“Ucinga ukugoduka na, ntanga?” Ndothuka ndatyikitya amehlo ndakuva ilizwi likaLizo ecaleni kwam. “Wahlala udangene ngomtshato wam, kutsha phi?”
“Andikaphelelwa themba,” kutsho mna emva kwethuba ndithe cwaka. “Kuko nje.”
Ndakutsho unikele umva wakhe kum. “Nam ngokunjalo.”
Watsho ndabhideka ngaphezu kokubhideka.”Uyamthanda lo Thobeka,” ndibuzile.
Ukuba ndandingathula ndandizakuhlala ndingazi ukuba uLizo usandithanda okanye lwafa kudala olo thando. Nokuba aziphumela na la mazwi kodwa ndandingenakuzisola ngawo. “Ndixelele, ndikhulule ekuphuthelweni.”
Wasonga amanqindi, ndaqonda ukuba ndizakuhamba ndidumbise iinyheke.
“Uthuthu, uthuli, zibakho. Zinyamalala ngokugqutha kwemimoya, bungabonakali ubukho bazo. Isiphelo sazo asikude.” Ndiqaphele imithambo izobeka ezingalweni akuqinisa amanqindi, ndalindela okubi. “Kodwa ndiyakuqinisekisa,” eqhubile uLizo. “Esinako kumile phezu kwelitye ledwala, alunakutshitsha nakwezimbi iimeko.”
“Akukho nto itshintshileyo, Lizo?” Ndibuze ndingakholelwa.
“Akukho nto iyakutshintsha.”
Ndeva ndibucaphuka, ndeva ndisenziwa usana lwayizolo nguLizo. Ndibuze emsindweni ndathi, “Utshatile Lizo. Bububhanxa bantoni ondixelela bona?”
Yandiphendula inkosana ipholile ingawuva umsindo wam. “Andifunanga mfazi. Ngubawo ondifunele umfazi. UThobeka ngumfazi wakhe ke.”
Ndaphikisa ndivukelwe likhwele, ndifuna akhethe phakathi kwam nalo mfazi wakhe.
“Musa ukuba sisibhanxa, Thobani.” utsho ngelizwi elindongondongo elintama ukucaphuka. “Umtshato wam noThobeka uyakudlala indima enkulu. Akukho mntu uyakusirhanela. Kwaye andizukuthukwa ngobushumane. Nawe kufuneka utshate.”
“Kulungile,” ndatsho ndisondela ndizakumwola ndimange.
Wandixhaya esithi, “Kahle, ntanga.” Waguquka wandishiya ndithandabuza.
Ndaziva ndiqalekisa usuku endamthanda ngalo uLizo. Olu yayiluthando olunzima, olungavumelekenga. Ndafika ndaziphalaza iinyembezi endulini yakwaZepe, ndagixa njengosana. Zabuya iinkumbulo zakudala, kodwa ndandingafuni kuzikhumbuza ngokungasoze kubuyele esiqhelweni. Ndazihlamba ezo ngcinga ngebhotile yebranti eyayizakuba sisipho kubantu bakulo ntombi, ndazigxotha iintsizi zam. Ndithethe ndodwa ndigxininisa kumazwi athi, “Yintsomi ukukhusela uthando lwethu ngomtshato. Makakhethe ke!”
Ethubeni ndiyishiyile induli se kumnyama. Indlela yam yayiphindela emtshatweni. Bendisazi ukuba akusekho bantu, kodwa ndaya kuba ndifuna ukulwa, ndilwela uthando.
Amazwi kaLizo okwenza umfazi ngokusesikweni ngobo busuku ayenkenteza ezindlebeni.
Ndangena kuloLizo kuthe shwaka, ndaqinisa isibindi ndabheka phambili. Ndakunyathela kwintendelezo yesango ndagixa kwakhona, ndakhwaza:
“Lizo! Lizo!”
Akavela. Ndalubetha ngamandla ucango. Ndahlala ndoyama ngalo.
“Thobani!” ndive esitsho ngomsindo. “Unxilile!”
“Kanti yintoni uthando? Wandithembisa ngezul…”
Andiwagqibanga lawo wanditsalela kude nocango. “Yazi yintoni Lizo? Kubhetele kuthiwe ndifile kunokuba ndikubone neli wule,” ndatsho ndikhomba indlu yakhe apho akhoyo uThobeka. “Andifani nawe, ntanga. Mna ndilawulwa zimvakalelo kwaye ndinyanisekile kuzo.”
“Unxilile, Thobani.”
Wanditsala ngamandla andabi nakuthini ke. Ndiqaphele ukuba ndisendleleni egodukayo, uLizo endixwayile. Ukunxila kwakuphelile ngoku, ndandinokuzisola nje kuphela.
“Lizo, ndicela uxolo.” ndatsho akundilahla phezu komondlalo wam, ekhaya.
“Andikubekanga tyala.” Ukuphendula kwakhe kwandenza ndanesazela. Ndaphinda futhi ndacela uxolo, wandinika impendulo enye.
“Ingaba sisiphelo esi?” ndabuza.
Wema evule ucango, elubeke ngaphandle olunye unyawo. “Kufuneka umamele ngentliziyo, Thobani, hayi ngeendlebe.”
Ndeva ucango luvaleka, ndagqiba ukuba ndilahlekelwe, izinto azisayi kubuya zibe ngendlela yazo. Hayi ukuthanda.
Kodwa uLizo wayengemkanga, walala ecaleni kwam, wandiqinisekisa ukuba izinto zisafana nakuqala. Ndayingqina intetho yesiXhosa ethi, apho amanzi ayekhe ahamba khona asaya kubuya ahambe kwakhona, nalapho ahambe khona uyakuhlala ukho umzila.
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Sixele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba uLizo uzokumshiya unkosikazi wakhe ukuze athandane noThobani?