Kwasukela ngezelamani zabafana ezimbili ezazibizwa ngoKabelo noLefa ezazihlala emzaneni esigodini esiphansi. Zazinodadewabo ababili abancane, ngakho unina wayenezingane ezine okwakumele azondle. Wayesebenza imini nobusuku, epheka abuye acoce, ethunga abuye apheshe, emba abuye asiphule ukhula esivandeni sakhe semifino.
Yayihlale ingekho imali eyanele zonke izinto ezazidingwa umndeni. “Nina bafana nobabili senikhule ngokwenele ukuba ningaya edolobheni niyofuna umsebenzi,” kusho unina ngelinye ilanga. Ngakho uKabelo noLefa bapakisha konke okwakungokwabo, bakufaka kobhaka babo babhekisa amabombo edolobheni.
“Ngizoba yindoda ecebe kunawo wonke e-Afrika,” kuqhosha uKabelo njengoba babehamba emgwaqweni oyibhuqu owawuzungeza ukhuphukela emagqumeni. “Ngikhaliphile futhi ngimuhle kakhulu, ngiyabona nje ukuthi ngeke kungithathe isikhathi eside ukuba ngibe yisicebi.”
“Kuhle lokho,” kusho uLefa.
“Mhlawumbe nawe ungawuthola umsebenzi, uma ube nenhlanhla,” kusho uKabelo. “Mhlawumbe ungashanela imigwaqo yasedolobheni.”
“Kungaba kuhle lokho,” kusho uLefa. “Inqobo nje uma ngiyokwazi ukuthumela okuthile kuMama nodadewethu abancane, ngiyojabula.”
Babe sebehambe isikhathi sonke sasekuseni, kanti nelanga lalibelesele bo. Ngezikhathi zamadina izelamani lezi zabe sezikhathele nephango libhokile.
Ngokuphazima kweso babona ikhehla elinentshebe emhlophe lihamba emgwaqweni liza ngakubona. Laligobile ngenxa yesisindo sesaka elalilithwele emhlane.
“Sanibona, zinsizwa,” kusho ikhehla leli ngenkathi lifika kubona. “Niya kuphi?”
“Akuyona indaba yakho leyo,” kubhoka uKabelo. “Kukhonani kulelo saka lakho, madala?”
“Amatshe nje,” kuphendula ikhehla. “Pho nina nobabili nilibangise kuphi?”
“Siya edolobheni ukuze sithole imali,” kusho uLefa ngenhlonipho.
“Mhlawumbe nginganisiza nje,” kusho ikhehla. Lafaka isandla salo ephaketheni lakhipha isikhwama sesikhumba esasigcwele izinhlamvu zegolide. “Pho, ubani kinina ongathanda lesi sikhwama?” kubuza lona.
“Yimi, yimi!” kumemeza uKabelo. “Ngiyasifuna.”
“Mina-ke sithathe,” kusho ikhehla, labe selinikeza uKabelo isikhwama sesikhumba, owaphuthuma wasi hla kubhaka wakhe. Wabe esebheka ikhehla ngobugovu ukuze abone ukuthi yini enye elaliyiphethe.
Ikhehla lafaka isandla salo kwelinye iphakethe lalo. Manje lakhipha ibhokisi elincane lesikhumba esinsundu.
“Kukhonani lapho?” kubuza uKabelo, amehlo akhe esebenyezela.
Ikhehla laphequla isivalo sebhokisi lavuleka. Ngaphakathi kwakunedayimane elikhulukazi.
Lalibenyezela futhi licwebezeliswa ukukhanya, uLefa wacabanga ukuthi kwabe kuyinto enhle kunazo zonke ayeke wazibona.
“Ubani kinina ofuna leli dayimane?” kubuza ikhehla.
“Yimi, yimi!” kumemeza uKabelo. “Ngiyalifuna. Linikeze mina.” Ngakho ikhehla lanikeza uKabelo idayimane noKabelo walithukusa ekujuleni kwephakethe lebhulukwe lakhe.
Ikhehla lacosha isaka lalo elisindayo futhi. “Ubani kinina ongathanda ukungithwalela leli saka lamatshe ngiyofika emzini wakini?” ebuza, ezama ukukhwexela isaka phezu kwamahlombe akhe ayezacile esemadala. “Liyasinda bo, kanti nami sengikhathele kakhulu.”
