Bathi “yimali elawula ilizwe” – Ndiyazi ukuba mhlawumbi sowukhe wayiva loo nteto ngaphambili. Imali iyingcambu yazo zonke izinto ezimbi, iyingcambu yeentsikelelo, iyingcambu yokubulala neyezinye nje izinto. Apha ke kulapho ibali lebhili ikhulu leerandi lilele khona. Asisiloko sicinga ngemali esiyifake ezipokothweni zethu, ingakumbi ngeli xesha lesifo likabhubhane esigqugqisa elizweni jikelele. Ngoku ngeli xesha lesi sifo kufuneka sicinge ngemali esuka kwesinye isandla iye kwesinye mihla le.

Eli libali leedolophu ezimbini okanye ke phofu xa silitsho ncam, libali ledolophu nelokishi … lichaza ukuba ibhili iR100 ihambe njani na ukusuka eSprings ukuya eGeluksdal. Ibali lethu liqala ngo-Anti Lisa, inenekazi elizinikeleyo emsebenzini wakhe eTsakane.

U-Anti Lisa wayesebenza nzima ukwenzela ukuba akhulise unyana wakhe, uDon, owayeneminyaka esibhozo. Okokoko azijonga ukususela kwixesha awayeneminyaka eli 13, ngoko ke wayekwazi ukuzijonga nokuzinakekela, wayekwazi nokujonga imo yezimali zakhe. Kwakungekho mntu wokumfundisa obo buchule, kwakufuneka efunde indlela endala yobu buchule, indlela enzima. Wayenganqweneleli ukuba unyana wakhe abe abe naloo mava entlupheko yena ayedlule kuwo.

Wayehlala nonyana wakhe kwakunye nomtshana wakhe uFido eGeluksdal, indawo eyaziwayo ngaphathi zwabha esazulwini eTsakane. Babehlala kwindlu esekoneni, enamagumbi asibhozo ekwaneefestile ezingenakungenwa ziimbumbulu – kuba u-Anti Lisa wayengafuni kudelela xa kuthethwa ngezokhuseleko lonyana wakhe.
Indlu le yayiyekaMalume uLucas, utata wesibini (step-father) kaFido. Wayesaziwa kakhulu ngokubeka isitena xa kusakhiwa kwaye wayengowaseTsakane. Wayetshate nomama kaFido owayesebenza e-Isothamel apho adibana khona noLisa waza wamsondeza de wamthi tshwa phantsi kwamaphiko akhe. Lwakhula umanyano lwabo wade umama kaFido wamema u-Anti Lisa noDon ukuba aze kuhlala nabo eGeluksdal.

UTata kaDon, uDonovan, wayede ngamanye amaxesha eze kuhlala nabo alalise ngeemini apho u-Anti Lisa awayengalwi engxola ngazo. Imilo le yayiyeyomlomo nechaphazela ubume bengqondo kodwa kwakungabethwana.

Umlo lo waqala mhla uFido wabona utata kaDon, uDonovan edlala-dlalisa omnye umntu wasetyhini ngezothando waza wamxela. Kungekudala uDonovan wagxothwa ngu-Anti Lisa. Wemka ke uDonovan kodwa ngamanye amaxesha wayesiza eze kuchitha isithukuthezi kunye nonyana wakhe “nomfazi amthandayo”.

UDonovan kusasa qho emva kokulalisa kwa-Anti Lisa wayevuka akhalazele into yokuba kukho umntu opokotha ibhulukhwe yakhe xa elele, “Okheyi! … bekuqhubeka ntoni apha?” wayeya kungxola ekhwaza ngomsindo ezipokotha zonke iipokotho zebhulukhwe yakhe. “Ndiyafunga ndinamatyala angaphezulu kunalawo bendinawo ngoku! Imali yam inyamalele! Ndiyayifun’ imali yam!” U-Anti Lisa ecaleni naye ngomsindo wayeya kuphendula engacinganga athi. “Ukuba ufuna ukundijongela phantsi ufun’ ukundibiza ngesifebe esipokotha iibhulukhwe zamadoda aleleyo, yitsho nqo loo nto aph’ ebusweni bam! Wayeya kungxola ethethela phezulu atsho.

