Kusuku olulandelayo sibhekiselibangise e-mall siyokujonga kolo xwebhu olunamagama lwabagqithele kumjikelo wokugqibela. Iintombi zam ziwuphumelele umjikelo wokuqala ngoku ndiza kubabona kumjikelo wokugqibela oza kubanjwa kwiveki ezayo.
Sibone uS’neyifu singekangeni e-mall exele kude. Ebeseteksini esinga eBhayi eshiya iRoseline ukuya kuqala ubomi obutsha. Babonene noLisa bawanga-wangiselana izandla. ULisa ebewanga-wangisa esakhe isandla evalelisa kubomi bakhe obugqithileyo.
Ndiyazi ukuba uxheleke ngaphakathi uLisa ngabazali bakhe abangasoze babenaye, kodwa uGogo wamqeqeshela ukuba afunde ukuzimele, omelele. Sele enabahlobo abatsha ngoku yaye inkululeko yakhe ilele kukhuphiswano lonobuhle. Uza kufumana enye indlela nokuba akaphumelelanga.
Isihlobo sakhe sokugqibela esiseleyo simshiyile kodwa ufumene usapho olungaqhelekanga, usapho olumkhathaleleyo.
Sihamba nje u-Ambesiwe utsha ziintambo, uneengcinga ezininzi aza kuzisebenzisa ukuphumelelisa iintombi kukhuphiswano lonobuhle. Iyonwabisa imibono ka-Ambesiwe kuLisa noBianca.
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Lufikile usuku ebekukade silulindile. Abangeneli basegumbini lokunxibela. Lincinane kakhulu ukusingatha iintombi ezilishumi elinesihlanu, akukho nendawo yokuhamba nomlo usenokuqhambuka. UBianca ujonge esipilini, kukho into angayiqondiyo ebusweni bakhe. Ulinde u-Ambesiwe amncede ngobuso nangenwele zakhe. Yingcutshe u-Ambesiwe kwezi zinto zobuhle, uthi efika nje amenze uBianca afaneleke ngephanyazo.
Uza kwenza mhle uLisa ngoku emva koko azilungise naye.
Umlawuli wokhuphiswano uvakalisa ukuba sekusele imizuzu emihlanu kuyiwe eqongeni. ULisa noBianca baxinga sebefikile emnyangoa kukuphaphazela kuka-Ambesiwe ochulumanciswe ngumfaneleko wabo. Umoya esewuvayo ngowovuyo. Kuthi kunjalo kukhale unomyayi ka-Ambesiwe.
“Ndipheni umzuzu ndiyeza,” utsho ephethukela egumbini lokunxibela ebeka unomyayi endlebeni. Ndishiywe nguLisa endlwini yokunxibela phezu kwedresa ngasesipilini. Ndibona u-Ambesiwe ebambe iinyembezi ngeenkophe. Inoba uthetha nabani emnxebeni? Mhlawumbi ngumama wakhe.
“Nam ndiyakuthanda,” utsho ebeka phantsi unomyayi. Usula iinyembezi aqwalasele esipilini. Kushiyeke yena yedwa kwigumbi lokunxibela. Uyakhulula eme ngempahla yangaphantsi. Uza kunxiba ilokhwe. Kuvuleka ucango eze.
Kungena uKhwezi ayifunde ivaliwe. Uyayazi imfihlo ka-Ambesiwe yaye akayithethia ebantwini.
“Ungahoyani nam,” kutsho uKhwezi ngokuzikhola. “Ndizokukhangela ilipstick yam.”
Le mini imbi ngaphezu kwaleya u-Ambesiwe wabhaqwa ngutata wakhe.
“Yima ndichaze.”
“Chazela iijaji moffie-ndini.
“Ndicela ungaxeleli mntu torho,” ecenga u-Ambesiwe.
“Leyo iza kuxhomekeka, dear.” Usondela ngakwidresa uKhwezi akhangele ilipstick yakhe.
