U-Erick, othengisela uFido iwidi wothuka ngentseni elandelayo. Waphuma ebhedini, wanxiba ivesti emhlophe, eyayibonisa izihlunu ezikhulu emzimbeni kwanezigalo ezikhulu. Isithandwa sakhe, uStacey, sasihleli phantsi emgangathweni ebala iipilisi i-ecstasy. Babengabona bantu bathengisa i-ecstasy esulungekileyo kwaye benabathengi babo abachongiweyo bethengisela bona bodwa. Kwankqonkqozwa ngamandla elucangweni, uStacey wazinza akashukuma ne-intshi. Wahamba u-Erick waya kuvula emnyango.
“Awe Majiya, khawundihuke kaloku ngaleya yam ndiyithandayo” watsho uSmokey, omnye wabathengi babo bangentseni. USmokey wathabatha ilitye lakhe kwanezi-straw ezibini wahamba. U-Erick wayesaziwa kwaye ebizwa ngo “Majiya” kuba wayebambe inqanaba lokuqala lokuthengisa okusulungekileyo ebonwa engulowo ngabo sele de bangamakhoboka enqawa – babemfumene umsindisi wabo owayengumfo waseNigeria omfutshane, ondlekileyo, enobumnyama obuqaqambileyo obu bon bukhazimla okwesibhaka-bhaka ebusuku.
Njengoko wayesele evukile, u-Erick waqonda ukuba makaqale intsasa kakuhle ngomdiza wewidi esulungekileyo phambi kokuba atye isidlo esikhulu sakusasa – wayenukisa ukuba uStacey ikhona le nto ayilungisayo ekhitshini. Wayeyazi gca into awayeza kuyenza emva kwesidlo sakusasa – wayeza kubala imali ayenzileyo ngokuya ebemandisa ooFido nabanye phezolo. U-Erick waya egumbini lokuhlamba, wahlamba ubuso, wabhrasha namazinyo.
Ngeli lixa ebhrasha amazinyo, uStacey weza egumbini lokuhlamaba efuna bamuncane. Wema nje apho wavela wamjamela. Ekugqibeleni u-Erick wamqaphela uStacey waya kuye wamqabuza ebunzi ngomlomo onentlama yamazinyo. UStacey wabonakalisa ukunganeliseki kodwa u-Erick akazange enze ngokukaStacey. Wamcudisa iintsula ezi, wambetha kancinci apha kuzo.
Wancuma uStacey. “Sthandwa, ndifuna ukuya kubona umama namhlanje eGeluksdal. Akhange ndimbone iveki yonke kwaye ngomso … uza kuy’ ecaweni.” Ngeli xesha athethayo, wayelungisa iinwele zakhe ezijonge esipilini. “Uyamazi ukuba uhlupheka njani na xa ethe akasibona ixeshana, uvela acinge ezona zinto zimbi ngathi.” Wanga u-Erick waza wamosula intlama yamazinyo eyayilapha kumadevu akhe.
Wamkhokelela ekhitshini apho isidlo sakusasa sasisele silungisiwe. U-Erick wancuma akubona isonka esigcadiweyo (toast), amaqanda and nesoseji. “Ubusazi ukuba ndiza kuvuka kwangethuba, nhe?” wabuza ngoncumo olugoso.
“Owu iyah kaloku, ndiyayazi into oyicingayo ngalo lonke ixesha kwaye awuzange khe undixokise, ndithembe, ndiya kuze ndazi mhla waqalisa. Ndiyatsh’ ukuba esi sesinye sezizathu esenza ukuba ube ungoyena-yena kwaye le nto yenye yezinto ezenza sibe sesinye sezibini ezithandanayo ezikhulu,” waphendula uStacey ngeli lixa wayengqiyame kwikhawuntari yasekhitshini.
Ukutya kwakunuka kamnandi kwaye u-Erick wayesazi ukuba kuza kuvakala emlonyeni kumnandi nangaphezulu. UStacey wayeyibetha imbiza; wayefuze umama wakhe. Wajonga ngaphakathi emehlweni kaStacey amdaka ngebala. “Kulungile, Sithandwa, hamba uye kubona umamakho xa unalo mnqweno. Uncede umthengele igrosari e-mall umnike nemali, ungalibali ukumxelela ukuba ndiya mkhumbula kwaye ndimthanda ngolu hlobo ndikuthanda ngalo.” UStacey wancuma. “Ndiza kumanga ndimphuze ze ndimxelele ukuba olo thando luvela kuwe.” Wamphuza umntu wakhe esidleleni waze wamnika umdiza wewidi osongwe waqina kakuhle.
UStacey wayeyisonga iwidi ngolona hlobo lululo kwakungakhathaliseki nokuba uthabathe eziphi na iziyobisi ezaziza kwenza ukuba umzimba wakhe ube ndindisholo, wayengasoze abe nasiyezi esingalawulekileyo, wayesoloko ebuyela kwisimo sakhe sesiqhelo emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa. Nangona u-Erick wayengumthengisi weziyobisi, kodwa wayesisihlunu nje seli shishini elikhulu apho likhulu khona, wayesisipili nje sentengiso enkulu yeziyobisi. UStacey yena wayengungqondo-ngqondo emva komdiya-diya kwaye wayezisa imali eninzi kwishishini kuba wayesazi abantu abaninzi, wayebaqonda kwaye wayebathemba ngenene.
UStacey wayefunde ngobungangamsha i-Psychology ngaphambi kokuba enze isigqibo sokuba le yeyona ndlela elula yokwenza imali kwaye inobumnandi phakathi. Wayefanele kukuba ancede abantu abaneengxaki kodwa wavela wafuna ukwenza imali ngokuxhasene nqo noko. UStacey watya isidlo sakusasa no-Erick, owayesele ephakathi esiya ekugqibeni. Batya bemana bebukana begigitheka.
Ngokulindelekileyo, uErick wayemdala kakhulu kunoStacey, ke ngoko wayekwadlala indima yokuba ngubhuti wakhe omdala, ngamaxesha anzima wayede adlale indima yokuba ngutata wakhe. YayikwanguErick owakhuthaza uStacey ukuba afunde afumane isidanga. Kungoku nje, nabo ke sele bevuna isivuno kweso sibonelelo.
UStacey waya kushawarisha, wanxiba ilokhwe, wemka esiya emall eTsakane ukuya kuthenga igrosari. Emva koko waya kubona umama wakhe. Ngeli lixa ehleli eteksini esuka e-mall isiya eGeluksdal, wabala iibhili zakhe ezishiyekileyo esipajini waza waqaphela le ibhili iR100 ebhalwe inombolo, bomvu. Akazange acinge nto ingako ngayo wavela wagqiba ukuba uza kuyinika umama wakhe, akangekhe akhathale nokuba ibhaliwe.
UNkosikazi Pekeur akazange akhathale konke konke – wayevuyela nje ukuba eza kubeka into ebonakalayo kwinkongozelo ngentsasa elandelayo. UStacey nomama wakhe bahlala kunye behleka de kwatshona ilanga. Emva koko uStacey watya wemka. Umama wakhe wasala emthandazela. Wathandazela ukuba uMdali amkhusele umntwana wakhe ekukuphela kwakhe. Waya kulala esiva kuthe qabu njengokuba eyibonile nje intombi yakhe kwakhona enemali eyaneleyo eza kwenza ukuba abantu babheka-bheke xa isitya senkongozelo size ngakuye. Sele kulithuba noko.
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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngoStacey ofunde wafunda ze asebenzise imfundo yakhe ekuthengiseni iziyobisi?