ULayla wayezithanda iiphazili eziyimifanekiso. Wayethanda nje yonke into ngazo − ukususela emfanekisweni osebhokisini ukuya kumzuzu afaka ngawo iceba lokugqibela endaweni elingena kuyo kwiphazili. Wayethanda nkqu nesandi kunye nendlela la maceba ephazili ayevakala ngayo eminweni yakhe xa emana ezisa ngapha nangapha ewajikelezisa okanye ewaqhuba etafileni. Ngoko ke qho ngoMgqibelo kusasa, xa umama wakhe emsa kwithala leencwadi xa ebuyisela iincwadi ukuze aboleke ezinye, uLayla wayeboleka nephazili yemifanekiso.

            USothala wayezigcina zonke iiphazili kwishelufa esemva kwedesika yakhe kwaye qho ngoMgqibelo xa uLayla ecela ukujonga ukuba uza kuboleka eyiphi iphazili, usothala wayedla ngokuthi “Wowu, Layla, awuzithandi uphambene iiphazili!” Naye ke uLayla wayengakukhathalele nganto oku kuba ngokwenene ZAZIMPHAMBANISA nyhani iiphazili!

            NgeMigqibelo emininzi emva kokuba kubuyiwe kwithala leencwadi, uShireen, oyena

mhlobo usenyongweni kaLayla, wayesiza kudlala naye. Kaloku, wayephantse abe ngoyena mhlobo uthandwa kakhulu nguLayla, qha wayenento enye nje embi – uShireen wayesoloko efuna ukuba yincutshe kwinto yonke.

            Ngenye intsasa yangoMgqibelo, uLayla waboleka iphazili yomfanekiso kanomakhwezana kwithala leencwadi. Lo mfanekiso wawubonisa le ntaka iphezulu esibhakabhakeni itweze amaphiko ayo, ibambe intlanzi ngeenzipho zayo. Le phazili yayinamaceba amaninzi kunazo zonke awakha wazidibanisa uLayla. Kwakungaphelelanga apho, amaceba ale phazili ayemancinane kunazo zonke iiphazili awakhe wazidibanisa. Wayengasavuyi ngako uLayla! Kodwa uShireen wayengonwabanga kwaphela kuba yayinye nje kuphela into eyayifunwa nguLayla, yayikukudibanisa iphazili yakhe.

            “Andifuni kudibanisa phazili ekruqulayo mna,” kwatsho uShireen. “Kungcono sidlale umdlalo wevenkile.”

            “Kulungile ke,” wavuma uLayla, “emva koko ke siza kudibanisa iphazili yam.”

            “Ndiza kuba ngunovenkile ke mna,” watsho uShireen, “kuba kaloku ndiyincutshe kanovenkile, wena ke ungangumthengi wam.”

            Kungekudala uLayla wathenga ngayo yonke loo mali yakhe. Kwakubanjalo ke uShireen wathi, “Masidlale umdlalo wesibhedlele.”

            “Hayi,” wanqanda uLayla. “Bendidlalile nawe ivenkile. Ngoku masidibanise iphazili yam.”

            Kodwa ngasizathu sithile, uShireen wayengekafuni ukuyidibanisa iphazili, ngoko ke wathi, “Masidlale umdlalo wasesibhedlele ngoku size ke emva kwesidlo sasemini sidibanise iphazili.”

            Benza ngokweminqweno kaShireen.

            “Ndiza kuba ngugqirha,” watsho uShireen.

            “Hayi, ubungunovenkile,” watsho uLayla. “Mna ke ndiza kuba ngugqirha.”

            “Kodwa awukwazi ukuba ngugqirha,” watsho uShireen, “kuba uyazi ndim oyincutshe ekubeni ngugqirha.”

            Ngenene ke, uShireen wabangugqirha waze ke uLayla yena wasisigulane!

            Wathi xa aqalisa uGqirha Shireen ukuxilonga isigulane, saza isigulane sananjuzelelwa saze sagigitheka, asakwazi ukulala sizinze. Oko kwenza uGqirha Shireen ukuba asikhwaze, asingxolise, “Sukushukuma okanye andiphindi ndidlale nawe kwakhona.”

            Kodwa phambi kokuba uGqirha Shireen acaphuke nangakumbi, umama kaLayla wababizela isidlo sasemini.

            “Ndiyathemba ukuba nidlala kamnandi mantombazana,” watsho umama kaLayla.

            “Ewe,” watsho uLayla owayesele elungele ukuluma iruti yakhe emnandi nezele ibhotolo eyenziwe ngamandongomane, iminqathe ecukuceziweyo neesultana. “Emva kwesidlo sasemini siza kudibanisa iphazili yam.”

            “Andifuni kudibanisa phazili yakho mna,” watsho uShireen.

            “Kodwa ubuthembisile nje,” watsho uLayla.

            “Kunjalo, kodwa ngoku andisafuni. Ndifuna ukufaka imibala emifanekisweni,” watsho uShireen.

