Umlimo wawutsibe ubhlorho emhlophe ngaphaya kwechibi lechweba kwaye wawuvutha usiya kwiintlambo zamahlathi neenduli, utshabalalisa izindlu, izilwanyana neemoto ngendlela eyoyikisayo.

Umlilo wawungalawuleki. Idolophu encinci yaseKnysna yayingenzo izicima-mlilo ezaneleyo, neehelikopta zazingakwazi ukubhabha emnyameni, ngaphezu koko umoya wawubhudla ngamandla kubo. Kwakungancedi nto.

U-Bulelwa waphuma phandle kwakhona. Abantu bonke abamngqongileyo bazishiya izindlu zabo. Wabalekela kwiminyango yabo engaphambili wankqonkqoza kakhulu. Akukho mntu waphendulayo. Wakhwaza ecela uncedo kodwa ngumoya owawusenza isandi nogqugqisayo owaphendulayo. Kwakunzima ukubona iinyawo ezimbalwa phambi kwakhe. Kwakunzima ukuba aphefumle.

Kuba wayephelelwa lithemba uBulelwa wazama kwakhona ukuthumela u-WhatsApp kuMudira. Wayefuna ukwazi kuphela ukuba ukhuselekile na. Uzamile amaxesha ambalwa kwiiyure ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo. Kwakungekho mpendulo. Kwakungekuhlanga. Lonke unxibelelwano lwalungaphumeli. U-MTN wayengaphumeli.

Esenyuka ummango, uBulelwa wamiswa kukoyika into eyayiphambi kwakhe. Kwakubonakala ingathi iKnysna igutyungelwe ngumlilo. Ichweba lalibiyelwe ngamalangatye. Umlilo wawukwindawo yonke. Wabuya umva kukoyika njengoko wayeqonda ngoku ukuba umlilo ungaphantsi kanye kwezindlu apha ahlala khona, kwaye wawunyuka induli ngakuye ngamalangatye amakhulu akhawulezayo.

U-Bulelwa wajika wabaleka wabuyela endlini, evalisisa ucango.

Ngaphakathi endlini kwakukho umsi uBulelwa wayesiva uGogo ekhohlela. Wabalekela kwigumbi lokulala labo abalisebenzisa kunye waze wavula idrowa. Umsi nobumnyama bamenza akabona kodwa kodwa waphampatha kwizinto de iminwe yakhe eyayikhangela yafikelela kwinto engathi yenye yeenqawe zesifuba zikaGogo. Wayicofa wakhululeka akuva ubumanzi eminweni yakhe. Wabuyela kuGogo ngokukhawuleza wambizelisa inqawe. U-Gogo waphefumlela ngaphakathi kakhulu waze wanqwala.

“Kungcono,” watsho. “Kungcono.”

Ejonge ngefestile uBulelwa wayebona ngokukhawuleza nangokucacileyo, ukukhazimla kwamalangatye ombatha iindinga zendlu ekufutshane. Wahlala phantsi esofeni wazika kwigumbi lokuphumla wafihla intloko yakhe ezandleni zakhe.

“Cinga!” watsho enomsindo ebhekisa kuye. “Cinga!”

***

Khawusichazele: Ingaba unazo naziphina iimbono zento enokwenzo=iwa nguBulelwa kule meko iyingozi neyoyikekayo? Ingaba bekufanele ukuba umkile, azisindise?