Kwakunomntazana igama lakhe kwakunguZimkhitha owayehlekela futhi. Wayekwatisa uyise ngesenzo sakhesi. Ngelinye ilanga khabe abuyomthatha esikolweni amusa ekhaya ngekoloyi lokha nabafika ekuthomeni kwendlela yabo, wabesele adinekile. Wajamisa ikoloyi.
“Uzokulisa ukuhleka nanyana uzakukhamba ngeenyawo ukuya ekhaya?” kwabuza uyise. Kodwana uZimkhitha wamane wahleka khulu.
“Siyavumelana?” kwabuza uyise, “ungazikhambela uye ekhaya.” Wamkhiphela ngaphandle kwekoloyi watjhayela waya ekhaya.
“Uphi uZimkhitha?” kwabuza unina lokha uyise nakangena ngomNyango wangaphambili. “Ngipheka ukudla akuthandako kwantambama.”
“Maye mina,” kwatjho uyise. “Ngimkhambise ngeenyawo ukuza ekhayapha ukusuka ekhoneni ngombana bekaloku ahlekela futhi.”
“Umntwanami engimthanda kangaka?” kulila unina kaZimkhitha. “Wenze umntwanami engimthandako azikhambele yedwa ukuza ekhaya? Uyedwa zwi? Kungcono sikhambe siyomfuna.” Bafuna bafunisisa, kodwana bekunganatshwayo likaZimkhitha.
“Umtjhiyephi?” kwabuza umma. “Uphi, Sitjhaba?”
“Maye mina,” kububula uyise kaZimkhitha, afuna ngaphasi nangaphezu kwemithi yoke.
“Zimkhitha!” kubiza unina. “Ukuphi?”
Umfazi othileko Wajamisa ikoloyi. “Nginganisiza?” kwabuza umfazi.
“Silahlekelwe mntazanyana wethu,” kutjho unina kaZimkhitha. “Khewambona?”
Umfazi wafunafuna, wabhoda ibhlogo wase uyabuya azokubika. “Ngibone ukatsu onzima, inja esarulani, nendoda ethengisa amabhanana.”
Uyise kaZimkhitha waqala phezulu, nanguya uZimkhitha lapho akhona, ulenge emmoyeni, phezulu emkayini ngehla kwabo, njengebhaloni ebukhobe.
“Nako umhlolo!” kubabaza umma. “Ingabe ufike njani phezulu kangakaya?”
Umfazi olungileko naye aqale phezulu emkayini, abone uZimkhitha aya le nale emafini. “Ingabe … uyahleka?” kwabuza umfazi.
“UZimkhitha uhlala ahleka,” kwatjho unina noyise kanye kanye. “Asikghoni ukumlisisa. Lalela!” Ukusuka phezulu, phezulu emkayini ihleko likaZimkhitha lehla lizwakala njengesimbi encani.
“Bababe!” kulila umma, aziphulula isandla. “Angawela ngelwandle.”
“Namkha, esithukghwini samathuthumbo ahlabako.” Kububula ubaba.
“Ngingusosayensi,” kwatjho umfazi olungileko, “enye yezinto zokuthoma esizifundako kulenga emmoyeni lokhuya. Kungenzeka ugwinye ummoya omnengi lokha nakahlekako okumenze waphephuka walenga emmoyeni njengebhaloni.
“Awu, awu, awu,” kulila ababelethi bakaZimkhitha.
“Yinye kwaphela indlela yokumehlisela phasi,” kwatjho umfazi olungileko. “Kufanele simenze alile.”
“Maye mina,” kwatjho unina. “Akusilula lokho. Umntwana othanda ukuhleka khulu.”
“Kuzakufanela simrhuwelele sithi kunento ethusako,” kwatjho uyise kaZimkhitha, alilela ngesakadugwini sakhe.
“Sidinga abantu abanengi khulu abazokurhuwelela boke kanye kanye,” kwatjho umfazi. “Angekhe asizwe thina nasisobathathu kwaphela-nje.” Base bayasuka babetha zoke iinsimbi zeminyango, babawa abantu bonyana baphumele ngaphandle. Uyise kaZimkhitha wajamisa iinkoloyi wabawa abantu bonyana beze boke bazobasisa. Masinyana isiqubuthu esikhulu bese sihlangene, bebakhomba, bakhwaya begodu bathwebula uZimkhitha ngabofunjathwako babo.
