Akazange akwazi nokulala ngobo busuku uGugu. Wayezibhuqa-bhuqa eguquguquka. Ingqondo yakhe yayigcwele iinkumbulo zakhe noNomalunga nothando ababenalo ngexesha babeseyunivesithi bobabini.
Yayingekho enye into eyayifunwa nguGugu ngaphandle kokuba uNomalunga onwabe. Wayeqonda ukuba uNomalunga wayenoloyiko. Ukuba libhinqa elithandana namanye amabhinqa eMzantsi Afrika asiyonto ilula ukuyenza. UGugu waysazi kakuhle ukuba uNomalunga uphuma kusapho olunjani. Ubhuti kaNomalunga mhlawumbe angambulala ngenene xa enokuva inyaniso ngaye. UGugu wakha wambona kwakanye okanye kabini, kwaye akazange amthande kwaphela. Wayeneqela labahlobo awayehamba nabo nababoyikeka ngenene.
UGugu wayeqonda ukuba kutheni uNomalunga ekhethe ngolu hlobo akhetha ngalo. Ukukhetha ukuhlala noFikile. Kodwa uGugu wayengayiqondi tu le nto, okanye engakholelwa, ukuba ngenene uNomalunga wayemthanda uFikile. Hayi ngolwa hlobo. Ewe njengomhlobo, kodwa ingekuko ngala ndlela ikhethekileyo yena noNomalunga babethandana ngayo.
Zonke iinyanga wayeseNgilane uGugu akazange amlibale uNomalunga. Babengazange bathembisane nganto ukuba balindane xa uGugu wayehambile ukuya eNgilane, kwaye kwathi xa uNomalunga eqalisa ukuthumela kancinane imiyalezo ye-imeyile, uGugu wayezibuza ukuba ingaba uNomalunga mhlawumbe udibene nomnye umntu. UNomalunga wayesoloko eyikhanyela le nto.
UGgu wayethembeke ngenene kuNomalunga, kwaye kwakungekuba wayengenawo amathuba. Yonke into yayahlukile eNgilane. Abantu babebonakala bekhululekile kwaye nengabagwebi abanye.
Kwinyanga yokugqibela, emva kokuba uGugu ava ngomntwana, waphantse wavuma enye intombazana eyayimfuna lonke ixesha eseNgilane. Le ntombi yayinobubele, ikrelekrele kwaye ikhethekile ngeendlela ezininzi. Kodwa uGugu wayesazi ukuba yena wayesathanda unomalunga, kwaye wayengafuni omnye umntu ngeli xesha wayesenolothando lunjalo.
Kwakuzizo zonke ezi ngcinga ke zijikeleza engqondweni yakhe ezabangela ukuba uGugu aye kulo Nomalunga ngentsasa elandelayo. Wayesazi ukuba wonke umntu uza kube esemsebenzini. UGugu wayethembele kwithamsanqa nje ukuba uNomalunga uza kube esekhaya yedwa nosana lwakhe.
Kwakunganyanzelekanga ukuba uGugu achazele umama wakhe ukuba uyaphi. Umama wakhe wayephumile. UGugu wayengakwazi nokuchaza into ayenzayo kwalapha kuye kanye. Wayenza nje into wayecinga ukuba kufanele ayenze.
UNomalunga wayenxibe kwala tracksuit inye indala ingwevu xa wayevula ucando.
“Bekufanele ndikubone,” watsho uGugu. “Ndicela undivulele.”
Wakhawuleza uNomalunga eya kuvulela uGugu.“Ngena ke,” watsho uNomalunga, equmbile. “Into yokugqibela endiyifunayo kukuba ubhuti wam angakuboni apha. Wayesoloko ekukrokrela ukuba uthandana namanye amabhinqa. Wandixelela lo nto. Kwaye wayesoloko engakuthandi ncam. Usoloko ebuya rhoqo kwezi ntsuku.”
“Andifuni kukwenzela ingxaki Nomi,” watsho uGugu, engena ngokukhawuleza, evumela uNomalunga ukuba avale ucango.
“Phofu ufuna ntoni apha?” watsho uNomalunga, ilizwi lakhe libonisa ukungabi nathemba. “Kutheni ungandiyeki ndizihlalele ngoxolo?”
UNomalunga wangena kwigumbi lokuphumla, ze uGugu wamlandela bangena.
“Kuba…” washo uGugu, ephatha kancinane ingalo kaNomalunga, ze aqhubeke ethandabuza athi, “kuba ndisakuthanda kakhulu Nomi … kwaye andikholelwa ukuba awusandithandi.”
Wabhekela uNomalunga, esonga iingalo zakhe esifubeni. Wema bhuxe wajonga phantsi. Wayebona uGugu ukuba uqalisa ukulila.
“Ndiyazi usandithanda Nomi,” watsho uGugu, esondela kuNomalunga. “Ndicela uthethe inyaniso. Ndiyazi wenze impazamo. Impazamo enkulu. Kodwa ndicela undixelele inyaniso. Ndicela undixelele ukuba usandithanda.”
UGugu wamangaliswa ngamandla yimpendulo eyakhawulezayo kaNomalunga. UNomalunga wavele waziphosa kuGugu wamthandela ngeengalo zakhe entanyeni kaGugu.
“Owu Gugu!” watsho uNomalunga, egixa ngokuvakalayo ngoku. “Ewe ndisakuthanda nangoku. Bendikukhumbula kakhulu. Ndandisoyika kakhulu ukuhlala ngaphandle kwakho. Ndicinge ukuba mhlawumbe ndingatshintsha … owu Gugs.” Ayempompoza amazwi ephuma kunomalunga, phakathi kokugixa neenyembezi zakhe. “Andizange ndazi ukuba mandenze ntoni.Andazi ukuba ndithini.Owu Gugs … siza kuthini na?”
La mantombazana mabini abambana ngamandla, ze bangana ngokuthandana.
Babangene ngamandla kangangokuba abazange baluve ucango lwangaphambili luvuleka.
Baqonda kuphela ukuba kungene umntu endlwini, xa bava ilizwi elikhulu lomntu oyindoda likhwaza lisithi: “Kwenzeka ntoni apha?!”
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ngubani lo usandula ukungena endlwini? Kungenzeka ukuba uNomi noGugu babe nekamva bobabini?