Uyise kaHanna wayengumdobi wezinhlanzi. Waphuma endlini waya olwandle. Waphakamisa isandla evalelisa ngenkathi ehamba. UHanna wayazi ukuthi uzohambela izinsuku ngezinsuku, kodwa kwakuthi uma ebuya, eze nezinhlanzi ezintsha ezizothoswa.

Emva kwalokho unina kaHanna wakhwishiza njengomoya. Kwakufanele asebenze nsuku zonke zesonto inyanga yonke.

“Ngishiywe yisikhathi,” kumemeza yena. “U-Anti Taliep ophuma kwamakhelwane uzosivakashela. Hlala lapha ngaphakathi aze afike. Ngizobuye ngikubone. Ngikuthanda kakhulu.” Wayeqabula isandla bese ethumela ngesandla ukuqabula kwakhe ngenkathi ephuthuma ibhasi.

UHanna wayigqolozela ngefasitela ibhasi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Wayezizwa enesizungu. Wayesecosha isiqephu sephepha kanye nepensela edweba umfanekiso wobuso obunezinyembezi ezehla nezihlathi. Emva kwalokho wezwa u-Anti Taliep evula ngesikhiye umnyango ongaphambili.

“Sawubona, Hanna,” kusho u-Anti Taliep. “Yini lena?” Wathatha isiqephu sephepha wasibuka. “Mmm,” kusho yena, “asikho isikhathi sombhedo. Hamba uye esitolo kwa-Allie kwamakhelwane uthenge isinkwa nobisi. Ngidinga itiye lami.”

Ngenkathi evala umnyango wangaphambili, uHanna wawubona umdwebo

wakhe ufohlozwa uba yisigaqana phansi ekhishini. Uma efika kwa-Allie walinda

waze wabonwa uMnu Ismail.

“Sawubona, Hanna,” esho emoyizela. “Ufuna isinkwa nobisi njengokwejwayelekile? Usalokhu umfishane ungakakwazi ukufinyelela eshalofini?” Anikine ikhanda. “Ungakhathazeki, uzokhula kungekudala nje.”

Wahleka ngomusa kanti nontombazanyana wamoyizela. Emva kwalokho wayesebheka phansi. Phansi eduze kwezinyawo zakhe kwakukhona isiqephu sephepha – ikhasi elilodwa elinamagama ambalwa kanye nezithombe eziningi kulo. Walicosha. UMnumzane Ismail walibona.

“Uzomangala ukuthi yini epheshulelwa umoya lapha ngaphakathi,” kusho yena. “Ungalithatha uma ulifuna.” Wamnikeza isinkwa nobisi. “Nazo-ke – nakhu okuthengile.”

“Shesha, shesha,” kuthetha u-Anti Taliep ngenkathi uHanna evula umnyango, “umdlalo wami oluchungechunge ongapheli usuqalile kumabonakude.” Wathatha isikhwanyana sokuthenga kuHanna wayesenza itiye ngokushesha.

UHanna wahlala phansi etafuleni lasekhishini. Washikisha isiqephu sephepha alicoshile wayesefunda igama elilodwa – uJamela. Kwakukhona izithombe eziningi zikaJamela. UJamela ecisha amakhandlela ekhekheni losuku lokuzalwa. UJamela ecasha ekhadibhodini. UJamela egoqwe ngengutshana ethandekayo kanye noJamela ebambe isikhukhukazi esincane esibomvu.

UHanna waphefumulela phezulu. Wayefisa sengathi ngabe kwakunguMsombuluko. Wayefuna ukubona ukuthi ngabe kwakukhona yini othile okuthiwa uJamela. Wayefuna ukuthola umngani ofana ncimishi noJamela.

NgoMsombuluko wagijima waya ekilasini likaNkosazana Witbooi. “Uxolo, Nkosazana, uyamazi uJamela?”

“Akukho Jamela lapha. Buyela ekilasini lakho,” kusho uNkosazana Witbooi.

NgoLwesibili, uHanna waya ekilasini likaNkosikazi Booysen. “Uxolo, Nkosikazi …”, kodwa akabange esaqhubeka nayekusho.

“Hanna Pieterse! Uzokwenzani lapha? Izifundo seziqalile,” kumemeza uNkosikazi Booysen.

NgoLwesithathu, wabuza kuMnumzane Hendricks. Kodwa akekho owayemazi uJamela.

UHanna wabuka izithombe esiqeshini sephepha izikhathi eziningi ngangokuthi ikhasi laba yizicucu noJamela waze wanyamalala.

Kwathi-ke ngolunye usuku ikilasi lazikhipha laya emtatsheni wezincwadi. Lapho, ngemuva kwekhawunta, kwakunowesifazane onobuso obulungile. UHanna waya kuye.

“Ye-yebo,” kusho lo mama. “Usuyikhethile incwadi?”

UHanna wanikina ikhanda, emva kwalokho wayesebuza, “Uyamazi yini uJamela?”

Umama lona wagobela phambili. “Ngabe usekilasini elizikhiphele lapha?” kubuza yena. UHanna wanqekuzisa ikhanda futhi wethemba ukuthi lona wesifazane ngeke acasuke. Umama lo waswaca. Wahamba waya ngemuva kwekhawunta wayesebamba uHanna ngesandla. “Hamba nami,” kwasho yena, wayesemoyizela. “Ngiyayazi intombazanyana egama layo nguJamela. Kukhona nomfana futhi engimaziyo ogama lakhe ngu-Ashraf. Ngazi ngisho igundane ogama lalo nguWolfgang.”

Ihora lonke eligcwele elimangalisayo, nelithokozisayo, uHanna wahlangana nabangani abaningi. Wavula izincwadi waya ezindaweni eziningi ezihlukahlukene emhlabeni wonke.

Emakhasaini, wayebona izinto ezimangaza kakhulu. Ezithombeni, wabona zonke izinto ezimangalisayo ezazenziwe nguJamela. Ngenkathi unina kaHanna eyeka ukusebenza ngezimpelasonto noyise esekhaya ebuya olwandle, bahlala ndawonye bafunda izincwadi. Bendawonye bahamba bayothenga ezitolo babuye bayodansa noPapa Lucky. Futhi baze

bahamba ngisho nanendlulamithi.

Futhi uHanna wakhohlwa konke ngokudweba ubuso obudumele nokuzizwa elahliwe ngoba kwakuvele kungenjalo.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

UJamela noPapa Lucky abaphuma encwadini Abangani bakaHanna ngabalingiswa abaphuma encwadini yezithombe yombhali wezingane waseNingizimu Afrika, uNiki Daly. Yibaphi abalingiswa bendaba abakhonzwe yizingane zakho? Zikhuthaze ukuthi zidwebe izithombe zomlingiswa oyedwa noma ngaphezulu abamkhonzile bese emva kwalokho zenze indaba entsha

enalaba balingiswa.