UMnu Shabangu wayengumbhaki ogqwesileyo edolophini. Rhoqo ngentseni wayevuka ngentsimbi yesine axube aze axove intlama yakhe ukuze enze amaqebengwana, iikeyiki kunye neebhiskithi zakhe ezibalaseleyo. Ngentsimbi yesibhozo, abantu babedlula kwivenkile yakhe yokubhaka xa besiya emsebenzini nasesikolweni, kwaye babesiva ivumba elimnandi elaliphuma kwiifestile zevenkile yokubhaka. Uninzi lwabantu lwalusiya apho evenkileni yokubhaka ukuze bathenge isidlo sabo sakusasa. UMnu Shabangu wayebancumela ngovuyo ngeli lixa ebanika amaqebengwana anesinamoni, asandul`ukubhakwa ashushu, neebhiskithi ezishushu ezimthubi nezazidume kakhulu kuloo dolophu.
Kodwa ke abanye abantu babengenalo eli thamsanqa, kuba babenemali encinci. Abantu abahlelelekileyo bale dolophu babengakwazi ukuwathenga kwaloo maqebengwana, iikeyiki neebhiskithi ezimnandi. Inye nje kuphela into ababenakho ukuyenza, kukusezela elo vumba limnandi liphuma kwiifestile zevenkile yokubhaka. Wathi akubaqaphela aba bantu basezela ivumba kufuphi nevenkile yakhe yokubhaka uMnumzana Shabangu, oku kwamcaphukisa. ‘Kutheni besezela ivumba lam elimnandi,’ utshilo. ‘Ngamavumba neziqholo ZAM ezo. Ukuba abantu bafuna ukuweva amavumba am amnandi, kufuneka bawahlawulele.’ Wagqwashimla wakhefuzela waphindela esitovini ukuze abhakele abathengi nabaxumi bakhe besidlo sasemini isonka sabo.
Ixhegwazana elithile elinguMaShange, lalilithanda kakhulu ivumba levenkile yokubhaka. UMaShange wayelala kwisitulo esisepakini rhoqo ebusuku. Kwiiveki ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo, kukho umntu olungileyo okhe wamnika imali yokuya kuthenga iqebengwana elinesinamoni. Walithatha elo qebengwana waya nalo epakini waze walitya ngokucothayo, emunca imilebe kwaye esabelana neentaka ngengququ eyintsalela. Emva koko, le nkosikazi eyayingenayo nesenti emdaka yokuthenga elinye iqebengwana, yayidlula ithe chu ngakwivenkile yokubhaka kaMnumzana Shabangu rhoqo ngentseni, isezele emoyeni, incumele elo vumba livuzisa izinkcwe.
Lo mkhwa mtsha kaMaShange wamcaphukisa kakhulu umbhaki. Ngokuya zihamba iintsuku, waya esibanomsindo ngakumbi sesi senzo. Ekugqibeleni, ngenye intsasa yobusika eyayibanda kunene, umbhaki eziva ekwisimo esimandundu mpela, waphuma egqabadula kwivenkile yakhe yokubhaka walithi hlasi ngengalo ixhegwazana. ‘Kutheni usiba ivumba lam nje!’ umgrwangxule ngelitshoyo. ‘Akunto yanto ngaphandle kokuba lisela lamavumba!’
UMnu Shabangu wosulela izandla zakhe kwifaskoti yakhe, waze wayitsala wayigibisela ngasemva kwivenkile yakhe yokubhaka. ‘Uze ugade ivenkile yam yokubhaka!’ ukhwaze ngelitshoyo kumncedisi wakhe. ‘Lo mfazi usileyo ugqibelisile namhla oku ukuba amavumba am!’ Emva kokuba ethethe la mazwi, urhuqe uMaShange emsa kwinkundla kaJaji uNgwenya. Ijaji yayihleli kwisitulo sayo esikhulu esikhazimlayo xa umbhaki owayecaphukile engena embonzelekile, erhuqa uMaShange owayengcangcazela ebhidekile. ‘Molo,’ itsho ngelinzulu lona ilizwi ijaji, kodwa uMnu Shabangu wayenomsindo kakhulu kangangokuba akakwazanga nokuyibulisa.
‘Mhlekazi,’ utshilo uMnu Shabangu echaphukile, ‘Ndifuna ubulungisa! Ndingathanda ukumangalela lo mama. Yonke imihla kwezi veki zintathu zidlulileyo, udlula kwivenkile yam yokubhaka rhoqo ngentseni xa kanye amavumba am egqwesile, aze awabe. Lisela eli. Ndifuna ukuba awahlawulele loo mavumba!’
Ijaji iye yonwaya intloko yayo enkulu enenkqayi okwethutyana. Yaze yathinta isikhohlela. ‘Kuyavakala,’ itshilo ibhekisa kumbhaki. ‘Ubulungisa buza kwenziwa.’ Iguqukile yajonga kuMaShange. ‘Unamalini apha kuwe, Nkosikazi?’ ibuze yatsho.
‘Ndineponti kuphela, Mhlonitshwa,’ uthintithe watsho uMaShange.
‘Kulungile ke,’ itshilo ijaji, ‘khawuncede undinike yona.’ Ngokuzithoba okukhulu, uMaShange ufake isandla kwipokotho yejezi yakhe endala nedlakadlaka waze wakhupha iirandi ezimbini eziziinkozo. Uzinikezele kwijaji. Izithathile, yaze yambulela ngokuchubekileyo. Emva koko izishukumisile izifumbathe kwinqindi layo elikhulu ezo nkozo, ukuze zenze isandi esikhenkcezayo. ‘Nasi isigwebo sam,’ itshilo ibhekisa kumbhaki. ‘Isohlwayo kufuneka silingane nolwaphulo-mthetho. Ngoko ke, isandi semali kaMaShange siyintlawulo oza kuyifumana ngala mavumba awabileyo. Ngoku ke, ndikunqwenelela usuku olumyoli.’
Umbhaki ujongile esezingcingeni ezinzulu. Uthe akubona indlela ebengaqiqi ngayo, waphethuka ngokucothayo waphumela ngaphandle kwelo gumbi. Ijaji yancumela uMaShange, yaze yamnika imali yakhe. ‘Ngoku ke Nkosikazi, itshilo ikhupha isingxotyana esintsundu sephepha kwitasi yayo, ‘ungathanda ukufumana isidlo sakusasa kunye nam? La maqebengwana ezonka aseshushu – ndiwathenge kwisiqingatha seyure esidlulileyo.’
