UAshley wayexakeke ngokudibanisa amaqhekeza ephazili xa ubhuti wakhe, uBen, wayengena kwigumbi lokuphumla. 

“Ngomso luSuku lukaMama,” watsho. “Masenzele uMama into yohlobo olulodwa kangangoko. Uza kundincedisa?” 

UAshley waqhwaba izandla zakhe. “Ewe kanene, Ben. Siza kuya ezivenkileni?” 

“Hayi, sendisithengile isipho sakhe. Uyafuna ukundilandela ukuze usibone?” 

UAshley walandela umntakwabo baya egaraji. Esitulweni eside, kwakufihlwe phantsi kweshiti, ishelufa entle yeplanga enemilo yentliziyo. 

“Bendicinga ukuba masiyipeyinte ngombala oblowu,” watsho uBen. 

“Owu ewe,” watsho uAshley. “Umbala oblowu ngowona uthandwa ngumama. Uza kusithanda isipho sakhe.” 

UBen wafumana iibrashi ezimbini zokupeyinta, kunye nephepha elirhwexa njengesanti, baqalisa ukusebenza. Baqale ngokukhuhla ishelufa ngephepha elirhwexayo, baze balipeyinta ngepeyinti esisandulela emhlophe bagqibela ngokulipeyinta ngombala oblowu oqaqambileyo nokhazimlayo. Yayintle loo shelufa. 

“Nenza ntoni nina nobabini apho?” wabuza uMama xa wayefika evela ezivenkileni. 

“Asenzi nto! Khawuhambe torho!” wakhwaza uBen. 

“Ngummangaliso,” wagigitheka uAshley. 

Ngaloo mva kwemini uMama waya kwisaluni yokulungisa iinwele. 

“Khawuleza, Ashley,” wakhwaza uBen, “lifikile ixesha lokuxhoma ishelufa. Ungandibambela izikrufu nesikrudrayiva xa ndigqobhoza imingxuma edongeni? Ungazilahli izikrufu. Andinazo ezinye.” 

UAshely wayesibambisisile isikrudrayiva nezikrufu xa uBen wayelinganisa indawo eza kuba kuyo ishelufa edongeni. Wasuka wavala iindlebe zakhe xa egqobhoza imingxuma emithathu umntakwabo. 

“Kwaqal’ ukulunga,” watsho uBen. “Ngoku khawundigqithisele isikrufu sokuqala.” Wayinamathelisa ngocoselelo ishelufa ngezikrufu edongeni. “Khawundigqithisele ezinye izikrufu ezibini ngoku, Ashley,” watsho. 

Kodwa uAshley wafumana isikrufu esinye kuphela. Esinye sasingekho epokothweni yakhe. Sasingawanga phantsi emgangathweni, futhi sasingekho nasemva kwesofa. Sasimkile. Ixesha lalisondele kwintsimbi ye-5. UMama wayenokubuya nangowuphi umzuzu ngoku. 

“Ungakhathazeki,” watsho uBen. “Okwangoku kusalungile oku. Ndiza kuthenga esinye phakathi evekini.” 

“Siza kubeka ntoni eshelufini?” wabuza uAshley. 

“Ndicinga ukuba masibeke eyona vazi ithandwa ngumama awayeyiphiwe ngumakhulu wakhe,” watsho uBen. “Nezona zixhasi zamakhandlela azithanda kakhulu.” 

“Kunye nendebe endayiwina esikolweni ngokuba ngoyena mfundi obalasele ngokufunda?” wabuza uAshley. 

“Ngokuqinisekileyo,” watsho uBen. “Kunye nefoto kaMama nam kunye nawe ngokuya wawuselusana. Uyayithanda loo foto.” 

Babeka izinto zohlobo olulodwa ezithandwa nguMama eshelufini ngononophelo. UBen ke ngoko wazigquma ngeshiti phezu kweshelufa ukuze zingabonakali. 

UMama wafika ekhaya kwimizuzu embalwa. “Molweni, molweni,” wakhwaza uMama. “Benisenza ntoni nina nobabini?” 

“Ngummangaliso,” wayithi qhuzu qhuzu intsini uAshley, “kwaye akuvumelekanga ukubona okungaphaya kweshiti.” 

“Ndinovuyo olukhulu,” watsho uMama. “Ndiqinisekile ukuba leyo yinto exabiseke kakhulu.” 

“Uyathembisa ukuba akusayi kuyikroba?” wabuza uAshley ngethuba lokuya kulala. 

Umama wakhe wamembathisa waze wamphuza emanga. “Uyeyona ntombazana yam ndiyithandayo. Ndiyathembisa ukuba andisayi kuphakamisa nekona yeshiti.” 

Kwakuza kuqhekeka ukusa xa uAshley wayevuswa yingxolo eyavakala ngoswalakahla. Watsibela ngaphaya kwebhedi. UBen noMama babemi kwigumbi lokuphumla, beqwalasele kobo butyobo babuphantsi emgangathweni. 

