Kwakukhona intombazane eyayibizwa ngoZimkhitha eyayingazange yayeka ukuhleka. Wayecasula ubaba wakhe. Ngelinye ilanga wayemhambisa ekhaya besuka esikoleni. Ngesikhathi efika ekuqaleni komgwaqo wabo, wayengasakwazi ukumelana nalokhu! Wamisa imoto.

“Ngabe uzoyeka ukuhleka noma uzoya ekhaya ngezinyawo?” kubuza yena. Kodwa uZimkhitha wahleka kakhulu kunakuqala.

“Kulungile,” kusho yena, “ungaya ekhaya ngezinyawo.” Wamehlisa emotweni wahamba ngemoto waya ekhaya.

“Uphi uZimkhitha?” kubuza umama wakhe ngesikhathi ubaba wakhe engena ngomnyango ongaphambili. “Ngimphekela isidlo sakusihlwa asithandayo.”

“Mamo,” kusho ubaba wakhe. “Ngimenze weza ekhaya ngezinyawo esuka ekhoneni ngoba ubengayeki ukuhleka.”

“Awu Nkosi yami, ngabe kwenzekeni kumntanami?” kukhala umama kaZimkhitha. “Wenze umntanami weza ekhaya ngezinyawo? Yedwa nje? Kuzomele siyomfuna simthole.” Bafuna, bafuna, kodwa uZimkhitha wayengabonakali nangalukhalo.

“Umshiye kuphi kanti?” kubuza uMama. “Ukuphi, Ron?”

“Mamo,” kungundaza ubaba kaZimkhitha, ebheka ngaphansi kwesikhotha ngasinye naphezu kwesihlahla ngasinye.

“Zimkhitha,” kumemeza umama wakhe. “Zimkhitha, ukuphi?”

Owesifazane wamisa imoto yakhe. “Ngabe nginganisiza?” kubuza yena.

“Silahlekelwe intombazanyana yethu,” kusho umama kaZimkhitha. “Ngabe uke wayibona?”

Owesifazane wayobheka ngemoto endaweni eseduze nalapho wase ebuya ezobika, “Ngibone ikati elimnyama, nenja ephuzi, nendoda edayisa ubhanana. Kodwa angizange ngiyibone ndawo intombazanyana.”

Ubaba kaZimkhitha wabheka phezulu, nanguya uZimkhitha, wayentanta eya phezulu, phezulu esibhakabhakeni phezu kwabo, njengebhelunde eliphinki.

“Maye!” kubabaza uMama. “Kazi ufike kanjani phezulu laphaya?”

Owesifazane onomusa wabheka esibhakabhakeni, ebuka uZimkhitha egwijisa emafini. “Ngabe … uyahleka?” kubuza yena.

“UZimkhitha uhlale ehleka,” kusho umama nobaba wakhe kanyekanye. “Asikwazi ukumyekisa. Lalelani.” Kuvela phezulu, phezulu esibhakabhakeni ukuhleka kukaZimkhitha kwehla kukhala njengensimbi encane.

“Maye!” kukhala umama wakhe, esonta izandla zakhe. “Kungenzeka awele olwandle.”

“Noma, esihlahleni samarozi,” kugquma ubaba wakhe.

“Ngingusosayensi,” kusho owesifazane onomusa, “futhi into yokuqala esiyifundayo ukuthi umoya uyaphakama. Kungenzeka ukuthi ugwinye umoya omningi ekuhlekeni kwakhe waze wandizela phezulu njengebhelunde.”

“O, o, o,” kukhala abazali bakaZimkhitha.

“Inye kuphela indlela yokumehlisa,” kusho owesifazane onomusa. “Kumele sonke simkhalise.”

“Maye,” kusho umama wakhe. “Akulula lokho. Uyingane ethanda ukuhleka kakhulu.”

“Kumele simemeze sisho into engemnandi kuye,” kusho ubaba kaZimkhitha, ekhalela edukwini lakhe.

“Sidinga abantu abaningi kakhulu ukuze bamemeze bonke kanyekanye,” kusho owesifazane. “Angeke asizwe thina sobathathu nje.” Ngakho bashaya zonke izinsimbi zaseminyango, bacela abantu ukuthi baphumele phandle. Ubaba kaZimkhitha wamisa izimoto wase ecela wonke umuntu ukuthi azosiza. Kungekudala kwase kukhona isixuku esikhulu, futhi babekhomba, bethathaza futhi, bethatha uZimkhitha nezithombe zevidiyo ngomakhalekhukhwini babo.

