Make Tau bekabuya ekhaya! Bekangekho sikhatsi lesidze afundza, futsi umndeni wakhe bese umkhumbule kakhulu. Bonkhe bebajabulile. Kodvwa Thapelo, lomncane kunabo bonkhe bekajabule kakhulu kubendlula bonkhe.

Ngalelilanga lekufika kwaMake Tau, lomndeni wacitsa sikhatsi sasekuseni ulungiselela. Lilanga beliphumile ngaphandle. Thapelo bekakhahlela ibhola yakhe etjanini. Bekafuna kukhombisa make wakhe kutsi likhono lakhe lekudlala libhola letinyawo selincono kakhulu kangakanani kusukela agcina kumbona. “Bamba lena, Bless,” wamemeta inja. Kodvwa Bless wamane-nje wayibuka lebhola wabese ungena ngekhatsi.

Thapelo wayilandzela lenja wabese uyofuna dzadzewabo lomdzala, Refilwe. Refilwe bekangu-DJ. Bekasesitayeleni kangangobe bekagcoka tibuko takhe telilanga nangekhatsi endlini. Refilwe bekasekamelweni lakhe alungisa umculo labetawudlalela make wakhe nakangena emnyango wangembili. “Angeke ngiwudlale umculo werephu lakhonona ngawo,” kwasho Refilwe. “Namuhla sitawulalela ijezi kuphela. Ngalendlela Make layitsandza ngayo.” Wakhipha tibuko takhe telilanga waficela Thapelo liso. “Mhlawumbe ungadansa naMake.”

Refilwe wabese ufaka emahedifoni, wabese ucala kulekutisa inhloko ananela lomculo.

“Ngingakusita?” kwabuta Thapelo.

“Ini?” kwasho Refilwe, akhipha emahedifoni. “Utsiteni?”

“Ngingakusita?” kwamemeta Thapelo.

“Kute sidzingo sekumemeta,” kwasho Refilwe. “Ngikuva kahle kakhulu.” Wanikina inhloko yakhe ngemuva kwekusho njalo. “Loku konkhe kukungcondvomshini, Thapelo. Ngako-ke angeke ukwati kusita umncane kakhulu.”

Thapelo wahamba wayofuna umnakabo, Saul. Abesekhishini, abhaka lelinye lemakhekhe akhe lakhetsekile. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi nakunemcimbi lokhetsekile, Saul bekabhaka likhekhe. Ngelusuku lwaThapelo lwekutalwa lolwengcile, Saul wabhaka likhekhe leshokolethi lebelibekwe Emasimathisi ngetulu.

Saul bekagcoke sidziya lesinemishi futsi atamatisa lenhlama yalelikhekhe endishini lenkhulu. “Leli likhekhe lelilamula”, watjela Thapelo. “Intsandvokati yamake.”

“Ngingakusita?” kwabuta Thapelo.

“Cha,” kwasho yena. Esikhatsini lesendlulile wawisa licandza. Ncesi, Thapelo. Umncane kakhulu.”

Wahamba wayofuna dzadzewabo lomunye, Mampotoko, labekadze ahlobisa ekamelweni lekuphumula. Bekukhona tinketane temaphepha nemabhaluni. “Ngingakusita?” wabuta.

“Tsatsa naku, bona kutsi ungakhona kufutsa naku?” washo aniketa Thapelo lamanye emabhaluni. Wakhetsa lebovu wabese uyacala uyayifutsa. Wetama, wetama kodvwa akakhonanga kufaka umoya lowenele ekhatsi kuyo.

“Hhayi cha,” washo kalusizi. “Ngimncane kakhulu.”

Ngako Thapelo wabese uyahamba uyofuna Babe. Abehleti etafuleni agocotela umgaco wasentsanyeni webuhlalu waMake. Lomgaco unemibala yakhe layitsandza kakhulu kwendlula leminye,” kwasho yena. “Umbala lobukhwebeletane naloluhlata satjani. Ayisiyinhle?”

Thapelo wabona leliphepha lekugocotela linetinkhanyeti.

“Ngingakusita kugocotela lomgaco?” kwabuta Thapelo.

“Cha, ncesi, Thapelo, umncane kakhulu,” kwasho babe wakhe.

Thapelo weva buhlungu. Wabuka inja yakubo, Bless, ahleti eceleni kwaBabe. “Wota, Bless,” wayibita. Kodvwa Bless wamane-nje watihlalela khona lapho. “Ngisho naBless naye ucabanga kutsi ngimncane kakhulu,” kwacabanga Thapelo.

Thapelo waphumela ngaphandle wefike wahlala esitebhisini sangembili sendlu. “Ngifisa kutsi bengingakhula ngibe mudze njengesidlakela,” kwacabanga yena. “Lapho-ke bonkhe batangesaba, futsi kute namunye longatsi, ‘Umncane kakhulu.”

Kusenjalo weva kumemeta lokukhulu kuphuma ngekhatsi endlini. “Bless! Bless, buya emuva!”

Bless wagijima wendlula Thapelo wasitsela ekhoneni lendlu. Futsi emva kwaBless kwakugijima Babe. Kwalandzela Saul. Kwalandzela Refilwe. Kwabese kulandzela Mampotoko. “Leyanja intjontje sipho saMake!” kwamemeta babe ngesikhatsi endlula Thapelo. Thapelo wabajoyina naye wagijima emvakwaBless.

Bless wazuba waphuma esikhaleni kufenisi, wangena ebaleni lakamakhelwane. “Buya, Bless!” bambita. Kwatsi emva kwesikhatsi Bless wabuya ... kodvwa angakasiphatsi lesipho!

“Hhayi cha, usishiye kamakhelwane!” kwabubula Babe. “Futsi bakaSithole abekho batawubuya kusasa! Ngako-ke sibambeke ngale kwafenisi baze babuye ekhaya!”

“Ngingaphuma kulesikhala ngisilandze,” Thapelo wabeka umbono.

“Cha,” bonkhe basho kanye kanye. “Umncane ka ...” babindza. Babuka Thapelo.

“Utawuphuma?” kwabuta Refilwe.

“Ngabe umncane ngalokwenele?” kwabuta Saul.

Thapelo wakhokhoba washona phasi wase uyatimpintja ungena kulembobo. Wavele-nje wangena kahle kulembobo. Lapha, etjanini ebaleni kaSithole, bekunalesipho lesigocotelwe, liphepha lesigocotelwe ngalo lidzabuke kancane-nje. Wasitsatsa lesipho wase uyatimpintja futsi kulofenisi ubuyela emuva ekhaya.

“Yebo, Thapelo,” kwasho Babe. “U sihlabani!”

“Batsatfu labadvumisa Thapelo!” kwasho Saul, babese bayamhaga bonkhe.

Ekuhambeni kwesikhatsi ngaleyo ntsambama kwevakala kunconcotsa emnyango. BekunguMake! Thapelo wagijimela emikhonweni yakhe.

“Ukhulile, mfana wami,” kwasho yena. “Buka-nje kutsi umudze kanganani manje.”

“Kodvwa ngisemncane kakhulu, Make,” kwasho yena.

“Cha!” bamemeta bonkhe.

“Cha, awusinjalo!” kwasho Babe, “Ukhule kahle-nje ngalokufanele!”