UNomalunga ungena kwigumbi lokuphumla alandelwe nguGugu. Uyema abeke usana phantsi kwibhedana yalo evalekileyo ebekwe kufuphi nefestile.
“Iti?” Wabuza uNomalunga, ejonga ngasekhitshini, waza wamolatha ngentloko ukuba baye khona.
“Kulungile,” watsho uGugu wahlala phantsi ngeli xesha uNomalunga engena yedwa ekhitshini. Wayekuva ukubethana kweekomityi zeti xa uNomalunga esenza iti. UGugu akazange amjonge nokumjonga umntwana. Wayengenakukwazi.
Yenzeke njani le nto? Lo mntwana? NoFikile kubo bonke abantu?
UGugu ebehamba-hamba yedwa kulo lokishi ibandayo ingwevu yase-Durham kwelaseNgilane endwanyile nje ngosuku afumana ngalo i-imeyile yokuba uNomalunga unomntwana. Kwasetyenziswa igama elithi ‘ngempazamo’.
Impazamo? Hayi uNomalunga! UNomalunga akanakuyenza ‘impazamo’ enjalo.
UGugu noNomalunga babeseYunivesithi kunye eKapa iminyaka emithathu. Emva kwelo xesha balichithe bekunye uGugu wacinga ukuba uyamazi uNomalunga phantse kangangokuba ezazi yena.
Emva kwavela inkxaso-mali yokufunda.
Ibilithuba ebengenakho ukuliyeka limphuncuke uGugu. Ithuba lokufunda eNgilane, kwenye yeeyunivesithi ezindala neyona idumileyo ehlabathini. Ngokuqinisekileyo uNomalunga wayiqonda lo nto?
Wathi uNomalunga uyayiqonda. Wamnqwenelela impumelelo uGugu. Ingaba yayibubuxoki obo?
Wayesoloko enomnqweno wokubuyela ekhaya uGugu. Le nkxaso-mali yayiyeyonyaka omnye kuphela, ekho amathuba okuba ingongezelwa nakunyaka olandelayo. Ngoku sele uphelile unyaka.
Wayezingca uGugu. Wayeqhube kakuhle kakhulu. Wayenkqenkqeza phambili ngamanqaku. Wayenalo ithuba lokukhetha ukuhlala omnye unyaka wesibini. Kodwa ngoku wayengaqinisekanga ukuba uyafuna. Ngoku kuba sele ephinde wambona uNomalunga. UNomalunga nomntwana.
Izifundo zaphesheya kweelwandle azizange zibe ngumngeni omandla kuGugu. Eyona nto yayingumngeni yayiyimozulu yamaNgesi. Yayingathetheki. Kusoloko kubanda okomkhence ngalo lonke ixesha, kungekho nentwana yelanga elikhanyise ngaphaya kwamafu. Kwakunzima ukuphila kule mozulu inje, kodwa nenkcubeko yakhona eyahlukileyo, umahluko kwiilwimi kunye, ewe nazo zonke ezinye nje izinto.
Kodwa, eyona nto yayimkhathaza kakhulu uGugu kukukhumbula ekhaya. Wayekhumbula wonke umntu kakhulu ngokuya wayeseNgilane. Ngokukodwa uNomalunga. Ngoku sele kukho umntwana! Nangoku uGugu akayikholelwa ncam le nto. Ibiyenye into ukubona usana efotweni, luthunyelwe nge-imeyile. Yenye ke ngoku nokulubona ngqo ubuso ngobuso.
Wabuyela egumbini uNomalunga, ephethe itreyi ayibeka phantsi etafileni.
“Kwakufanele undazise ukuba ukhulelwe kwakudala,” wagqabhuka ngelo uGugu, “ ungandixeleli ngomntwana sekuyinyanga enye nje kuphela ngaphambi kokuba ndibuye ekhaya!”
Wayengakwazi kuyifihla intlungu nomsindo awayenawo uGugu. Iimvakalelo zakhe zaziphazamisekile ngaphakathi kuye inyanga ngoku. Kwakukuphela kwento wayecinga ngayo leyo! Wamangaliswa kukuba akwazi ukugqibezela izifundo zakhe kakuhle kangako.
UNomalunga wajonga ngaphandle efestileni, wathi, Ubunokuzama ukunditshintsha ingqondo ngokumngcina. Ngokugcina usana lwam,” watsho ngelizolileyo. Emva koko uNomalunga wajonga kuGugu, esithi, “Mhlawumbe wawuza kubuya Gugu,” watsho uNomalunga. “Ndandingayifuni lo nto. Ndandingafuni ukumoshela yonke into nawe.”
Laphela ilizwi likaNomalunga. Wathi cwaka uGugu. Wanqwala. Ngokucacileyo wayeza kwenza lo nto kanye. Waphefumla nzima uGugu.
“Khawusigalelele iti Nomi,”watsho ngobubele. “Sekwenzekile ke phofu. Eyona nto ndingayiqondiyo nguFkile. Kutheni ukhethe yena?”
UNomalunga wagqithisela uGugu ikomityi yeti, wongeza ngelithi, “UFikile wayesoloko eyazi inyaniso, akunjalo? Ngoku nanicinga ukuba nenzani ke nina?”
“UFikile uyeza ngoku,” watsho uNomalunga, engamjonganga uGugu. “Ndiyathemba awuzukhathazeka. Uza yonke imihla ukuza kubona umntwana wakhe. Ndicinga ukuba uza kuba ngutata olunge kakhulu.”
Laphela ilizwi likaNomalunga ze yena noGugu bahlala bethe cwaka, de kwankqonkqozwa kumnyango wangaphambili. “Nanku efika ngoku,” watsho uNomalunga ephakama eya kuvula ucango evulela uFikile.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Kutheni uGugu ebhideke kangaka ngobudlelwane obuphakathi kukaNomalunga noFikile?