“Ngena mfana.” Litsholo ezantsi elo lizwi xa uSihle enkqonkqoza. Uye walitshova ke lwavuleka ucango. Ungene ebuchwechwa kanye oku komntu onesazela owenza into ebekungafanelanga ukuba uyayenza.
“Yiza apha ekhitshini nyana, ndiyapheka apha andifuni ke ukutshelwa ziimbiza zam.” Watsho lo makhulu ecothoza ehamba ekhokelela uSihle ekhitshini.
“Akukho ngxaki Makhulu.”
Bangena ekhitshini bafika ekho nomnye wala madoda ayekhe aya kokwabo ngobusuku.
Emveni kokuchaza impilo engephi uSihle uye wangena emxholweni. UNinakhulu lo weli cala wayesele emnikile into ephungwayo namaqebengwana amnandi. Kwahlaliwa etafileni kwatyiwa umzuzwana kuthe cwaka. Njengokuba ehleli nje uSihle uthe krwaqu ifoto entle exhonywe phezulu phaya, waqiniseka ngokumhlophe ukuba ngumama wakhe loo ntwazana. Yasuka yabangathi imjonge ngoncumo olungenasono.
“Uthini ke mfo wam? Sivile wethu ukuba uyahamba uya phesheya. Kudala ke sikulindile ukuba uza kuza sikuphe noko umphako utye endleleni.” Uyiqale ngolo hlobo le ncoko uMakhulu.
“Ndiza kunixelela Makhulu xa ndihambayo, noko akusekude kuyaphi. Kwaye zonke izinto zam sele zilungile, amaphepha okuhamba, nendawo yokuhlala sele siyilungiselelwe.” Uthe akutsho uSihle wasuka lo mama waba nesingqala wahlala phantsi, wanikina intloko ebonakala ukuba ucinga kude. Unyana wakhe wayehleli phaya esitulweni engathi akahoyanga nto ecofa ifowuni. Uthe akuva isingqala sikanina waphakamisa intloko wamqwalasela oku ngathi unexhala le nto embi enokwenzeka.
“Yintoni ngoku mama? Awuziva right? Kwenzeka ntoni?” ugqibezele ukuthetha sele esiza kuye emmbambazela emagxeni kancinci.
“Hayi Lunga, mtwana’m, akukho nto imbi, andinanto ungaxhalabi. Ndisuke ndacinga uNolufefe qha. Owu umntwana’m. Kazi ngesiva njani ngoku xa usana lwakhe luza kuwela iilwandle lusiya kufumana imfundo engcono kwamanye amazwe! Yini Somandla.” Uthe akutsho lo makhulu zawa kancinci iinyembezi emjongile uSihle. Wayexakiwe nokuba makathini kuba yena kuqala oko emana ukukrwaqula kula foto iseludongeni.
“Wayemhle mos umama wam. Kazi yintoni eyenza ukuba utata ade ambulale?” Wazicingela ngaphakathi la mazwi esiva isingqukru emqaleni neenyembezi zitshisa ebunzi. Kodwa wakhawuleza wazibamba ukuba zingaphumi.
“Uxolo Sihle mntwan’am. Ungandihoyi wena. Thetha nje wena mzukulwana le nto ubuyizele apha ekhaya. Kukokwenu apha mntwan’am. Uyayazi phofu lo nto leyo?” Wambuza umakhulu wakhe emjongile ngamehlo anothando.
“Loo nto uyafana noNolufefe! Yini Somandla ukuba usuke ubeyifoto nje ngento yonke, nkqu nala mashiya angathi abekiwe.”
USihle wancuma noxa wayesiva kabuhlungu ngaphakathi. Akukho nto yayimhlupha njengokufaniswa nomama wakhe angamaziyo. Isimanga sesokuba kwicala lakulo tata wakhe ufaniswe nokhokho, nto leyo ibimenza angazazi ukuba kanye kanye ufana nabani.
“Wonke umntu utsho, Makhulu.” Wafana watsho ekugqibeleni. “Makhulu ndize apha kuba utata uyaphuma kule veki entolongweni.” Waqonda ukuba makaye ngqo emxholweni angachithi ixesha elibele kukoyika nokuba neentloni.
Kwabakho ingcwakaha yenzolo apha endlini. NoLunga wabeka ifowuni yakhe phatsi, elixa umakhulu yena esiya kucima isitovu ukuze zingatshi iimbiza zakhe.
“Ewe, Sihle mtshana, uthini?” Watsho uLunga elungisa ukuhlala kucaca ukuba uzimisele ukuyimamelisisa le nto iza nomtshana wakhe.
“Njengokuba benikhe naya phaya ekhaya, malume, yinyani utata uyaphuma apha ezi ntsukwini. Ndiphawule ukuba noko anixolanga kweli cala.” Utsho ephotha izandla uSihle engazi nokuba uthetha kakuhle na okanye kakubi. Kukhe kwathi cwaka bemjongile kucaca ukuba bafuna aqhubekeke nale ntetho yakhe.
