Wavuka u-Antonia wakhumbula kwangoko. Enoloyiko wangena kwaye ngokuqinisekile, umfanekiso wakhe engusathana wawugcwele kuFacebook.
Ungayikholelwa lo nto?
Ucinga ntoni – ongakholwayo kuTixo ‘uyaziveza’? Kulungile okanye hayi?
Ndiyayithanda la nkangeleko ITSHISAYO!
Asikuba usathana uthanda ukwabelana ngesondo – ndiyamfuna!
Sies! Andinakho ukumelana nesikolo namhlanje, wagqiba ngelo. Ndiza kuzenza ogulayo.
Kanye emva kokuba uMama wakhe emphuzile wahamba esiya emsebenzini, wangena ekhompyutheni yakhe. Kazi ukuba uTheresa nMagdalen noSlomon bandilahlile njengabahlobo bam? Ewe. KULUNGILE, ibuhlungu ke noko leyo. Asikuko nokuba ndiza kuzikhumbula izicatshulwa zabo ezidikayo zenkolo lonke ixesha, wacinga ezithethelela.
U-Andile yena? Whew! Ewe, usengumhlobo. Kodwa kutheni engandithumelelanga nomyalezo we-sms lo? Kufanele azi ndisengulowa? Kodwa kuya kwenzeka njani ukuba ukwiKomiti yeManyano yeNkolo? Lo nto ingenza kube nzima ukuba ndithandane naye.
Wayenamaphupha amahle okuba kungenzeka ukuba unikezele ngezimvo zokuba kwikomiti kuba ethanda yena – kodwa yayiyimpambano leyo.
Wayefuna ukukhala, wade wasebenzisa ithuba lokuhlala yedwa kwindlun engenamntu wasitsho esofelweyo ephambaniswa yimeko akuyo.
Emva koko izandla zakhe zangcangcazela xa kungena i-sms evela kuSindiwe.
Awuzanga esikolweni. Uyagula? Ndingeza kukuthetha nawe ngale njikalanga?
Waphantse wakhala kukukhululeka.
🙂 andiguli eneneni; ndiyoyika qha
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“Hi,” watsho uSindi ediniwe.
“Hi,” watsho u-Antonia. “Uyayifuna ikofu?”
USindi akakhange amhoye xa enikela ngekofu wakhawuleza wangena emxholweni, ethetha ngokukhawuleza.
“Ngoko ke, bendisoloko ndizama ukusebenzana neemvakalelo zam. Kwaye ikakhulu ndiziva ndingcatshiwe, kunye nokuba uthethe ubuxoki kum.” Ilizwi lakhe elibanjiweyo laphakama enomsindo: “Kwenzeka njani ukuba ungandazisi? Bendisazi ukuba awuleliya kholwa limandla – kodwa le!”
“Ewe, eh…ndiyabona ukuba ingabonakala njalo. Kodwa khawucinge ngolwam uluvo. Ndandisoyika…ukulahlwa. Kunzima ukuyithetha le nto. Kwaye phezolo kungqineke ukuba ndandinyanisile. Enkosi ngenkxaso yakho!”
“Kodwa kwawena weza nam ecaweni. Wawusoloko uhlala phaya uzenza ngathi uyathandaza? He? Kwenzeka ntoni emngcwabeni kabhuti wam? Wawuzidubelani uze kwa-ukuza xa ungakholwayo…”uSindiwe wayegixa ngoku.
U-Antonia wayengakwazi kuzibamba: waphela umsindo wamanga.
“Hayi, hayi! Kwakungenjalo Sindis. Ndandiye ecaweni ndiyokufuna utixo. Nyhani! Ku-Gerry… ndandithemba ukuba uGerry nam … eh ndandimthanda uGerry. Ndiqinisekile wawusazi…”
USindi wagixa ngakumbi, “ewe. Ndandisazi. Kwaye nam ndandithemba njalo.”
“Xa wayelele esibhedlele onzakele kakubi ndathandaza, ndathandaza, ndibongoza utixo ukuba azibonakalise kuye. Ndimbuza ukuba kutheni evumele le nto ukuba yenzeke. Kwaye ndakubona indlela owawukhathazeke ngayo, ndathandaza, ndithandaza. Utixo akazange andiphendule, wafa uGerry. Ngoko ndanikezela kutixo.”
“Nditsho nam ndandinkuthandabuza ngelo xesha. Ukufa kwakhe kwakukhohlakele kungenabulungisa,” wasebeza njalo uSindi.
“Umngcwabo wona – imingcwabo yeyomntu wonke, nokuba ungowayiphi na inkolo, akunjalo? Nditsho nokuba awuthandazi, iyindlela yokubonisa ukuba umkhathalele kangakanani lowo ubhubhileyo.”
USindiwe wosula iinyembezi. “Ndiyabulela Nkosi ndiyazi ukuba uGerry usemazulwini. Kuphela kwengcinga eyamkelekanyo ngokufa kwakhe. Andazi ukuba kwakutheni uTixo emthatha, kodwa kungcono kuba ukwindawo elungileyo. Kwaye ngenye imini ndiya kuba naye apho.”
Wajonga ku-Antonia ngamehlo abonakalisa ukungakholwa: “Awukoyiki na ukufa? Ndithetha ukuthi, ucinga ukuba kuya kwenzeka ntoni kuwe xa ufayo?”
“Ilula ke leyo. Ndiya kufana naso nasiphi esinye isidalwa esihle esiphilayo emhlabeni. Ndiza kungabikho qha. Ndibe yinkumbulo kwabo baza kusala ngasemva. Emva koko ndibe sisivundiso. Ulityalwe. Andiyiboni yoyikeka lo nto. Andisayi kuva kwanto!” waqhula ngelo, de noSindiwe wazibona ehleka kancinane.
