Kwakukusasa ngeCawa ngethuba uZahara wayezoba umfanekiso egumbini lakhe lokulala. Nting nting, yakhala intsimbi yokunkqonkqoza kumnyango ongaphambili. Wabaleka waya kuvula ucango uZahara. Yayingumakhulu wakhe lowo wayenkqonkqoza.
“Molo, Makhulu,” watsho, esanga umakhulu wakhe.
“Ndithenge inkukhu egcadiweyo kubhazabhaza wevenkile,” watsho uMakhulu. Inkukhu yayifakwe kwibhegi enkulu emhlophe kwaye yayivakala iseshushu xa eyibamba uZahara. Ivumba layo lalisithi ‘nditye’!
“He-ke!” utshilo umama kaZahara esondela emnyango. “Yibeke etafileni yasekhitshini, siza kuyitya ngesidlo sasemini.”
“Siya kuyitya kudala,” watsho uZahara. “Inuka kamnandi kakhulu.”
“Ndiza kwenza iti,” utshilo uTata esekhitshini. “Nina nobathathu ningahlala apho esofeni, niphumle. Beningethandi ukubukela iTV?”
Kuthe kusenjalo uZahara weva iselula katata wakhe ikhala waze wamva ethetha efowunini.
“Kufuneka ndiye emsebenzini,” watsho uTata esiya kumnyango ongaphambili. “Ndiza kubuya ethubeni.”
UMakhulu noMama babengayisanga so kangako leyo, koko babebukele eyona nkqubo bayithandayo yeTV.
“Uhambe kakuhle,” watsho uMama.
“Uhambe kakuhle,” watsho uMakhulu.
UZahara wayezoba. “Uhambe kakuhle, Tata.” watsho.
Kungekudala yaphela inkqubo yeTV kaMakhulu noMama, kwabe sekulixesha lesidlo sasemini. UMama waya ekhitshini, esiya kulanda isonka, isaladi kunye nenkukhu egcadiweyo. Wavula ibhegi, wakhupha inyama yenkukhu waze wayibeka epleyitini. Yho! Amehlo kaMama athi gqa-a-a kukothuka. Kwakukho into engekhoyo! Wawungekho omnye umlenze.
“Zahara!” wakhwaza. “Yiza apha, khawuleza ngoku.”
UZahara wayesazi ukuba xa uMama emkhwaza ngelizwi elivakala linomsindo, kufuneka eze ngokukhawuleza. Msinyane, wabeka phantsi ikhrayoni yakhe, wakhawuleza ukuya ekhitshini. “Kwenzeke ntoni, Mama?” wabuza.
“Utyiwe nguwe umlenze wenkukhu? Kukho umntu okhuphe umlenze wonke wawutya,” watsho uMama esalatha inkukhu.
“Hayi, Mama,” watsho uZahara. “Ndiyakuthembisa, asindim.”
“Uqinisekile?” wabuza uMama.
“Ndiqiniseke KAKHULU, Mama,” watsho uZahara ebukeka ekhathazekile.
UMama zange aphinde athethe nto. Endaweni yoko, waphuma phandle waya kwindawo uMalume uJoe awayelungisela kuyo imoto yakhe.
“Joe, utyiwe nguwe umlenze wenkukhu ekhitshini?” wabuza uMama.
UMalume uJoe wayengxolelwa ngunomathotholo awayewuvulele phezulu. “Andiva!” wakhwaza esitsho.
“UTYIWE NGUWE NA UMLENZE WENKUKHU?” kwakhwaza uMama ukuze avakale ngaphaya kwaloo mculo.
“Ewe, torho, ndingayivuyela inkukhu, ngokunjalo neglasi yesiselo esibandayo,” wakhwaza.
UMama wabefunyeka. Waya emthini omkhulu wemengo osekoneni yegadi. UmntakwaboZahara, uDavid nomhlobo wakhe omkhulu, uLebo, babedlala apho kuloo masebe omthi.
