KwakuyiSonto ekuseni uZahara wayedweba isithombe egumbini lakhe lokulala. Nqe nqe, kukhala insimbi yasemnyango ngaphambili. UZahara wagijima wayovula umnyango. Kwakuwugogo wakhe.
“Sawubona, Gogo,” kusho yena, emgona ugogo wakhe.
“Ngithenge inkukhu egazingiwe esuphamakethe,” kwasho uGogo. Inkukhu yayisephaketheni elimhlophe elikhulu futhi yayisafudumele ngenkathi uZahara eyithinta. Yayinuka kamnandi!
“Awu kwakuhle,” kusho unina kaZahara eza ngasemnyango. “Yibeke phezu kwekhawunta yasekhishini, sizoyidla ngesidlo sasemini.”
“Angisakwazi nokulinda size siyidle,” kwasho uZahara. “Inuka kamnandi bo.”
“Ake ngenze itiye,” kwasho uBaba esekhishini. “Nina nobathathu ningahlala kusofa ninethezeke. Yini ningabukeli umabonakude?
Ngaleso sikhathi uZahara wezwa kukhala umakhalekhukhwini kayise wabe esemuzwa ekhuluma ocingweni.
“Kudingeka ngiye emsebenzini,” kusho uBaba esebheke emnyango wangaphambili. “Ngizobuya emva kwesikhathi.”
UGogo noMama babebukele uhlelo lwabo oluyintandokazi kumabonakude.
“Uhambe kahle,” kusho uMama.
“Uhambe kahle,” kusho uGogo.
UZahara wayedweba. “Uhambe kahle, Baba,” kusho yena.
Masisha uhlelo lukaGogo noMama lwaphela kwabe sekuyisikhathi sesidlo sasemini. UMama waya ekhishini ukuyolanda isinkwa, isaladi nenkukhu egazingiwe. Wavula iphakethe, wakhipha inkukhu wayibeka epuletini. Hhayi bo! Amehlo kaMama avuleka aba makhulu wukwethuka. Kukhona okwakushoda! Umlenze owodwa wawungasekho.
“Zahara,” kubiza yena. “Woza la, manje nje.”
UZahara wayesazi ukuthi uma uMama embiza ngalelo zwi lakhe elithukuthele, kwakudingeka agijime. Ngokushesha, wabeka phansi ikhrayoni lakhe waphuthuma ekhishini. “Kwenzenjani, Mama?” kubuza yena.
“Uwena odle umlenze wenkukhu? Kukhona ovele wadephula umlenze wonke wenkukhu wawudla,” kusho uMama ekhomba inkukhu.
“Cha, Mama,” kusho uZahara. “Ngempela, akumina.”
“Uneqiniso lalokho?” kubuza uMama.
“Nginesiqiniseko ESIKHULU, Mama,” kusho uZahara ebukeka ekhathazekile.
UMama akabange esasho lutho olunye. Kunalokho, waphumela emnyango waya lapho uMalume uJoe wayelungisa khona imoto yakhe.
“Joe, uwena odle umlenze wenkukhu?” kubuza yena.
UMalume uJoe wayevulele umsakazo wakhe phezulu kakhulu. “Uthini?” kumemeza yena.
“UWENA NA ODLE UMLENZE WENKUKHU?” kumemeza uMama ezama ukugqiba umsakazo.
“Yebo, bandla, nami ngiyayicela inyama yenkukhu, nengilazi kadilinki futhi,” naye ememeza.
UMama wavele waphelelwa amandla. Waqonda esihlahleni sikamango esikhulu esasisekhoneni lengadi. Umfowabo kaZahara omncane, uDavid, nomngane wakhe omkhulu, uLebo, babedlala emagatsheni esihlahla.
“David,” kusho uMama, “uwena odle umlenze wenkukhu?”
“Hawu kwangcono, sekuyisikhathi sokudla?” kusho uDavid. “Silambe siyafa.”
“Uwena na odle umlenze wekhukhu?” kubuza uMama futhi ephinda.
“Cha, Mama,” kusho uDavid.
“Akazange,” kusho noLebo. “Thina selokhu sizidlalela la esihlahleni nje.”
UMama wabuyela endlini. UMama wayecasuke kakhulu. “Okusho ukuthi-ke akekho umuntu odle umlenze wenkukhu,” kusho yena. “Pho uphi?”
“Mhlawumbe usisi wasesuphamakethe uyena owuthathile,” kusho uZahara.
UMama washaya izandla. “Ngempela! Kwenzeke lokho! Usisi wasesuphamakethe odayisele uGogo le nkukhu kusho ukuthi uhlephule umlenze wawunikeza omunye umuntu.”
“Cha bo,” kwaphika uGogo. “Mina ngithe ngicela inkukhu ephelele egazingiwe. Ngikhokhele inkukhu ephelele egazingiwe, kodwa manje kukhona ayihlephulile. Manje asisenakho ukudla okwanele kwesidlo sasemini.” UGogo wavele wakhala.
UZahara kwamdabukisa ukubona uGogo ekhala naye wavele wakhala. NoMama wavele wakhala. Bobathathu bahlala phansi bakhala, bakhala.
UMama wafinya wesula amehlo akhe. “Ngeke nje kulunge!” kusho yena. “Amasuphamakethe awavunyelwe nje ukukwenza lokhu. Sizophindela khona esuphamakethe sibatshele ukuthi kufanele basinikeze enye inkukhu egazingiwe.”
Ngakho, uMama, uGogo noZahara baphikelela khona esuphamakethe, ngenkathi uMalume uJoe egade uDavid noLebo.