Ndibona u-Ambesiwe etshintshai eba yinto endimazi engeyiyo. Uyatsha ngumsindo. Nanko etsala uKhwezi esipilini ngobugalakambu eqaba ilipstick. Ndibona sele ephakamisele inqindi phezulu licanda emoyeni. Ndibona uKhwezi ephantsi engagungqi. Ufe isiqaqa. U-Ambesiwe umrhuqela kwelinye igunjana elincinane. Kufika umlawuli wokhuphiswano ekhangela abagqatswa angababoniyo.
“Uphi uKhwezi? Khange umbone? Kutheni uselapha nje Ambi? ” uyabuza.
“Uthe uyarhoxa. Nditsho ndancama ndimcenga ukuba angahambi. Unoloyiko lokuba seqongeni,” ukhawuleza atsho u-Ambesiwe.
Usuke anyikinye amagxa umlawuli wokhuphiswano asinika la njezu ithi ‘ayingoqalekile lowo nguqhelekile’, ahambe u-Ambesiwe azimanye nabanye eqongeni.
Ndishiyeke ndodwa. Ndiva umbhexeshi-nkqubo ebiza amagama abo bangenele ukhuphiswano nganye nganye. Ndiva ababukeli behlahlamba.
Babuya okwesibini ngoku, mna ndisahleli finini phezu kwedresa. Ndizibuka esipilini. Ndibona unodoli ophile wagqithisela kumlinganiselo wonodoli. Andisabonakali. Ndikhumbula ngokuya uLisa wayengakwazi ukweahlukana nam, engakwazi ukukhwela eqongeni ndingekho sezandleni zakhe.
Kuxesha phi ngoku? Ndibiwe bubuthongo ndisalinde ukuba babuye. Ndiphaphama ndinexhala ngathi ndiphoswe yile ndawo kubhengezwa ophumeleleyo. Ndifuna ukuva isithethi sibiza uLisa nje ngoMiss Sleek Roseline omtsha.
Ingathi kuhanjiwe nje. Kuthe cwaka. Ingathi kanti bandilibele.
Owu yeke, basekhona. Ndiva isithethi sikhwaza amagama. Andimva ebiza elikaLisa kodwa ndiyeva kukhwazwa uBianca no-Ambesiwe.
Kungena iintombi ziqumbile zibhomboloza. Kuphele amaphupho, ndicinga ukuba bakhiqiwe.
“Ulala nejaji kaloku uBianca, yiyo le nto angakhutshwanga.” ityhola itsho enye.
Bayahlokoma abantu eholweni bafundekela ngathi ziza kukrazuka iindlebe zam. Inoba kuthweswa uMiss Sleek Roseline omtsha. Babuye bonke abagqatswa, akabonakali uLisa.
O! Nanku esiza. O! Uthwele isitshaba. Nguye uMiss Sleek Roseline omtsha. U-Ambesiwe uphume kwindawo yesibini. Indawo yesithathu ibanjwe nguBianca. Akwaba uGogo aebekhona akubone, Lisa.
Emva kokuba bengenile kufika isicuku sabafoti, abantu beSleek Magazine nomeya waseRoseline.
Siphumelele, uLisa uyikumkanikazi yonobuhle. Kutheni engandicholi apha? Akandithathi, uthi gwiqi egcobile andishiye apha. Inoba akandidingi. Ude wabe uwafumene amandla okundishiya, amandla okuzimela.
Uza kuhlala noBianca kunye no-Ambesiwe. Uza kubuyela esikolweni.
Ndiza kufunyanwa ngomnye umntu oza kundinika umntu ondidingayo. Ndiza kulinda.
Ndiva izigqi zixele kweli cala. Ngula mfoti wayethathe uLisa ifoto ngomjikelo wokuqala.
“Tyhini, ingathi ndiyakwazi nje. UngokaLisa,” utsho endifaka ebhakeni wakhe nezixhobo zokofota.
Uza kundigcina emva koko uza kundinika umntwana wakhe nje ngesipho.
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Sixelele: Ingaba wena, okanye umntu omaziyo, wakhe wanomhlobo ozenezele yena weeengcinga? Okanye wakhe wabambelele entweni kuba usiva ngathi yeyona nto ingumhlobo onyanisekileyo? Kutheni abantwana bedla ngokuzakhela abahlobo beengcinga?