            Ngoku, uLayla wayesele edikiwe kwaphela nguShireen nentetho yakhe “yokuba yincutshe kwinto yonke” kwaye wayemqumbele kuba engazigcini izithembiso zakhe. Kwakungekho nto yayiza kumnqanda ekudibanisi iphazili yakhe. Ngoko ke emva kwesidlo sasemini, uLayla wanika uShireen incwadi yokufaka imibala emifanekisweni kunye neekhrayoni ukuze uShireen afake imibala lo gama yena edibanisa iphazili yakhe. Kodwa ngelishwa kwakusele kushiyeke umfanekiso omnye kuphela ongenamibala, waze uShireen wakhawuleza wagqiba ukuwufaka imibala. Akugqiba wawuphakamisa ebonisa uLayla waze wathi, “Awusacothi nje!”

            “Kungenxa yokuba le phazili inzima,” watsho uLayla.

            “Ndiqinisekile ukuba ndingayenza ngokukhawuleza kunawe,” watsho uShireen.

            “Kulungile,” watsho uLayla, “xa ndiyigqibile, uzukhe uzame ukuyidibanisa size sibone ke!”

            “Kulungile,” watsho uShireen, “kodwa kuphela ukuba ndiyafuna.”

            Wathi emva kokuba egqibile ukuyidibanisa iphazili uLayla, wayichitha kwakhona. Wafaka onke amaceba ayo ebhokisini ngaphandle kweceba elinye elineliso lokhozi kulo. Waza wanika uShireen loo bhokisi.

            “Nantsi iphazili,” watsho, “lithuba lakho lokuyidibanisa ke ngoku.”

            “Andifuni kuyidibanisa,” watsho uShireen.

            “Kodwa ubuthembisile nje!” watsho uLayla.

            “Hayi, khange ndithembise!” wakhwaza uShireen. “Bendithe nje ukuba ndiyafuna kwaye ke ngoku andifuni.”

            “Mhlawumbi awufuni kuba awukwazi kudibanisa iiphazili,” watsho uLayla.

            “Ndiyakwazi!” wakhwaza uShireen. “Ndiyincutshe ekudibaniseni iiphazili!”

            “Ukuba kunjalo yidibanise kaloku,” watsho uLayla.

            UShireen wayithi hlasi loo bhokisi esandleni sikaLayla. “Ndiza kuyidibanisa,” watsho uShireen, “kodwa ndiza kuyidibanisa kuphela ukuba uyaphuma uye kudlala phandle. Ndiza kukubiza xa ndiyigqibile.”

            ULayla waphuma phandle waze wazoba imifanekiso entlabathini ngoluthi lo gama, phaya ngaphakathi endlwini, uShireen evula ibhokisi yephazili ze aqalise ukuguqula amaceba ephazili ukuze kubonakale eli cala linemifanekiso.

            Phaya phandle, uLayla wachola umtya waze wawubophelela emthini womgwenye ukuze xa uShireen eyigqibile iphazili, badlale ugqaphu. Kodwa phaya ngaphakathi endlwini, uShireen wayesokoliswa kukudibanisa amaceba ephazili ukuze enze umfanekiso opheleleyo. Wayenqwenela ukuba akwaba ebengatshongo ukuba uyincutshe yokudibanisa iphazili. Ngokukhawuleza wayichitha indawo yephazili ebesele eyidibanisile waze wafaka onke loo maceba ayo kwasebhokisini. Wabaleka waphuma, wakhwaza uLayla owayesele ekhwele phezulu emthini womgwenye. “Ndiyigqibile!”

            “Uyidibanise yonke?” wabuza uLayla.

            “Ngqo,” watsho uShireen waza waqalisa ukugwencela, esenyuka apho emthini.

            “Yima!” uLayla wamkhwaza. “Ndiyehla ndifuna ukuzibonela.”

            “Kodwa sele ndiyichithile, ndawaqokelela amaceba ndaza ndawabeka,”watsho uShireen.

            “Kutheni?” wabuza uLayla.

            “Ukuze kungabikho mfuneko yokuba uyiqokelele sakugqiba ukudlala,”waphendula uShireen.

            “Owu,” watsho uLayla, “kodwa uthini ngeli iceba?” Waphakamisa iceba elineliso lokhozi awayeligcinile.

            UShireen wathi cwaka, akathetha. Wahlala kuloo mthi eziva esisidenge.

            Emva kwexeshana, uLayla wakhwaza, “Hee, qashela ukuba ndifumene ntoni, ndifumene iingwenye ezivuthiweyo. Uyazifuna?”

            “Ewe, ndingavuya,” watsho uShireen ngelizwi elincinane nelinkwinizayo.

            ULayla wehlela kwisebe elingezantsi emthini waya apho uShireen wayehleli khona, wamnika iingwenye. Bahlala apho bobabini, besitya iingwenye, bethifa iipete, bejonga ukuba ngubani phakathi kwabo ozitshicela kude.

            UShireen watshicela kude kakhulu.

            “Uyincutshe,” watsho uLayla.

            “Wena ke,” watsho uShireen, “ungoyena-yena mhlobo wam ndimthandayo.”

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Yenza eyakho iphazili! Sika, ukhuphe umfanekiso kwimagazini okanye kwiphephandaba – okanye uzizobele owakho. Wuncamathisele ngeglu lo mfanekiso kwikhadibhodi uze uzobe imigca kuwo ukuze uwohlule ube linani lamacandelo neziqwenga ofuna iphazili yakho ibe lilo. Emva koko ke sika ulandela loo migca. Xuba loo macetyana ephazili uze wakhe iphazili yakho okanye uyinike umhlobo wakho azidlalele.