ULesedi bekazithanda iinkwekwezi. Ngesikhathi abanye abantwana baqale ngabomvu bona kube sekuseni, yena bekaqale phambili bona kube sebusuku. Bekangasabi nakancani nakunzima. Bekathanda ukuphumela ngaphandle ngaphambi kobana ayokulala bona ayokuqala isibhakabhaka ebusuku.
Okwanje, akhe ubone ngelihlo lomkhumbulo zoke iinkwekwezi ebegade azibona. Amakhulu wamakhulu weenkwekwezi ezikhanyako, ezimeruzako kunye nenyanga ekulu etjheli eyindulungu.
“Sele kusikhathi sokulala, Lesedi!” kurhuwelela unina lomntazanyana.
“Ngiyeza, Mma!” Kuphendula uLesedi.
Kodwana uLesedi bekangakazimiseli ukungena ngendlini. Bekafuna ukubala iinkwekwezi. “Kunye, kubili, kuthathu, kune …” uLesedi besele abale wafika ekhulwini namasumi amathathu nantathu nakezwa unina ambiza godu.
Nakaphendukako athi ungena ngomnyango, wabona ukukhanya okukhulu, esibhakabhakeni. Bekutjhidela. Bekumkhumbi wemoyeni! Kwaba budisi bona uLesedi asuse amehlwakhe kiwo bekawuqalile njengombana uhlala phasi esivandeni sekhabo esingaphambili.
ULesedi watjhinga emkhunjini wafika wawuthinta. Bewutjhelela umanyazela begodu ufuthumele. Kusesenjalo kwavuleka umnyango kwaphuma iintepisi zehlela phasi.
“Mhlamunye ngingangena ngaphakathi ngiwubone,” kucabanga uLesedi.
Kancani wakhamba wakhwela endaweni yokukhwela. Bekunamalambha akhanyako neenkunupe ezibomvu nezihlaza yoke indawo. Kodwana kunenye ikunupe eyamdosa amehlo khulu beyiyikulu itjheli ingenzasi kwefasidere.
“Ngiyazibuza bona kungenzekani nangingaligandelela?” Ukhulumela phezulu.
TWIII kulila ikunupe njengombana ayigandelela. Umnyango wavaleka kwezwakala itjhada elikhulu elithi, VURRM njengombana i-enjini ithoma ukuduma. Ngemva kwalokho wezwa ilizwi esipikareni lithi, “Umkhumbi wemoyeni uyasuka 3, 2, 1…”
ULesedi wezwa umkhumbi wemoyeni usikinyeka! Bewusikinyeka uya ngapha nangapha; utjhinga phasi naphezulu ngemva kwalokho waphakama ngamandla.
“UMma uzokusilingeka khulu,” kucabanga uLesedi, kodwana bekamomotheka. Emaswapheleni bekaya esibhakabhakeni! Nakahlola emafasidereni womkhumbi wemoyeni, bekabona umuzi wekhabo ubamncani njengombana atjhinga phezulu.
Waphakamisa isandla wathi, “Nisale kuhle, Mma! Angekhe ngikhambe isikhathi eside!”
Umkhumbi waya phezulu, phezulu phezulu. Bewuphapha hlangana neenkwekwezi. Bewujika jika iphasi waya kude, kude esibhakabhakeni. “Lindani bekube kulapho ngitjela uTshepo no-Amina esikolweni,” uyacabanga.
ULesedi bekasahlole ngefasidera nakazakubona enye into le phambili. Kghani kungaba yi…? Iye bekungiyo! Bekuyinyanga … begodu bekunendoda ejame phezu kwayo. Kwabonakala kwangathi imphakamisela isandla.
“Yindoda yenyangeni!” kurhuwelela uLesedi athabile.
Indoda le beyilokhu imphakamisela isandla bekwaba kulapho umkhumbi wemoyeni uhlala enyangeni ngamandla. Ngemva kwalokho yatjhinga efasidereni lakaLesedi yafika yakokoda.
“Lotjha,” ukhulumela erhalasini lefasidere. “Azisizinengi iimvakatjhi engizifumanako. Ungubani igama lakho?”
“NginguLesedi,” uphendula ngokuziqhenya. “Akukafuzi ngibe la. Umkhumbi wemoyeni lo akusingewami. Wehlele esivandeni sekhaya, ngakhwela, wona waphapha!”
“Mhlamunye kungebanga lokuthi wabelethwa uthanda ukwazi izinto,” kutjho indoda.
“Uqinisile. Ngiyasithanda isibhakabhaka begodu ngithanda iinkwekwezi khulu. Kuhle kuhle igama lami nginguLesedi, litjho ukukhanya,” kutjho yena.
“Kuhle lokho! Thatha into nasi ubuyele nayo ekhaya.” ULesedi wavula ifasidere wakhupha isandla. Indoda yamnikela ilitje elincani. “Lilitjhe lenyangeni elikhethekileko. Nje sele unento ezokusiza uhlale ukhumbula ikhambo lakho.”
“Ngithokoza kwamambala Ndoda yenyangeni!”
Nanyana uLesedi bekalithabela ikhambo lakhe, bekathoma ukuzizwa adiniwe. “Maye mina! UMma uzokutshwenyeka ngami!” ucabanga azamula. Waqala ngapha nangapha. “Mhlamunye nangingagandelela ikunupe etjheli leya godu umkhumbi wemoyeni ungangibuyisela ekhaya.”
Wayigandelela. Msinyana, kwezwakala ilizwi esipikareni godu, lithi, “Ikhambo elibuyela emva liyathoma 3,2,1…”
“Usale kuhle Ndoda yenyangeni,” Msinyana uLesedi walayelisa.
“Ukhambe kuhle, Lesedi. Ngithemba ukuthi ngizokubona godu,” utjho amphakamisela isandla.
Umkhumbi wemoyeni waphakama enyangeni wajika jika kabuthaka. ULesedi bekakghona ukubona iphasi likude le phasi. Begade ufana nebholo ehlaza elibhambhako yena nabangani bakhe abathanda ukudlala ngalo. Ngemva kwalokho wezwa umkhumbi wemoyeni wehla, wehla wabe wathi, gidi esivandeni sekhabo. Umnyango wavuleka kwehla iintepisi.
“Sengibuyile!” kurhuwelela uLesedi.
Wehla ngeentepisi waqala phezulu enyangeni ekulu eyindulunga etjheli wacabanga ukuthi ubona indoda encani imphakamisela isandla.
Kuthe lokha unina kaLesedi nakaphumela ngaphandle ayomfuna, wafumana indodakazakhe ilele ubuthongo etjanini.
“Maye, umntazanyanami kufuze bona udinwe ufile,” utjho amguga.
Waguga uLesedi wamusa ngendlini wafika wamfaka ngeengutjeni embhedeni. Wezwa into ethileko esandleni sakaLesedi. Bekulilitje eliyindulunga elitshetlha.
“Umntazanyanami omncani onamahlaya,” wamomotheka, wamanga uLesedi epandla.
Ngemva kwalokho wacima amalambha waphuma ngekumbeni, akhange atjheje bona ilitje eliyindulunga elitshetlha belikhanye ebumnyameni.
