Kusekuseni ilanga liphumile libalele begodu neenyoni ziyalila, lapha kukwaMsiza, kwaMrholozi, Msiza liphahla. Bavukile uNaMtsweni, uNoBadanile, balele nobabakwakhe uSoBadanile, khona bavukako bahlezi nje ngeengubeni bayademba, bademba zangamasa.
“Qala utlhwebha kangangani Mkami, kwangathi sele uhlambile, kanti awa khona uvukako” kutjho uSoBadanile amomotheke.
“Musa ukudlala ngami SoBadanile, konje wena unjalo” kuphendula uNoBadanile naye ngokumomotheka.
“Mkami ngikhethile kuwapha, begodu angizisoli, nina labentwana bami” kutjho uSoBadanile usaraga ngokumomotheka.
“Nami ngizizwa ngaleyondlela baba, kuwe ngithumbile kwamambala” kuphendula uNoBadanile…Bahleke bobabili…
Kuthe kusenjalo bezwa itjhada ngaphandle…
“Khuyini lokho, nobentwana uyezwa into engiyizwako le?” kubuza uSoBadanile ngokurareka.
“Ngiyezwa sobantabami” kuphendula uNoBadanile, batjho khona lapha itjhada livela khona.
Nabafika lapho bathola uBadanile noMnakwabo omncani bayalwa…
“Kwenzakalani la ye? Badanile! Karisa! Nenzani!!!?” kubuza uSoBadanile ngokurhuwelela.
“Nguye baba, nguye othome itjhada elingaka udade, buzani yena” kuphendula uKarisa.
“Qala udakwe kangangani uBadanile begodu ubhalelwa nakujama…kanti ngubani owathi umntazana fanele asela njengabo yise?” angakaliginyi uNoBadanile, uSoBadanile amuthi rhedlu ngamehlo…
“Ungangizwa kumbi sobantabami, ngiyazi wena awusisidakwa” kutjho uNoBadanile…bafe boke ngeenhleko.
Kodwana uNoBadanile usaraga…
“Kanti ngenzeni engaka Badanile mntanami kghani libizweli elikwenza lokhu” kutjho uNoBadanile.
“Mina mntanami angisakwazi kwakhokhu, kgani kunento ekutswenyako na? Khuluma nathi Ntazi…silalele umraro ukuphi?” kubuza uSoBadanile.
“Anginamraro mina ngizidlela ubutjha bami nje kwaphela, babelethi bami” kuphendula uBadanile…
“Asali Ntazi ukuthi udle ubutjha bakho…kodwana ingasingalendlela” kutjho uSoBadanile.
“Ngenzeni mara babelethi bami? Akunathuba elivelako lomsebenzi? Abasiqatjhi kodwana ngimfundisi opheleleko, umfundisi oneziqu”…kutjho uBadanile, watshega iinyembezi…
“Musa ukulila Ntazi koke lokhu kuzolunga, ubujamo lobu buzokutjhuguluka…akunabujamo obuzohlala bunje” kududuza uSoBadanile, nakanje unguSohlalakuhle.
“Kunjalo Dani, angitjho bayatjho ukuthi ithemba alibulali, hlala ethembeni mntanami” kufakaza uNoBadanile nakanje ungumthuthukisi womphakathi…
“Nangabe unomraro dade ngikhona ungakhuluma nami, angitjho dade engimthandako” kufakaza uKarisa, uKarisa ufunda emazikweni aphakamileko, wenza iimfundo zeSocial Science, mnyakakhe wokuphela lo ukuthi angathola iziqu zakhe.
“Ngiyathokoza babelethi bami, ngitjho nawe Kari, isekelo elingaka, kodwana mina ngikuyolala, angikalali ubusuku boke…awa ngilisani ngeenkulumo zenu ezingapheliko…ngitjhidelani…awa mina ngilisani bantu bakwa Mrholozi”…kujho uBadanile, utjho njalo uya ngekumbeni yakhe yokulala.
Umndeni lo wakwa Msiza, uyasekelana tle begodu banethando lokusebenzela abantu, koke okuphathelene nokurhelebha abantu, ubabeke khona, balandela sona isibongo sabo sakwa ‘Msiza’.
Kuthe kusenjalo kwalila umaliledinini ka Karisa…
“NguKarisa lo okhulumako, akwande” uphendula umaliledinini wakhe uKarisa.
