Chapter 17
Ibili hlazo eli, njengoko besitsho ukuba akhonto ifihlakala unaphakade. Bendimbona uSis'Sindiswa ibinga angandibamba ngezandla zakhe andibethele oOgqirha nezica, ebetshintshe ebusweni. Uloyiko lwam ibikukuba lento izofika kubekubi ekhaya. Ubeke uLuthando phantsi wasondela kum ndisebhedini ecaphuka, ndivele ndoyika ndakhawuleza ndataka ndasithela ngoMandla. uMandla wabe emnqanda embamba ukuze angasondeli kum, inyembezi zabe zisehla kuye uSis'Sindiswa.
Sindiswa:“Aah! Mandla ndiyeke ma’an ndibethe lomntana!”
Ebegxwala ekhala umbona ukuba undifuna ngamanqindi. Uvalo belusitsho kuqala kum.
Mandla:“Ukuba unengxaki Sindiswa betha kum emzimbeni myeke lomntana, akenzanga nto.”
Bendimbona uSis’Sindiswa ukuba angaphuncuka kuMandla mna ndingofileyo kaloku, ndiqonde ukuba mandichole izihlangu zam ndiyibone ebheka emnyango. Ndikhawuleze ndaphuma ndibaleka, ndibashiya benqakulene. Ndiphume ngomnyango, ndayophuma nge gate oOmakhelwane nabebedlula ngendlela bendithe ntsho ngamehlo kodwa ndenza ingathi andiboni wabe uSis’Sindiswa sele esemnyango ethukisela endibiza ngawo onke amagama wabe uMandla embamba emfaka endlini. Ndingene ekhaya, ndavala ígate ndayongena endlini okugqiba ndatsixa ndinovalo, uMama noTata bebengekafiki uSomila ndingamazi keyena ukuba uphi. Ndincamethele ngomqolo emnyango, ndaphefumla ndinovalo ndimane ndizibuza ukuba yinto enzayithini le. Ndiziva ndinexhala. Exesheni, kuye kwaduma imoto phandle ndakroba ndiswayisa ícurtins ibinguTata noMama babe bephuma emotweni ixhala ebendinalo belusiya lusenyuka. Ndiye ndavula icango okugqiba ndachopha esofeni ndisonge iingalo zam, ndimane ndizosula umlomo kuba ububomvu yi lip-stick kaMama. Baye bangena.
Mama:“Sthalala sam ipholile intloko?”
Utsho esondela endiva ngomva wesandla esibunzi, khumbula kaloku bendithe ndinentloko ukuze bandishiye ndishiyeke ndisiya kwaMandla. Bendingakwazi nozenzisa, bendinomva ndedwa. UTata ebesiya egumbini, uMama uye wandijongisisa ebusweni.
“Sthalala sam kutheni wathwala umlomo?”-uMama ubuzile echopha ecaleni kwam endibamba ethangeni. Ndiye ndamjonga, isibindi somxelela inyani bendingenaso bendikhetha izivelele kunoba axelelwe ndim.
Ntando:“Andiqumbanga mna.”
Mama:“Ntando awunondiqhatha, ndikwazi ukusuka nokuhlala kaloku wena. Kukhona oku undifihlela kona.”
Ntando:“Mama! ndithe akhonto! yintoni ingxaki yakho ube undibuza imibuzo?” Nditsho sendime ngenyawo, ebebonakala ukuba udanile bendinomsindo kuba bendinesazela. Unyikine intloko.
Mama:“Ntando yindlela yothetha nam le?”
Kuze uTata, sajonga kuye.
Tata:“Kuqhubeka ntoni naxambulisana?”
uMama ujonge kum.
Mama:“Ndicing'uba uNtando ikhona lento asifihlela yona, ndithe xa ndimbuze was'ke waqhashambula.”
UTata uye wajonga kum.
Tata:“Ntando yindlela yothetha noMamakho le?”
Mama:“Ngcono umbuze ngokwakho kuba mna akandiboni noba ndisisiciko sayiphi imbiza, ndiyabona lento yokumitha kwakhe imenze acinge ndinguntangakhe.”
