U-Ashley wayematasa enza isiphico esimazombezombe ngenkathi umfowabo omdala, uBen, engena ekameleni lokuphumula. 

“Kusasa uSuku LukaMama,” kusho yena. “Kufanele senzele uMama into ekhethekile. Uzokwazi ukungisiza?” 

U-Ashley washaya izandla. “Awu, yebo, Ben. Ngabe sizohamba siyothenga ezitolo?” 

“Cha, sengivele ngimthengele isipho. Ufuna ukuza uzosibona?” 

U-Ashley walandela umfowabo baqonda egalaji. Ebhentshini ngaphansi kweshidi, kwakukhona ishalofu elihle lepulangwe elinesimo senhliziyo. 

“Ngicabange ukuthi singayipenda ibe luhlaza okwesibhakabhaka,” kusho uBen. 

“Awu, yebo,” kusho u-Ashley. “Umbala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka wumbala awukhonzile uMama. Uzosithanda isipho sakhe.” 

UBen wathola amabhulashi okupenda amabili, nosandiphepha, base beyasebenza njalo. Okokuqala bashukusha ishalofu laba bushelelezi, emva kwalokho base bependa ungqimba lokuqala olumhlophe kwase kuthi ekugcineni balipenda laba luhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ngokumanyazelayo. Ishalofu lalilihle. 

“Nenzani lapho nina nobabili?” kwabuza uMama ngenkathi efika ekhaya ebuya ukuyothenga ezitolo. 

“Akulutho! Sicela ungasondeli!” kumemeza uBen. 

“Akumele wazi, kuyimfihlo,” kugigitheka u-Ashley. 

Ntambama ngalelo langa uMama wahamba waya endaweni yokulungisa izinwele. 

“Shesha, Ashley,” kumemeza uBen, “sekuyisikhathi sokumisa ishalofu. Ungakwazi ukungibambela izikulufo kanye nesikuludilayiva ngenkathi ngibhola izimbobo obondeni? Ungazilahli izikulufo. Anginazo ezinye ngaphezu kwalezo.” 

U-Ashley wabamba isikuludilayiva kanye nezikulufo wathi ngqi ngenkathi uBen ekala lapho ishalofu lalizongena khona obondeni. Wayesevala izindlebe zakhe ngenkathi umfowabo ebhola izimbobo ezintathu. 

“Nazo-ke,” kusho uBen. “Manje awungedlulisele isikulufo sokuqala.” Ngokucophelela wafaka ishalofu obondeni ngesikulufo. “Manje ngedlulisele ezinye izikulufo ezimbili, Ashley,” kusho yena. 

Kodwa u-Ashley wakwazi ukuthola isikulufo esisodwa kuphela. Esinye sasingekho ekhukhwini lakhe. Sasingekho naphansi, noma ngemuva kosofa. Sase sinyamalele. Kwase kuzoshaya ihora lesi-5 nqo. UMama wayesezofika ekhaya noma nini. 

“Akunandaba,” kusho uBen. “Lezi ezikhona zizolunga okwamanje. Ngizothenga esinye esisodwa evikini.” 

“Yini esizoyibeka eshalofini?” kubuza u-Ashley. 

“Ngicabanga ukuthi sizobeka ivasi ephambiliayinikezwa ngugogo wakhe,” kwasho uBen. “Kanjalo nezindukwana zamakhandlela azikhonzile.” 

“Singayibeka nendebe engayithola esikoleni ngokudla ubhedu ekufundeni?” kubuza u-Ashley. 

“Noma kanjani,” kusho uBen. “Nesithombe sikaMama enami nawe ngenkathi usewusana. Uyasithanda leso sithombe.” 

Ngokucophelela bahlela izinto zikaMama ezikhethekile eshalofini. Emva kwalokho uBen wayesemboza ngeshidi ukuze konke kufihleke. 

Ngemuva kwemizuzu embalwa uMama wabuya ekhaya. “Sanibonani, sanibonani,” kumemeza uMama. “Benenzani nina nobabili?” 

“Yinto ezokumangaza,” kugigitheka u-Ashley, “futhi awuvumelekile ukuthi ubone ukuthi kukhonani ngaphansi kweshidi.” 

“Ngithokoze kakhulu,” kwasho uMama. “Ngiyacabanga ukuthi yinto enhle.” 

“Uyethembisa yini ukuthi ngeke ulunguze?” kwabuza u-Ashley ngesikhathi sokulala. Unina wambamba wamphakamisa, wayesemqabula ebuya emhaga. 

“Uyintombazane yami enhle kakhulu. Ngiyethembisa ukuthi ngeke ngize ngiphakamise ngisho ichopho leshidi leli.” 

Kwase kusa ngenkathi u-Ashley evuswa wumsindo omkhulu wento ephihlikayo. Wagxuma waphuma embhedeni. UBen noMama babemile ekameleni lokuphumula, bebuka umonakalo omubi phansi. 