“Ngicela ukukhuluma nemenenja,” kusho uMama uma befika khona. Wayesekhuluma ngalelo lizwi lakhe lokuthukuthela, imenenja yafika isigijima.
“Ngingakusiza ngani, Nkosikazi?” kubuza yona.
“Kukhona othathe umlenze wenkukhu yethu!” kumemeza uMama, uGogo noZahara kanyekanye.
“Yisenzo esibi kabi leso,” kusho imenenja. “Ngizobiza usisi osebenza ekhawunteni yezinkukhu ezigazingiwe.” Wacosha umbhobho wokumemeza wasesitolo wathi, “Nkosazane Esebenza Ekhawunteni Yezinkukhu Ezigazingiwe, Nkosazane Esebenza Ekhawunteni Yezinkukhu Ezigazingiwe, ngicela uze ehhovisi lemenenja ngokushesha.”
UMama wayeshaya ngonyawo phansi elindile. Ngokushesha inkosazane esebenza ekhawunteni yezinkukhu ezigazingiwe yafika igijima. “Ngingakusiza?” kusho yona.
“Leli khasimende lithi uthathe umlenze wenkukhu yalo egazingiwe,” kusho imenenja.
“Cha bo, angizange,” kusho le nkosazane. “Ngifake inkukhu egazingiwe ephelele ephaketheni ngalinikeza uGogo.
“Cha, cha, cha, awuzange!” kusho uMama. “Mina ngithe uma ngivula isikhwama senkukhu efike ngaso ekhaya umlenze ubungasekho!”
Inkosazane le yaqhaqhazela yaphela. “Angizange ngiwuthathe, ngiqinisile. Angizange,” kusho yona.
Imenenja yayisithukuthele kakhulu. “Thathela laba bantu enye inkukhu egazingiwe manje nje,” yasho ngokubhavumula. “Gogo, ngizokunikeza enye inkukhu egazingiwe mahhala, nekhekhe likashololedi, ukuze ngikhombise ukuxolisa kwethu.”
Ngakho-ke, uMama, uGogo noZahara bagoduka nenkukhu egazingiwe ephelele esikhwameni esimhlophe, nekhekhe elikhulu likashokoledi lisebhokisini.
Uma befika ekhaya, uBaba wabe esebuyile emsebenzini. “Nivelaphi?” kubuza yena. “Kungani ningakasidli isidlo sasemini namanje?”
UZahara wamxoxela indaba yonke. Wamangala ukubona uBaba ebukeka ethukile.
“Hawe Ma,” kusho uBaba. “Ngaze ngayenza into embi. Yimina othathe umlenze wenkukhu ngenkathi ngihamba ngiya emsebenzini. Bengilambile, futhi nenkukhu beyinuka kamnandi.”
“Hawe,” kukhala uMama. “Ngifake loya muntu wabantu esuphamakethe enkingeni ngento engekho.”
“Futhi yimina engikunikeze lowo mcabango wokuthi uyena oyihlephulile,” kusho uZahara. “Hawu, bakithi!”
Ngakho-ke, uBaba, uMama, uGogo noZahara bapakisha inkukhu egazingiwe yesibili nekhekhe likashokoledi esikhwameni, bonke sebeqonde khona belu esuphamakethe. Uma befika khona, baqonda ehhovisi lemenenja.
Imenenja yakhathazeka uma iphinda ibabona – FUTHI! “Bakithi, sekwenzenjanike futhi manje?” yasho izicabangela yodwa. “Le nkosikazi izongithethisa futhi.”
Kodwa uMama akazange athethe.
“Siyaxolisa kakhulu,” kusho uMama, uGogo, uBaba noZahara.
“Bekuyiphutha lami,” kusho uBaba. “Bengilambile. Yimi othathe umlenze wenkukhu. Ngicela ubize usisi lo osebenza ekhawunteni yezinkukhu ezigazingiwe.”
Imenenja yacosha umbhobho wokubiza abasebenzi esitolo. “Nkosazane Esebenza Ekhawunteni Yezinkukhu Ezigazingiwe, Nkosazane Esebenza Ekhawunteni Yezinkukhu Ezigazingiwe, ngicela uze ehhovisi lemenenja ngokushesha.”
Inkosazane esebenza ekhawunteni yezinkukhu ezigazingiwe yabukeka yesaba lapho ibona uMama, uBaba, uGogo noZahara. “Ngiyacela bandla, ungangixoshi,” isho ibhekise kumenenja.
Kodwa uBaba wakhipha isikhwama sakhe semali wanikeza imenenja imali yenkukhu egazingiwe neyekhekhe likashokoledi. Wabe esenikeza inkosazane leyo isikhwama leso. “Mina, thatha,” kusho yena. “Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu ngokukufaka enkingeni. Ngicela uzithokozele lezi zinto.”
Inkosazane yajabula kakhulu ukuthola inkukhu nekhekhe kwesidlo sayo sasemini. Kodwa uZahara wajabha. “Umuphe lonke ikhekhe,” kusho yena.
Ngakho uBaba waphinde wakhipha isikhwama sakhe semali wathenga enye inkukhu egazingiwe nelinye ikhekhe likashokoledi.
Emva kwesidlo sasemini wonke umuntu wathola ucezu lwekhekhe – uMama, uBaba, uGogo, uMalume uJoe, uZahara, uDavid noLebo. Kodwa ucezu olukhulu kunazo zonke lwatholwa uZahara, ngoba phela uyena owayeyintombazane kaBaba yekhethelo