Ingqondo yam ibixinene, ndivele ndakhawuleza ndaya ekamereni yam ndafika ndazivalela. Bendingayazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni ngobomi bam, kodwa bendizibona ndiphalala. Ndiye ndangqengqa ebhedini, ndicinga nzulu lantoba bendimincile ndinexhala lika Sis'Sindiswa kuba indlela ebecaphuka ngayo ibicaca ukuba ayizuphelela pha kwakhe lento bendiyenza nendodakhe. Ndizigqume ubuso ngomqamela zehla inyembezi kuba bendizibona njengomthwalo kuMama noTata kwaye bendizazi ukuba ndimoshile. Exesheni, sekuqala ubamnyama naphandle. Kunkqonkqoze uSomila emnyango ndayomvulela.
Somila:“Uyabizwa?”
Ndivele ndanyukelwa zizibilini ndiqhale amehlo, ndiye ndalandela emva kwakhe. Élounge ndothuke yanga ndingathi vuleka mhlaba ndingene xa ndibona uSis'Sindiswa elila echophe esofeni uMama noTata behleli bemjongile ubabona ukuba bayamsizela.
Mama:“Nanku ke uNtando lo ubuthe uyamfuna.”
Unyuse intloko uSis'Sindiswa wandijonga.
Sindiswa:“Ubaxelele abazali bakho into obuyenza nomyeni wam?”
Bendimayaza ndingazazi ukuba ndithini, wonke umntu wabe ejonge kum apha endlini.
Tata:“Ntando thetha ubuyothini kwa Mandla?”
Ebethethela phezulu, indlela ebethetha ngayo ibindothusa indenza ndoyike ngakumbi. uMama uqhwabe izandla kwakanye.
Mama:“Inene igqabi aliweli kude kunomthi walo, Ntando ungandixeleli ukuba ubuyele kulaMandla ngoku sisando kuxolela mntanam.”
Sindiswa:“Ayingomntana lo, ligqwirha! ndzonixelela ngokwam kuba kuyacaca akazimiselanga wuthetha. Into ebuhlungu kukuba nina nihlale nonwabile emtshatweni wenu, abe umntana wenu esisiphazamiso kowam umtshato nto leyo ndingazuyimela. Uyabona mna ndilimpondo kesana lam into endingazumelana nayo kukuba ndibekwi competition nawe ndifuna ucaphukele kwa umhla owawuzalwe ngawo ndiyafunga kwaye ndiyakuqalekisa nelontshontshwana lakho ulimithiyo..-”
uMama uye wamphazamisa esathetha.
Mama:“Hayibo! mfazi wase washwabula endaweni yokuba usixelele uNtando ukuba wenze ntoni noba kunjalo ungamlibali ukuba nomyeni wakho unesandla.”
Sindiswa:“Ufuna ndinixelela, ok akhongxaki nalapho. uNtando lo wakho ndifike eleli ebhedini yakwam nomyeni wam!, uyavuya kengoku?”
Uvele wakhamisa uMama, wabe uTata efinge iintshiya.
Tata:“Yinto yanini le uyithethayo?”
Sindiswa:“Namhlanje ndisuka ecaweni komoya omhle wasenkonzweni, ndiyayiqonda beningekho kuba ndiyibonile imoto yenu xa ifika. Ifika emveni kokuba ndisando khupha lomntana pha kwam, usinde chebeshu kuba ndingamonzakalisanga indlela ebendinomsindo ngayo kangangoba ndisenawo nangoku. Into endinixelela yona kukuba xa ningekho esisimanga nisibiza ngomntana silalana noMandla kulanto yalandlu.”
uTata usukume wandiqhwaba ndawa phantsi ndamjonga wanyikina intloko, okugqiba waya ekamereni yakhe uphume sele ephethe umpu. uMama wasukuma.
Mama:“Siyakudumisa ndiyakucela sthandwa sam ungayenzi lento ucinga uyenza?”
uMama utsho efuna ulila, ecenga. uTata uphume ngomnyango, uSis'Sindiswa wakhawuleza ephuma ngomnyango ekhala ekhwaza ethwele izandla entloko. uMama ujonge kum enyanyile.
Mama:“Uyazibona iziphumo zalamanyala akho, ze abanjwe umyeni wam net! ingathi ngewuthandazela ukuba kungabikho nto yenzakayo.”
