“Kutheni wanxiba kakuhle kangaka kuhlwile, Ayanda?” Wandibuza umama.  Ndandimncedisa ukuqhobosha ihempe yeyunifom yakhe.

Kwakumalunga nentsimbi yesihlanu emva kwemini ngoMgqibelo. Umama wayengumongikazi esibhedlele esibizwa ngokuba yiCecilia Makiwane kwaye wayeza kusebenza ebusuku ngaloo mini. Mna ndandifunda iBakala le 12. Iimviwo zeMatriki zazise ziza kuqala kungekudala.

“Nyhani Mama, ndifanelekile? Makube undithengela ezona mpahla zintle ke mama.” Ndaphendula ndatsho. Ngokuqinisekileyo, ndandingasoze ndimxelele ukuba ndandisiya ethekweni.

“Ingaba ubona iinwel’ ezimhlophe apha kum entloko, Ayanda? Uya phi?” Umama watyhala ezo zandla zam ezazimqhobosha ihempe yakhe ukwenzela ukuba ndiyeke naloo nto, ndimphendule.

“Hayi, andiyi ndawo bonanje mama,” ndatsho ukuphendula. Wandithi ntsho ngamehlo, kwaye kwakuselubala ukuba wayengandikholelwa.

“Ndithetha inyaniso, Mama, ndiyafunga.” Ndingahamba njani ndibe ndizula, ngeli lixa iimviwo zokuphela konyaka sezikufutshane kangaka nje?”  Ndatsho ngelimsulwa kunjalo nje watsho wandikholelwa.  Ndandifanelwe lelona bhaso liphezulu lomdlali wezeqonga.

Kwakuyinene kona ukuba iimviwo zazikufutshane kwaye ke mna ndandisikhathalele isikolo, kodwa ke kwakufuneka ndiyile kweliya theko lomhla wokuzalwa. UXolani, umhlobo wam omtsha, wandazisa ngalo kwasekuqaleni kwalo veki ngebhreyikhi.  USima endandimncwase kakhulu esikolweni semfundo ephakamileyo naye wayeza kubakho kwelo theko. Yayiza kuba litheko lomhlobo wakhe uAnathi.

Ndandingamthandi ncam uAnathi, ndandimfumanisa endwebe gqithi ukuba angangumhlobo kaSima.  Wayehlala noosisi bakhe abadala, kwaye babemvumela ukuba enze nantoni na awayefuna ukuyenza.  Kwakubonakala ngathi uXolani yena wayengathi wayevuyela utywala basimahla obabuza kufumaneka apho ethekweni. Kuloo nyaka sasifikelele kwizinga lokuba singasela ngokusemthethweni, kwaye sasifuna ukonwaba kodwa sasiza konwaba bengazi tu ngaloo nto abazali bethu. Nangona ndandivumelekile ngokwasemthethweni ukuba ndandingasela, umama wayebengandibetha uphele tu umqhele ukuba ndandinokufika ekhaya ndinxilile.

“Hayi ke, enkosi ngokundiqhobosha, nyana wam. Uze ulale kwangethuba ke namhlanje. Umzimba wakho uya kudinga ukulala ngokwaneleyo kaloku,” watsho umama. Wathabatha isipaji sakhe, waphumela phandle, ndeva kuduma imoto, waza wemka.

Ndalinda malunga nemizuzu elishumi ukwenzela ukuba ndiqiniseke ukuba akazi kuphinda abuye mhlawumbi elibele into ngemva. Emva koko ndathabatha isipaji sam nezitshixo ndaza ndathi nyubele kumnyango wangaphambili ndahamba. Ndashiya ngemva nditshixe ucango negeyithi ndaya kuloXolani kuba wayesele emi ngam endilindela ngaphandle. Sabulisana njengesiqhelo saza sahamba saya kulo Anathi. Itheko lalise liqalile umculo usitsho njalo, kungugqum gqum.

“Chief, ubungaphosisi xa ubusithi uSima uyeza kweli theko likaAnathi?”  Ndambuza uXolani xa sasisele sikufutshane noko kuloAnathi.

“Asoze, ndakuphosisela, Chief. Jonga, jonga uyambona? Nankuya, bendikuxelele”

Watsho uXolani esalatha ngakwicala uSima awayekulo, emi negquba lamantombazana. Wayengathethi yena, wayemana ehleka ezi zinto zithethwa ngamanye amantombazana yena ebuneentlonirha.

