Wangena uFikile. Akaphakamanga uGugu. Wethi nqumama ngakwibhedana yosana wema kancinane ejonge umntwana wakhe elele. Wazincumela, wagqithela kuNomalunga wagoba kancinane wamanga. Wancuma uNomalunga waya kumenzela ikofu.
“HowzitGugu,” watsho uGugu echwayitile. “Kuhle ukuphinda sikubone. Zinjani izinto emantla apho kuqhaqhazelisa amazinyo? ”
Waphendula nzima uGugu, “Kuhle.” Waphinda wongeza, “Kuhle kakhulu phofu. Ndinikwe ithuba lokuya kufunda unyaka wesibini.” Ikomityi yakhe yangquba isosara. Wazibona ukuba uyangcangcazela. “Ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuvuya ukuva oko,” watsho, umsindo wakhe ngakuye uqalisa ukuphumela. “Andizubakho omnye unyaka opheleleyo.”
Wabuyela kweli gumbi uNomalunga. “Andifuni mlo apha,” watsho ngelizolileyo uNomalunga. “Niza kuvusa umntwana.”
Waphakama uGugu. Wayephazamiseke kakhulu. Waya ngakwibhedana yosana walondela usana oluyintombazana oluleleyo. Wabumba amanqindi akhe, wasonga izandla esifubeni sakhe.
“Awunakumangaliswa ukuba ndibe nomsindo,” watsho, ngelizolileyo, eqinise imihlathi. “Akukho namnye kuni ofanele ukuba akhathazeke yilo nto.”
“Andazi ukuba uthetha ngantoni,” watsho uFikile, esonga imilenze ebuyela emva esitulweni, eqhabula ikofu yakhe.
Wathi tsi imitsi emibini uGugu enqumla umgangatho. Wema kanye phambi kwesitulo sikaFikile wangqiyama kuye. “Uyazi kakuhle!” wafuthela ebusweni bakhe.
Wajika emi ngeenzwane watsibela kwicala elihleli uNomalunga. UNomalunga wayondele kwikomityi yakhe yeti. Akazange amjonge uGugu.
“Wayengumhlobo wethu Nomi. Okoko aba ngumhlobo wethu nje. Umhlobo wethu,” watsho kwakhona, egxininisa kwigama elithi ‘umhlobo’. “Kwenzeka njani ukuba ngokukhawuleza abe yenye into engaphezu koko?”
UGugu waphinda wajonga kuFikile, “Nawe wawusoloko uyazi inyaniso Fikile. Ewe uyazi.”
Ngequbuliso wayeka ukuthetha uGugu. Weva umqala wakhe uminxeka. Kwakuqalisa ukwenzeka iinyembezi kwiikona zamehlo akhe. Wahlala ngesandi esikhulu esitulweni, ebeke izandla entloko.
Emva komzuzwana wathetha uFikile. “Ndiyazi kunzima kuwe Gugu,” watsho ngobubele, “kodwa kwatshintsha yonke into emva kokuba uhambile.”
UFikile wajika wajonga kuNomalunga, owayesondele ntsho kwikomityi yakhe yeti, engawaphakamisi amehlo.
“Ndandisoloko ndimthanda uNomi. Mhlawumbe wena akuzange uyiqonde lo nto. Andizange ndiyibonise lo nto ngaphambili, kuphela. Ndandingaboni ukuba ndinalo ithuba.” Wangqiyamela phambilana esitulweni, ebeka ikomityi yakhe yeti phantsi etafileni. “Emva kwexesha uNomi waqonda ukuba uyandithanda naye,” wancuma kancinane uFikile.
“Asiyonyaniso leyo!” Waphakama kwakhona uGugu. Zaphalala ke ngoku iinyambezi zanqumla izidlele zakhe. Nempumlo yakhe yayigxiza imifinya. “Mxelele,” waqhubeka uGugu, esolatha kuNomalunga. “Mxelele Nomi. Mxelele ukuba ayisokuze ibe yinyaniso lo nto!”
UGugu wosula impumlo nobuso bakhe obumanzi ngomva wesandla sakhe. UFikile wakhupha iphepha lokosula epokothweni yakhe wamnika. Wayequmbile. Waphakama waya ngakuNomalunga.
Kanye ngelo xesha umntwana washukuma ebhedini waqalisa ukuncwina.
“Jongani into eniyenzileyo ke ngoku,” watsho uNomalunga, ephakama eya kuthatha umntwana. Wambeka egxeni umntwana wamthuthuzela. “Kungcono uhambe Gugu,” watsho uNomalunga ngelizolileyo, efihla ubuso bakhe kwingutyana ethambileyo epinki ayesongele intombi yakhe ngayo.
“Awukwazi ukundigxotha Nomi,” watsho uGugu egixa. Wathi xa esondela kuNomalunga, uFikile wangena phakathi kwabo, ebohlula. Wabeka ingalo yakhe kuNomalunga nosana.
“Kufuneka uhambe Gugu,” watsho enyanzelisa. “Kufanele.”
“Nomi?” watsho uGugu, watsho uFikile embamba ngengalo kakuhle emtsalela ngasemnyango.
“Hamba,” watsho uNomalunga, kodwa wathetha kancinane kangangokuba uGugu akazange amve.
“Nomi?” watsho kwakhona. Kweli tyeli uNomalunga waphakamisa ubuso uGugu wabona ukuba naye uyalila. Amehlo kaNomalunga ayemcenga, wayeyibona lo nto uGugu.
“Ndicela uhambe,” watsho uNomalunga rhabaxa.
“Kulungile ndiyahamba,” watsho uGugu emva koko, wazinikina ingalo yakhe kuFikile. “Ndiyeke ndihambe.”
UGugu wadidizelela ngakumnyango wangaphambili, wafumana isibambo waphantse wakhubeka kwisituphi esingaphambili egxadazela ephuma. Wema kancinane kwigadi engaphambili ejonga ngasemva endlwini. Kwakungenzeki nto. Ucango lwahlala luvaliwe gingci. Waqonda ukuba usabambe iphepha lokosula likaFikile esandleni sakhe. Walisebenzisa ukosula ngamandla ubuso bakhe. Kwakufuneka ajonge iteksi.
Endleleni egodukayo uGugu wakwazi ukuhlala ezibambile ngokwaneleyo ukuze angalili nakancinane. Kodwa wathi akufika ekhaya wangena ebaleka kumnyango wangaphambili waya ngqo kwigumbi lakhe lokulala engabulisanga nakumama wakhe. Walithi mbakra ukuluvala ucango.
Weza kulo umama kaGugu wankqonkqoza kancinane. “Gugu, zilungile izinto kuwe?”
“Ewe,” yeza impendulo kaGugu ingacacanga. “Ndicela undiyeke.”
Wasuka umama kaGugu. Wanikina intloko. Wayesazi ukuba iza kwenzeka le nto.
Walala ebhedini uGugu ixesha elide. Wayengacinganga tu ukuba ukubuyela kwakhe ekhaya kuya kuba nje.
“Akunakwenzeka oku,” kuphela kwento awayeyitsho leyo, okoko ethethela ngaphakathi, ngaphambi kokuba alala ukudinwa.
***
Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Kungani uGugu engakholelwa ukuba uFikile noNomalunga bangathandana?