“Cha bo, hhayi mina!” kuzikhalela uKabelo. “Asiyi khona kulowo muzi thina. Siya edolobheni. Anginaso isikhathi sokukusiza.”
ULefa wabheka emuva emgwaqweni omude abase bewuhambile ekuseni ngalelo langa. “Angeke ukwazi ukuhamba yonke le ndlela wedwa, Baba,” kusho yena. “Kukude kakhulu ukuba wena ungahamba nalelo saka elisindayo ngaphambi kokuba kushone ilanga. Ngizohamba nawe. Ngizokuthwalela isaka lakho.”
“Musa ukuba yisiphukuphuku wena!” kusho uKabelo ememeza uLefa. “Ungacabangi ukuthi ngizolindana nawe mina. Ubuyela le emuva emzini wakithi, ngoba nje ufuna ukusiza leli khehla? Awusoze waba nemali uma wenza kanje!”
ULefa wayekhathazekile. Wayefuna ukuhamba nomfowabo, kodwa wathi uma ebona ikhehla leli lisindwa umthwalo wesaka, wahluleka ukulishiya.
“Kulungile hamba, Kabelo,” kusho yena. “Ngizoku ca. Ngizogijima uma sengibuya yikhona ngizoku ca.”
“Kulungile-ke, kodwa wazi ukuthi ngeke ngilindane nawe mina,” kusho uKabelo. “Ngifuna ukufika edolobheni ngidayise leli dayimane lami elisha nelibenyezelayo.” Washo ezihambela uKabelo, ehlaba umlozi ngenjabulo.
ULefa waphonsa isaka emahlombe akhe. Lalisinda we bantu, wezwa amathambo akhe egedleza.
“Woza Baba,” kusho yena emamatheka. “Asizame ukufinyelela emzini laphaya ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga.”
Badavuza intambama yonke. Ngenyathelo ngalinye ababelithatha kwakungathi nesaka leli liya ngokuya lisinda. Masisha nje uLefa wayesemanzi te umjuluko. Kodwa waqhubeka wahamba, ethwele isaka lekhehla.
Ekugcineni ba ka emzini lowo. Kwase kucishe kube mnyama.
“Uhlala kuphi, Baba,” kubuza uLefa. “Ingabe uyayidinga indawo yokulala ngalobu busuku? Umndeni wami awunalutho olutheni, kodwa ngiyazi umama angajabula kabi ukuhlanganyela nawe esidlweni sakusihlwa, akunikeze nendawo yokulala.”
Ikhehla lahlala phansi esiqwini sesihlahla. “Kulungile lapha,” kusho lona.
“Kodwa awukwazi ukuhlala lapha,” kusho uLefa. “Akuphephile. Kukhona ongantshontsha isaka lakho.”
“Lithathe,” kuphendula ikhehla. Goduka uye kumama wakho, umnikeze isaka lelo.
“Cha, cha,” kubabaza uLefa. “Angikwazi ukuvele ngithathe isaka lakho nje. Uyalidinga.”
“Yisipho esivela kimi engikupha sona,” kusho lona ikhehla.
ULefa waqaqa ifindo elivale isaka walunguza ngaphakathi. Kukhona okwakubenyezela kulokhu kukhanya kwelanga okwase ku phala. ULefa wafaka isandla phakathi wakukhipha. Kwakuyidayimane. Wabe eselivula kakhudlwana isaka – isaka lonke laligcwele amadayimane aligugu!
“Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga!” kusho uLefa. Kodwa wathi lapho ephenduka eqalaza, ikhehla labe selinyamalele. Kwakungasekho nophawu lokuthi belilapho. Yisaka lamadayimane kuphela elalisasele.
Kwadliwa isidlo ngentokozo ngalobo busuku ekhaya likaLefa. Wayengahambanga nasikhathi esitheni, kodwa wayesenzele umndeni wakhe imali eningi! Unina nodadewabo babejabule kakhulu, basina, bacula kwaze kwaba sebusuku.
Emva kwezinyanga eziningi, uKabelo oyigovu wabuyela emzini lowo elambatha ezobukisa ngemoto yakhe entsha nezingubo zikanokusho. Wa ca umndeni wakhe uzitika ngokudla okuphambili esithabathabeni sekhaya eliwumuzi wawo omusha. Emqaleni kanina kwakunomgexo wamadayimane amahle.
