“Ndiye ndabuya ndakudibana noLucky nabahlobo bakhe besiza kweli cala. Bendifuna ukunilumkisa nobabini. Kodwa ndihambe kade,” watsho uFikile.
“Bekungekho nto,” watsho uNomalunga. “Abazange babone nto.” Laya litshona ilizwi lakhe, wasondela ngakuFikile embamba. “Ndiyaxolisa kakhulu,” watsho, ngeli xesha uFikile emanga ngobubele.
“Bendisoloko ndisazi ke phofu,” watsho uFikile, ezikhulula kuNomalunga, ehlala phantsi kancinane.
“Kakade ubusazi,” watsho uGugu. “Wawusoloko ungoyena mhlobo wethu wenene. Wawude usikhusele. Njengokuba wenzile nangoku.” UGugu naye wahlala phantsi.
“Ndaye ndakuthanda, Nomalunga,” watsho uFikile, eshukumisa amagxa. “Bendicinga ukuba mhlawumbe nawe uyandithanda. Kodwa bendisoloko ndisazi ukuba oyena mntu umthanda ngenene nguGugu.”
“Wawusoloko ungoyena mhlobo wethu wenene, kwasekuqaleni Fikile. Awuzange ufane namanye amadoda afuna ukonzakalisa amantombazana athanda amanye amantombazana. Wawusoloko uqonda ukuba akukho mntu unokuzikhethela ukuba makathande bani.”
UFikile wamncumela ngobubele uNomalunga. “Ndiyabulela nje ukuba ube nomntwana wethu.”
UFikile wajonga ngaphesheya kuGugu, waqhubeka wathi, “Umntwana wakhawulwa kanye siqala ukwabelana ngesondo. Uyayikholelwa lo nto? Angakanani amathuba oko?” UFikile wagungqisa intloko emacaleni.
“Wawusenokusikhupha esi sisu Nomalunga, ” watsho uFikile. “Ndiyayazi lo nto. Ndiyavuya kuba ungazange usikhuphe.Ndandisoloko ndisazi ukuba xa engekho uNaledi mna nawe sasingazukuqhubeka sithandana. Ngenene ndiyafuna ukuthatha inxaxheba kubomi bomntwana wam. Ndimthanda kakhulu.”
UGugu wasondela kwelinye icala likaFikile, uNomalunga wasondela kwelinye. “Ndiyayazi lo nto,” watsho uNomalunga, “kwaye nam ndifuna njalo. Ungutata wakhe, kwaye uya kuhlala unguye.”
“Kufuneka uphinde phesheya,” watsho uNomalunga kuGugu ngokukhawuleza “uye kugqibezela omnye unyaka eNgilane. Ndiza kukulinda.”
“Ndiza kumjonga,” watsho uFikile, encume ngokuzinyanzela ngakuGugu. “Bendisoloko ndifuna njalo phofu.”
“Ndiyathemba ukuba ngenye imini uya kufumana umntu okuthanda ngenene,” watsho uNomalunga enyanisekile kuFikile. “Ndiyazi uza kumfumana. Ungumntu okhethekileyo kakhulu.”
UFikile wakhumbula indlela ebehleli esazi ngayo ngendlela abathandana ngayo uGugu noNomalunga. Waba ngumhlobo wabo bobabini eYunivesithi, kwaye akazange abagwebe ngokuthandana kwabo, njengoko abaninzi besenza.
UFikile wayekubuka ukuzimisela nobukrelekrele bukaGugu, wavuya nabo xa uGugu aphumelela inkxaso-mali yokufunda.
Kudala avuma ukuba uyazibhanxa ngokukholelwa ukuba uNomalunga uyamthanda, esakuhamba uGugu. Entliziyweni yakhe wayesazi ukuba uNomalunga ebesoyika kwaye elilolo ngaphandle koGugu.
UGugu wayeqiniseke kakhulu yena ngesiqu sakhe kunoNomalunga. Kodwa uthando olukhoyo phakathi kwala mantombazana lwalulolwenene kwaye lomelele, yaye uFikile wayesazi ukuba olu luthando olungenakohluthwa.
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UGugu wakha wahlala eMzantsi Afrika iinyanga ezimbini. Esi sibini sagqiba ukuba silufihle uthando lwaso ngelo xesha. UNomalunga wayesazi ukuba usapho lwakhe alusoze luyiqonde lo nto. Banganomsindo bazive behlazekile. Umntakwabo ngoyena wayelixhala kuye. Wayenethemba lokuba ngenye imini baya kuyamkela into yokuba ungubani na kanye.
UGugu wahamba kwakhona ukuya kuqhubeka nezifundo zakhe Ngilane. La mantombazana mabini ayesazi ukuba ngesiqinisekiso zemfundo eziza kufunyanwa nguGugu baya kuba nekamva eliqaqambileyo. Kodwa babengazi ukuba elo kamva libaphathele ntoni na. Konke abanokukwenza ngoku kukuhlala benxibelelana rhoqo nge-imeyile. UFikile wayesoloko eyindwendwela intombi yakhe. Ihlebo lokuthandana kukaGugu noNomalunga lalikhuselekile kuye. La mantombazana enza izicwangciso kunye – izicwangciso ezibandakanya uNaledi noFikile.
Akukho nto kwakuqinisekwe ngayo.
Kwakungekho nto baqiniseke ngayo, ngaphandle kokuba bethandana omnye nomnye.
Kwaye apho kukho uthando, yonke into inokwenzeka.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba uGugu noNomalunga baza kukwazi ukuhlala ngokonwaba xa uGugu ebuyela ekhaya?