Emzini othile okude, kwakunomfana ohlupheke kakhulu owayehlala khona owayelusa izimvu ukuze ondle umndeni wakubo. Njalo wayehlala enomusa futhi ewusizo komakhelwane bakhe futhi eyisibusiso kugogo nomkhulu wakhe abamkhulisa kusukela engumfanyana omncane. Igama lakhe kwakunguThabo futhi wayethandwa yibo bonke abantu.

“Hawu! Ngiyabonga, Thabo, ngokuyongithengela isinkwa,” kusho uNkk Abbas. “Wuthathe ushintshi.”

Kodwa uThabo wayazi ukuthi uNkk Abbas wayedinga isenti ngalinye emalini anayo. “Kulungile, Mam’uAbbas,” esho, emamatheka. “Umusa awukhokhelwa.”

Ngolunye usuku, umnikazi wepulazi uThabo ayemsebenzela, wafika ekhaya nomshana wakhe uSimphiwe. USimphiwe wayegqoke izimpahla ezinhle futhi esikhuluma kahle isiNgisi.

“Thabo, woza uzobingelela uSimphiwe,” kusho umnikazi wepulazi. “USimphiwe uhlala edolobheni kodwa usivakashele okwesikhashana. Ngithemba ukuthi nina nobabili nizozwana futhi nibe ngabangane.” UThabo wajabula ukuhlangana nomuntu ongangaye. Wayenethemba lokuthi, bazoba ngabangane abakhulu.

Kodwa injabulo kaThabo ngokushesha yaphenduka indumalo. Kwacaca ukuthi, uSimphiwe wayeluhlaza futhi ezikhukhumeza. Wayengamhloniphi umalume wakhe kanye nazo zonke izisebenzi zasepulazini. “Laba bantu bayisidala,” kusho uSimphiwe, efa insini ehleka amadoda ayeya emsebenzini futhi ebuyela ekhaya egibele izinqola zezimbongolo. “Kungani nje kunabantu abakhetha ukuzohlala lapha esigangeni?”

USimphiwe wenqaba ngisho nokusiza ngemisebenzi yansuku zonke yasepulazini. “Mina ngiyisifundiswa. Ucabanga ukuthi ngifundela nje ukwenza imisetshenzana engasile? Akukho msebenzi engizowenza lapha!”

Kunokuba asize, uSimphiwe wachitha izinsuku zakhe ezihlalele ngaphansi kwesihlahla, enqaba ukusiza ukulungiselela ukudla kwasekuseni noma ilantshi noma ukwenza nanoma yimuphi umsebenzi. UThabo wadumala kakhulu ngokuthi umfana ongangaye wayeyivila kangaka futhi engenamusa. “Ngifunda esikoleni sendawo. Lapho sifundiswa ukubaluleka kokubonisa umusa nokuzikhandla. USimphiwe akakazifundi lezi zinto eziyisisekelo,” kucabanga uThabo. “Uyisilima ngokucabanga ukuthi kuzomhambela kahle ekuphileni uma eqhuba kanje.”

Ngolunye usuku, uSimphiwe wayebhorekile futhi wanquma ukuthi wayengathanda ukuthi ake ayohambahamba ehlathini eliseduze nasepulazini. Bonke abantu bamxwayisa ngokuthi kuyingozi lokho, ngoba kwakunezinja ezizulazulayo ezazihlala ehlathini. Zazihlala zilambile futhi zingenabungane neze! Kodwa uSimphiwe wamane wahleka. “Nazini nina?” esho ngokudelela. “Ngihlakaniphe kabi mina ngiyakwazi ukuzinakekela.”

UThabo wayehambe nomnikazi wepulazi beyothenga izinto ezazidingeka. Lapho ebuya, izisebenzi zamtshela ukuthi uSimphiwe wayenqume ukuyohambahamba ehlathini eyedwa. Ngokushesha uThabo wathatha induku nebhokisi likamentshisi futhi wagijima eyofuna uSimphiwe.

“Akazi ukuthi usengozini engakanani,” uThabo ekhuluma yedwa kuyilapho edabula ehlathini ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka. “Bashilo abanye ukuthi ngimyeke lo mfana oluhlaza wasedolobheni ukuba afunde isifundo, kodwa angifuni kwenzeke into embi kuSimphiwe. Kuzoba sekumnyama khona manje, futhi ihlathi liyingozi kabi, ikakhulukazi emfaneni onjengoSimphiwe ongakaze aphume edolobheni ngaphambili.”

Kwase kuyisikhathi eside uThabo emcinga lapho ngokuphazima kweso ezwa ukumemeza okwamethusa. Wagijima waya ngalapho ukumemeza kwakuvela ngakhona futhi wabona uSimphiwe ezungezwe ngumhlambi wezinja ezizulazulayo. Izinja zazimkhiphele amazinyo azo acijile futhi sezilungele ukumluma. UThabo kwadingeka acabange ngokushesha. Wakhanyisa induku ayeze nayo futhi waxosha izinja.

Okwesikhashana, izinja zazibhavuma zisafuna ukubahlasela abafana, kodwa ekugcineni zajika zahamba.

USimphiwe wayeqhaqhazela wuvalo. Iqakala lakhe laligudlukile lapho ezama ukubalekela izinja futhi wayexhuga ezwa ubuhlungu. UThabo wayenamandla ngenxa yawo wonke umsebenzi ayewenza epulazini, ngakho wathwala uSimphiwe indlela yonke babuyela epulazini.

USimphiwe walulama ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, kodwa kukhona okwakuhlukile ngaye. Wayenomusa kakhudlwana futhi engasaqhoshi njengakuqala. Wayengasakhulumi kakhulu futhi emhlonipha kakhudlwana umalume wakhe nazo zonke izisebenzi. Lapho ebona uThabo, wambonga ngokusindisa impilo yakhe futhi wamnika iselula yakhe njengesibonakaliso sokumbonga, kodwa uThabo wenqaba ukwamukela lesi sipho. Wamane nje wamamatheka futhi wathi, “Umusa awukhokhelwa,” futhi waqhubeka nokuhlanza inqola yezimbongolo.

[Get story active!] Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!

• Dweba umfanekiso ukuze ubonise le ngxenye yendaba: Bonke abantu bamxwayisa ngokuthi kuyingozi lokho, ngoba kwakunezinja ezizulazulayo ezazihlala ehlathini. Zazihlala zilambile futhi zingenabungane neze! Kodwa uSimphiwe wamane wahleka.
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