“David,” watsho uMama, “utyiwe nguwe umlenze wenkukhu?”
“Owu kwakuhle, sele ilixesha lesidlo sasemini?” wabuza uDavid. “Sesilambe kakhulu.”
“Utyiwe nguwe na umlenze wenkukhu?” waphinda wabuza uMama.
“Hayi, Mama,” watsho uDavid.
“Khange awutye,” watsho uLebo. “Oko thina besidlala kunye apha emthini.”
UMama wabuyela endlwini. Wayequmbe esisifu. “Xa kungekho mntu owutyileyo umlenze wenkukhu,” watsho. “Makube uphi ke?”
“Mhlawumbi linenekazi lasevenkileni eliwuthathileyo,” wacebisa ngelitshoyo uZahara.
UMama waqhwaba izandla. “Kunjalo kanye! Nantso into eyenzekileyo! Inenekazi lasevenkileni elithengisele uMakhulu inkukhu lifanele ukuba lilo eliwutsale loo mlenze lawunika omnye umntu.”
“Tyhini hayi ke ngoku,” wakhala ngelitshoyo uMakhulu. “Ndimcele ukuba andithengisele inkukhu egcadiweyo epheleleyo. Ndihlawulele inkukhu egcadiweyo epheleleyo, kodwa ngoku yena uyazithathela enye yayo. Ngoku inyama yethu ayisayi kusanela isidlo sasemini.” Waqala wakhala ngoku uMakhulu.
Wayelusizi kakhulu uZahara kukubona uMakhulu ekhala waze naye waqalisa ukukhala. Oko kwamkhathaza uMama. Baze bobathathu bahlala phantsi bakhala, bakhala, bakhala.
UMama wafinya waze wasula amehlo akhe. “Ayinakuba njalo loo nto!” watsho. “Oobhazabhaza beevenkile abavumelekanga ukwenza oko. Siza kubuyela evenkileni, sibaxelele ukuba bafanele ukusinika enye inkukhu egcadiweyo.”
Ngoko ke, uMama, uMakhulu noZahara banduluka ukuya kubhazabhaza wevenkile, waze uMalume uJoe wasala ebeke iliso kuDavid noLebo.
“Ndicela ukuthetha nomphathi,” watsho uMama bakufika apho. Wayethetha ngelizwi lakhe elinomsindo, waze umphathi weza ebaleka.
“Ndingakunceda ngantoni, Nkosikazi?” wabuza umphathi.
“Kukho umntu othathe umlenze kwinkukhu yethu!” bakhwaza uMama, uMakhulu kunye noZahara ngaxeshanye.
“Yinto embi kakhulu leyo,” watsho umphathi. “Ndiza kubiza inenekazi elisebenza kwikhawuntara yeenkukhu ezigcadiweyo.” Wasebenzisa umnxeba wonxibelelwano lwangaphakathi waze wathi, “Nenekazi leKhawuntara yeeNkukhu eziGcadiweyo, Nenekazi leKhawuntara yeeNkukhu eziGcadiweyo, nceda yiza kwiofisi yomphathi ngokukhawuleza.”
UMama wayengqisha-ngqisha ngesithende ngethuba elindile. Kwangoko inenekazi lekhawuntara yeenkukhu ezigcadiweyo lafika libaleka. “Ndinganinceda?” labuza.
“Lo mthengi uthi wena ukhuphe umlenze kwinkukhu yakhe egcadiweyo,” watsho umphathi.
“Hayi, andikhange ndikwenze oko,” latsho inenekazi. “Ndifake inkukhu egcadiweyo epheleleyo ebhegini ndaze ndayinika uMakhulu.”
“Hayi bo, hayi, hayi, hayi!” watsho uMama. “Ndithe xa ndivula ibhegi ebinenkukhu ekhaya wabe ungekho umlenze!”
Inenekazi langcangcazela, zagungquza izihlangu zalo. “Khange ndiwuthathe, ndiyakuthembisa, andikhange,” latsho njalo.
