ULayla wayewathanda amaphazili akhipha umfanekiso othile. Wayethanda konke nje ngawo – kusukela esithombeni esisebhokisini ukuya esikhathini lapho efaka ucezu lokugcina endaweni yalo. Wayethanda nomsindo kanye nendlela okuzwakala ngayo izingcezu lapho ezinyakazisa etafuleni. Ngakho-ke njalo ngoMgqibelo ekuseni, lapho umama emhambisa emtatsheni wezincwadi ukuze ayoshintsha izincwadi zakhe zasemtatsheni wezincwadi, uLayla wayethatha nephazili.

            Manje-ke, umsizi wasemtatsheni wezincwadi wayegcina wonke amaphazili eshalofini elingemuva kwedeski lakhe futhi njalo ngoMgqibelo lapho uLayla ecela ukuboleka amaphazili, umsizi wasemtatsheni wezincwadi wayethi, “Ncinci, Layla, kodwa uyazifela ngamaphazili!” NoLayla wayengenandaba ngoba WAYEZIFELA ngawo!

            IMigqibelo eminingi ngemva kokuya emtatsheni wezincwadi, uShireen, umngani omkhulu kaLayla, wayezodlala. Empeleni, wayecisheabe ngumngani kaLayla omkhulu, ngaphandle kwento eyodwa – uShireen kwakumele kube nguye ohamba phambili ezintweni zonke.

            Ekuseni ngomunye uMgqibelo, uLayla waboleka iphazili yeNkwazi yase-Afrika emtatsheni wezincwadi. Lesi sithombe sasikhombisa inyoni iphezulu esibhakabhakeni ivule amaphiko ibambe inhlanzi ngamazipho ayo. Iphazili yayinezingcezu eziningi kunamaphazili uLayla ake wawenza. Kwakungekhona lokho kuphela, izingcezu zazizincane kunazo zonke ezamaphazili uLayla ake wawenza. Wayengajabule nje uLayla! Kodwa uShireen wayengathokozile neze ngoba into nje uLayla ayefuna ukuyenza kwakungukuqala ukwenza iphazili.

            “Angifuni ukwenza iphazili eyenza isithukuthezi,” kusho uShireen. “Okungcono masidlale ukuthenga esitolo.”

            “Kulungile,” kusho uLayla, “sizobe sesenza iphazili yami.”

            “Ngizoba umninisitolo,” kusho uShireen, “ngoba ngimuhle kakhulu ekubeni umninisitolo, wena-ke ungaba yikhasimende lami.”

            Kungaphelanga sikhathi eside uLayla wayesesebenzise imali yakhe yonke. UShireen wabe esethi, “Make sidlale izibhedlela.”

            “Cha,” kusho uLayla. “Ngidlalile ukuthenga esitolo. Manje masenze iphazili yami.”

            Noma kunjalo uShireen, ngesizathu esingaziwa, wayengafuni ukudlala iphazili, ngakho-ke wathi, “Make sidlale izibhedlela manje bese senza iphazili ngemva kwesidlo sasemini.”

            Benza kanjalo-ke.

            “Ngizoba ngudokotela,” kusho uShireen.

            “Ngeke, ubungumninisitolo,” kusho uLayla. “Yimi ozoba ngudokotela.”

            “Angeke ukwazi,” kusho uShireen, “ngoba mina ngifanele kakhulu ukuba ngudokotela.”

            Ngakho-ke, uShireen waba ngudokotela uLayla waba isiguli!

            Lapho uDokotela uShireen eqala ukuxilonga isiguli, wakitaza isiguli isiguli sabe sesiqala ukugigitheka, singasakwazi ukulala singanyakazi. Ngakho-ke uDokotela uShireen wasithethisa wathi, “Yeka ukunyakaza, uma ungayeki angeke ngisadlala nawe.”

            Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba uDokotela uShireen athukuthele nakakhulu, umama kaLayla wababizela isidlo sasemini.

            “Ngiyethemba ukuthi ninesikhathi esimnandi mantombazane,” kusho umama kaLayla.

            “Yebo,” kusho uLayla owayesezoluma uroti wakhe omnandi ofakwe ibhotela lamantongomane, izaqathi ezihhahlaziwe namasulthana. “Sizokwenza iphazili yami ngemva kwesidlo sasemini.”

            “Angiyifuni iphazili yakho,” kusho uShireen.

            “Kodwa bewethembisile,” kusho uLayla.

            “Yebo kunjalo, angisafuni-ke manje. Ngifuna ukuhlobisa ngombala,” kusho uShireen.