Into ababengayazi kukuba ngamanye amaxesha uFido wayefaka iminwe yakhe emide kwisipaji sika-anti wakhe xa engajonganga ingakumbi xa efuna imali ye-airtime, okanye eyeesigarethi kwaneyezoli yentsangu. UFido wayesenza izinto ezininzi ezazinokubothusa abantu abaninzi, kodwa akakho umntu owayenokutsho ngenxa yolo ncumo lwakhe luhle olwalulandelwa nguloo qhuzu qhuzu wentsini ozibona sele uwungenelele kukosulela kwawo. Ubukho bakhe nje ebomimi buka-Anti Lisa nobukaDon xa bemdinga benzelele bonke ubuhiba bakhe. UFido wayengomnye wabantu abatsha abanemikhwa, kodwa wayesenza konke anako ukulwela u-Anti Lisa no Don ukwenzela ukuba bangahlazeki kwaye bangadani. U-Anti Lisa wayemphethe okonyana wakhe kwaye wayemthanda kangangokuba yena uFido wayethamba xa kubhekiselele ku-Anti Lisa nakuDon.

Iiyure ezazichithwa ngu-Anti Lisa emsebenzini zazininzi. Wayesebenza kumzi-mveliso owawuse-Isothermal, e-Springs. Nangona u-Aunti Lisa kwakufuneka asebenze iiyure ezongezelelekileyo ukuze abe nemali ethe xaxa ukuze akwazi ukwenzela unyana wakhe izinto yinto ukukholisa intliziyo yakhe, wayewuthanda umsebenzi wakhe.

Ke, kulo lwesiHlanu izinto zazohlukile kuba kaloku u-Anti Lisa waye enyuselwe ngumphathi wakhe kwaye ke yayiyimini yokurhola. Kwangaphambilana, wayebizelwe
e-ofisini ngumphathi, emxelela ezi ndaba. Wathi akumbulela, waza umphathi wanikina intloko. “Lisa, ulufanele olu nlonyuselo kuba usebenza nzima ukodlula abantu abaninzi apha kulo mzi mveliso. Usoloko ungumsebenzi obalaseleyo weveki! Lukufanele ngenyaniso olu lonyuselo,” watsho.

Ngoku ngexesha esihla enyuka ngesingqisho wayesithi ekumgangatho ophantsi abe ekophezulu kulo mzi mveliso, emana ejonga ixesha kwiwotshi yakhe yesihlahla. Yayingafani ke naye u-Anti Lisa ke le yokubala imizuzu, le yokuba anqwenele ukuba ixesha lokugoduka malifike. Wayefuna ukubhiyoza emva komsebenzi, ekwafuna nokuthabatha uhambo oluya ePingo, eyona restyu yokutyela ethandwa ngudadewabo, apho kwakusenziwa amaqatha amakhulu amnandi enyama yenkuku aqhotswe embizeni, iziselo ezibanda ceke nazo zonke izinto eziqhotswayo onokuthi uzicinge. Xa u-Anti Lisa wayethe wathenga inyama yenkukhu eqhotsiweyo yasePingo, wayethenga ne-ayisikhrim elungiselela yena nabantwana.

Wathi xa u-Aunti Lisa ecinga ngodadewabo uViolet, wancuma, kuba kaloku nguye owayemazise ngalo msebenzi wakhe. U-Violet yena wayehlala eBethal, enerestyu yakhe ayiphetheyo kwangokwakhe. “Ndiyakuthanda sis,” watsho ephefumla xa wayehamba-hamba. Umoya walapho kuloo mzi mveliso wawutshisa kwaye nengxolo yoomatshini yayisitsho njalo ingayekanga.

U-Anti Lisa wayevumelekile ukuba abe naphi na kwimigangatho yomzi mveliso lowo, angalapho umsebenzi umfuna khona, Waya ngakwi-refinery enkulu kwisitishi sonyango lwemveliso kwicala elo umhlobokazi wakhe u-Aisha wayesebenza kulo. “Unjani uDon omncinci?” wabuza u-Aisha, emjonga eyekelela loo nto ebeyenza.

“Owu, enkosi mhlobo wam, konke kulungile ukhula imini nemini,” waphendula uLisa.

Wancuma u-Aisha eqoboza nemehlo. “Yhoo, kungekudala uza kuba sele ebisa engenisa amantombazana!” Wagigitheka uLisa watsho wathi qwaku ewotshini yakhe. Watsho wakhumbul’ ukuba ixesha kanene liyacotha xa limana lijongwa.

“Imbiza egadiweyo ayisoze ibile,” watsho ngaphakathi wazama ukuba acinge ngezinye izinto.

Wasebenza ngesingqisho esifanayo nangomoya ofanayo de lafika ixesha likatshayile. Wemka ke emsebenzini waya kukhwela iteksi eya eSprings. Apho waqala ngokuhlawula amatyala akhe waza emva koko waya kuthenga izinto-yinto zasekhaya, waba ke sele esiya nqo ePingo.

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Khawusixelele: Zithini izimvo zakho ngoFido owathi waxela uDonovan ngokuqhatha u-Anti Lisa ngokuba nomdla kwakhe kwabanye abafazi?