Emuva kwesonto uZoey wayesendleni ebuya esikoleni sekusele imizuzu eyishumi afike ekhaya ngesikhathi kuqhuma isondo lebhayisikili lakhe. Wehla ebhayisikilini wazama ukubona ukuthi angakwazi yini ukulifutha isondo ngokwanele ukuze aze afike ekhaya.
“Kwenzekeni? Ikuphi inkinga?”
UZoey wanyusa amehlo wabona ukuthi yayimamatheka lendoda eyayikhuluma. Esihlakaleni sayo yayigaxe ibhande eyayidonsa ngalo inja ewuhlobo lweDachshund. Eyayo inja yayimnyama, ingensundu ngombala njengo Mickey, inja kaZoey.
“Yayinhle inja yakho,” kwasho uZoey esukuma. “Ngiyacabanga ukuthi kungene isipikili esondweni. Libhoboke kakhulu, umoya ulokhu uphumile nje.”
“Umuzi wami awukude kakhulu. Ngingakulungisela isondo ukuze ukwazi ukuqhubeka nedlela yakho.”
UZoey wangqikaza kodwa wafikelwa umcabango ayengenaso nesiqinisekiso sawo: uma kuwukuthi unenja eyiDachshund, kusho ukuthi ungumuntu okahle. Wasukuma walandela lendoda ephusha ibhayisikili lakhe.
“Usunesikhathi eside unayo lenja?”
“Yebo futhi cha. Ibinakekelwa ngumndeni wami isikhathi eside mina ngingekho. Akukapheli isikhathi eside ngiyilandile. Igama layo nguBeemo.”
“Sawubona Beemo,” kwasho uZoey. Wanqekuziza umsila uBeemo. “Nami nginenja ewuhlobo lweDachshund. Mhlawumbe singazihlanganisa ukuze zidlale ndawonye izinja zethu.” Bamamatheka bobabili.
“Sesifikile. Ikhona la emzini wami.”
Kwahlasimula umzimba kuZoey ngesikhathi ima lendoda. Yayime kulomuzi okuMakoro Drive.
“Ungalinda khona la,” kwasho lendoda. “Ngizongena endlini ngibuye nezinto zokulungisa isondo lakho.”
Noma umzimba wakhe wawumtshela ukuthi akabaleke, uZoey wakhetha ukulinda. Wazizwa ewakhumbula amazwi kanina. Mhlawumbe ngempela ululamile esibhedlela lomuntu, mhlawumbe kufanele bamunike ithuba bengabantu basendaweni. Lendoda imkhumbuza uyise. Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi umuntu omkhumbuza uyise abe ngumbulali?
Indoda yabuya emuva kwemizuzwana embalwa iphethe izinto zokuphesha isondo kanye nebhakede elinamanzi. Yabona ukuthi kwakukhona okwasekuguqukile kuZoey ngoba wayengasamamatheki, ngoba yathi, “Yebo, ngihlala kuwona lomuzi. Imina impela lendoda ededelwe esibhedlela. Uma ufuna ukuhamba ungahamba. Angeke ngibe nanxa nawe uma ukhetha ukuhamba.”
Izwi lalendoda laligcwele usizi, yilokho okwenza uZoey wakhetha ukungahambi. Wayengathini uma kuwukuthi kwakungukuphithana kwengqondo ngempela okwakhungatha lendoda njengoba wayechazile unina, ukuphithana kwengqondo ayengakwazi ukukulawula lomuntu kwabe sekufa indodakazi yakhe nonkosikazi wakhe ngenxa yakho? Wazibuza ukuthi ngesikhathi sekudlulile ukuphithana, lendoda isibona umonakalo ewenzile – kudindilize ingane kanye nonkosikazi – yazizwa kanjani? Wabona ukuthi lesi isisindo esinzima kakhulu ukuthi ungasithwala engqondweni impilo yakho yonke.
“Cha…Ukuthi…Hhayi ayikho inkinga. Angeke ngihambe,” kwasho uZoey.
Yalula isandla lendoda yamuxhawula. “Igama lami nginguKopano.”
Waxhawula naye. “Mina nginguZoey. Ngihlala emzini okulomgwaqo ongena kuwo uma ujika ikhona. Ngijwayele ukudlula emzini wakho.”
“Ngisazama ukuwulungisa. Uwohlokile ngesikhathi …ngingekho.”
UZoey wadlalisa uBeemo ngesikhathi uKopano ephesha isondo. Emuva kwemizuzu embalwa walifutha isondo wanikeza uZoey ibhayisikili lakhe. “Selilungile. Sengathi lisha manje isondo lakho.”
“Ngiyabonga kakhulu ngokungizwela kwakho. Ungisizile.”
“Ayikho inkinga.”
UZoey wagibela ibhayisikili walishova eqonde ekhaya. Wayelokhu ecabange njalo ngokuthi wayezitshela ukuthi uKopano wayeyisilwane somuntu kodwa kwakungenjalo. Wayenozwelo futhi enenja. Wazitshela ukuthi uzozama kangcono ukuthi angabahluleli abantu ngaphambi kokuba abazi kangcono.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi uZoey angakwazi ukuba ngumngani noKopano? Ubona kufanele amunike ithuba?