Kwakungekho mfuneko yakuthetha. U-Bulelwa wayicingela ukuba uMudira nomama wakhe kuza kufuneka bayokuhlala naye ekhaya.

Umama kaMudira wathatha kuphela i-laptop, ezinye iimpahla ezifudumeleyo ebheni yakhe namaxwebhu akhe abalulekileyo. U-Mudira wabaleka ne-laptop yakhe nepaspoti neefoto ezimbalwa ezixabisekileyo azithathe ngokukhawuleza ekamereni yakho.

Kwiintsuku ezilandelayo ezimbalwa uMudira nomama wakhe bazulazula kwisiza sekhaya labo elitshileyo amaxesha ambalwa. Bacholachola izinto eziphakathi kothuli. U-Bulelwa wabashiya ukuze bayenze bodwa. Baza ekhaya nezinto ezininzi. Ifolokhwe ezimbalwa ezigobileyo, ezifunyenwe kuthuthu olusekhitshini, kunye nepleyiti enepateni entle, efunyenwe isaphelele.

U-Mudira wayenethemba lokufumana intwana encinci yeleyisi etshileyo yelokhwe ye-Matric Farewell umama wakhe amthengele ngokuyithanda. Kodwa ke loo nto yayingenakwenzeka; nkqu nehengari yocingo eyayixhonywe kuyo nayo zange isinde, okanye okwenene nekhabhathi le.

U-Mudira nomama wakhe banikwa iibhedi ezimbini ezisekamereni kaLunga. U-Lunga wayengekagoduki ukusukela kwathi kwakho umlilo kwaye uBulelwa wayengekakwazi ukumfumana, okanye afumane naziphina iimpendulo kwimiyalezo ebeyithumele. U-Sipho nabanye abahlobo bakhe bebenyamalele kwaye umakhulu wayekhathazekile ngabo bonke.

Ekugqibeleni, kusuku lwesine emva komlilo, imoto yamapolisa yamisa ngaphandle kwendlu yakuloBulelwa. Wavulela ucango amapolisa amabini angena phakathi. U-Gogo wayehleli ekoneni, ezisongele ngengubo yakhe, wamamela ethule ethe cwaka kwibali elibalizokubaliswa ngamapolisa kubo.

Babalisa ngobusuku bomlilo uLunga nezinye zetshomi zakhe bathi baya kumahlumela edolophu (kwiisabhab) ezikufutshane ezazisitsha. Ngeli xesha abantu bebaleka, abanye ngeenyawo, abanye ngeemoto, bahamba ngokuthe cwaka begqitha kubo, bedela amalangatye, besiya kwelinye icala.

Kwezinye zezindlu bagqitha kwiigeyithi ezivuliweyo namacango atshisiweyo ukuze bazame ukuthatha ikhompyutha okanye iskrini sikamabonakude esishiyhwe sincanyathiselwe eludongeni. Baze kwenye yezindlu bafumana i-sports car esibomvu esibengezelayo, esishiywe kwi-driveway. Abanini bapakishe izinto ezixabisekileyo, izinja, iikati nezinto ezimbalwa kwi-land cruiser yesapho phambi kokuba babaleke.

U-Lunga wakwazi ukustata imoto wabaleka ngayo. Eyabo ibiyimoto enye ephakathi kwezininzi, zonke zisiya ngasechwebeni, ngasemanzini, kwaye akhomntu wabaqaphelayo. Ngoba busuku yayingekho enye indawo yokubalekela.

Zombini iindlela eziphumayo edolophini zazivalwe ngumlilo ngoba busuku, kodwa uLunga neetshomi zakhe babenomonde. Bahlala emotweni, ezantsi ecaleni kwamanzi balinda. Nangoko akukhomntu wabakhankanyayo. Wonke umntu wayexakeke kakhulu ekhathazwa yingqimbu enkulu ebomvu yamalangatye eyayisongamela idolophu yabo.

Kwathi bakufumana ithuba, abalibazisa, uLunga waqhuba imoto washiya idolophu. Kodwa phambi kokuba ahambe, uSipho wathatha isigqibo sokuhlala ahambe ngendlela yakhe. Yayisi-sports car esincinci, kwakukho abafana abancinci kuyo. Wathatha isigqibo sokuzifumanela imoto eyeyakhe.

Waye weva uBulelwa ukuba kwindlu yokuqala uSipho owaya kuyo, elapha nje kwindlela enkulu, wafumana imoto enkulu entle eshiywe kwi-driveway. Indlu yayisele itshile, kodwa indlu yasinda kumalangatye. Isifingo sasisathi qheke xa imoto kaSipho enamacingo atshisayo ne-injini yayigquma. Wancuma walalisa isitulo, waqalisa ukubuya umva ngemoto. Njengoko wayesenza njalo wajonga kwiimbuso zamadoda amahlanu anomsindo kakhulu.

U-Sipho, latsho ipolisa usesibhedlele, unokhakhayi olwaphukileyo neembambo ezimbalwa ezophukileyo. Yomibini imilenze yakhe yayophukile kwaye bacinga ukuba elinye iliso lakhe aliboni. Kuphela awayekwazi ukuthetha ukuthi ga ngoku yayikukuba bebebahlanu. Amadoda amahlanu anomsindo.

“Imililo yenza abantu bamkelwe zingqondo,” latsho ipolisa.

U-Lunga waqhuba i-spaorts car kwindawo yendlela enomlilo kwelinye icala, eyayivalwe ngamagosa endlela. Zange azihoye iimpawu neekhowuni ezibomvu wanyathela imoto wayiqhubela kwisantya esiphezulu wagqitha zonke ezinye iimoto. Amapolisa ayelinde kwelinye icala lendlela etshayo, kwaye babeza kubabamba. Kodwa imoto zange ithi gqi.

“Ndiyacinga ukuba umntakwenu ebecinga angamelana nesantya esingakaya,” latsho ipolisa, lishukumisa intloko yalo. “Inyaniso yile, akukho mntu unoku …”

U-Lunga, noko kunjalo wayephilile, xa umakhulu kaBulelwa wayeqalisa ukulila yayingenguye, kodwa izitshomi zakhe ezintathu ezingazange zibenethamsanqa.

“Laa nkwenkwe soze ifunde,” wathetha loo nto emva kwexesha, ephefumlela phezulu esenza isandi esibukhali ngolwimi lwakhe.

Wayesazi ukuba iza kuba lixesha elide phambi kokuba ambone kwakhona. Usukile kubugoxo bemoto efumene ingozi, waya ngqo kwiihandibhoyi, kwaye akukho ntandabuzo uya kwisigwebo eside etrongweni.

***

Khawusichazele: Ingaba uyavelana noLunga konke konke? Ingaba ukuba ngexesha lentlekele enje kubi kunokuba phantsi kweemeko ‘eziqhelekileyo’? Ingaba ukuxhwila izinto zabantu kohlwayelwe kakhulu?