UZimkhitha wahleka, wahleka. Kwakuyinto ehlekisa kakhulu ayeseke wayibona.

“Sizothini okuzomenza ukuthi akhale?” kusho owesifazane onomusa.

“Ngiyazi ukuthi singathini!” kusho ubaba kaZimkhitha, wase ebatshela ukuthi bathini.

“Kunye, kubili, kuthathu, asishoni sonke …” kuyalela owesifazane onomusa.

Ngakho-ke, isixuku sakhomba esibhakabhakeni samemeza, “We, Zimkhitha! Sibona ngaphansi kwengubo yakho!” UZimkhitha wabezwa ephezulu emafini. Wabuka phansi wabona abantu abangamakhulu amahlanu bekhomba ingubo yakhe, wayeka ukuhleka.

Wehla. Kodwa ngesikhathi ehlela phansi wakitazwa amafu, wase ecabanga ukuthi kuhlekisa kanjani lokho kuba phezulu kangaka ngesikhathi wonke umuntu elaphaya ezansi. Wase eqala ukuhleka futhi.

“Maye,” kusho ubaba wakhe. “Akusebenzanga lokho.”

“Ngiyazi ukuthi singathini,” kusho umama wakhe. “Mtsheleni ukuthi siyalibona iphenti lakhe elimagqabhagqabha.”

Ngakho isixuku sadonsa umoya samemeza kakhulu, “We, Zimkhitha! Siyalibona iphenti lakho elimagqabhagqabha!”

UZimkhitha wase eyeka ukuhleka wehlela phansi ibanga elingamamitha angamashumi amahlanu. Kodwa ngesikhathi ebuka isiminyaminya sezimoto nethimba likamabonakude nezinkulungwane zabantu ababembuka, waqala ukuhleka futhi. Wase ekhuphuka futhi.

Owesifazane onomusa wanikina ikhanda lakhe. “Kumele sizame ukusho okuthile okuyichilo kunalokhu,” washo ngezwi eliqinile. “Noma inini kusukela manje uzobanjwa umoya, bese endiza unomphela. Yini embi kunazo zonke eniyicabangayo esingayisho kuye?”

Bahlanganisa amakhanda bacabanga, bacabanga, bacabanga. Bayithola ekugcineni.

“Manje sonke kanyekanye,” kumemeza ubaba kaZimkhitha, eme phezu kweMercedes Benz. “Wonke umuntu makamemeze kakhulu ngendlela angakwazi ukwenza ngayo, sonke ngesikhathi esisodwa.”

Isixuku sabantu abayizinkulungwane ezine, nenja ephuzi, ikati elimnyama, nendoda edayisa ubhanana kwamenyezwa, “WE ZIMKHITHA! SIYALIBONA IPHENTI LAKHO, FUTHI LINEMBOBO!”

UZimkhitha wayeka ukuhleka.

Wehlela phansi. Wehla, wehla, wehla. Wehla futhi, wehla futhi, wehla futhi, waze wacishe wathinta phansi.

“Mntanami omuhle!” kukhala umama wakhe, ebamba imilenze yakhe emehlisela eMhlabeni. “Ngibonga ukuthi uphephile!”

UZimkhitha wabuka isixulu sabantu ababemhalalisela, behleka futhi beshaya izandla zabo. Wayeshaywa amahloni kangangokuba wamboza ubuso bakhe wagijima waya ekhaya.

“Maye,” kusho ubaba wakhe. “Simzwise ubuhlungu. Uphatheke kabi kakhulu.”

Ngakho abantu bahlanganisa amakhanda futhi bacabanga into enhle engamenza azizwe ekahle.

“Kanyekanye manje,” kumemeza umama wakhe.

Base bememeza, “WE, ZIMKHITHA! BESINCOKOLA NJE!”

UZimkhitha wayeka ukugijima.

“SIKWATHEMBISA!” bamemeza bonke. “EMPELENI BESINGALIBONI IPHENTI LAKHO, NGOBA UFAKE IBHULUKWE ELIPHINKI!”

UZikhitha wase eqala ukuhleka.

“O hhe, mbambeni ngokushesha,” kumemeza umama wakhe.

Benza kanjalo. Ngesikhathi.