NgeCawa ezintsukwini ndaya ecaweni nje ngesiqhelo. Wonke umntu wayengayeki ukundijonga ngokungathi babeyazi into endiza kuyenza. Amehlo abo andenza ndanesazela.
Utata watsho ngomtyangapho wentshumayelo engayeki.Wayejonge kum engoncumo eqhayisa kubantu ngokuthobela kwam imithetho yenkonzo. Kwakungahle ndingaphela emehlweni. Wayengasazi ke isono sam, bonke bengayazi imfihlo yam.
Ndiyakuthembisa Nkulunkulu, ukuba awunokundibeka tyala ngokukhupha lo mphefumlo ndiyakumtshata ubhuti Chumile. Ndenze loo mnqophiso noThixo.
Ithe yakuphuma icawa, utata wandibizela ecaleni kwindlu yentlambululo. “Hamba uye kuhlambulula. Kufuneka lithi lifika usuku lomtshato ube umsulwa.”
Ndazibuza ke ukuba utata uzimisele ukumamela intlambululo yam? Wayengathini ukuba ndingachaza ukuba andiyiyo intombi-nto njengokuba esandula ukundincoma esidlangalaleni.
“Akuqondi ukuba kungakhangeleka kungafanelekanga ncam ukuba ube ngomamela intlambululo yam? Mhalwumbi ungeva izinto ongayi kuzithanda nje ngale yokukhawuleza kokuphela kwebhotolo ekhaya.” Ndisebenzise amaqhinga endandingathembi ukuba ayakundikhulula.
Wahleka. “Lungisa ke, ndizakubiza omnye umntu.” Weza notat’ ugosa wamyalela imithetho yentlambululo.
“Yanga intliziyo ingakhwetyulwa esonweni ngamandl’ Omoy’ Oyingcwele.” Ndacengceleza loo mazwi phambi kokuba ndiqale intlambululo. “Ndixolele Bawo ndonile.” Ndiqhubile. “Ndixole ngendikwenzileyo, ndixolele ngendizakwenza.” Andikwazanga kuzibamba iinyembezi nesingqala sandiphoxa.
Andibanga saqhuba nentlambululo kuba ndisoyika isigqala sam sijike sibe sisimbonono. Ndalishiya igumbi ndagoduka ndibaleka.
NgoMvulo ndamazisa uPamela ngesigqibo sam, ndaqononondisa ukuba ndiyaya kwaDoctor Mamazian naye okanye ngaphandle kwakhe.
“Uqinisekile, Nonkonzo?” Wabuza.
“Kudala ndinyamezele Pam.Andisakwazi kunyamela.” Ndawaphetha la amazwi ndintywizisa.
“Kulungile.” Utshilo sendibukuncama. “Masihlangane ukuphuma kwesikolo. Sizakuhamba sobabini.”
“Ndiyabulela Pam. Andiyi kubulibala ubulungisa bakho.”
“Nkonzi!” Wandibiza ndingaphumanga kwelo gumbi. “Ndiyathemba ukuba igama lam lizakulibaleka kule nto.”
“Ukuba uthanda njalo, andisoze ndikukhankanye.”
Sithe siphuma isikolo mna noPamela sabe sikude kufiphi nomzi kaDoctor Mamazian. Yayingumziosithekileyo,ulungele le ngxaki ndize ngayo. Ndaziva ndikhululekile kwaye ndiqinisekile ukuba akukho mntu uya kundazi apho.
UDoctor Mamazian wayengengo mfazi njengoko ndandicinga. Wayesisixhiphothi sendoda ngenene, emkhulu ngesiqu. Ndandingaziva ndikhululekile ukuba wayengumfazi, kodwa izimvo zam zazingabalulekanga ngoku, kwakumele siphume esi sisu ngoko nangoko.
Wasamkelo ngelizwi elingqwabalala, ethetha isiNgesi.
Sithe sakuba sivene ukuba ndize ngokukhupha isisu, wabiza imali. Ndakhupha ama-250 eRandi ndawathi thaca kwisitya semali. Waqala umsebenzi wakhe, waxuba amayeza ayenevumba lirhaxayo. Ethubeni ucele uPamela ukuba alinde phandle. Ndabongoza kuPamela, ndimqinisekisa ukuba akukho nto iyakwenzeka, waphuma.
UMamazian wandiyalela ukuba ndikhulule. Ndamthi ntsho ngamehlo.
