UZoey wavula amehlo ebumnyameni wazama ukukhumbula ukuthi kwenzakaleni. Waqalaza kuleli gumbi akulo wabona umzimba kaTendai usekhoneni. Waphuthuma wafika kuyena umfowabo. Wajabula uma ethola ukuthi uTendai usaphefumala noma wayenenxeba elalophha esiswini. Wamubamba wamuqinisa umfowabo, wamuphulula esihlathini.
“T, bekezela ngoba ngizokwenza ngawo wonke amandla engiwayo ukuze siphume kulendawo.”
Wasukuma uZoey waqalaza egumbini. Kwakuyigumbi elincane elinewindi elilodwa. Kwakukhona ama-burglar bars ewindini. Isicabha sasikhiyiwe njengokucabanga kukaZoey. Yini ayengayenza?
Wabona into ayijwayele ngesikhathi ebuyela ekhoneni legumbi. Noma kwakumnyama kwathi uma eguqa wabona ukuthi noma kanjani nguMickey lona owayekwelinye ikhona. Wayesefile uMickey, isizathu sicacile — wayenqunywe umqala. Wathatha igxathi wahlehla uZoey, eshaqekile. Noma kwakubuhlungu enhliziyweni kodwa kwamucacela ukuthi kufanele azame ukuziqinisa uma efuna ukuba basinde esimweni ababebhekene naso.
Iwindi elisegumbini ababekulo lalibheke kuMakoro Drive. Ngisho noma umatasatasa lomgwaqo wawungenabo abantu kanye nezimoto eziningi ezazidlula kuwo. Kwase kuhlwile kakhulu ngoba kwakungadluli lutho ngesikhathi ayelunguzile uZoey. Noma kwakunjalo uZoey waqhubeka wakhumula isikibha esimhlophe ayesigqokile wasibamba. Wakhipha isandla ngobunono, wagwema izingilazi eziphukile zewindi kanye nama-burglar bars. Wabe esenyakazisa isikibha sakhe esimhlophe ngethemba lokuthi ukhona umuntu ozothi edlula emgwaqeni asibone sinyakaza ebumnyameni emuva kwalokho asondele azophenya ukuthi kwenzakalani. Walokhu esinyakazisile isikibha, wayezolokhu eqhubekile ngisho kwakungathiwa iyoze ibhucuke ingalo, ngoba wayekholwa ukuthi noma kanjani ukhona umuntu ozogcina embonile.
Emuva kwemizuzu embalwa wezwa kunomsindo esicabheni. Wabuyisela ingalo ngaphakathi ngokushesha, wagqoka isikibha sakhe maqede wazilalisa kwaba sengathi usaqulekile. Kwavuleka isicabha kwangena ukukhanya, kodwa saphinda savaleka ngokushesha wezwa sikhiyeka futhi. Wasukuma wabuyela ewindini uZoey, waqhubeka nokunyakazisa isikibha sakhe esimhlophe.
Wakhathala wagcina ezumekile. Wavuka waqalaza wabona ukuthi ekukhathaleni kwakhe ugcina esiqathaze ngaphandle isikibha sakhe. Kwakuyinto azoyithini le?
Wezwa umsindo thizeni. Wathula wanganyakaza, walalelisisa. Wezwa ukuthi ikhona imoto eyayiduma esangweni. Wayizwa icisha lemoto, wabe esezwa kuvuleka isango. UZoey wazama ukududula ikhanda kuma-burglar bars, wazama ukubona. Wezwa kahle ukuthi ukhona umuntu ovula isango noma wayengaboni ukuthi kwakungubani. Wezwa izwi lomuntu wesilisa, wajabula ngoba wayelikhumbula lelizwi – kwakuyiphoyisa ababekade bekhulume nalo benonina esiteshini samaphoyisa.
“Sisizeni!” Kwamemeza uZoey evele kancane ewindini. “Sisizeni!”
Waphatheka kabuhlungu uma ezwa kuthule du. Wezwa sengathi siyavaleka isicabha sasendlini. Ngabe seliyahamba iphoyisa? Kusho ukuthi alimzwanga ememeza? Wayenesiqiniseko sokuthi noma kanjani uKopano wayezwile ngesikhathi ememeza.
Waphuthuma waqonda kuTendai. Wafika wamuqubula uTendai wamusa ekhoneni elalimnyama kunawo wonke lapho kwakulele khona isidumbu sikaMickey. Wayesaphefumula uTendai kodwa uZoey wazibuza ukuthi uzoqhubeka isikhathi esingakanani. Nokuthi kwakuzokwenzekani kubona uma usebuya uKopano ngoba noma kanjani wayemuzwile ememeza efuna usizo.
Ngokuphazima kweso wezwa umsindo omkulu nokumememza kwabantu endlini. Emuva kwemizuzu embalwa wezwa kuhlakazeka isicabha. Wabona kungena unina elandelwa iphoyisa. Wasukuma noTendai uZoey, baqonda kunina.
Umuva kukanina kwakukhona amaphoyisa nabantu bosizo lokuqala. Iphoyisa lasondeza izandla kuZoey. “Awuthi siphuthume sisize umfowenu.”
UZoey wadedela uTendai. Iphoyisa laqubula uTendai labe selimudlulisela komunye owesifazane owosizo lokuqala owayengemuva kwalo.
“Uzolulama ngokushesha,” kwasho owesifazane owosizo lokuqala. “Kubukeka sengathi umumese izishwebile izitho ezibalulekile esiswini sakhe.” Bamuthatha ngohlaka uTendai, uZoey nonina balandela ngemuva. Unina wayemubambisisile okhalweni, egcwele injabulo ebusweni.
“Besengithi seningilahlekelile nonke,” kwasho unina, ededela imvula yezinyembezi.
“Siyaphila,” kwasho uZoey. “Sisindile futhi sesizophila kakhulu kunakuqala, Mama.”
Bangena emotweni, balandela i-ambulensi. UZoey wajeqeza ngewindi langemuva lemoto. Ngaso leso sikhathi amaphoyisa ayefaka uKopano evenini. Waphamakamisa izandla ezaziboshwe ngozankosi uKopano, wabuka uZoey, maqede wamamatheka.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kuzokwenzekani kuKopano? Ubona ukuthi ngubani onecala kukho konke lokhu okwenzekile kulendaba?