“Kunjani sthandwa sami” kukhuluma iphimbo lomuntu wengubo
“Akwande sthandwa, sowungikhumbule msinya kangaka, ngoba bowulapha” kuphendula uKarisa…amomotheka.
“Sthandwa sami phela uyazi ngizifuna ngiseduze kwakho ngasosoke isikhathi” kuphendula iphimbo lomuntu wengubo
“Sthandwa sami asihlangane ebumnandini ntambama nge-awara lobunane” kutjho uKarisa, abona umnganakhe uThemba atjhidela kuye…
“Akunamraro sthandwa sami, asihlangane khona” kuphendula intombakhe…
Kuphele ikulumo, avale umaliledinini…
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“Mnganami ofundileko, oyikutani yalapha ePhumula” kutjho uThemba, balotjhisane.
“Uzongibulalisa wena ntangazethu…ungathomi utjho ebantwini into oyitjhoko le” kutjho uKarisa…
“Liqiniso ngoba ntanga nisaba amaqiniso nibabantu nakhile” kuphendula uThemba
“Izinto zikhamba njani mngani, ingabe koke kulungile?” kubuza uKarisa
“Zilunge khulu mnganami” kuphendula uThemba.
“Nakunjalo Mnganami ithi singene ngekhaya senze okungangena ngemathunjini” kujho uKarisa
“Ukhuluma ilimu lami kwanje ntanga” kuphendula uThemba, bahleke batjhinge ngekhaya.
Ilanga litjhinge kurhwaqele…kusebumnandini lapho ilutjha lendaweni le liditjha khona…
“Nasingoma leya Tjhudu, ngiyo Tjhudu” kutjho umngani ka Tjhudu uBoniwe asikime ayogidela ingoma…
“Ha ha ha…angeze watjhuguluka akhuzi mnganami unguBrenda Fassie wena uyohlala unje…” utjho ahleka uTjhudu…phela uTjhudu lo ngiyo intombi kaKarisa.
“Kunjani sthandwa sami?” kuvumbuluka uKarisa…uTjhudu uzwa ngelizwi.
“Sthandwa somuntu, unjani babakhe?” kutjho uTjhudu.
“Koke kujame kuhle mamakhe”…kutjho uKarisa atjhidele kuTjhudu bamangane.
“Mamakhe awukaphandlwa nguThemba? Phela uthe sizohlangana lapha” kubuza uKarisa.
“Awa sthandwa sa…” asathi awa sthandwasami kuvele uThemba
“Qala nangu akaphathwa” kutjho uKarisa.
“Bantu bami” kutjho uThemba uyalotjhisa.
“Mthimbana, uthini lapho?” kutjho uTjhudu.
“Koke kuhleli kuhle, Tjhudu” kutjho uThemba.
“Ukufika kwami kutjho khona ukuthi ziyalila, azilile ntanga” kuraga uThemba.
“Azilile ntangazethu” kutjho uKarisa…basathi bahlanganisa imali yokuthenga utjwala, kubuye uBoniwe…
“Maye wami ngibamba ngendlebe” kutjho uBoniwe asitjho kuThemba.
“Wami tjhidela eduza” kutjho uThemba atjhidela kuBoniwe, ammange bekuhlangane iimfuba.
Kuthengwe utjwala baditjhe kubemnandi…
Kuthe sekudlule i-awara, UThemba asolo ayile kodwana abakatjheji bona ukhambe isikhathi eside…nangu Karisa uyangendlini encani, uyobetha umsana…nakathi mehlo suka ubona uThemba amanga elinye isokana…
“Themba Mthimbana!” kurhwelela uKarisa utjhinga kuye ngoba kuyabonakala ukuthi akamuzwa…ufika kuye uyamdosa…isokana ebelimangana noThemba, naliya leqa njengo mqasa.
“Ntanga ungibonisani” kubuza uKarisa ararekile…
“Ntangaaa… akunalutho la, u…bona amehlwakho, ubona amehlwakho… akunanto eyenzakalako lapha, ngiyamazi umfo lo, sezikuphulile nentanga?” kutjho uThemba angunguza…
“Heyi! Ngikubonile ntanga…ngibone zona…wena nomfo loya nimangana…” kutjho uKarisa…
“Asikhambe ntanga… zisilindile iintombi zethu, mhlambe bararekile ukuthi siyephi, asikhambe Kari” kutjho uThemba avimba indaba le uKarisa ayikhulumako.