Ngosuku olulandelayo uLinda wakhutshwa esibhedlele, ephethe usana oluhle, isigelekede senkwenkwe ephilileyo sambathiswe ngengubo ethambileyo. ULinda wayesangcangcazela ebuthathaka, kuphela kwento awayeyilangazelela yayikukungqengqa aphumle. Iintlungu kwindawo asikwe kuyo xa bekukhutshwa usana zazivakala kwaye lalisadumbile inxeba liqaqamba. Kwakumele agoduke kuba oogqirha babethe uphilile kwaye angabanakho ukugoduka aye kuchacha ekhaya. Kodwa liphi ikhaya?
URosy wayenganqweneli nokuba makabuye phofu. Kaloku ityotyombe lakhe elimagumbi mathathu lalizele liphuphuma. Uza kulala ndawoni nosana? Okubaluleke ngakumbi, uza kumondla ngantoni umntwana? Ngubani owayezakuthenga ukutya komntwana xa athe waba neengxaki zokuncancisa? Oko kutya komntwana nobisi okuxabiso likhulu kunene, wayesazi ngokumhlophe ukuba akasokuze abe nayo imali yokukuthenga. Wayesoloko ecinga ukuba ukulahlekelwa ngumama wakhe yayingawona mava abuhlungu ebomini bakhe, kodwa ngoku, njengokuba efunqule olu sana lubomvu ezingalweni zakhe, wayesuke wonganyelwa lixhala. Wayeza kumthini lo mntwana?
Walila, walila uLinda kodwa iinyembezi zakhe zazingancedi lutho. Wazibona ejongene neliwa elimnyama ngapha kwakunye neengxondorha ezimbi ngapha.
“Owu Nkosi ndixolele. Ndicela undincede Nkosi.”
Amehlo akhe ayezingwenye ukuba bomvu edumbe engamakapoyi ngenxa yokulila kanye ngeli xesha ami ngase sangweni lesibhedlele elindele iteksi enokumisa imse kwindawo yase Siyakhula.
“Heyi, ntombzana, iyashota le mali. Inyukile imali yeteksi, akuyazi wena loo nto?” wabuza umqhubi weteksi. Watsho ebala umwangalala wesenti awayezinikwe nguLinda, eqhuba ke ngesinye isandla.
“Yongeza ezinye iirandi ezintlanu,” watsho kabukhali, emqwalasela kwisipili sakhe sokujonga ngasemva, wabe engenelela edlula inenekazi esele likhulile elaliqhuba ngobunono apha phambi kwakhe.
“Heyi Fudwazana! Suka maan endleleni sihambe thina! Ayikokuqhuba le nto uyenzayo?” Wakhwaza ethuka lo mama ngomnwe ophakathi, kanti lo mama yena wayeqhuba ngomlinganiselo ofanelekiyo xa uqhuba kwindawo yokuhlala.
“Ngumgaqo wooNoteksi lo, akuyazi wena loo nto?” watsho kanye xa ephantse ukuya kungquba imoto ebisiza ngaphambili kwelinye icala. Waphepha yaphantsa ukulala ngecala iteksi, bagxwala abakhweli luloyiko.
“Uxolo torho mqhubi, andinamali yaneleyo apha kum. Yimali yokugqibela le ndikunike yona,” waphendula uLinda, eneentloni ejonge phantsi. Umqhubi waphinda wajika jika esi sipili sokujonga ngasemva ukuze amqwalasele kakuhle uLinda phaya esitulweni.
“Heyi sukundigezela wena sisindini! Hlawula imali yam okanye ndiza kukuhlisa mna ngoku,” watsho umqhubi. Esakuqwalasela ubuso bakhe uLinda, wahle waqonda ukuba uza kuyenza nyani loo nto.
“Ingaba ukhona umntu onokundinceda bethunana? Andinayo nyhani le mali, ndiyacela bethuna,” Wacenga uLinda, elaqaza kubo bonke abakhweli. Abanye babexakekile kwiifowuni zabo zezandla becofa-cofa, abanye bathe gongxo le mitya yokumamelaezindlebeni, abamva. Abanye bagungqisa iintloko zabo ngokuhambelana nalo mculo bawuphula-phuleyo. Akukho nomntu omnye owabonakalisa ukuyikhathalela loo nto wayeyithetha uLinda.
Zehla iinyembezi kuLinda ethe cwaka. Wayethandaza ngaphakathi, kodwa umthandazo wakhe wawungathethi nto, kuba akazange akwazi nokuthi ‘amen’. Weva umntwana ekhutshuza evuka, ephazanyiswa yile ndlela imbi kuqhutywa ngayo. Umqhubi wayendlandlatheka eleqa erenkini yeeteksi ukuze aphinde alayishe, kuba kwakulixesha elixakekileyo lokuphela kwenyanga. Oku kuqhuba ngokungenambeko kwakumenza abetheke uLinda aze aqaqanjelwe ngakumbi kwisilonda sokuthungwa esiswini.
“Uxolo torho mqhubi. Ndicela inombolo yakho ukuze ndiyizise le mali, ndikuhlawule,” wacenga uLinda.
Kuthe engekaphenduli umqhubi, lwajweda usana.
Naba babefake izinto zokumamela ezindlebeni bathiu xhungu becaphuka, ngokungathi abazange balubone okanye baluve usana olubomvu xa lukhala.
“Hayi khawumnike into nokuba yintoni athule, sincede,” yatsho enye intombazana ehleli kwesa situlo singasemva.
ULinda watutsalaza ezama ukukhupha ibele esikipeni sakhe ukuze ancancise usana oko mzuzwana.
“Umntu uyimisela ntoni iteksi xa engenamali yoneleyo? Into elandelayo niza kuthi oonoteksi bayageza, abanambeko. Niyingxaki kodwa nina bantu, nyhani,” watsho umqhubi. “Ndiza kufane ndikuyeke nje okwesi sihlandlo sodwa, kodwa ungaphindi sisi…”
Kwowu! Luncedile lukhale usana! Kukho into nje enobungcwele ngesikhalo sosana, nto leyo ede inyibilikise neyona ntliziyo iqinileyo.
Kwakuxakekiwe ezindleleni, kuyimpithizelo nje kwaye uLinda wayevuya kukuba ede wehla kuloo teksi ingxolayo, imdaka, iqhutywa kakubi. Uthe akuma kwipavumente ecaleni kwendlela, wakhe watsala ezantsi ukuphefumla. Ilanga lalingcangca kuhle, isibhaka bhaka sibukeka sisihle. Amafu amsobo nabomvu ayethe gqume kuhle phezu kongqameko lwesibhaka bhaka nomhlaba. Yonke into ugqirha olungileyo esibhedlele awayethe iza kuhamba kakuhle, kwakubonakala ngathi kuza kuba njalo.
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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba inokuba yintoni ebangela ukuba kungabikho mntu umncedayo uLinda eteksini?