U-Anti Lisa wahlala yedwa, kweyona ndawo yokutyela ethandwa ngudadewabo, ePingo, wayezama ukubonisisa umfana owayenolusu olukhanyayo owayengasekhawuntarini. Wayenxibe iimpahla zakwa-Adidas kwakunye nezihlangu zakwa-Nike kungathi ungumqeqeshi wasejimini xa wayezicingela. U-Anti Lisa walibhaqa eli getyengana limkrwaqula ukungena kwalo. Nangona wayenaye utata womnywana wakhe, uDonovan, wacinga ukuba kwakungekho nto imbi kwaye kwakungabulali ukukhe adlala-dlale ajonge abanye abantu ngothando.

I-Pingo yayiyindawo yokutya okukhawulezayo eyayisembindini weSprings, yayinokutya okumnandi, kwakunye nokutya okunamafutha okwaziwayo ngabantu. Indlela yokuhlala apho kuloo restyu yayiyeyeqhelekileyo kodwa naye nabani eziva ekhululekile. U-Anti Lisa wahlala efulathele ucango olukhulu lweglasi ukwenzela ukuba qho xa kungena umntu abethwe yimpepho epholileyo yehlobo imnyuke ngalo milenze yakhe eyayithe ga. Imilenze yakhe yayilibala legolide kwaye yayakhiwe engathi ke uyadlisela ngayo.

U-Anti Lisa watya ukutya kwakhe okuqhotsiweyo ngeli lixa igetyana eliya lisekhawuntarinin limana limkrwaqula ngomdla. Wayewubona lo mdla walo, kwaye ewuvuyela kodwa kunjalo, wawucala nye de lo mfana waba sekuqaleni etyhwini. Kwawa i-credit card yakhe waza wagoba eyichola. “Owu iyaa, lixesha lam ke ngoku lokumjonga,” watsho ngaphakathi waza wamjongisisisa. “Owu yhooo … mhle lo mbono! Ndibonise oko wakuphiwa ngumamakho yah!”

Wakuthanda oko akubonayo kodwa wayengafuni ukugxeka utata womntwana wakhe. Wagqiba ukuba aqwalasele ekutyeni kwakhe, kodwa waqhubekeka emjonge ngekona yeliso ebona inene lihlawula lihamba lisiya kulindela ukutya kwalo ngasefestileni. Intwana encinci ku-Anti Lisa yayinqwenelela ukuba lo mfo aze ngakuye oku kokuba athi, “molo”. Leyo nje into ibiya kumanelisa ngaloo mini.

U-Anti Lisa wemka ngololiwe ngeengcinga waya kwelikude phofu ethe chu iqhekeza lenyama yenkukhu elisa emilebeni. Wathabatha umthamo omkhulu waqalisa ukuhlafuna. Engacingelanga, eliya nene lathi gqi phambi kwakhe sele likufutshane. Wangenelelwa yidyudyu, walifaka lonke elo qhekeza lenyama emlonyeni. Lambinda emqaleni, nanko ke ekhohlela. Ezama ukufumana umoya njalo, kwaba nzima ngakumbi: Yhini le, ngoku ndiza kufela apha!

Eliya nene leza kumhlangula. Lamxhakamfula lambamba apha kumphakathi womzimba wakhe ezantsi kweembambo, lalingeyongcali yoku kodwa lalinolwazi olulingene ukuba amsindise ekufeni. Oko akwenzayo, kwakhupha umoya emiphungeni, kwaphuma naloo nkukhu emqaleni. U-Anti Lisa wayitshica loo nkukhu, waza ke waba nako ukusezela umoya.

“Wowu, ubusindisile ubomi bam! Ndingakubulela njani!’ wakhefuzela, ezosula umlomo edanile.

“Ngokuzazisa nje, ndicela ukukwazi igama lakho, ma’am ,” latsho inene elo, lincumele ecaleni. Ilizwi lalo lalivakala ngathi ngumntu othetha isi-French.

U-Anti Lisa waba bugigitheka. “Igama lam nguLisa.”

“Owu, igama elimnandi kangaka lilifanele inenekazi elihle kangaka. Kodwa, yhini ukuba ube uwedwa apha?” wabuza.

Baqala bencokola nje imfitshi-mfitshi waze wayixela indaba yotata womntwana, kodwa ayizange imtyhafise lo mfo. Igama lakhe yayingu Louis Blanc kwaye wayembona ukuba
u-Anti Lisa wayemthanda waze le into wayithabatha njengomngeni – njengoko indoda enobulumko yathi ngenye imini, ‘Emva kwenenekazi elihle olibona esitalatweni, kukho umfo odikiweyo ngamampunge alo’. Kwakufuneka nje ukuba enze into eyayiza kwenza ukuba abonakale ohlukile.

Wazisondeza esebeza ngelo lizwi lithetha ngathi lithetha isi-French. “Kunganjani ukuba ndikunike inombolo yam, ze undifowunele xa utata womntwana engakukholisi. Ingaba unalo usiba lokubhala?” wabuza, etsho ngocumo olugoso. U-Anti Lisa wafaka isandla esipajini sakhe kodwa akafumana siba. Wakhumbula ukuba uFido wayeboleke usiba lwakhe ngephezolo, ngokucacileyo akakhange alubuyisele. Ngethamsanqa, uDon wayeshiye usiba lwakhe lokuphawula olungqingqisholo olubomvu (red marker) apho.

Ngeli lixa inene eli lifumana usiba olo ngesandla sakhe sokunene ku-Anti Lisa, isandla sakhe sangasekhohlo safikelela kwiwalethi yalo. Lakhupha ibhili i-R100 watsholo phantsi iinombolo njengoko ezibhala kwibhili leyo, “Iqanda, isibhozo, isinye …iqanda, isibhozo, isibhozo … isibini isibhozo, isibini, isixhenxe”

Ukutya kwakhe awayekuthengele ukugoduka nako uLouis kwakusele kulungile. Emva kokuvalelisa, u-Anti Lisa wabuyela ekutyeni kwakhe okuqhotsiweyo, ekutya ngomdla ongaphezulu ke ngoku. Wathabatha ibhili leyo iR100 eyayiphezu kwetafile emangaza ukuba ingaba yeyenene na nokuba bubuxoki. Yakha yaba bubuxoki ngaphambili? Lasebeza ilizwi lakhe langaphakathi. Wancuma waza wafaka iphepha elo ngaphakathi esipajini sakhe.

Akugqiba ukutya, wathenga ukutya aza kuhamba nako ne-aysikhrim awayeza kuyiphathela uFido noDon. Wagqiba ekubeni aqonde nqo ekhaya aye eGeluksdal phambi kokuba inyibilike i-aysikhrim.

***

Khawusixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngeli nene?