“Hey Andile, ungathanda ukujonga intetho yakho? Ndingummameli omhle,”watsho uRefiloe, emfumana. “Ibinjani la nto no-Antonia? Akalunganga lowo, uyeva.”
Entliziyweni u-Andile yayifuna ukumthethelela u-Antonia: Hayi akambanga! Uyintombazana yam entsha entle. Kodwa intloko yakhe yahendula: Kuqhubeka ntoni ngolu lonyulo? Ingaba ukho umntu oza kundibuza ngokungakholelwa kwakhe kuTixo?
Wajonga kuRefiloe, wamcumela ngothando. Bonke abafana kwiManyano yezifundo zeNkolo babefuna ukuba kwiqela lomthandazo noRefiloe. Wayemhle, kwakungenakuphikiswa oko. Kwaye, ukuthetha inyaniso, u-Andile wayemangaliswa amatyeli amaninzi ukuba kunganjani xa enokuphuza u-Antonia. Kodwa oko kwakungaphambi kokuba abe neemvakalelo zika-Antonia. Ngoku, wayefuna nje ukuhamba ashiye wonke umntu akhe acinge.
“Hey, andikwazi kuthetha ngoku. Ndiza kunibona kwiManyano yezifundo zeNkolo,” wakhawuleza watsho egaxa ingxowa yakhe yeencwadi egxeni ephuma kumasango esikolo.
U-Andile wankcunkca ukuya kwipaki ekufuphi, walala phantsi kwemithi emikhulu elapho. Kwakunga ukwicawa evuleleke umoya, wayehlala esiza apha ukuza kucinga athandaze. Kwakukubi ekhaya: ubhuti wakhe ongaphangeliyo, abazali bakhe babekhathazekile ngenxa yemali, oodade wabo abasoloko bexabana nomakhulu wakhe ozilileyo. Wayeyithanda kakhulu iTestamente eNdala:
“Nina kanye bantwana lindani de kufike uMhla woMgwebo nemililo ebhabhazelayo yaseSihogweni. UTixo uzibona zonke izono!”
Enkosi Bawo, wacinga, ebulela umthandazo owonwabisayo nenkxaso yeNkonzo eyi-Loving Sheperd Family Church. Ibutshintshile ubomi bakhe kwaye ngoku kwakulula ungazihoyi izimvo zikamakhulu xa wayethetha izinto ezifana nezi: “Ucinga ukuba la mbudede yokonwaba-kuqhwatywa izandla lunqulo lwenene, andazi.”
Kodwa ngoku wayecinga no-Antonia othandekayo, kwaye wayemangalisiwe. KKwenzeke njani ukuba ndingaboni ukuba u-Antonia akanalukholo? Bekutheni uTixo angandiniki umqondiso? Ingaba ngumngeni lo, wokuba azisondeze kuYesu? Ingaba ndingahamba, okanye ndibe ngumhlobo nomntu ongakholelwa kuTixo? Nkosi Yesu, mandenze ntoni?
Wahlala wathumela umyalezo ku-WhatsApp:
Molo Mfundisi Theuns. Ingxaki. Kufanele sithethe. Ingxamisekile.
Kamnandi. Ndiza kuba nethuba ndingenzi nto nge-5:30. Uze.
Yantle ke lo nto? Inkonzo enomfundisi wala maxesha onobuchwepheshe onokumthumelela umyalezo ngo-WhatsApp nanini na?
*****
USindi wayengakwazi kucinga kakuhle. Wangena ejuleka kokwabo, ephefumlela phezulu, iinyembezi zimpompoza ebusweni bakhe.
“Sindi kwenzeke ntoni? Wonzakele?”
“Hayi, aiyonto injalo, Ma. Andifuni kuthetha ngayo!” wagxuphuleka ngelo. “Andinanto,” watsho, ecinga: Andikwazi kuthetha noMama kuba ndiziva ndihlazekile. Kwakungathi u-Antonia wenze into elihlazo endiveza kakubi mna!
Kodwa yayihlekisa lo nto. “Hayi, Mama, andifuni kuthetha ngayo. Uxolo,” watsho emanga. “Ma awunakukholwa: U-Antonia uchazele iklasi yonke namhlanje ukuba akakholelwa kuTixo!”
“Owu Tixo wam,” wothuka umama wakhe, ezibamba. “Uthetha ukuthi, utshilo nyhani …”
“Ukuba uyi le nto ndiyithethayo.”
“Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo wonke umntu uyazi ukuba sikho kuphela ngenxa Yakhe, sikholo Yena. Ndithetha ukuthi iBhayibhile iyasixelela…kodwa nam ndiyayiva lo nto.”
“Ndiyayazi. Kunzima kakhulu ukuqonda.” USindi wacinga ngomgaqo wabo wesiqhelo: ufefe ngexesha lesidlo, ‘Nkosi sikelela’ xa kusahlukwana, Ukubulela uTixo’ imini yonke, ukuthandaza ebusuku. Kwaye yayisoloko isebenza – ngosuku olulandelayo impendulo kuyo nayiphi ingxaki iya kube ifikile kuye. Emva koko kuphuma ilanga, sibulela ubabalo Lwakhe. Ummangaliso weNdalo. Ubomi abucingeki ngaphandle koTixo!
“Sindi, kungenzeka ukuba unoxinzelelo? Ndikhathazekile nguye ngoku. Kufanele sithandazele…”
Wamphazamisa uSindiwe: “Akananto Ma. Uyazi, ndisoloko ndicinga ukuba umntu ongakholelwa kuTixo ngumntu onganzulwanga, ongenamithetho. Umntu endingenakuze ndimthande. Kodwa u-Antonia…”
“Ewe, uyintombazana ethandekayo. Kwaye akave eyiNkokeli ePhezulu, nakwi-EnviroClub? Kwaye utata wakhe uncede abantu abaninzi. Ingaba naye akakholelwa kuTixo? Bonke? Kwaye uyakhumbula ngexesha uGerry…”
Wanqwala uSindi, umqala wakhe womile bekhumbula iwele elingumfana likaSindiwe, elabulawa kwingozi yemoto. U-Antonia wayesondele kuGerry. Phofu, wonke umntu wayelindele ukuba babe kunye; benethemba lokuba baya kuba kunye. Yena no-Antonia bakhala bazila kunye. Kwaye babethandaza!
“Waphulukana nini nokholo? Ngewayendixelele! Ngoku kwenzeka ntoni?”
“Hamba uye kubonana noFather Eusebius ngale njikalanga. Ngoku, ngoku masiyithandazele.”
*****
U-Antonia watsibela ebhedini yakhe wanga umqamelo wakhe. Endleleni egodukayo abanye abantwana babemolatha, behleba. Wayeyibona into abayithethayo emilebeni yabo: ‘Lo akakholelwa kuTixo! Yoh yoh yoh!” Okulandelayo, kwakutshwa oonomyayi kwaphithizela iminwe xa bedlula behleba.
Ekhuselekile egumbini lakhe waqala ukulila. Kwakusoyikeka: ‘ubuhedeni’; ‘uSathana’. Okungakholelekiyo: abanye abantu ngenene bacinga ukuba usathana ukho? Angasebenza ngomntwana osafikisayo oqhelekileyo?
Kwaye bekutheni uSindi okanye uTanya angamthumeleli umyalezo? Amthumelele umyalezo bethu?
Emva koko weva kunkqonkqozwa ngamandla uTanya ekhwaza. Wavula ucango wabona ubuso bukaTanya obothuke ngokoyikekayo, iminwe yakhe yenze umqondiso womnqamlezo. “Emva, emva wena ongumhedeni!”
“Tans! Ingaba ndiyavuya ukukubona. Ndiyoyika! Ngoko ke awucingi ukuba ndiyintombi ngqo kaSathana?”
“Hayi ngokuqinisekileyo. Akukho nto injalo ‘ingu-Sathana’ ‘neSihogo’. Kodwa heyi – ukungakholelwa kuTixo – ngenene? Iyoyikeka leyo. Ndithetha ukuthi…xa ungakholelwa uchaza njani, eh, indlela obenzeka ngayo ubomi? Ngokuqinisekileyo sisonke ngamawaka-waka ethu abakholelwayo asinakube senza impazamo?”
“Ngokuba kutheni? Into okholelwa kuyo yileyo okhuliswe ngayo. Kwaye zonke iinkolo zithi bona bangabona, bayindlela yenyaniso. Yiyiphi elungileyo? Kungani lo mdali exelela iqela ngalinye ukuba liphile ngale ndlela okanye ngaleya ndlela? Kwaye iyileyo ‘yeyona ikhethiweyo’? Ayilandeleki.”