“Awu hhe,” kukhala uBen, “ishalofu liwile obondeni.” 

“Awu ngeke,” kubalisa u-Ashley, “isipho sikaMama soSuku LukaMama sesimoshekile.” 

“Nkosi yami,” kukhala uMama, “ivasi yami engiyikhonze kangaka ivele yephuka yaba yizicucwana.” 

Wonke umuntu wayesekhathazekile. UMama wahlala kusofa wazama ukuthi angakhali. 

“Sizowususa umonakalo,” kusho uBen. “Mama, buyela embhedeni.” 

“Ngikufisela USuku LukaMama olunentokozo,” kwasho u-Ashley ngokudumala. 

UBen wathatha umshanelo washanela zonke izicucu zevasi kaMama ephambili. Wayekhathazeke kakhulu. “Ugogo kaMama wayemnike le vasi kodwa manje isiphukile.” Wayesefaka izicucu emgqonyeni wezibi. “Kungcono nathi sivele sibuyele sizilalele,” kwasho uBen ku-Ashley. “Akukabi sona isikhathi sokuvuka.” 

U-Ashley walibuka ishalofu elalilele phansi. Bekungeve kuyisipho esihle bandla. Manje babengasenalutho abazolunika unina uma esevukile. 

U-Ashley walunguza phakathi emgqonyeni wezibi. Zonke izicucu zevasi kaMama zazilapho. Mhlawumbe angasebenzisa isinamathelisi esithile azixhume? Wathatha umgqomo wezibi wagijima nawo waphuma waya egalaji. Laphaya eshalofini kwakunesitsha esikhulu sesinamathelisi. Wayesendlala iphephandaba ebhentshini lokusebenzela maqede wathulula umgqomo wezibi. Kwakunenqwaba yezicucu bo! Ngabe wayezokwazi kanjani ukuthi iyiphi ingxenye engena kuphi? 

“Ngiyabona!” esho ememeza. “Kufana nesiphico esimazombezombe. Kuneningi lezicucu ezikwazi ukuhlangana ndawonye. Okokuqala ngizothola zonke lezi ezinonqenqema oluqondile. Lezo kufanele kube ngezomlomo wevasi. Lesi siqephu esikhulu sinesibambo, ngakho kumele kube wuhlangothi lwayo. Futhi kufanele kube nesinye isibambo – awuzwe-ke nasi.” 

Ngenkathi esezendlale phansi zonke izicucu zalandelana ngendlela efanele waqala ukuzihlanganisa ndawonye ngesinamathelisi. Kwakungumsebenzi onzima. Isinamathelisi sanamathela eminweni yakhe, kanti kwakufanele alinde izicucu ukuthi zome. Kwathatha isikhathi eside. 

Ekugcineni yaphela ivasi. Yayingafani ncamashi nalena endala. Lena yayineguludla elihlekisayo ohlangothini olulodwa, umlomo wevasi wawuthe ukutsheka kancane, kodwa u-Ashley wayazi ukuthi uMama wayengeke akwazi ukuwubona lowo mehluko. 

U-Ashley wabuka ngaphandle kwefasitela. Umakhelwane wabo, uNkk Du Toit, wayenisela imifino yakhe. UNkk Du Toit wayehlakaniphe kakhulu futhi engakhanda noma yini. U-Ashley wagijima waqonda othangweni. “Ngiyacela, ungangiboleka isikulufo esisodwa bese ungisiza ngilungise ishalofu?” kubuza yena, wase etshela uNkk Du Toit lonke udaba. 

“Kulungile,” kusho uNkk Du Toit. “Ngizoza khona manje.” 

UMama wavuka ngehora lesi-9 nqo ezimpondweni. Wayesadabuke kabi. Wathola u-Ashley elele zwi kusofa, kanti kwakukhona ishidi elemboze okuthile obondeni. 

“Ubuwenzani ekuseni nje, Ashley?” kubuza yena. 

“Kuzokumangaza!” kumemeza u-Ashley. “Ngikufisela Usuku LukaMama Olunentokozo. Isipho sakho singemuva kweshidi.” 

UMama waphenya ngokucophelela ishidi obondeni. Kwakukhona ishalofu eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka elinezindukwana zamakhandlela kanye nesithombe, nendebe, kanye ne … NEVASI KAMAMA EPHAMBILI. 

Umama washaya izandla. “Uyinamathisele wayibuyisela ndawonye!” ebabaza. “Inhle sengathi yintsha. Ingcono kunentsha. Yisipho esihle kakhulu kwesengake ngazithola,” kusho yena, ebamba u-Ashley emnkonkoshela kakhulu. 

NoBen wabamba u-Ashley emhaga kakhulu. “Uhlakaniphe kakhulu wena!” kusho yena. “Ulusindisile USuku LukaMama.” 

U-Ashley wayeziqhenya kakhulu. Ivasi kaMama yayingasafani ncamashi, kodwa yayisabukeka iyinhle eshalofini elisha eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka.