UGugu noNomalunga bayekana ukwangana batsiba omnye wema kude komnye.

UFikile wayeme emnyango. La mantombazana abona imbonakalo yakhe eyoyikekayo, ngaphambi kokuba akhawuleze ajike, aphume ebaleka endlwini.

“Fikile buya!” wakhwaza uNomalunga, ebaleka emva kwakhe. “Owu Tixo,” watsho, ethatha unomyayi wakhe etsalela inombolo kaFikile ngokungxama. “Akaphenduli,” watsho. Zazingcangcazela izandla zikaNomalunga, uGugu wawuthatha unomyayi kuye.

“Ndiza kumbhalela,” watsho uGugu, “ndimcele ukuba ancede abuye.”

Wawa esofeni uNomalunga. Akazange akhawuleze ngokwaneleyo kuba weva ucango lwangaphambili luvulwa kwakhona. Wagxuma waphakama uNomalunga. “Fikile!”wakhwaza.

Kodwa yayingenguye uFikile.

YayinguLucky, umntawabo kaNomalunga, nabahlobo bakhe abathathu. Bayantaza apha kwigumbi lokuphumla, elowo kubo ethe xhakamfu iibhiye.

“Kahle, kahle, kahle,” watsho uLucky esinekile akubona uGugu. “Ndibona bani na ngoku.”

ULucky wasondela kuGugu. “Ewe,” watsho, emcumela kanye ebusweni. “Umhle.”

Wathi nqumama uLucky, wathetha nabahlobo bakhe, ababesele behleli begcwele isofa. “Niyamkhumbula uGugu, akunjalo bafana?”

Aba bafanyana bathathu bahleka ngobukrwada.

“Ngoku ke,” watsho uLucky, esame kufuphi noGugu. “Bunjani ubomi bakho kwezothando Gugu? Uyazi ndihlala ndifumaneka.” ULucky wathi xhakamfu ngobukrwada umphakathi webhulukhwe yakhe ngesandla wajiwuzisa iimpundu zakhe ngakuGugu. “Xa zingahambi kakuhle izinto,” uLucky wabonisa abahlobo bakhe kwakhona, “mna nabafana bam singakuvuyela ukukunceda.”

ULucky nabahlobo bakhe abathathu bahleka isiqhazolo.Akunjalo bafana?” Ngokukhawuleza uLucky waphakamisa isandla sakhe watsweba kanobom iimpundu zikaGugu. Wasibetha wasityhalela le eso sandla.

“Yohlukana nam Lucky!” watsho uGugu eyingcalangcala ngumsindo.

Baphinda bahleka aba bafana bathathu. “Sokhe siyibone ke leyo,” watsho egeza uLucky. “Sokhe siyibone ke leyo. Uze nje wena ungaphindi uze kubhadulela apha ngakudadewethu kwakhona. Uyeva? Uyayiva lo nto … sifebe?”

Waphakama uNomalunga. “Unxilile Lucky,” watsho egxininisa. “Wena nabahlobo bakho kungcono nihambe ngaphambi kokuba uMama abuye. Uyacaphuka xa unxilile. Hambani ngoku.”

“Kancinci nje, mntase,” watsho uLucky, esajikeleza uGugu. “Kancinci nje. Sisonwabile apha.”

UNomalunga wasondela kuGugu. UGugu wema akagungqa ejonge uLucky. Amanqindi akhe ayebunjwe kakuhle emacaleni akhe.

Bakhululeka kangakanani xa uNomalunga esiva kuvuleka ucango lwangaphambili kwakhona.

Wangena uFikile. Wathi qwayi kwakanye kuLucky nakubahlobo bakhe wathi, “Hambani bafana.”

“Kulungile, kulungile,” waza wathi uLucky, ngeli xesha abahlobo bakhe begxadazela behamba. “Kungcono simmamele utata womntwana kasisana wam.”

Wahleka kakhulu uLucky kanye ebusweni bukaFikile xa aphumayo, wongeza ngelithi: “Kodwa bendiya kukhathazeka ngaba babini ukuba bendinguwe. Ndikhathazeke kakhulu!”

ULucky nabahlobo bakhe bambakraza ucango xa baphumayo, ze uFikile, uNomalunga noGugu basala bodwa bethe cwaka, bejongene kwigumbi lokuphumla.

***

Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba uLucky nabahlobo bakhe bebengamonzakalisa uGugu noNomalunga ukuba bebeyazi inyaniso ngabo? Ebebuyelani uFikile?