Umphathi wayenomsindo kakhulu. “Phathela aba bantu enye inkukhu egcadiweyo ngokukhawuleza,” wakhonya. “Makhulu, ndiza kukunika enye inkukhu egcadiweyo epheleleyo simahla, kunye nekeyiki yetshokolethi, yokucela uxolo.”
Ngoko ke, uMama, uMakhulu noZahara bagoduka bephethe enye inkukhu egcadiweyo epheleleyo ekwibhegi emhlophe, kunye nekeyiki yetshokolethi enkulu esebhokisini.
Ukufika kwabo ekhaya, bafumanise ukuba uTata ubuyile emsebenzini. “Beniphi?” wababuza. “Kutheni ningekasityi nje isidlo sasemini?”
UZahara ke ngoko wamxelele lonke ibali. Wamangaliswa kukubona uTata ekhangeleka othuke kakhulu.
“Owu thiza,” watsho uTata. “Ndenze into embi, umlenze ndiwuthathe ngokuya bendisiya emsebenzini. Bendilambile, futhi nenkukhu ibinuka kamnandi.”
“Hayi bo,” wakhala uMama. “Ndifake inenekazi elimsulwa engxakini evenkileni ngento engekhoyo.”
“Mna ke ndifake uluvo engqondweni yakho lokuba mhlawumbi lilo eliwuthathileyo lo mlenze,” watsho uZahara. “Owu thiza!”
Ngoko ke uTata, uMama, uMakhulu noZahara bapakisha inkukhu yesibini egcadiweyo kunye nekeyiki yetshokolethi ebhegini, banduluka bonke ukubuyela kwasevenkileni. Bakufika khona, baya ngqo eofisini yomphathi.
Umphathi waxhalaba akubabona – KWAKHONA! “Hayi bo, konakele phi ngoku?” wazibuza. “Laa nkosikazi iza kuphinda indingxolise kwakhona.”
Kodwa uMama zange angxole.
“Sicela uxolo kakhulu, kakhulu,” watsho uMama, uMakhulu noZahara.
“Yimposiso yam yonke le,” watsho uTata. “Bendilambile. Ndim othathe umlenze. Nceda ubize inenekazi lekhawuntara yeenkukhu ezigcadiweyo.”
Umphathi waphakamisa umnxeba wonxibelelwano lwangaphakathi, “Nenekazi leKhawuntara yeeNkukhu eziGcadiweyo, Nenekazi leKhawuntara yeeNkukhu eziGcadiweyo, nceda yiza kwiofisi yomphathi ngokukhawuleza.”
Inenekazi lekhawuntara yeenkukhu ezigcadiweyo lalikhangeleka lisoyika kakhulu lakubona uMama, uTata, uMakhulu noZahara. “Nceda torho, ungandigxothi,” litshilo kumphathi.
Kodwa uTata wakhupha isipaji sakhe wanika umphathi imali yenkukhu egcadiweyo neyekeyiki yetshokolethi. Waze wanika inenekazi ipakethe. “Bamba apha,” watsho. “Ndicela uxolo ngokuba sikufake enkathazweni. Uncede uzonwabele ezi zinto.”
Inenekazi lalivuya kakhulu kukuba nenkukhu kunye nekeyiki ngesidlo sayo sasemini. Kodwa uZahara wayedanile. “Ude umphe nekeyiki yetshokolethi,” watsho uZahara.
Ngoko ke uTata waphinda wakhupha isipaji kwakhona wathenga enye inkukhu egcadiweyo nenye ikeyiki yetshokolethi.
Emva kwesidlo sasemini wonke umntu wafumana isilayi sekeyiki – uMama, uTata, uMakhulu, uMalume uJoe, uZahara, uDavid noLebo. Kodwa esona silayi sikhulu sanikwa uZahara, kuba wayeyintombazana ethandwa kakhulu nguTata.