“Mna ndicela inzolo. Ndicela kubekho uxolo. Ndicela siyiyeke le idluleyo into sijonge kwikamva elizayo.” Watsho ejonge phantsi wamva umakhulu wakhe esitsho isingqala eli lixa umalume wakhe uLunga eyithi qhuzu qhuzu kancinci intsini.
“Nantso qha into endiyizeleyo mna apha ekhaya. Ndicela sihambe nobomi ngale ndlela buza ngayo.”
“Ugqibile mtshana?” wabuza uLunga ephulula isilevu noxa wayengenalo nodevu olunye.
“Ewe, malume ndigqibile.”
“Uyayazi indlela umama wakho afa ngayo?” Wawathi dlubhu luhlaza njalo lo mazwi uLunga, impumlo seyiqalisa ukuthi mfo ukubila.
“Ewe-e, hayi…ewe ndandixelelwe ngumakhulu.” Waphendula ethandabuza uSihle.
“Utata wakho wakuxelela into awamenza yona umntwana wasekhaya? My dear little sister? Wakuxelela ukuba wambulala njengenja akugqiba wamxhoma eliweni?”
“Owu Thixo wam, Lunga! Yhuuu! Yhuuu! Undivusela amanxeba!!” watsho ethwala izandla entloko umakhulu ehlasimla, emana ukuvala amehlo ngokungathi uyawabona loo manxeba.
“Bakuxelela oomakhulu bakho ukuba unyana wabo, utata wakho waza kundlandlathekisa umama apha esithi ligqwirha?”
“Yho! Hayi malume. Andiyazi loo nto!” Wawathi gqa amehlo uSihle wanga angathi vuleka mhlaba ndingene. Ngaphakathi wayezibuza ukuba ebesiyaphi kuqala. Wathi thwasu uLunga wagxanya ukuya kungena kwelinye igumbi.
“Sihle, akukho lula mntan’am kuba ngabazali bakho bobabini aba sithetha ngabo. Wena ukhule ngaphandle kwabo bobabini, omnye awusayi kuze umbone ngenxa yomnye umzali wakho.”
“Eyi inzima madoda le nto.”
Wathi gqi uLunga ephethe ialbhamu enemifanekiso kwakunye namaphephandaba akudala awayebhalwe ngokubulawa kuka Nolufefe Ngxabano ebulawa sisithandwa sakhe ngenxa yobugqwirha.
“Khawujonge mfo wam. Ujonge nje indlela eyasilimaza ngayo la ndoda ingutata wakho.”
Uyithathe izandla zingcangcazela loo ncwadi izele qhu ziifoto kwakunye namaphephandaba amadala ancanyathiselweyo. Uthe ntla ngobuso bukaNolufefe emhle engenanto kodwa ezilandelayo zimveze embi, ebethiwe elijaja ligazi. Yayiziifoto nje ezinganyamezelekiyo. Akakwazanga kunyamezela uSihle, ziye zehla nakuye iinyembezi kuba umakhulu wakhe ebesele egixa yena kakade.
“Akukho lula ukulibala. Uyihlo wambulala umntwan’am kuba esithi uyamthakatha edibene nam. Akabinantloni zokuza kundibetha andidibanise nodonga kule ndlu utata’kho.”
“Jonga, imbi into esayenziwa yila ndoda, mtshana. Umama uyajingxela wabethwa ngutat’akho, emtyhola ngobugqwirha kuba equma into yokuba uNolufefe embhaqe nenye intombazana. Xa esithi mabohlukane uyamqweqwedisa, akugqiba uyambulala.”
“Inye mna Sihle into endiza kuyithetha yeyokuba ukuphuma kukaMalixole kuza kuvusa amanxeba. Kuza kusikhumbuza ngokufa kukaNolufefe. Kodwa asimi ngaphambi komthetho. Makakhululwe ukuba kufuneka ekhululwe.”
USihle wasuka waqaqanjelwa yintloko, yaba ngathi ubuchopho obu buyashukuma, wazidela ukusa nokundweba.
“Mna bendithi ndiyalungisa. Eneneni ezi ndiziva apha izinto zintsha utata akazange azithethe kum, wavela nje wathi kwenzeka impazamo.”
“Uyakuqhatha, mtshana, akuzange kubekho mpazamo. Wakuceba ukufa komntwana wasekhaya akugqiba wakhanyela. Sangena kwiindleko zamagqwetha ngenxa yeli tyala. Abazali bakhe bakuxutha kuthi singafuni.”
Kwathi cwaka. Kwavakala isingqala ngapha. Saphinda savakala ngaphaya.
USihle uyangcangcazela esitulweni ufuna ukuvela aphakame agqotse kodwa akakwazi.
“Uxolo a-andi-yazi bendicinga ndiyalungisa…”
“Hayi awenzanga nto imbi wena mtshana, asinanxa nawe kodwa utata’kho kuseza kuba nzima ukujongana naye.
Khawusixelele: Masithi ubunguSihle, ubungayenza le nto ayenzileyo? Ngokuba kutheni? Ingaba uyakholelwa kwintetho ethi ezidlulileyo zidlulile maziyekwe?