxelela ukuba ngumfama wase-Gxoterha owazibayo. Inokuba zizangoma zobuxoki ezi. Sazitya zonke ezo gusha. Iimfele, amathambo eentloko namanqina azo zonke ezo gusha asemazantsi oMlambo iNgwengwe.
“Mpasele! Pasa ibhola! ” Ndiva imikhwazo.
“USabelo uyedwa, mpasele.”
UMandisi uyayijika ibhola esizikithini sebala. Ndiyibamba ngesifuba ndiyiyeke ibetheke ezinyaweni zam. Ndiphakamisa intloko ndijonga iibhibhi ezi-orenji ezifana nale yam. Amakhenkwe amabini, anamandla nanobuchule, ayakhusela.
Shay’ ithembisa ngasekhohlo. Omnye ubaleka kakhulu ukuyolwela ibhola ngeli xesha ibhola isezinyaweni zam. Ndivalela lo mkhuseli useleyo webhola ngomzimba wam.
“Koshiyana oomam’ ukondla!” Ndiva amazwi angxolayo. Akandiniki thuba kwaphela. Uwugade ngelokhozi umlenze wam wasekunene.
Akakho amanye amathuba! Ndiyikhabela phezulu ibhola ngonyawo lwam lwasekhohlo kakhulu ndiyise kwicala likanozinti weli qela sidlala nalo. Ibhola emnyama namhlophe ye-Adidas iyajika. Tat’uLudwe!
Ndizitshonise zaphelela iinyawo zam emhlabeni. Ndazala luloyiko. Ndavela inyama yenkukhu ngokukhawuleza umzimba wonke. Utat’uLudwe ungqiyame ngodondolo lwakhe, kanye apha kulo mgca ungagqithwayo. Usoloko efuna izandla zakhe zombini zikhululeke ukuze aziphakmisele phezulu. Uye wazi ke ukuba ufuna uqhubele ibhola phambili. Uwuthanda ngene lo mdlalo. Kodwa kwesi sihlandlo uzisongile izandla zakhe. Kutheni?
Ndiyoma. Umzimba katat’uLudwe uyajijeka. Nanko esiwa ngobuso phantsi. Udondolo lwakhe lumba umgca otshona ebumdakeni. Ibhola yam egoso iye ngqo kudondolo lwakhe.
Iqela lonke lileqa kuye. Ungqiyama ngamandla kuLwando xa simphakamisa. Ngokukhawuleza akuma siyatsalana sibuyele umva.
“Sapha kwedini, ” wanyanzelisa njalo uTat’uLudwe. Wathi xhakamfu uLwando ngesandla sakhe sasekhohlo. Ngesasekunene, ukhupha imela eyi-Okapi kwipokotho engasemva kwibhulukhwe yakhe.
“Intoni, andifuni,” uLwando wanikina intloko. Akangomntu unikezela ngokukhawuleza.
“Zisa obu bubhanxa bebhola Lwando. Akuboni ukuba uphethe imela. Usisidenge maan!” UPhumlani, ikapteni yethu, iyakhwaza.
Phffff, yathi patya ibhola yethu xa uTat’uLudwe eyisika evula umngxuma omkhulu kwisikhumba sayo. Yayiyeyokugqibela ke kwiibhola zethu ezaziphucukile. Kunokwenzeka ukuba urhanela nto ithile ngathi neza gusha.
“Nixelele umqeqeshi wenu aze kundibona kwam,” watsho uTat’uLudwe, wajika waqhwalela egoduka. Sikhulula iibhibhi zethu zokudlala siziphose kwingxowa yempahla yeqela. Sihambe iindlela zethu ezohlukeneyo. UMfundo noLwando bayandikhapha ndigoduke.
“Ntwana, asikayi kobakowenu ubuhlanti,” kutsho uLwando.
“Hayi, hayi, nikhumbule ukuba ndathini na. Ndanixelela, sineegusha ezimbalwa kubuhlanti basekhaya… zisixhenxe kuphela mfowethu…” ndazibhenca. Andinakho ukubavumela beze kubuhlanti basekhaya.
“Kwakukunyaka ophelileyo ngoko mfethu. Ninamatakane amancinane ngoku. Akulunganga ukuba sibe kuyo yonke eminye imizi, nakwawethu amakhaya, kodwa singabi kwelakho.” Ndavele ndamjonga uLwando xa ethetha le nto.
Xa sifika ekhaya andibavalelisi nokubavalelisa ndivula nje isango ndingene ekhaya. Andijongi ngasemva.
“Uhamba nala makhwenkwe agezayo kwakhona?” udadewethu uNonyaniso ufuna ukwazi, xa ndingena endlwini.
“Voetsek! Andithethi nto ngabakho abahlobo okanye ngala ngqondongqondo wenkwenkwe yakho, uSihle.” Ndiyazi ndingcolile ngoku kodwa andikwazi kuzimbamba. UNonyaniso usoloko endichukela ngento ethile.
“Hmmm, makhe ndibone. Uyabukeka, unomsebenzi omhle, uziphethe kakuhle. Oh ja, akayitshayi nentsangu. Ingaba lo nto imenza abe ngungqondongqondo? Hayi! Hlukana nam ke bhuti.”
“Sii…ag, uyabukeka! Awuyazi into ebukekayo uba yintoni.”
“Ndiyazi ukuba akafani nawe okanye naye nawuphi kwaba bahlobo bakho. Mmmm, iinwele zakhe zichetywe kakuhle, unezandla ezithambileyo…”
“Thula. Uphinde uthethe igama libe linye nje ndiza kukubethaa.” Andikwazi ukumelana nelizwi lakhe, endithelekisa noSihle wakhe ogqibeleleyo.
“Ucinga ukuba andizi kuziphindisela bethu? Ha! Inoba uphambene bhuti!”
Wema bhuxe, izandla ezibeke ezinqeni kulo mzinjana wakhe ucekethekileyo, ecel’umngeni. Ezinye iinwele zakhe zikhululekile kule nto azibophe ngayo ngasemva, kodwa akazikhathalelanga akazisusi nokuzisusa ebunzi. Undijonge ntsho.
“Qalisa ngoku, – qalisa ngoku ukuba uza kundibetha,” watsho, esondela kum.
“Ucinga ukuba ungalwa nam kuphela kuba usazi ukuba umama uza kuthethelela wena. Usoloko ekuthethelela. Iyandidina lo nto.” Yinyaniso umama usoloko ethethelela uNonyaniso.
“Ooh, ag shame, wena. Ndinqwenela ube linene. Ubhuti wam endandimazi. Utshintshile maan. Khawuzijonge, uzilungiselela ukubetha intombazana. Ndiyakusizela torho, Sabelo.”
“Thula, ndinezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu ekumele ukuba ndicinge ngazo.” Ndiyamtyhala ndigqithe kuye ndiye egumbini lam mbhakra ucango ndivale.
Umama okoko endilindise iinyanga ukuba andithengele izihlangu ezintsha, kodwa usoloko ethengela uNonyaniso impahla entsha. Ayilunganga le nto.
Ndatsho ndakhumbula amazwi kaLwando. Kufuneka ndizame indlela yokunqanda iBlack Tights – njengoko silibiza iqela lethu elincinane – ekubeni baze kuba
kubuhlanti basekhaya namhlanje ebusuku.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: UNonyaniso uthi uSabelo utshintshile ekubeni ‘yila nkwenkwe wayefudula eyiyo’. Ucinga ukuba usthintshwe yintoni? Ucinga ukuba wayeqhele ukuba njani?