Ngeli xesha u-Evans nabahlobo bakhe benyuka i-main road, besiya ngase Extension Two apho uKobhla noTsiki bathanda ukujema khona, uEvans wayifihla le bhili iR100, nangona abahlobo bakhe babesazi ukuba unayo. Iimpintshi zakhe zazimthemba naye wayezithemba ngokunjalo, kodwa wayesazi ukuba xa babenokuyibona babeza kumkholisa ukuba athenge i-Zamalek ebandayo ethaveni.

Iimpintshi zahamba zaya kukhangela uKobhla noTsiki ebumelwaneni, bakhangela yonke indawo kodwa zange babafumane. Ekugqibeleni u-Evans waba nomqondo oqaqambileyo wokuba aye kubuza uBoza, umfo ongenakhaya ukuba akakhange ambone na. UBoza wayesazi yonke into, nawonke umntu eGeluksdal, wabaxelela ukuba mabaye kukhangela kwithaveni kaTati.

Ekuqaleni uEvans wathandabuza erhuqa iinyawo nangexesha esekoneni yasethaveni. Babenethamsanqa kuba iTsiki waphumela phandle esiya kuntsontsa, ethe nca eludongeni ngesandla sakhe sasekhohlo.

U-Evans waya kuye emvelela ngasemva. “Awe Tsiki,” watsho ngelizwi elingcangcazelayo. “Ukhona uKobla? Ndize kumhlawula ityala lam lonke!”

UTsiki wajika. “Kanti wena, voetsek maan! Awuboni ukuba ndiyachama?” Wajongisisa wabonisisa u-Evans kufutshane. “Owu, lover boy nguwe lo. Ufun’ ukuyihlawula yonke? Hayi moss, makube uxwayi, yiza ndikupokothe zonke iipokotho msimanyane!”

“Khawume bro, ndinale ndikutyala yona qha!” watsho u-Evans, ezama ukumenzelelela nje kuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba uTsiki amthwahleke ngempama kuba engathobelanga mthetho wakhe. UTsiki wancuma. “Okay fanas!” Wabeth’ ukhwelo ebiza uKobla ukuba aphumele phandle.

UKobla waphuma kwangoko, egone intomb’ entle. Yayingu-Anita igama layo, yho amaqhinga awayelapho kuloo ntombi. Wayengabakhathalelanga ukuba aba ngantweni base Geluksdal bangachitha imali yabo kuye yonke, kuba wayesazi ukuba bonke nje babesenza nantonina ukuze bakwazi ukuhlawula iibhili zabo.

U-Evans wayikhupha ibhili iR100 enenombolo ebhalwe bomvu. UKobla wayijongisisa ukuqinisekisa ukuba yeyenene na okanye yeyobuxoki, waze wancuma wayinyhala epokothweni yakhe. “Okheyi fanas, sileveli thina ngoku. Ngoku ke, phum’ uphele phambi kwamehl’ am!” Wathabatha amatye wagibisela u-Evans neempintshi zakhe. “Voetsek!” wakhwaza.

U-Evans nabahlobo bakhe bathi sa. UKobla, u-Anita noTsiki babahleka baza babuyela ngaphakathi emngxumeni wokusela kaTati. Ngaphakathi bafumana iibhiya zabo zingahoywanga mntu. UGrace, umhlobokazi omkhulu ka-Anita, wayesekoneni ethetha noFido. UKobla wayengazi kuyiyeka ke le into iqhubekeke kungakhange kohlwaywe mntu, waze yena noTsiki baqala umlo noFido, “Ek sê jonga laa moegoe izama-zama itsheri yakho!” Watsho uKobla ekrweca uTsiki eligxeni eligquma ukuze baye kunqinda uFido.

Ngeli lixa wonke umntu wabalekel’ ubomi bakhe, uGrace yena wayesenza konke anako ngelo lizwi eligunyazayo washiywa yedwa ezama ukunqanda loo mlo “Yey! Voetsek! Myekeni! Myekeni! Voetsek, ezi zintwezi. Myekeni, voetsek!” Kodwa kunjalo, babengammamelanga, baqhubeka bembonis’ amathamb’ engqele.