            Ngalesi sikhathi, uLayla wayesekhathele uShireen othi, “Ngimuhle ekwenzeni yonke into” futhi wayemthukuthelele ngokwephula izethembiso. Ayikho into eyayizomvimba ukuthi enze iphazili. Ngakho-ke ngemva kwesidlo sasemini, uLayla wanikeza uShireen incwadi yokuhlobisa ngemibala ukuze uShireen ahlobise izithombe ngombala ngesikhathi yena enza iphazili. Kodwa kwakusele isithombe esisodwa esizofakwa umbala kanti uShireen wasiqeda kungaphelanga sikhathi. Wase esiphakamisela phezulu ukuze akhombise uLayla wase ethi, “Awuve wenza kancane!”

            “Yingoba le phazili inzima,” kusho uLayla.

            “Ngingayenza ngokushesha ukudlula wena,” kusho uShireen.

            “Kulungile,” kusho uLayla, “uma sengiyiqedile, ungazama ukuyenza ngokushesha, sizoke sibone-ke!”

            “Kulungile,” kusho uShireen, “kodwa ngizokwenza lokho kuphela uma ngithanda.”

            Lapho uLayla eseqede iphazili, wayihlukanisa. Wabuyisela zonke izingcezu ebhokisini ngaphandle kocezu olunehlo lenkwazi kulo. Wase enikeza uShireen ibhokisi.

            “Nanso-ke,” kusho yena, “sekuyithuba lakho manje.”

            “Angithandi ukuyenza,” kusho uShireen.

            “Kodwa wethembisile!” kusho uLayla.

            “Cha, angizange!” kumemeza uShireen. “Ngithe kuphela uma ngithanda kanti-ke angifuni.”

            “Mhlawumbe awufuni ngoba awukwazi ukwenza amaphazili,” kusho uLayla.

            “Ngiyakwazi!” kuthetha uShireen. “Ngiphambili kakhulu ekwenzeni amaphazili!”

            “Yenze-ke phela,” kusho uLayla.

            UShireen wagxavuna ibhokisi kuLayla. “Ngizoyenza,” kusho uShireen, “kodwa kuphela uma uhamba uyodlala phandle. Ngizokubiza uma sengiqedile.”

            ULayla waya ngaphandle wase edweba izithombe esihlabathini ngenduku, ngesikhathi, endlini, uShireen evula ibhokisi lephazili wase eqala ukuphendula izithombe zibe ngaphezulu.

            Phandle, uLayla wathola intambo endala wase eyibophela esihlahleni sikamalukwata ukuze uma uShireen eseqede iphazili bezodlala umdlalo wokugxuma. Kodwa endlini, uShireen wayehluleka ukuhlanganisa izingcezu zephazili ndawonye. Wayefisa sengathi ngabe ubengashongo ukuthi uphambili kakhulu ekwenzeni amaphazili. Ngokushesha, wahlakaza izingcezu ezimbalwa zephazili abekwaze ukuyenza wase ebuyisela zonke izingcezu ebhokisini. Wase egijima eya phandle eyomemeza uLayla owayesegibele wayofika phezulu esihlahleni sikamalukwata ethi, “Sengiqedile!”

            “Yonke?” kubuza uLayla.

            “Yebo,” kusho uShireen, wase eqala ukukhwela emthini.

            “Yima!” kumemeza uLayla. “Ngiyehla ngizobona.”

            “Kodwa sengiyibekile iphazili,” kusho uShireen.

            “Ngoba?” kubuza uLayla.

            “Ukuze ungabuyiseli zonke izingcezu wedwa kamuva,” kuphendula uShireen.

            “Bala bo,” kusho uLayla, “kodwa manje uthini ngalolu cezu?” Waphakamisa ucezu olunehlo lenkwazi alugcinile.

            UShireen wathula wathi du. Wahlala esihlahleni ezibona ubuwula.

            Ngemva kwesikhashana, uLayla wamemeza wathi, “Ake ubheke, bona ukuthi ngitholeni, ngithole amalukwata avuthiwe. Uyawafuna?”

            “Yebo, ngiyawacela,” kusho uShireen ngezwi elincane kakhulu.

            ULayla wehlela egatsheni elingezansana lapho kuhleli khona uShireen wase emnika amanye. Base behlala lapho, bedla amalukwata, futhi bebheka nokuthi bangaziphimisa ziye kude kangakanani izindumbuluzi.

            UShireen waziphimisa zaya kude nakakhulu.

            “Ungumpetha,” kusho uLayla.

            “Kanti wena,” kusho uShireen, “ungumngani omkhulu ukudlula bonke abanye.”

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Yakha iphazili yakho! Sika isithombe usikhiphe ephephabhukwini noma ephephandabeni – noma dweba esakho. Namathisela isithombe ngeglu ocezwini lwekhalibhothi bese udweba imigqa kulo ukuze ulehlukanise libe yinani lezingcezu ongathanda ukuthi iphazili yakho ibe nazo. Manje sika ulandele imigqa. Hlanganisa izingcezu bese wakha iphazili yakho noma uyinike umngani ukuthi ayakhe.