Ekuqaleni uNandi wayengafuni ukuzwa lutho uBeauty ayefuna ukumtshela kona. uNandi wakhipha izicathulo zakhe zesikole kanye neyunifomu yakhe yesikole. Waphakamisa ingubo yokulala wabe esezigoqa ngaphansi kwayo.

Kwafika uBeauty wabe esehlala eceleni kwakhe wabe esembula ingubo yokulala ukuze akwazi ukubona ubuso bakhe. “Angazi ukuthi yini inkinga yakho, kodwa lalela nje lokho Engifuna ukukutshela kona.”

uNandi wavula amehlo akhe wabe esebuka uBeauty, owayeveze elomhlathi. “Bheka!” kusho uBeauty, njengoba ayekhipha imali ekhukhwini lakhe ngokumugabisela futhi eyiphakamisela emoyeni. Ngaphezu kokudumala kwakhe uNandi wahlahla amehlo.

“Uyitholephi leyo mali?”, kubuza uNandi, njengoba ehlala kahle, “Malini?”

“Amakhulu ayisihlanu!” kusho uBeauty ngokuziqhenya. Wabe eseqala ukugigitheka. “Ngiyisebenzele! Ngizame ukukutshela izolo ebusuku, kodwa kade ungenaso isithakazelo!” kwenezela uBeauty.

“Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi uke washo okuthize mayelana nomakhalekhukhwini kanye nensizwa ethize ebizwa ngokuthi uFernando,” kusho uNandi, ngokushesha wazizwa enecala ngokungalaleli uBeauty.

“Kunjalo,” kusho uBeauty, “uFernando wenza amamuvi!” uBeauty wabe esephakama washwiza futhi, ngaphambi kokuba aphakamise imali phambi kobuso bukaNandi! uFernando ungitshele ukuthi unezinto ezinkulu kabi afuna ukungenzela zona!”

“Usho ukuthini?” kubuza uNandi, osenesithakazelo manje.

“uFernando unendawo encane edolobheni Esenginesikhathi ngazi ngayo. Wangibona edolobheni esontweni eledllule wabe esengitshela ukuthi ngifike kuleyo ndawo.”

“Akuzwakali kuyinto enhle leyo,” kusho uNandi ngokwethuka.

“Eqinisweni, nami bengikhathazekile ekuqaleni, kodwa ngabe sengikhuluma noNomvu ngayo. Ungitshele ukuthi akunankinga. Ngabe ke sengivakashela uFernando.”

“uNomvu?” kubuza uNandi, “Kodwa uNomvu ungenaphi manje?”

“uNomvu wayesebenzela uFernando isikhathi esithize, kwaze kwaba yilapho uSipho ethola.”

“uSipho ethola ini?” Manje uNandi wayekhathazeke nakakhulu, ekhumbula kancane ezinye izindaba zikaBeauty zokuthi uSipho wake washaya uNomvu ngenxa yento ethize ayenza.

“Wewu, uSipho uyisidala. Akaqondi.” Kusho uBeauty.

uNandi wabe esebamba uBeauty emahlombe wamugqolozela ebusweni. “Ngitshele, Beauty,” esho engadlali, “empeleni luhlobo luni lomsebenzi okade ulwenza?”

Lapho uBeauty eseqede ukulandisa indaba yakhe uNandi wanqika wabe esevala ubuso bakhe ngezandla zakhe. “Beauty!” emubiza, ngokumangala, “into okhuluma ngayo phela izithombe zobulili! Kade ucabangani umthetho wakho?”

“Akuzona izithombe zobulili,” kusho uBeauty, ngokucikeka okukhulu, “Ukwenza umdlalo! Ufana noSipho nje nawe. Awuqondi! Uyisidala.”

“Ukudlala!” kusho uNandi, ephakamisa izwi lakhe, “kodwa ukhumule izimpahla zakho!”

“Hhayi zonke!” kusho uBeauty ngokuzivikela. “Unomona nje! Ucabanga ukuthi nguwe kuphela umdlalikazi omkhulu kule ndlu! Kodwa awuyena! Kakade sengiyenzile imuvi futhi Sengikhokheliwe ngalokho! Ngizoceba futhi ngidume kuqala kunawe!”

uBeauty wasukuma ngokucasuka wabe eseya ngasemnyango. Wabe esenqikaza kancane wabuyela kuNandi, waguqa phansi wabe esehewula ebusweni bukaNandi, “Futhi uma ungayithi vu nje kumama wami Ngizokubulala!”

uBeauty wabe esegadlaza umnyango njengoba ephuma ekamelweni. uNandi wabe eselala wazigubezela futhi ngengubo. Wavala amehlo akhe futhi ngokushesha wazumeka emva kokukhala kabuhlungu futhi ekhalela phansi. Impelasonto yayisondela. Kungcono ngoba ngeke abone uLuyanda okungenani izinsuku ezimbili.

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Sicela umbono wakho: Ingabe lokho okwenziwa uBeauty yinto enhle? Ucabanga ukuthi uFernando ubonakala engumuntu othembekile?