“Abantu balapha ekhaya banesibindi, ngiyabavuma. Abakaze basixhase ngalutho lapha ekhaya uyihlo esaphila. Ngoba uyihlo esedlulile emhlabeni sebefuna izimali zakhe,” kukhalaza uNontobeko ebeke isandla esihlathini.
Kuqhamuke uSane ephethe ithileyi elinetiye namakhekhe.
“Ngiyabonga ngetiye mntanami kodwa inhliziyo ayivumi.”
“Mama kuzomele udle,” kusho uHlengiwe emsondezelela itafula ukuze adle kahle. “Mama indaba yewili ingakukhathazi ngoba ubaba ngeke aphisane ngefa lakhe. Izimali zikababa zizosalela thina.”
“Mina okungiphatha kabi ukuthi sekukhulunywa ngamafa umhlabathi wethuna likababa ungakehli nokwehla,” kusho uSane.
“Ungasho uliphinde lelo ngane yami. Kazi yena ubaba wenu uthini lapho ekhona? Hlengiwe kuhamba kanjani esikoleni?”
“Kuhamba kahle mama ukuthi impilo yasenyuvesi ihlukile kunalempilo ebengiyazi. Akukho muntu okulandela ngomsebenzi, kumele uzikhuthaze wena uqobo,” kuphendula uHlengiwe.
“Ufunde ngane yami ungadlali abafana ngoba bazokumithisa bakushiye kanjalo sebethole abagcono.”
“Kodwa mama ubaba wena akakushiyanga nje,” kusho uSane emamatheka.
“Nina nganithola sengishadile. Futhi ke uyihlo ubeyindoda elungile. Namuhla amadoda alungile kunzima ukuwathola, nibogawula nibheke,” kusho uNontobeko.
***
NguMsombuluko emini. Umndeni usufikile emzini kaNontobeko sekulindwe ummeli. Kufike ngisho izihlobo abakade bazigcina. Nebala agcine efikile ummeli.
“Ngaphambi kokuba ngifunde iwili ngizonidlalela ividiyo umufi ayiqopha. Levidiyo wacela ukuba ngiyidlale uma eseshonile,” kusho ummeli.
Kumangala wonke umuntu ngesikhathi kuvela uThuthukani kwividiyo kwi-laptop.
“Uma nibuka levidiyo kusho ukuthi angisekho emhlabeni. Nontobeko, sthandwa sami, ngicela uhlale wazi ukuthi ngiyakuthanda. Ngisho ekufeni kwami ngiyohlezi ngikuthanda. Ukushona kwami kungakuvimbeli ukuthi uqhubeke nempilo uphinde uthande futhi. Angifuni usale wedwa ulokhu ukhala ngifuna ujabule. Sane, thunjana wami ngicela ufunde ungenze ngiziqhenye ngawe. Uqine ngane yami umhlaba uyahlaba. Hlengiwe, unekusasa eliqhakazile phambi kwakho ungavinjwa izinto zomhlaba ukufeza amaphupho akho. Bese ngivala ngentombi eyangiletha kulomhlaba. Mama ngiyabonga ngakho konke ongenzele khona ngicela ungibhekele izingane zami,” kusho uThuthukani.
Iningi selisula izinyembezi endlini. Ummeli uyavivala i-laptop, bese eqhubeka nalokhu azokusho.
“Iwili kaThuthukani Mdlalose ifundeka kanjena. Umuzi uzosala nonkosikazi wami. Imoto eyi-Hyundai i10 kuzoba ngeka Sane, kanye nesamba semali engu R 200 000. Imoto i-Hyundai i20 ngiyinika uHlengiwe kanye nesamba esingu R 200 000. Umama wami ngimshiyela imali eyisamba esingu R 150 000. Konke okunye kuzosala kunkosikazi wami, uNontobeko.”
“Ngiyabonga mntanami ngokunginakekela ngisho ungasekho emhlabeni,” kukhala uMaGina unina kaThuthukani.
“Mama nawe uyayivuma lensambatheka? Umfowethu ubengeke angangishiyeli lutho,” kubhavumula uLindelani eyaluza indlu yonke.
“Kungcono nginishiye, Nkosikazi Mdlalose. Sizothintana ocingweni,” kusho ummeli uShenge ephuma.
“Yehlisa ulaka mntanami. UThuthukani bekumele ashiyele izingane zakhe wonke umnotho wakhe. Angithi uyabona umfowenu ushadile unezingane,” kusho uMaGina.
Ulindelani ubuka uNontobeko ngamehlo agcwele ulaka maqede athi, “Wena mfazi ukhohlakele! Umbulele ubafo ngoba ufuna izimali zakhe. Angeke ngithuke uma ngingezwa ukuthi umthengile ummeli!”
“Uyabona ke manje uyaphaphalaza, Lindelani. Ungangithuka ngazo zonke izinto emhlabeni kodwa ungalinge uthi ngibulele umnyeni wami,” kuphendula uNontobeko ngolaka.
“Wena awuhloniphi ukhuluma nomuntu wasemzini kanjena. Kazi umfowethu wayeboneni lapha kuwena.”
“Ngihlonipha ongihloniphayo uma ungidelela nami ngizokutshengisa ukuthi ngikuhlaza kangakanani.”
“Makoti yehlisa umoya,” kusho uMaGina.
“Ngizothula ngoba sekusho uma kodwa ngikhathele abantu balayikhaya bengigibela ekhanda.”
“Angiwufuni umsindo! Sisafake inzilo yehlisani imimoya. Noma ningakhuluma nithini angeke nimbuyise umfana wami,” kusho uMaGina ekhala.
“Kufanele ukhale kanjena angithi ubumthanda kakhulu. Mina awukaze ubenendaba nami,” kusho uLindelani.
“Ngicela ungiphumele emzini wami uma kungenjalo ngizokubizela amaphoyisa uphindele ejele ekhaya lakho.”
“Ngizohamba kodwa lendaba ayiphelile,” kusho uLindelani enxapha.
“Sane khelela ugogo wakho amanzi nakhu evukwa ushukela,” kusho uNontobeko ephephetha uMaGina ngethawula.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kuzokwenzekani manje?