“Yho,” wakhala uBen, “ishelufa iwile edongeni.” 

“Yhu-u,” wakhuza uAshley, “isipho sikaMama soSuku lukaMama sonakele.” 

“Owu-u,” wakhuza uMama, “eyona vazi ndiyithanda kakhulu yaphuke yaziingceba.” 

Wonke umntu wayedanile. UMama wahlala esofeni wazama ukuba angakhali. 

“Siza kucoca apha,” watsho uBen. “Mama, kubhetele ubuyele ebhedini.” 

“Ndikunqwenelela uSuku lukaMama olumnandi,” watsho kalusizi uAshley. 

UBen walanda umtshayelo wazitshayela zonke iingceba zeyona vazi ithandwa ngumama. Wayekhathazeke kakhulu. “Umakhulu kaMama wampha yona le vazi ngoku nantsi yaphukile.” Wachola-chola loo maqhekeza wawalahla emgqomeni wenkunkuma. “Nathi masiye kulala,” watsho uBen kuAshley. “Alikafiki ixesha lokuvuka.” 

UAshley wajonga ishelufa eyayiphantsi. Isipho esinje ukuba sihle. Ngoku babengenanto abanokuyinika uMama wabo akuvuka.  

UAshley wakroba phakathi emgqomeni wenkunkuma. Zonke iingceba zevazi kaMama zazilapho. Ingaba mhlawumbi wayengayingciba ngeglu? Wathatha umgqomo wabaleka waya nawo egaraji. Phaya eshelufini kwakukho imbiza enkulu yeglu. Wandlala amaphephandaba esitulweni eside sokusebenzela waze waphokozela umgqomo phantsi. Ezininzi kangako zona iingceba! Wayeza kwazi njani ukuba yeyiphi efanele ukungena ndawoni?  

“O-o-owu ndiyabona ngoku!” wakhuza. “Yiphazili yamaqhekeza adityaniswayo le. Ngamaqhekeza amaninzi anamathela elinye kwelinye. Ndiza kuqala ndifumanise lawo aneziphelo ezithe tye. Afanele ukuba yimiphetho yevazi. Kanti eli ceba likhulu naku linomqheba, ngoko ke yindawo yayo esecaleni. Mandikhangele omnye umqheba – tyhini nanku.” 

Wathi akuba ewandlale phantsi onke amaqhekeza ngokulandelelana kwawo, waqalisa ukuwadibanisa ngeglu. Yayingumsebenzi onzima. Iglu yayincamathela eminweni yakhe, futhi kwakufuneka ukuba alinde iingceba zome. Kwachitha ixesha elide oku. 

Ekugqibeleni yayigqibekile ivazi. Yayingafani ncam naleya indala. Le yayineqhunyana elingaqhelekanga kwelinye icala, kanti nomphetho wawugoswana kancinane, kodwa uAshley wayesazi ukuba uMama wayengazi kubona mahluko. 

UAshley wajonga phandle ngefesitile. Wabona ummelwane, uNksk Du Toit, enkcenkceshela imifuno yakhe. UNksk Du Toit wayekrelekrele kakhulu ekwazi ukwenza yonke into. Wabaleka waya ecingweni. “Ungandinceda, undiboleke isikrufu sakho esinye futhi undincedise ukulungisa ishelufa?” wabuza, waze wabalisela uNksk Du Toit lonke ibali. 

“Ewe nangoku,” watsho uNksk Du Toit. “Ndiyeza kwangoku.” 

UMama uvuke ngentsimbi ye-9. Wayeselusizi. Wabona uAshley elele yoyi esofeni, kodwa kwakukho into eyayigqume okuthile edongeni. 

“Ubusenza ntoni intsasa le yonke, Ashley? wabuza. 

“Ummangaliso!” wakhwaza uAshley. “Yonwabela uSuku lukaMama. Isipho sakho singaphaya kweshiti.” 

Ngokuqaphela uMama wasusa ishiti ngasedongeni. Kwakukho ishelufa eblowu nezixhasi zamakhandlela, ifoto, nendebe, kananjalo … EYONA VAZI ITHANDWA NGUMAMA. 

UMama waqhwaba izandla zakhe. “Uyilungise ngeglu yadibana!” wakhuza. “Intle ngokungathi intsha. Phofu intle ngaphezu kwentsha. Sesona sipho sihle ndakhe ndasifumana,” watsho esanga uAshley kangangoko. 

NoBen wabamba kakhulu uAshley wamanga. “Ukrelekrele ngokugqithisileyo!” watsho. “Ulusindisile uSuku lukaMama.” 

UAshley wayenegugu kangako naye. Ivazi kaMama yayingeyiyo ncam, kodwa yayibukeka intle phezu kweshelufa eblowu entsha.