Ngobo busuku uLinda nosana lwakhe bayakulala emzini kaJemima Solotsi. Umyeni wakhe wayengaziwa nomkhondo apho aye kutshona khona. UJemima wathi umke waya kuhlala kwelinye inenekazi. Ngentsasa elandelayo emveni kokuba uJemima ethengele usana ipremu kwindawo ebizwa ngokuba yiBaby Go Round, baye bahamba kunye bayakutya isidlo sakusasa kwenye irestyu eseBlue Route Mall.

Usana lwalala ngokuzola epremini yalo lo gama uLinda ebalisa ibali elilusizi lobomi bakhe nokuba kwakutheni wayeziva engenakho ukuqhubeka nobomi kwakhona.

“Ndicela uzame ukuqonda kakuhle, ungandigwebi. Bendingafuni ukumbulala umntwana wam, qha bendisoyika ukuba uzakusokola njengendlela mna endikhule ndisokola ngayo. Bendingenayo enye indlela.”

“Yasoloko ikhona enye indlela yokuphumela, mntwana wam,” watsho uJemima, elibele ukuba yena kuqala ebephelelwe lithemba exakwe kukuphuma emtshatweni wakhe onobundlobongela obungamonwabisanga. “Ibelithamsanqa kuthi ukuba sidibane. Ndiyavuya kakhulu ndiye ndadibana nawe. Uza kwenza ntoni ngoku? Uyaya phofu esikolweni?”

“Andiyi okwalo mzuzu. Ngexesha ndikhulelwe, ndaye ndagula kakhulu. Ugqirha uthi bendinesifo sokudunjelwa ziinyawo, isifo esihlasela abakhulelweyo.”

“Ndingakunceda, Linda. Mingaphi iminyaka yakho?”

“Ndisandula ukuzalisa iminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo.”

“Ndingakuvuyela ukunika olusana luhle kangaka uthando ebendikade ndilugcinele umntwana endingazange ndaba naye.”

Uthe akuthetha la mazwi uJemima wasuka walila kabuhlungu. ULinda uye wamqwalasela ithutyana wabona ukuba ukhathazekile ngenene.

“Ndingakunika lo mntwana umphelo. Singayenza loo nto ngokusemthethweni,” watsho uLinda. “Ndicinga ukuba umntwana wam angaba nekamva eliqaqambileyo kuwekunakum. Ikhaya elilungileyo emntwaneni wam ingaba sesona sipho siligugu kum. Xa kungoku ayikho tu indlela mna okanye umakazi esinokukwazi ukunonophela olu sana.”

Uthe akutsho zathi nqumama kwangoko iinyembezi zikaJemima.

“Intoni? Uqinisekile? Ungayenza loo nto?”

“Akukho nto ndinayo. Andinabani. Bendingumthwalo emagxeni kamakazi wam iminyaka emihlanu yonke ngaphezu koko ndenza le mpazamo yokuba ndimithe.”

“Hayi Linda, sukuthetha ngolohlobo. Akukho mntwana, nokuba uzelwe phantsi kwaziphina iimeko, oba yimpazamo. Wonke umntwana usisipho kwaye uzalwa ngenjongo.”

Kwaphinda kwathi cwaka kwakhona.

“Lo mntwana Linda, usindise ubomi bam. Undibonise ukuba sisibhanxa kwam kwakunye nokuzicingela mna kuphela. Linda, ukuba uyafuna ukuya esikolweni kanti nase yunivesiti, ndingayihlawulela imfundo yakho. Kwaye ndiza kukunika wena kwakunye nomakazi wakho indawo yokuhlala.”

“Hayibo!”

“Ewe Linda, ndinayo indlwana encinci, enamagumbi amabini okulala kwaye yenziwe ngezitena bendisoloko ndiqeshisa ngayo ngoku bendihlala nomyeni wam. Ungahlala kuyo ungahlawuli nesenti. Noko yona ikwindawo ekhuselekileyo.”

“Ungayenza loo nto? Andazi nokuba mandithini. Andazi ukuba ndingakubulela njani. Owu Thixo, ingaba iyenzeka nyhani le nto?” watsho uLinda, onganyelwe luvuyo. Iinyembezi zehla ngezidlele wasuka waxhuma waya kumwola uJemima wamgona, wamqinisa nkqi. “Kodwa wena uza kuhlala phi?” wabuza kuJemima, engayikholelwa ncam le nto ayithethayo. Le nto yayilunge kakhulu ukuba mayibe yinyani.

“Ndiyekile emsebenzini wam kwaye ndiyacinga ukuba kuza kufuneka khe ndimke ndiye kude lo gama isaqhubeka into yoqhawulo mtshato yam. Ndigqibe kwelokuba khe ndityelele eNgilani, apho ahlala khona udade wethu, ndize ndisebenze kwisikolo khona phaya. Okwangoku ndingahlawula umntu oza kugcina usana ngelixesha wena uya esikolweni. Emva kwenyanga ezintandathu ndiza kubuya size ke siqalise amaphepha asemthethweni okuba ndiluthathe olu sana.”

“Ngelo xesha ndakube sendiliphumelele ibanga leshumi,” watsho evuya uLinda.

“Ewe, khumbula uyakufumana inkxaso yam oko. Ngethemba lokuba ngexesha ayakube enonyaka amaphepha asemthethweni ayakube egqityiwe. Emva koko ndithenge indlu entsha kufutshane. Ndingathanda ukuba ube yinxalenye yobomi bakhe, umane ukumbona rhoqo.”

“Enkosi kakhulu Jemima! Ingandivuyisa kakhulu loo nto!”

“Le nkwenkwana le isindise ubomi bam. Ndimtyala ubomi bam bonke.”

“Usindise nobam kunjalo nje.”

Bobabini aba bafazi bema bebukele usana olu leleyo kwipremu yalo, lona usana lwalungazi nento ngezinto ezinkulu ezisandula ukwenzeka nokuba lwalungumbindi wazo zonke ezo zinto.

“Ngoku masihambe siye kukhangela umakazi uRosy. Ndivile ukuba onke amaxhoba omlilo asahlaliswe eholweni yoluntu okomzuzwana,” watsho uJemima.

ULinda wamqwalasela ngobunono waza wancuma. “Uyabona wena, ungula mama wam bendikade ndimdinga yonke le minyaka,” watsho enesingqukru emqaleni.

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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba yinto elungileyo ukuba umama uSolotsi aluthathe ngokusemthethweni usana lukaLinda?