Kuthe xa uLinda ekwibanga leshumi kulo nyaka, uSipho waqalisa ukumana emthengela nempahla. Lo mfana ngoku wayesele engenelele ekuncediseni kwishishini loo malume bakhe elaliqhuba kakuhle lithengisa impahla nokutya edolophini eKapa. Ngempela veki uSipho ebemkhupha uLinda ayekumthengela impahla khona. Emva koko bayekutya kwirestyu ezintle apho. Ngamanye amaxesha ebembela ukutya kwivenkile kamalume wakhe ukuba agoduke nako okanye amphe ubumalanyana ukuze ayekuphotha iinwele zakhe.
Wayesele ede wamthanda naye ngoku uSipho; ngandlela ithile nalo mazinyo akhe ayengasabonakali etyheli ngoku. Ngoku uLinda wayenemali eyaneleyo yokwenza iinwele zakhe ade azithengele nempahla qho, aphinde abe nayo nemali yokuthengela umakazi wakhe nabazala iintwana ntwana ezimnandi. Umakazi uRosy wayengazidubi nakancinci ukumbuza ukuba uyithatha phi le mali adiwaza ngayo, ethenga ubucwebe nempahla ezintle.
“Uze uphinde undityelele kwakhona ngomso. Ndinento ebalulekileyo endikubekele yona,” watsho uSipho ngenye imini.
USipho wayemthengele ifowuni yesandla entsha. Oku kwakuthetha ukuba angamfowunela nangaliphina ixesha. Waqala ukumana emfowunela ebusuku. ULinda akazange akhe ayekulala endlwini kaSipho, kodwa babekwazi ukuchitha ixesha bekunye. Ngenye imini babesemotweni yakhe, kwindawo yokupaka iimoto ngaselwandle. Yayilixesha lokuba amgoduse, kodwa wayengafuni agoduke. Wasondela kuye waza wamsondeza kuye. Waqala ngokwala kuqala uLinda, kodwa wanikezela kobo bumnandi, ubushushu obungamaza bawongamela wonke umzimba wakhe.
Emva kweveki ezintathu wathi xa ejonga kuSipho, asuka la mazinyo akhe atyheli amenzela isicaphu-caphu. Kwaba nzima ukuqhubeka esikolweni. Sithe sakungapheli esi sicaphu-caphu emva kweeveki ezimbini, waya ekliniki.
Umongikazi ekliniki wamjonga enyuse iintshiyi. “Ugqibele nini ukuya exesheni?”
ULinda wayengakhumbuli kakuhle ngokuthe ngqo. Kodwa kwakusele kulixesha engayi.
“Kufuneka uye kuhlolelwa ukumitha,” watsho umongikazi emnika isingxotyana esinemiyalelo.
Wothuka uLinda.
“Nina bantu abatsha kumele niqaphele ngakumbi,” watsho umongikazi xa ejonga imibala ezuba eyimigca emibini ecacileyo kumcingana wokuxilonga. “Ngubani oza kujonga lo mntwana ngoku?”
“Akhange ndiyazi ukuba ingenzeka lula ngolu hlobo le nto,” watsho uLinda. “Isithandwa sam sandixelela ukuba asidanga siyenze ngokupheleleyo, akukho nto izakwenzeka.”
Wayesoyika kakhulu ukuxelela umakazi uRosy. Wazixelela ukuba uza kuzithulela. Umakazi wakhe wayeza kuzibonela kungekudala.
Wayesele ekufutshane kwinyanga yesibhozo xa umakazi wakhe eqaphela ukuba esi sisu sakhe asikokutyeba nje kodwa ngenxa yokutya okumnandi akuthengelwa nguWungeri. Wamthatha wamsa uLinda ekliniki ukuba ayekuhlolwa emveni kokuba emana ukuba nesiyezi esingapheliyo esiwa qho esikolweni. Umongikazi wamxelela ukuba uLinda uza kuba nomntwana.
Waba ligqabi ngumsindo uRosy!
“Yinile! Ungathini ukuba sisidenge olu hlobo, Linda? Uyayibona indlela endisokola ngayo nabantwana bam. Ndisebenza nzima ukuze kutyiwe, wenza ntoni wena? Ndaweni yokuba uxakeke ziincwadi zakho urhorhozela emva kwamadoda amadala!”
Wawatshica la mazwi umakazi uRosy ngokungathi utshica ubuhlungu benyoka.
Ngelo xesha kanye, waphela emehlweni uSipho.
“Ndizamile ukumfowunela amaxesha amaninzi, kodwa isuka ingene kumyalezo ogciniweyo,” watsho uLinda komnye awayesakufunda naye ngaphambili, iinyembezi zisihla ngezidlele.
UBoniwe wayeze kuboleka umtshini wokubala wesayensi uLinda awayewuthengelwe nguSiphokwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo. Wawusavaliwe kwisingxobo obuthengwe ngaso. Oku kungenxa yokuba uLinda ebengasayi esikolweni iiveki ezininzi. Umakazi uRosy wamkrokrela ukuba inokuba uyagula kwaye Kuba noSipho evele wanyamalala, intliziyo kaLinda yayophukile.
“Uyazi ukuba iSebe lezemfundo liyabavumela abantwana abakhulelweyo ukuba baqhubeke nesikolo kwezi ntsuku. Hamba Nontombazana uye esikolweni. Loo nto iyakususa ingqondo yakho ekucingeni ngela xhego lakho,” watsho umakazi uRosy kuLinda.
Ngenye intsasa uLinda weva into emhlaba kabuhlungu apha esiswini de akakwazi nokuma ngeenyawo. Umakazi Rosy wayephangele eMuizeberg eyekucoca iflethi yoogqirha abasebenzelayo, ngoko ke umhlobo kamakazi wakhe ongummelwane, uElsie, wabiza inqwelo yezigulana waza wabalekiselwa esibhedlele.
“Siza kwenza utyando olukhawulezileyo,” watsho ugqirha ngobubele. “Unoxinzelelo lwegazi oluphakame kakhulu ngoko kufuneka sikhawuleze sikhuphe usana kwakamsinya.”
ULinda wajonga kuye waza wathi, “Ndiyoyika gqirha.”
Ugqirha wabamba isandla sakhe. “Ungaxhali, mntwana wam. Yonke into iza kuhamba kakuhle.”
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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba umakazi uRosy anganakho ukugcina usana?