“Lunyango lwakho ntombazana. Ndifuna ukusebenzisa la mayeza ngendlela efanelekileyo.” Wacacisa.
Ndakhulula ndigcagcazela umoya wam ungavumi.
“Umhle, uyayazi lo nto.” Watsho endiphathaphatha uMamazian.
“Doctor, ndicela sikhawulezise ilanga liyatshona.” Ndatsho ngejongo zokumxhesha aqoshelise uxilongo.
“Ndibize Mamazian. Ukhona umntu othandana naye?” Wabuza.
“Hayi, andinamntu.”
“Iphi le nkwenkwe ikumithisileyo?”
“Yayiyinto yangobusuku obunye, kwaye yayiyimpazamo.”
“Uyazi uba mna ndinobubele, andikhohlisi kwaye ndinempatho entle.” Watsho isandla sakhe sinyukela esifubeni sam. “Ndingathanda ukubonisa olu thando lwam.”
“He?” Ndasabela ndizenza ongavisisiyo.
“Ndingakunika yonke into oyidingayo. Imali, amacici egolide. Biza nantoni na oyifunayo ndisisityebi.”
Wayesondele kakhulu kum uMamazian endoyamise ngodonga. Izandla zakhe zazikhenketha umzimba wam.
“Ndizakukhala kuve wonkeumntu.”nditsho ndikhabalazela kude kuye. “Ndizakukhala nyani gqirha, ndikulumkisa okokugqibela.”
“Ndiyazi nje uyandithanda qha uzenza lukhuni. Yithi ndiphuze.”
Wandiphuza ngaphandle kwemvume yam. Ndakuliva ulwimi lwakhe lugqithela ngaphaya kwamazinyo am, ndaluthi nkamfu ngamazinyo. Waxhuma warhoxa iintlungu zimfumene, ndafumana ithuba lokubalekela.
***
Latshona elangoMvulo ndisakhulelwe. Ndandinomvandedwa ndinga ndimkelwazingqondo. Umtshato wam nobhuti Chumile wawusondela, kwaye utata ewubabaza esidlangalaleni. Wonke umntu wayesazi ukuba ndizakutshata.
UThobekile wayengenak’ ukundinceda, ndingafuni nakanjalo ukuba eve ngokukhulelwa kwam. Ndandingafuni kuba ngumqobo ebominibakhe. Ukuba ndandizakuba naye kobu bom, ndandingafuni yenzeke lo nto ngendlela engalunganga.Ikamva lakhe laliqaqambe ukwedlula elam. Wayezakuba ngumfundi eNgilane, wayesendleleni eya empumelelweni. Ndandingayimoshelani into entle ngolo hlobo.
“Andisaqinisekanga ukuba ndisithabathe esi scholarship, Nono.” Ndikhumbula esitsho ngosuku wafumana iindaba zokwakelwa kwesicelo sakhe. “Andikwazi kubucinga ubom bam ngaphandle kwakho. Iminyaka ngeminyaka ndingakuboni, loo nto ivakala inzima kum.”
“Kunzima nakum, Bhibhi. Kodwa kufanele wenza into elungileyo. Ndizakuhlala ndikhona ndikulindile nokuba kuqengqeleka isigidiseminyaka ndingakuboni. Uyakubuya ndiselapha.” Ndatsho ubuso bumanzi zinyembezi.
“Ubom bam bulapha nawe, andiboni sidingo sokufunda phesheya.”
“Bhibhi, ndithembe. Andiyi kuyeka ukuthanda. Ungowokuqala wam, kwaye ongowukugqibela wena.”
Sohlukana iintliziyo zilihlwili. Ndisale ndiwangawangisa isandla ekhwela ibhasi eya eGoli apho wayezakufika athabathe inqwelo-moya esinga kwelinye ilizwe.
Ndema ze phambi kwesipili esikhulu egumbini lam. Ndajonga ndaqwalasele kweso sisu sikhula ngamzuzu.
“Ndingenza ntoni ukuba ndiphulukane nawe?” Ndabhekisa kolu sana ngaphakathi. Ndasiphulula ngobunono ngokungathi ndandilindele impendulo. Ndabona umama oyame ngocango ndisaqwalasele esipilini. Ndaguquka ndamjonga, ndafika efixiza.
“Usihlazisile Nonkonzo,” utshilo umama ngodano.