Nje ngelo xesha, uGeorge watsal’ ibhotile ngasemva wabeth’ uTsiki ngayo loo bhotile yebhiya waza wamtsalela ngaphandle ukumgqibezela. UFido wafumana ithuba lokummongamela uKobla waza wabheka ekhangel’ uTsiki. Kwathi xa uKobla xa ejika ejonga ngemva ekhangel’ uFido, ubuso bakhe bangqamana nekhreyiti yeebhotile ezingenanto zebhiya. Le khreyiti yamngquba wemkelwa ziingqondo waza uFido wamtsalela ngaphandle. Bobabini noGeorge baqhubekeka beqama-qama ezi zinguKobla noTsiki, de uDonovan, utata womntwana ka-Anti Lisa, wafika wabanqanda waphelisa loo mlo. Wathi xhakamfu uFido noGeorge ngeengalo wabatsalela kude. “Ke, le yindlela ohlawula ngayo u-anti wakho? Ngokusoloko ungena ezinkathazweni!” wabuza kuFido. UFido noGeorge bathoba iintloko zabo. “Uxolo Mnumzana, ayinakube iphinde yenzeke kwakhona le nto”

UGeorge noFido behlisa umoya noTsiki wenza njalo. Kodwa uKobla yena wayefun’ ukuziphindezela. “Yhee wena sonny! Ucing’ ukuba undifumene? Eli gwala! Yiz’ apha, ndifun’ ukukubonisa … !” wakhulul’ ihempe yakhe wondela ngoFido. Kodwa uDonovan wabamba uKobla kwangexesha wawuphelisa loo mlo ngokumkhubekisa komnye umlenze. UKobla waya kuwa wabetheth’ intloko kabuhlungu epavumenteni waza wathi akubuyel’ ezingqondweni wehlis’ umoya.

UDonovan wabuyela kuGeorge noFido. “Andifuni ndiphinde nina ndinibone naphina ecaleni kwesiya spot kwakhona. Phelan’ emehlweni!” wabangxolisa. UKobla owayesenesiyezi enganxibanga hempe wagxadazela. Waqhwalela, isandla sakhe sasekunene sisemagxeni kaTsiki ukuze amxhase.

UDonovan wayevuyela nje ukuba konke kulamlekile kuphelile, kodwa waqaphela ukuba uKobla wayeshiye ihempe yakhe ngasemva. Wazama ukumkhwaza. “Hey, my broer, nats’ ihempe yakho!” Kodwa uKobla zange amhoye.

UDonovan wayisonga shirt, waze waqaphela into evel’ epokothweni. Wayolula le hempe wayipokotha. Wafumana ibhili iR100 enenombolo ebhalwe bomvu. Wancuma ebumangaliswa. “Ewe, nhe! Ndiza kuyongeza le kule mali ebendiza kuyinika uLisa ukulungiselela izinto zikaDon zesikolo. Wazitsholololo.

Xa efika kwa-Anti Lisa, wafika uDon edlala imidlalo ye-video umama womntwanakhe yena elungiselsela isidlo sasemini. UDonovan waqabuza unyana wakhe ebunzi. “Hey sport! Konke kugrand? Ndiyavuya uthabathe izifundo zekatala esikolweni!” Wanqumama kancinci. “Ndiphathele nomama wakho intwana-ntwana ukuze akufunele ibhanti nemitya le ubuyicelile,” wongeza esitsho ebeka iibhili ezisongiweyo phezu kwekhawuntari yekhitshi. UDon watsiba evuya. “Bendisazi ukuba ndingakuthemba tata, enkosi! Ndiya kuthanda tata!” ULisa waphaka baza batya kungekho othetha nomnye.

Emva koko, uDonovan waphakama wahamba waya emsebenzini. Wanga waphuza unyana wakhe wamvalelisa waze wajonga ngaku-Anti Lisa. “Imali yakho nantso phezu kwekhawuntari kuba kaloku ndibona ngathi ndim ndedwa ophangelayo apha” watsho, waza wemka. U-Aunti Lisa wajikelezisa amehlo akatsho nelimdaka.

Uthe xa ephakama ukuze ahlambe izitya, wabona iibhili ezishiywe nguDonovan phezu kwekhawuntari yekhitshi. Waya kuzibala. Kwakukho ii-R50 ezimbalwa, ii-R20 ezimbalwa kwanenkulu ibhili – ikhulu-leerandi elalinenombolo ebhalwe bomvu ngosiba olungqingqisholo. Wayijongisisa. “Kunganjani ukuba ndikunike inombolo yam, ze undifowunele xa utata womntwana engakukholisi,” weva ilizwi lendoda lisitsho entlokweni yakhe waphela encuma.

***

Khawuzixelele: Ucinga ukuba u-Anti Lisa uza kwenza ntoni?