“Eh, ezinye izinto zi … zingummangaliso nje,” watsho uTanya. “Kumele nje ukuba ube nokholo.”
“Kodwa Tans – andikwazi ukwenza ngathi ndinokholo. Kwaye andiyiva le nto, ‘NdinguTixo kwaye ndiyakuthanda kodwa umsebenzi wakho kukudumisa izibongo undithobele. Ukungathobeli imithetho, nesohlwayo sako nokungaliboni izulu, wena mntwana! Kungani utixo owenza yonke into efuna ukudunyiswa? Iinku kakhulu le nto.”
UTanya, wancwina, ecinga, andazi ukuba mandiyiphendule njani yonke le nto. Kwaye akuqhelekanga njani ukuva umntu ethetha ngoTixo ngolo hlobo. Ingaba akulunganga nditsho nokuyimamela? Hayi – akunakuba njalo.
“Kodwa ndiyakuthanda ukudumisa nokucula nokuthandaza,” watsho. “Kwaye, eh, kwenzeka ntoni ngokusifundisa indlela yokuphila impilo elungileyo? IMithetho eliShumi nezinye izinto?”
“Mxm! La nto ithi ‘yenza ngendlela oya kufuna ukuba kwenziwe ngato kuwe’ kunye neMithetho eliShumi zizinto nje zengqondo onokuzicinga nawe, ntombazana. Abantu abangazange beva ngeBhayibhile bangayicinga nabo lo nto balwenze olo luhlu lwemithetho.”
“Ewe, ndiyacinga. Kwaye usapho lwakho lu … lulungile … nangaphandle…” waphendula uTanya engaqinisekanga.
Wancuma u-Antonia. “Enkosi. Kwaye ukholo lwakho aluyichaphazeli indlela endikuthanda ngayo, he? Ndiyayiqonda indlela abantu abafumana inkolo ithuthuzela ngayo. Ngamanye amaxesha ndide ndoyike.”
La mantombazana athi cwaka ixeshana. Yayininzi into ekwakumele kucingwe ngayo. Emva koko wathetha u-Antonia.
“Inkolo ayiyongxaki kwaphela kule ndlu. Abahlobo bam bathi masicinge gabalala senze okusesikweni, kuphela nje. Uyazi – yenza into elungileyo nefanelekileyo.”
“Ewe – njengecawa yam! Kwenzeka njani ngomfo onengqondo njengo-Andile? Uyakholwa kwaye uwathanda kakhulu amalungelo ne …”
“Owu ungamkhankanyi nokumkhankanya yena. Andikwazi ukumelana nokucinga ukuba le nto iza kuyiphelisa…egigxa.”
“Ndiyakusizela mhlobo wama, kodwa masithembe ukuba uyakuhlonipha ngokuthetha inyaniso.”
Waphefumla ngamandla, “Ya, masithembe, kwaye mhle, kodwa ngokolwam uluvo iinkolo ezininzi ziyenza ibe mandundu ingxaki. Njengokunganiki amakhosikazi amalungelo nokuthi ukuba yindoda ethandana nmanye amadoda akulunganga, kunye noba bubhanxa bokuthi ‘ qhamani nande’? Namhlanje? Ingaba ukuthandaza kuya kuvula imisebenzi yabo bonke abantu kuphelise ukonakaliswa kokusingqongileyo?”
“Kodwa Ant, oo-Andile necawa yam abahambisani nezo zinto zakudala…”waqalisa uTanya, ze wakhala unomyayi wakhe. Wavula umyalezo. “Owu Nkosi Yam!”
“Yintoni?”
“Andazi nokuba mandikubonise na.”
“Ungakhathazeki, ndingayijonga.” U-Antonia wajonga umyalezo kaFacebook: ufotwe eneempondo zikasathana, umsila, amazinyo esilwanyana esibi neengqakumba zamehlo abomvu omtyholi. Isihloko sithi: ‘Usathane omncinane!’
Engazikhathalelanga u-Antonia wagigitheka. “Yenziwe kakuhle kakhulu.”
Waza waqonda oku: “Oh hayi! Le nto iza kuba mbi. Iza kuba njani impoxo yoku?”
***
Khawusichazele: U-Antonia ebenelungelo lokuvakalisa inkolo yakhe. Kodwa ingaba akebanga nabulumko ukwenza lo nto?