Ndazama ukucacisa ndicela uxolo ngento endiyenzileyo kodwa wahesha wemka. Ndabaleka emva kwakhe ndimbongoza, “Ungamxelel’ utata mama, angandibulala.”
“Thula! Thula, Nonkonzo,” watsho endityityimbisela umnywe. “Utata wakho uzakuyazi le nto engana nje emnyango.”
Wayengaphosisi umama, wamxelela utata akufika. Ndimve ngezigqi zomsindo utata esiza egumbini lam. Ndazisongela emandlelweni wam kuba ndisazi into yokuqala aza kuyenza – kukundibetha.
“Nonkonzo! Nonkonzo!” Watsho ngomsindo. “Ndixelele mntwanam, ngamanyal’ antoni la ndiwevayo ngawe.” Wathula elindele impendulo. Ndandingazi ukuba ndingaphendula ndithini, ndasitsho isikhalo.
“Uyazi ukuba ezo nyembezi azinakukhulula.”
Wajonga kwakhona ngokungathi wayelindele ukuba ndiqhabalake ndiyitsho le nto wayefuna ukuyiva.
“Ngaphandle kokuba uzakusenza intlekisa kule lali, usifake emngciphekweni wokuphulukana necawe yethu.” Wangenelela watsho umama.
“Thatha konk’ okwakho mntwanam, uya eThekwini ngomso lo usayo ku-anti wakho. Andinamntwana ukhulelweyo ozakuhlal’ apha. Ndinebandla ekufanele ndixhalabe ngalo.”
Ndahlala eThekwini no-anti uNongcobo. Ekuqaleni konyaka ndabeleka umntwana oyinkwenkwe owayefana twatse noThobekile ngamehlo agqamgqam noncumo lobubele nothando.
Ethubeni ndive indaba ngo-anti ukuba utata wawuchitha umtshato wam kuChumile. Kwaye wasala engenachaphaza libi eluntwini.
“Njani,” ndibuzile.
“Bafumanise ukuba uChumile ngudlalani. Ubungqina, ubanjwe nentombazana. Utatakho waya nobubugqina kubhishophu wala ukwendisela kuChumile ngenxa yesi sizathu.”
Watsho u-anti kwee xibili empefumlweni wam. Le nto yayindinika ithemba lukubuyela ekhaya nomntwana wam. Umama weza wasindwendwela ukuza kubona umzukulwana wakhe, utata wala ukuza. Ngelishwa, ndandingamkelekanga ekhaya. Ndaphulukana nekhaya lam kunye noThobekile, ubambo lwam.
***
ELost Rose Restaurant, eThekwini, eyomDumba 2012
Sekudlule inyanga yonke emva kwendibano yam noMonde. Iphele kamsinya into yethu. Libali lam elimenze wankwantya. Ibe yile ndawo yokuba nomntwana ebange ukuba aleqeke ukonda emnyango. Bendifungile ke ukuba emva kwalo ndibano noMonde andisayi kuze ndenze enye indabano nge-internet kwakhona. Andinaxesha landoda, ubom bam buxakekile. Ndifundela ukuba ngumongikazi kwaye ndinoxanduva lokunakekela usana lwam.
Kodwa khangela ngoku. Ngokuhlwanje ndinguBuyiswa ndiza kudibana noThatho. Iprofile yakhe ithe ungugqirha, ungumfo uneentloni othanda ukufunda okwalinxila lengoma. Ubhalile wathi umsebenzi wakhe usoloko umgcina exakekile.
Awu, nanko esiza.
Ndima ngenyawo ndibulisa le nzwana imadolo. Hayi, ikho impazamo!
“Buyiswa?” Utsho ejale ebusweni. Buyakhululeka ubuso bakhe, ubhekisa ku ngelithambileyo. “Nono? Nguwe lo?”
“Thobekile?”
“Kudala ndikukhangela. Ndandimane ndikubhalele ngethuba ndiseNgilane kodwa zange undiphendule. Ndabuya ndafundela apha ubugqirha, ndaya kowenu. Utata wakho wandalela ukuba ndingene. Ndicinge ukuba wandilahla.”
Siyawolana. Ndiziva ndisekhaya. Hayi ikhaya lokuzalwa elikhuselwe ngamasango aluqilima. Nditsho ikhaya apho kukho uthando nobubele. Indoda nomfazi kunye nomntwana omhle oyinkwenkwe. Andisakwazi kulinda ukubonisa uThobekile unyana wakhe uSiphiwe othandekayo.
Isiphelo