Emva koko u-Antonia wathi eqinisekile: “Asikuba andiyihloniphi inkolo yakho. Ungayenza lo nto kum?”
“Ndicinga njalo. U-Father Eusebius wathi singangabahlobo kwaye andifuni…eh…ukuzama ndikuguqule. UTixo uya kuyenza ngokwakhe lo nto ngenye imini. Kwaye kufuneka ndikuthandazele. Ndikhumbule neMithetho elishumi: Thanda ummelwane wakho njengoko uzithanda ngako.”
Wagigitheka u-Antonia, “sendicinga nje #ndithandazela u-Antonia#’ yinto edumayo leyo esikolweni ‘ivesi yomthandazo’ ngeli xesha,” kwaye ndandivuya ukubona umhlobo wakhe encumile.
Waqhubeka: “Ndiyazi ukuba ukuthandaza kuya kunceda kwezinye izinto – kodwa kum ‘ayingotixo’ ekunika iimpendulo; kuyafana nje nokucinga ngabo wena ngokwakho. Ndithetha ukuthi, ndiyajonga ukuba mandiphile njani ebomini ngaphandle komthandazo.”
“Masivumelane ukuba singavumelani kulo nto,” watsho uSindiwe. “Yho. Ndiyavuya ndithethile. Andizithandi iingxabano.”
“Nam futhi.” Xa kunjalo, “ndinqwenelele ukuba u-Andile andithumelele umyalezo,” watsho u-Antonia ekhathazekile. “Besendiqalisa ukumthanda nyhani kanti, uyazi nawe. Kwaye ndiyacinga wandithanda…kakhulu.”
“Ewe, ndiyayiqonda indlela ava ngayo. Undithumelele umyalezo ngalo nto. Mnike ixesha.”
“Heh? Akuthumelele umyalezo? Ayiqhelekanga lo nto. Bendingazi ukuba ningabahlobo.”
“Besingengabo. Kodwa ngoku sabelana ngengxaki ekumele siyilungise – wena!”wancuma uSindiwe.
*****
Ngosuku olulandelayo u-Antonia wafika kwangexesha esikolweni, ebaleka ukujanyelwa ziziqhu zabantwana. Ngexesha ehamba enqumla amabala angenamntu esiya kwibhloko afunda kuyo, kwavela isiqu esicekethekileyo kwiklasi yabo yokubhalisa wakhawuleza ukuya kwelinye icala. Refiloe.
Uzothini apha kusasa kangaka, wacinga u-Antonia enomona equmbile. Udla ngokufika kade nje – elunga-lungisa into ayenze entloko yomhlaba nepeyinti yeenzipho ndiyaqonda.
Emva koko wabona abantu ababini behleli esitulweni kwisitiya esikufuphi, bethetha ngokuzimisela. NguSindiwe no-Andile! Woma u-Antonia, emva koko wazimela emva kwehlahla. Walaqa-laqaza. Kwakubonakala ngathi uSindiwe wayekhala…u-Andile esondele phambili wabeka ingalo yakhe ngothando egxeni lakhe…emva koko wayela phambilana ngakumbi wamanga, ngalo lonke elo xesha bethetha. Naye wamanga, enqwala. Emva koko bayekana ukwangana bajongana. Bajongana ngothando.
Wayengenakumelana nale nto u-Antonia. Wabaleka wabuyela esangweni lesikolo wagoduka, enomona ekhathazekile. Sukuzikhathaza ngo-Refiloe, ingaba yonke le nto ibadibanisile uSindi no-Andile?
*****
USekela-nqununu wayethulula izinto kwityeya yakhe yomsebenzi xa weva isikhalo esikrakra sivela kwaBlhoko C. Wabaleka waya kwindawo yokuphuma ukuya kubona uMagdalen noTheresa bebaleka beza kuye.
“Mnumzana, Mnumzana! Yizobona. Oh Nkosi, ndiyoyika,” wakhala uMagdalen.
“Ncedani mantombazana, yehlisani umoya,”wabathomalalisa ngelo bemkhokelela eklasini bolatha.
Kwibhodi ekuncanyathiselwa kuyo kwakukho amaphepha ashicilelweyo amathathu anemibala eyohlukeneyo enemiqondiso akayibona inxulumene nenkolo yobuSathana: inkwenkwezi yegazi ngaphakathi kwesangqa (esiyi-pentagram) intloko yenkunzi yegusha ebonakala isoyikeka enamehlo amabi neempondo ezigobileyo, kunye no-6 abathathu.
“Inoba ngubani lo wenze into egeza kangaka?”
“Ayisosigezo titshala. Ngu-Antonia!”
“Hayi bububhanxa obo. La ntombazana ithe ayikholelwa kuTixo – ayithanga ikholelwa kuSathana. Zizinto ezimbini ezohlukene kakhulu ezo. Ndimfundise iminyaka emininzi kwaye ulinenekazi elincinane elinengqondo ebhadlileyo.”
“Kodwa Mnumzana, thinasimbonile esikolweni kusasa. Emva koko – wabaleka kwakhona!”
“Jongani, ndiyazithatha ezi, ndiza kuthetha naye. Okwangoku, masiyigcineni kuthi le nto, siyavana?”
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Khawusichazele: Ingaba akho amathuba okuba ubudlelwane obutsha buka-Antonia no-Andile bumelane nale ngxuba-kaxaka?