UGugu wavuswa lilanga elikhanyisa ubuso bakhe. Wazolula wancuma. I-Afrika, wazicingela. Oh kumnandi njani ukuba sekhaya!
Wahlala ebhedini, wakhupha imilenze yakhe phantsi kweshiti ecekeceke ebelele phantsi kwayo. Iinyawo zakhe ezingenanto zachukumisa amaplanga asemgangathweni. Zavakala zibada xa echukumisa umngangatho. Waphakama, wahamba waya ekhitshini.
“Molo Mama,” watsho uGugu onwabile ebulisa umama wakhe, owayeme ekhitshini ehlamba izitya. Wajika wamjonga umama wakhe.
“Molo mntwanam,” watsho ngoncumo olukhulu. “Oh mntwanam, kuluvuyo olukhulu ukuba uze ekhaya.”
“Kumnandi ngenene ukuba sekhaya,” watsho uGugu, “kwaye kumnandi ngakumbi xa ndibona ilanga likhanyisile! Kuphantse kube kubi kuba ndineeveki ezimbini kuphela ukuba ndilonwabele.”
Umama kaGugu wajikela ngasesitovini waqalisa ukwenzela uGugu isidudu somilimili. Kwakuyenye yezinto ezininzi ezimphosayo uGugu ngexesha angekhoyo ephesheya kweelwandle. Waphefumla nzulu: “Owu Mama kwanuka kamnandi!”
Ngeli xesha uGugu esitya isidlo sakhe sakusasa umama wakhe ufaka impahla kumatshini wokuhlamba ebezinxitywe nguGugu xa efka.
“Uyandipoyila Mama,” watsho uGugu encumile. “Sendiqhelile ukuzenzela yonke into ngokwam, uyazi. Nditsho nokupheka.”
Umama kaGugu uphatha kancinane intloko kaGugu echetyiweyo xa edlula kuye. “Ayikugodolisi le nto konke apha?” watsho.
UGugu uhambisa isandla sakhe enkqayini yakhe, aphendule, “Iminqwazi eshushu yenzelwe lo nto Mama.”
“Kodwa,” watsho umama kaGugu ethandabuza, “ayayithanda le nto amakhwenkwe?”
Wajala uGugu. “Mama,” watsho ngelizolileyo, “wavuma ukuba akuzuyenza lo nto.”
“Ndiyazi,” watsho umama wakhe, ezinikina. “Kuqhelekile ukuba umama azibuze ezi zinto. Ndiyafuna ukuba ngugogo ngenye imini.”
Waphefumla nzulu uGugu, wathatha isitya sakhe esingasenanto wasifaka esinkini, wabetha kancinane umama wakhe egxeni.
“Phofu ke,” watsho umama wakhe, etshintsha intetha, “uzimisele ukwenza ntoni namhlanje – kusuku lwakho lokuqala eMzantsi Afrika?”
“Ndiza kundwendwela uNomalunga,” watsho uGugu, evala ucango lwegumbi lokuhlambela. “Uyakhumbula? Bendikuxelele phezolo.”
“Ucinga ukuba yimbono entle leyo, Gugu?”
Kodwa uGugu sele evulele amanzi kwishawara, wenza ngathi akamvanga.
Wathi xa ekhwela iteksi uGugu esiya kuNomalunga wazinyanzela ukuba angacingi nangantoni na. Wayesiya eyiqhela le nto. Kulo nyaka uphelileyo uzamile ukungacingi kakhulu ngoNomalunga kwaphela. Kwakunyanzelekile enze njalo. Kwakubalulekile kuye ukuba angacingi ngayo nantoni na eya kumphazamisa kwizifundo zakhe.
“Mhlawumbe,” wacinga othukile, xa wayeya kufika apho aya khona, “Bekumele ndimmamele umama. Mhlawumbe ayingombono umhle kwaphela lo.”
UGugu wahamba kwisitalato asiqhelileyo, wama kumnyango awuqhelileyo wakuloNomalunga. Wankqonkqoza kakhulu, walinda. Akwabikho mpendulo, waza wankqonkqoza kwakhona. Lwavulwa ucango.
Kumi intombazana phambi koGugu. Wayenxibe itracksuit, iinwele zakhe ezifakelweyo ezinde zibotshwe nje. Wayetsho ngolukablankethi uncumo, ethuthuzela usana olusongwe shushu engubeni esifubeni sakhe.
Wayelubambe ngesandla esinye usana olo, ngesinye esondela kuGugu.
“Nomalunga,” watsho ngelizolileyo uGugu, ezinikela ukuba angane nale ntombazana. UGugu waluva usana lujubalaza phakathi kwabo, wayekelela kancinane. Wajonga usana, aphinde ajonge kuNomalunga.
“Nomalunga,” watsho kwakhona, ngelizolileyo, “sele ulibele ngathi?”
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Uthetha ukuthini uGugu? Ingaba sele elibele ntoni uNomalunga?