Ekadeni kwakunesokana igama lalo kwakunguThukile. Wayehlala nonina endlini yekhabo encani. Babetlhaga khulu, begodu imali ekukuphela kwayo unina wayeyithola ngokuthengisa amaqanda abekelwe sikhukhukazi sakhe.
UThukile wayelivila kangangokuthi wayengenzi litho. Ehlobo uzakuzilalela emthunzini, ahlale emlilweni ebusika. Unina bekangakghoni ukuthola isizo lakhe ngananyana yini.
Ngomunye uMvulo ekuseni unina wayekwatile wase uthi, Thukile, nangabe awukhambi uyokusebenzela ukudla kwakho ngizokwenza bonyana ukhambe ekhayapha ungasabuya.
Lokhu kwamtshwenya uThukule. “Kungcono kubekhona engikwenzako,” kwatjho uThukile. “Kwanjesi umma uzwakala akwate khulu.”
Ngalokho-ke ngoLesibili, waya kusomaplasi ngaphetjheya komlambo wayokubawa umsebenzi. Usomaplasi waqatjha uThukile bonyana azokulungisa idrada. Ngokwenza umsebenzi lo, uThukile wabhadelwa iinhlavu zesiliva ezimbalwa. UThukile akhenge akhe abenemali epilweni yakhe. Waphatha iinhlavu zakhe ngezandla aziphosela phasi naphezulu bonyana akwazi ukuzibona ziphazima elangeni. Kodwana ngaphambi kobana eqe umlambo, besele azilahle zoke iinhlavu zakhe.
“Sidlhayela somsana,” kwatjho unina lokha nakafika ekhaya, “bekufanele uzibulunge kuhle ngesikhwameni sakho.”
“Maye,” kwatjho uThukile, “Ngizakwenza njalo ngesikhathi esizako.”
NgoLesithathu, uThukile waphuma godu. “Ngingakusiza mayelana neenkomo?” wabawa omunye usomaplasi.
“Iye,” kwatjho usomaplasi, “ngizokunikela ijege yebisi njengembadela yakho yomsebenzi owenzileko.”
Ekupheleni kwelanga, usomaplasi wanikela uThukile ijege yebisi. UThukile wathatha ijege wayifaka esikhwameni esikhulu sejasi yakhe njengombana unina atjhwile. Kghapha! Kghuthu! Kghapha! Ibisi laphalaka lokha nakakhamba endleleni, lokha nakafika ekhaya kwabesele kukade ijege ingasanabisi.
“Utjho zami!” kwatjho unina. “USIDLHAYELA! Bekufanele uthwale ijege ehloko.”
“Kulungile,” kwatjho uThukile, “Ngizakwenza njalo ngesikhathi esizako.”
NgoLesine, uThukile waya emfazini owenza iyogathi. Wavuma ukumnikela iyogathi nangabe uyamsiza. Ngemva kwamadina wanikela uThukile iyogathi. Beyingaphakathi kwesiphathi seplastiki esivulekileko siphuthelwe ngetjhila. UThukile wabeka isiphathi ehloko waya ekhaya ngombana ngilokho unina athi kufanele akwenze. Kodwana ngesikhathi afika ekhaya, besele iyincani iyogathi esele ngesiphathini. Enye yayo yakghaphaka, enye yayo yakghamathela eenhluthwini zakhe.
“Usidlhadlha somsana, Thukile,” kwatjho unina, “bekufanele uyiphathe kuhle ngezandla zakho.”
“Kunjalo!” kwatjho uThukile. “Kulungile, Ngizakwenza njalo ngesikhathi esizako.”
NgoLesihlanu, uThukile wakhamba godu. Kwanjesi wasebenzela umbhagi. Umbhagi bekanganalitho ngaphandle kwenja angayipha uThukile ngomsebenzakhe. Ngalokho-ke ekupheleni kwelanga umbhagi wabhadela uThukile ngokumnkela inja. UThukile wathatha inja waya ekhaya ayiphethe kuhle ngezandla zakhe.
“Le yindlela umma athe kufanele ngikuphathe ngayo,” uThukile watjela inja. Kodwana kungasikade, inja yathoma ukububula ngokufuna ukukhambakhamba. Kusenjalo, yathoma ukumnghwara nokumkarabha kabuhlungu waze wayiyekela yakhamba.
Nakafika ekhaya, unina wathi kuye, “Maye Thukile, usidlhadlha kangangani. Bekufanele uyibophe ngentambo entanyeni bese uyayidosa ikulandele ngemva.”
“Kulungile,” kwatjho uThukile, “Ngizakwenza njalo kusasa.”
Ilanga elilandelako kwakuMgqibelo, uThukile wayokusebenzela usosilarha. Kwanjesi wabhadelwa ngesitoki senyama esihle. Wathatha isitoki senyama, wasitantela ngentambo, wenza ngendlela unina atjho ngayo – isitoki senyama wasidosa ngemva kwakhe! Lokha nakafika ekhaya, inyama besele imotjhakele yoke.
Kwanjesi unina wamkwatela khulu. “Ngizokwenzani ngawe?” wabuza “Kusasa nguSondarha sizokuba nekhabitjhi yodwa esingayidla ngesikhathi sesidlo santambama. Usidlhayela kangangani, bekufanele uthwale inyama ngamahlombe.”
“Ngizakwenza njalo ngesikhathi esizako,” kuphendula uThukile.
NgoMvulo, uThukile waphuma godu, wasebenzela umuntu owamnikela udumbana njengomrholo. Kwanjesi, nanyana uThukile bekanamandla, kwabanzima kuThukile ukusa udumbana emahlombe. Watlhagatlhaga, kodwana ekugcineni waphakamisela udumbana phezulu wambeka emahlombe, ngendlela unina antjele ngayo. Wase ukhambe kancani waya ekhaya.
Lokha uThukile nakasendleleni eya ekhaya, bekufanele adlule indlu lapho bekuhlala khona isikhumukani. Isikhumukani lesi besinendodakazi yinye kwaphela. Beyiyihle khulu, kodwana besele aneminyakanyaka angakhulumi. Ubengakhenge akhe ahleke epilweni yakhe. Abodorhodere bathi uzakukghona ukukhuluma godu nange kuba nomuntu ongamenza ahleke. Isikhumukani besitshwenyekile ngendodakazi yaso le saze sathi nanyana ngubani ongamenza ahleke, angayitjhada.
Umntazana omuhle bekahlole ngefesdere lokha uThukile nakadlula nodumbana emahlombe wakhe. Imilenze kadumbana yayilenge emmoyeni, lokhu kwabonala kuhlekisa kangangokuthi umntazana wezwakala ahlekela phezulu. Wathoma wakhuluma godu.
Isikhumukani sathaba khulu, begodu sasigcina isithembiso saso – wathi indodakazi yakhe banoThukile bangatjhada. uThukile wabasikhumukani ngombana wabasidlhayela ngokwaneleko kobana athwale ngitjho nodumbana emahlombe.
Ukusukela ngelangelo, uThukile wahlala nomkakhe endlini ekulu begodu nonina ongakhenge asaragela phambili nokusebenza godu. Okhunye, kukobana uThukile akhenge asathwala nanyana khuyini ngokwakhe.