UZimkhitha walokhu ahleke njalo. Bekuyinto ehlekisakho angakhenge akhe ayibone.
“Khuyini esingakutjho okungamenza alile?” Kwabuza umfazi olungileko.
“Ngiyazi!” kwatjho uyise kaZimkhitha, wase uyabatjela lokho abangakutjho.
“Kunye, kubili, kuthathu, asitjhweni kanye kanye manjesi …” kulawula umfazi olungileko.
Ngalokho-ke, isiqubuthu sakhomba phezulu emkayini sase siyabhodla, “Yeyi, Zimkhitha! Siyalibona irogo lakho!” Kude le emafini uZimkhitha wabezwa. Waqala phasi wabona iinkulungwana ezihlanu zabantu zikhomba irogo lakhe, walisa ukuhleka.
Wehlela phasi. Kodwana uthe nakehlela phasi amafu amkitakita, wase ucabanga ngokobana bekumnandi kangangani ukuba kude le phezulu lokha woke omunye umuntu aphasi le. Wathoma wahleka godu.
“Maye mina,” kwatjho uyise. “Akukasizi lokhuya.”
“Ngiyazi!” kwatjho unina. “Mtjeleni bonyana sibona amaphenti wakhe anemimabalabala.”
Isiqubuthu sakhokha ummoya sase sirhuwelela ngamezwi wabo woke, “Yeyi, Zimkhitha! Sibona amaphenti wakho anemimabalabala.”
UZimkhitha walisa ukuhleka wase wehlela phasi ibanga elimamitha amatjhuni amahlanu. Kodwana uthe nakaqala umjeje weenkoloyi nesiqhema sakwa-TV, kunye neenkulungwana zabantu ezimqalileko, wathoma phasi wahleka godu. Waragela phambili nokuhleka.
Umfazi olungileko wanyikinya ihloko. “Kufanele kube ngathi sibabukhadlana,” watjho ngokuzimisela. “Nanyana ngasiphi isikhathi ukusukela nje ummoya ungamthola, uzokulengela futhi aye kude. Khuyini okumbi khulu ongakucabanga ongakutjho kuye?”
Base bahlanganisa iinhloko boke, bacabanga, bacabanga, bacabanga. Ekugcineni balithola iqhinga.
“Kanye kanye kwanjesi,” kurhuwelela uyise kaZimkhitha, ajame phezu kwephahla le-Mercedes Benz. “Woke umuntu akarhuwelele ngendlela akghona ngayo, soke kanye kanye.”
Soke isiqubuthu seenkulungwana ezine zabantu, inja esarulani, ukatsu onzima nendoda ethengisa amabhanana, barhuwelela boke kanye kanye. “YEYI ZIMKHITHA! SIBONA AMAPHENTI WAKHO, ANEEMBOBO!”
UZimkhitha walisa ukuhleka.
Wehlela phasi. Wehla, wehla, wehla. Wehlela phasi, phasi, phasi khulu, pheze wafika ehlabathini.
“Umntwanami engimthanda kangaka!” kulila unina, ambamba imilenze amdosela phasi emHlabeni. “Ngiyathokoza uphephile!”
UZimkhitha waqala isiqubuthu sabantu, boke bebakwakwazela, bahleka, bawahla nezandla. Waphathwa ziinhloni kangangokuthi wavala amehlwakhe, wabalekela ekhaya.
“Maye mina,” kwatjho uyise. “Silimaze ummoyakhe. Ukwate khulu.”
Abantu bahlanganisa iinhloko godu, bacabanga ngento efaneleko abangayitjho engamthabisa.
“Kanye kanye njenganje,” kurhuwelela unina.
Base bayarhuwelela, “YEYI, ZIMKHITHA! BESIMANE SENZA IHLAYA!”
UZimkhitha walisa ukugijima.
“SIYAKUTHEMBISA!” barhuwelela boke. “BESINGAWABONI KWAMAMBALA AMAPHENTI WAKHO, NGOMBANA WEMBETHE IBHRUGU ELIBUKHOWE!”
UZimkhitha wathoma wahleka.
“Eitjh, mbambe msinyana ngomkhono,” kurhuwelela unina.
Bakwenza lokho. Ngesikhathi esifaneleko.
