Ngenye imini uLwazi wachola isitulwana esinamavili kwithafa elalisecaleni kwekhaya lakhe. Sasophukile, kodwa amavili aso amane ayesasebenza. Wawakhupha waza wawaqwalaselisa. “Kazi yintoni endinokuyenza ngala mavili,” wacinga. “Ndiyazi, ndiza kwenza umatrayivethi.”
Ngoko ke wenjenjeya ukuya kumchweli. “Mhlekazi, ingaba unawo amaplangana amadala onokundipha wona?”
Umchweli waya kwinyanda yakhe yamaplanga waza wafumana amaplanga amathathu amadala wawanika uLwazi. “Ina nanga,” watsho. “Ulumke ke kodwa. Ungahlatywa.”
Ngoku ke uLwazi wayenamavili amane namaplanga amathathu, kodwa kwakufuneka efumene nentambo.
Ngoko ke wenjenjeya ukuya ezibukweni. Wahlangana noMnumzana Smit, umlobi owayesothula intlanzi engusnoek kwisikhitshane sakhe. “Mnumzana Smit, ingaba unayo intambo endala onokundipha yona?”
“Ina nantsi,” watsho umlobi. “Inobude obuziimitha ezimbini. Uze ulumke ke xa uyiqhawula. Ungazisiki umnwe ngempazamo.”
Ngoku ke uLwazi wayenamavili amane, amaplanga amathathu kunye nentambo eziimitha ezimbini, kodwa wayengenzazo izikhonkwane.
Ngoko ke wenjenjeya ukuya kumkhandi weemoto wegaraji iGranville. “Mhlekazi, ingaba unazo izikhonkwane ezinamawatshisi onokundipha zona?”
“Nazi,” watsho umkhandi weemoto. “Ulumke ke kodwa. Ungazenzakalisi xa ubhora imingxuma.”
Ngoku ke uLwazi wayenamavili amane, amaplanga amathathu, intambo eziimitha ezimbini kunye nesandla sonke sezikhonkwane ezinamawatshisi. Wenjenjeya ukuya endlwini kamalume wakhe. UMalume uRodney wayeneyadi enkulu, waza ke uLwazi waqalisa ukusebenza.
Intsasa yonke uLwazi wasarha, wabethelela ngehamile, wabhora, wacanda, wasarha, walola. Kwathi kusiba semva kwemini wabe edinwe eyimfe, kodwa umatrayivethi wakhe wayengekawugqibi. Kwakusafuneka awugudise ngephepha elirhabaxa ukuze angahlatywa ziingceba zamaplanga.
“Wenza ntoni?” wabuza umzala wakhe uLulu xa aphuma phandle.
“Ndenza umatrayivethi,” ucacise njalo uLwazi.
“Ungandikhwelisa kuwo xa uwugqibile?” kubuze uLulu ngelicengayo.
“Ukuba uza kundincedisa xa ndimgudisayo,” kuphendule uLwazi.
Kwa-oko ke uLulu uthathe iphepha elirhabaxa waza waqalisa ukugudisa amacala, aze amahle, aguda.
Abahlobo bakaLwazi ababini, u-Ismail noMcKenzie, beza kudlula kuye xa besiya evenkileni. “Nenza ntoni?” babuze ooLwazi.
“Senza umatrayivethi,” kusho uLwazi kunye noLulu.
“Singawafumana amareyi xa niyigqibile?”
“Ukuba nisincedisile,” baphendula ngelitshoyo.
Kwa-oko ke amakhwenkwe athatha amanye amaphepha arhabaxa aze agudisa umatrayivethi ngaphakathi, ngaphambili nangasemva waze wakhangeleka egudile kwaye emhle. Ekugqibelene umatrayivethi ude wagqitywa.
“Ndiza kuba ngowokuqala ngqa ukukhwela,” watsho uLwazi, etsala lo matrayivethi, ewusa encotsheni yenduli.
“Hayi ngamaqhinga lawo,” watsho uLulu. “Ubuthe nam ndingakhwela.”
“Nathi,” kutsho u-Ismail noMcKenzie. “Uthe sonke singakhwela kuwo.”
“Nathi sifuna awethu amareyi!” kukhwaze uLulu no-Ismail kunye noMcKenzie.
Ngoko ke bathe ukufika kwabo encotsheni yenduli bakhwela bonke – uLulu no-Ismali noMcKenzie bakhwela kumatrayivethi baza babambelela. “Nantso ke!” wakhwaza uLwazi, ewutyhala waza watsibela ngaphezulu, ekhwela ngasemva.
Waqengqeleka ngesantya esiphezulu esihla, egoqoza, engxola, bona bekhala abanye behleka, wada wakhwaza uLulu esithi, “Hayini bo, nanku umgxobhozo! Siza kuwumisa njani lo matrayivethi?”
“Yho,” watsho uLwazi, “Ndilibele ukwenza IZIQHOBOSHI!!!”
Folokohlo, gqum, gingqi, dyumpu!
Umatrayivethi wangena elucingweni, baza abantwana babhabha ngaphaya kocingo baya kuthi dyumpu emgxobhozweni.
“Owu, owu, owu,” walila uMcKenzie, ephuma emanzini ukuze akwazi ukuphefumla, “Impumlo yam ibuhlungu.”
“Shu!” wakhwaza u-Ismail, esusa ukhula lwasemanzini ebusweni bakhe. “Intloko yam ibuhlungu.”
“Iyho, yho, yho, iimpundu zam azibuhlungu!” wakhala uLulu egxadazela ephuma emgxobhozweni.
“Uphi uLwazi?” wakhala uLulu. “Ingaba utshone emanzini?”
“Ingaba urhaxiwe?” wakhala ngelibuzayo u-Ismail noMcKenzie.
“Ndilapha!” watsho uLwazi ejonge ngaphaya kocingo. “Khanijonge usizana lukamatrayivethi!” Ecaleni kwendlela kwakuthe geqe amavili amane, amaplanga amathathu, intambo eziimitha ezimbini kunye nesicuku sezikhonkwane namawatshisi.
“Owu nkosi yam,” watsho uLwazi. “Kuza kufuneka siqale phantsi kwakhona.”
“Kweli tyeli ke” watsho uLulu ephulula impundu zakhe, “uncede ungalibali ukufaka iziqhoboshi.”
Kwathi qhuzu intsini behleka bonke.
