Kwenye ilali ekude, kwakukho inkwenkwe eyayihlupheke kakhulu isalusa iigusha ukuze yondle intsapho yayo. Yayisoloko inobubele kwaye ibanceda abamelwane bayo kwaye iyintsikelelo kumakhulu notatomkhulu abamkhulisa eseyinkwenkwana. Igama layo yayinguThabo ibe yayithandwa ngumntu wonke.

“Heke! Enkosi, Thabo, ngokuyondithengela isonka evenkileni,” watsho uMam’ uAbbas. “Ungayithatha itshintshi ndikuphile.”

Kodwa uThabo wayesazi ukuba uMam’ uAbbas wayezidinga zonke iisenti anazo. “Ungakhathazeki, Mam’ uAbbas,” watsho, encumile. “Ububele abuthengwa ngamali.”

Ngenye imini, umfama awayesebenza kuye uThabo, wafika ekhaya ehamba nomtshana wakhe uSimphiwe. USimphiwe wayenxibe kakuhle esikhupha nangeempumlo isiNgesi.

“Thabo, yiza ndikudibanise noSimphiwe,” watsho umfama. “USimphiwe uhlala edolophini kodwa uza kusityelela ixeshana. Ndiyathemba niza kuvana nize nichithisane isithukuthezi.” UThabo wavuya kakhulu akudibana nomntu oyintanga yakhe. Wayenethemba lokuba baza kuba ziitshomi zokwenene.

Kodwa uvuyo lukaThabo lwatshintsha msinya lwaba kukudana. Kwathi kanti uSimphiwe wayekrwada kwaye ephakamile. Wayengamhloniphi umalume wakhe kwaye engahloniphi nabanye abasebenzi basefama. “Aba bantu bangamaqaba nyhani,” watsho uSimphiwe, watsho eyothula phezulu intsini ehleka amadoda awayekhwela iinqwelo zeedonki ukuya nokubuya emsebenzini. “Inoba ungenwe yintoni umntu okhetha ukuhlala apha kula magqagala phofu?”

USimphiwe wayengafuni nokuncedisa kwimisebenzi yosuku efama. “Ndifundile kaloku mna. Nicinga ukuba ndingaya esikolweni ndakugqiba ndenze imisebenzi efuna amandla? Soze mna ndenze namnye kule misebenzi!”

Kunokuba ancedise, uSimphiwe wachitha iintsuku zakhe ethe didli phantsi komthi, engafuni kuncedisa ekwenzeni ibrakfesi okanye isidlo sasemini okanye ukwenza nayiphi imisebenzi. UThabo yamdanisa kakhulu into yokuba inkwenkwe eyintanga yakhe ibe livila kwaye ibe nolunya kangaka. “Mna ndifunde kwisikolo salapha elalini. Phaya sifundiswa ukubaluleka kobubele nokukhuthala emsebenzini. USimphiwe yena akazifundanga ezi zinto zisisiseko,” wacinga watsho uThabo. “Sisidenge ukuba ucinga ukuba uza kuphila ubomi ngale ndlela.”

Ngenye imini, uSimphiwe wayebhorekile waza wagqiba ekubeni akhe ahambe aye kwihlathi elijikeleze loo fama. Wonke umntu wamlumkisa esithi le nto iyingozi, kuba kukho izinja zasendle ezihlala kwelo hlathi. Zazisoloko zilambile kwaye zingenabuhlobo konke konke! Kodwa uSimphiwe wasuka wahleka. “Nazi ntoni nina?” wakrwadaza watsho. “Ndinengqondo kaloku mna ndiyakwazi ukuzikhusela.”

UThabo wayemke nomfama beyokuthenga izinto. Ekubuyeni kwakhe, abasebenzi bamxelela ukuba uSimphiwe uye wahamba wayokungena ehlathini yedwa. Ngoko nangoko uThabo wathatha intonga yakhe nebhokisi yomatshisi waza wabaleka wayokukhangela uSimphiwe.

“Akayazi ingozi akuyo,” watsho uThabo ezisebezela ngoxa wayetyhutyha elo hlathi ekhawuleza kangangoko. “Abanye bathe kum mandiyeke le nkwenkwe ekrwada yasedolophini ifunde isifundo, kodwa andifuni kwenzeke into embi kuSimphiwe. Kuza kuba mnyama kungekudala, ibe ihlathi liyindawo eyingozi, ngokukodwa kwinkwenkwe efana noSimphiwe engazange yaphuma edolophini ngaphambili.”

UThabo wayesele enexesha elide ekhangela xa ngequbuliso weva isikhalo esamothusayo. Wabaleka esiya ngakwicala esitsho ngakulo waza wabona uSimphiwe engqongwe liqela lezinja zasendle. Ezi zinja zazimkhuphele amazinyo zilungele ukumqwenga. UThabo kwafuneka acinge msinya. Walayita intonga awayeze nayo waza waleqa ezo zinj

“Kangangethutyana, ezo zinja zazisafuna ukuwahlasela la makhwenkwe, kodwa ekugqibeleni zajika zaza zabaleka zemka.

USimphiwe wayengcangcazela luloyiko. Wayekruneke eqatheni xa ezama ukubaleka ezo zinja ibe wayeqhwalela ngenxa yeentlungu. UThabo wayenamandla ngenxa yokusebenza kwakhe efama, ngoko wamthwala uSimphiwe wayokufika naye efama.

USimphiwe wachacha emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa, kodwa yayikho into eyayitshintshile kuye. Wayenobubele noko kwaye engasaqhayisi kangako. Wayethule kunakuqala kwaye emhlonipha umalume wakhe nabo bonke abasebenzi. Xa ebona uThabo, wambulela ngokusindisa ubomi bakhe waza wafuna ukumpha iselfowuni yakhe ukuze ambulele, kodwa uThabo akazange avume ukwamkela esi sipho. Wancuma waza wathi, “Ububele abuthengwa ngamali,” waza waqhubeka ehlamba inqwelo yeedonki.

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