uNandi wakwazi ukugwema uBeauty Umgqibelo wonke. Kodwa imicabango kaFernando enza amamuvi kanye ne-R500 etholwe uBeauty ayizange imiphumuze. Wacabanga ngengubo Yomcimbi Kamatikuletsheni ayengeke akwazi ukuyithenga. Wacabanga futhi ngemali ayeyidinga ukuze aye ekholishi.
NgeSonto wathola uBeauty engaphandle kwesonto. uNandi wagaxa ingalo yakhe engalweni kaBeauty wabe esesikisela ukuba bahambe ndawonye baye endlini. Bengicabanga Beauty,” kusho uNandi, “mayelana nalo msebenzi wakho wokudlala.”
“Hawu!”, kusho uBeauty, ngokuhleka okukhulu, “Bengazi ukuthi uzowucabangisisa! Bengazi ukuthi ubuzokuhlaba umxhwele!”
“Akunjalo,” kusho uNandi ngokuzotha, “Bengifuna ukwazi nje. Ingabe ngempela bekungafanele wenze lutho? Uyazi …”
Wabe esema okwesikhashana uBeauty wahleka futhi. “Vele angenzanga lutho!” Baqhubeka nokuhamba uBeauty wabe esethi, “Ngikhumule isikibha sami kuphela futhi …”
“Kulungile,” kusho uNandi, engasafuni ukuzwa okwengeziwe, kodwa engakwazi ukuyeka ukubuza eminye imibuzo.
Ngaphambi kokuba uNandi akhulume futhi, uBeauty wamuphazamisa, “Ingabe uyafuna ukuhamba nami uyozibonela ngokwakho? Uyafuna! Ngiyabona ukuthi uyafuna!” Wabe esehlekela phezulu futhi uBeauty.
uNandi akazange aphendule. Ikhanda lakhe laliduma. Kwakunabantu abadlulayo bebuya esontweni, begqoke beconsa. Umamkhulu wakhe wayesiza ukuwasha izinkomishi zetiye zasesontweni futhi wayezofika ekhaya emva kwesikhathi. uNandi wayesawezwa amagama eculo leSonto ekade elicula ekeneneza ekhanda lakhe.
“Akulungile kodwa, angithi, Beauty?” ebuzela phansi.
“Wewu, awume kancane!” kusho uBeauty, “uFernando akasiphoqi ukuba senze okuthize bantu. Kumele uhlale phansi nje. Kungani ungahambi nami uyozibonela ngokwakho?”
uNandi wahamba ethulile, ezindla. Wayeqinisekile ukuthi ngoMsombululo bazomemezela ukuthi uZinzi nguye othole indima eholayo kaJuliet emdlalweni wamadlingozi. Futhi wayeqiniseke nakakhulu ukuthi amaphupho akhe okuhamba kukhaphethi obomvu wanoma yiluphi uhlobo, kungaba Owomcimbi Womatikuletsheni, noma njengomuntu odumile ngolunye usuku – ayengamaphupho nje ayeshabalele ekuseni lapho evuka.
uBeauty wayeno-R500 ekhukhwini lakhe futhi wayewuthole ngokungenzi lutho nje. Kodwa ngapha ulibele ukuqhosha ngokuthi wayengumdlalikazi ongcono kakhulu endlini. uNandi wabe eseyeka imicabango yakhe. Wabheka uBeauty. “Kulungile,” kusho uBeauty, “Ngihambise kule nsizwa okuthiwa nguFernando khona ngizozibonela!”
uBeauty wayeqhuma injabulo wabe esemanga, “Asambe ke,” kusho uBeauty, “Singahamba namhlanje ntambama. uFernando usebenza izinsuku eziyisikhombisa evikini!”
uNandi kanye noBeauty bahambisana ukuze bayococa indlu. Baqoqa ngendlela enhle kakhulu kangangokuthi umamkhulu kaNandi onembedlane akazange athole okuthize okungalungile. Lapho ebuya ekhaya wayejabule kakhulu wavese wayolala embhedeni. uNandi kanye noBeauty babazi ukuthi wayezozumeka amahora ambalwa.
Ngenkathi esehonela phezulu amantombazane amabili adoja bese athatha itekisi eya edolobheni elincane. Babambana, begegetheka futhi behleba. Lapho bedilika uBeauty wahola uNandi endleleni emnyama engumhume. Base bema phambi komnyango osemuva ovaliwe.
uBeauty wangqongqozela phezulu. Ngokuphazima kweso uNandi washintsha umqondo wakhe. “Woza Beauty, asambe. Iphutha leli.”
Kodwa umnyango wawusuvulekile futhi uFernando wayemile lapho, ebabhekile. Ukuhlina kwakhe kwashintsha kwaba ukumoyizela.
“Sanibona mantombazane,” kusho uFernando, elokhu ethintathinta izinwele zakhe ezicwebezelayo, futhi ezigcotshiwe, “Ngijabulela ukunibona. Ngenani.”
uBeauty wamudlula wangena efulethini elimnyama. Emva kokujeqeza ngokwesaba emhumeni omnyama, uNandi wamulandela. uFernando wabe esevala umnyango.
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Sicela umbono wakho: Yini ezokwenzeka kwaFernando? Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi kumele uNandi ‘amumodelele’?