Amehlo am angqamana naka Sima. Ndambulisa ndijiwuzisa isandla sam, wasuka weza apho ndandimi khona noXolani. Ndaqaphela amanye amajida awayemncwasile nawo ixesha eli, ndawabona ukuba andijonga ngomona.

“Molweni,” watsho, uSima esibulisa.

“Molo Sima, kumnandi ukukubona”. Bendisele ndisendleleni eya kufumana into eselwayo. Watsho uXolani endishiya ndimi noSima.

“Kumnandi ukukubona nawe Xolani”, watsho uSima.

“Molo Sima, ingaba ikhona into engalunganga efowunini yakho? Okokoko ndikuzama imini le yonke kodwa ifowuni yakho ibindithumela kwi-voicemail”. Ndabuza njalo.

“Molo Aya, hayi akukho nto inayo ifowuni yam qha nditshintshe inombolo yam phezolo” Waphendula ngelitshoyo uSima. Ndandifuna ukumbuza ukuba uyitshintsheleni na inombolo yakhe, qha ubuso bakhe bavela babhalwa ukuba ndingakhe ndilinge ndiwubuze loo mbuzo.

“Ingaba ibiyintoni na wethu le ibingamandla kangaka ukuba ude undizame efowunini imini le yonke?” Wabuza uSima encumile.

Ndeva ubuso bam busithi bhangu ubushushu ixeshana. “Hayi, akukho nto ibingako. Bendiza kukubuza nje ukuba uyeza na ethekweni”

“Ngendiba andizanga ukuba umama wam ongqongqo ngemithetho ebengavelanga wenza isigqibo sokuba uya kumlaliso wecawa. Hayi wethu, yintoni ebibangela ukuba ufune ukwazi ukuba ndiyeza na?” Wabuza uSima.

Wabuya uXolani ephethe iitoti ezimbini ze-Castle Light ekwaphethe nenye ye-Strongbow.

“Awusekhawulez nje,” ndatsho ngelizwi elibucuthwa kodwa likhululekile. Ndandingekayilungeli indlela eyayithatyathwa yincoko yam noSima. Ndandingekalungeli ukuzityand’ igila ndimxelelele uSima ukuba ndiyavakalelwa kakhulu nguye.

Wandinika i-Castle Light, waza wanikezela i-Strongbow ngakuSima.  USima waye wayala engafuni kusela.

“Hayi! Sima tyhini ntombi, sonke siyasela mos.  Thabatha nje nokuba yi-Strongbow, wonwabele usuku lwam lokuzalwa njengamntu wonke kuba hayi ke, akukho umntu oza kusela i-Coke ethekweni lam,” watsho uAnathi, esiza kuthi. Kwakucace mhlophe ukuba ebesela kwangaphambi kwetheko kuba wayebushushwana. Abanye abantu ababelapha ethekweni ngoku babesethe ntsho amehlo bejonge kuSima.

USima wayithabatha i-cider leyo wajamela uAnathi owayencumile. Wayivula itoti leyo wathi laqa kwakanye.

“Uthini ke, ayimbanga andith, uthini wena? Nonwabe ke bahlobo bam, kusafuneka ndiye kubulisa ezinye iindwendwe,” watsho uAnathi, waza wasishiya.

UXolani wayesemile kunye nam no Sima. Kwathi xa engajonganga uSima ndenzela uXolani uphawu lokuba makakhe asiphe umtyhi. Wahlekela phantsi, wasishiya.

USima watsala ubuso obubonisa ukungabi namdla wale nto ayiselayo.

“Zange khe wabuva utywala ngaphambili, nomthamo lo?” Ndambuza uSima. Wanqwala.

“Ndiyatsho mos kuba obo butywala bobona butywala obuswiti.”  Ndatsho, ndivula eyam itoti.

“Nyhani nyhani?” Wabuza.

“Ewe, ndakha ndarhabula ndisiba kwiStrongbow kamakazi ngelixa awayengajonganga eQobo-qobo.” Ndaphendula ndisitsho.

USima wahleka. Nge lixa, wayeseyisela i-Strongbow ngokungathi yi-soda.

 ***

Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba yayibubulumko ukuba uSima asele utywala? Ucinga ukuba wena ngowawusuke wenza ntoni engenye?