Uthethe umbona ukuba unendzondo. Bendingamsoli kuba bendizazi ukuba ndonile. Uphume ngomnyango, wabe uSomila exakiwe. Ndicinge uMandla, ndasukuma ndakhawuleza ndangena ekamereni ndamfowunela uye wayibamba.
Mandla:“Nhanha?”
Ntando:“Mandla baleka!, baleka uzakubulala uTata!”
Mandla:“Yima Ntando andikuva kakuhle uyalila. Uthini?”
Ntando:“Baleka uzakubu..-”
Ndive ngezithonga zompu zitsho kwakabini, ndanombilini.
“Ma...Mandla Mandla!, Mandla!”-Bendimkhwaza efowunini kodwa wangaphenduli, ndivele ndaphelelwa ngamandla inyembezi zehla emahlweni am iPhone yehla ngendlebe yawa ndikhamisile. Ndiphume ngomnyango, ndagilana noSomila kwi passage le yendlu wabe sele eleqeka emva kwam ndiphume ngomnyango babe oomakhelwane beme ngamacinga benxibe íígown ubabona ukuba bayazibuza ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kwaMandla. Isibindi soyokungena khona andisazi ukuba ndisithathephi kodwa intliziyo yam ibingakwazi uzinza bekubuhlungu. Ndingene kwaMandla, uMandla ethe tywa phantsi eligazi uSis'Sindiswa ekhala embambile. uTata uphume ngomnyango, uMama wabe ethwelwe iizandla ekhamisile. Ndibuye umva ndingayikholelwa le ndiyibona ngamehlo am, intliziyo yam isukile esihlalweni sayo. Ndasothula phezulu esofelweyo, ndawa ngamadolo phantsi ndikhala. Exesheni, kukhale íambulance phandle, kwangena oOgqirha. Ndisukume ndaswaya endleleni, omnye ugqirha ubeka isandla emqaleni kaMandla okugqiba bamkhelisa kwi stretcher bephuma naye wabe uSis'Sindiswa ephuma nabo ndiphume ndabajonga ndikhala wabe uMama eme ecaleni kwe ambulance. Bendiziva nje ukuba andikwazi umelana nale intlungu, ndabaleke ndayongena ekhaya. Ndahlala esofeni ndakhalela intoba uThixo amsindise uMama uye wangena ecaphuka ndabe ndileli ngecala esofeni ndifixiza. Uye wandijonga.
Mama:“Akho kwale uyililelayo, ukuba ubumamela ngeyingekho yonke lento. Kelonto uyazenza izinto ezishushu ingathi awungomntana, uzothini ngoku ngoba uTata lo wakho angabanjwa nanini na kwaye into endingazuyimela kuhlalelana nawe ibe inguwe unobangela wokubanjwa komyeni wam.”
Uthe wawugqiba waya ekamereni, ndashiyeka ndilila ngakumbi. Exesheni, kuvakele ívan yamapolisa phandle, ndasukuma ndime ngamadolo apha esofeni ndabe ndikrobe ngefesitile, kwabe kungena amapolisa nge gate. Ndazibamba esifubeni, xa ndinyeka nangu uMama noTata besiza nge passage yendlu kungene amapolisa.
Police:“Sifuna uSiyakudumisa Sigcawu?”
Tata:“Ndim lo.”
Baye basondela kuye baye sebemfaka íhand-cufs.
Mama:“Nkosi yam! angena amanzi endlini sihleli.”
Utsho ethwele iizandla.
Police:“Ubanjelwa ukubulala uMandla Ndaba, nokusebenzisa umpu ongekho semthethweni kanti ke ungazifunela igqwetha ukuba..-”
Tata:“Khawuthule ma’an akhonto ndingayaziyo, Nxinxi ndicela uzundigcinele abantwana bam..-”
Police2:“Hey! hamba! ayiloxesha lokuyolela eli.”
Mama:“Ndiyeza Siyakudumisa, ndzokukhupha sthandwa sam sude uthethe kabuhlungu.”
Batsho bemkhupha kabuhlungu, uMama ujonge kum wanyikina intloko waya ekamereni wabuya ephethe iimpahla zam nesuitcase wavula icango wazijula phandle okugqiba wagenga icango ejonge kum.
“Hamb'uhambu uphume uphele emzinam!, uGlenda ukulindile kowabo. Andazi ke njembe uxake kangaka nje uzakumela na yena?”-uMama.
