Kudala-dala kwakukho amakhwenkwe amabini azalwa ngumntu omnye, amagama abo inguKabelo kunye noLefa, babehlala kwilalana esentlanjeni. Babenoodade wabo ababini abancinci, umama wabo wayenabantwana abane abondlayo. Wayesebenza ubusuku nemini, epheka acoce indlu, ethunga alungise ezifuna ukulungiswa, esomba asuse ukhula esitiyeni sakhe semifuno.
Babengenamali yoneleyo ukwenza zonke iimfuno zosapho. “Makwedini nibadala ngokweneleyo ukuba nihambe niyokufuna umsebenzi edolophini,” watsho umama wabo ngenye imini. Ngoko ke uKabelo noLefa baqokelela izinto zabo ezimbalwa, bazifaka koobhaka abadala bahamba baya edolophini.
“Ndiza kuba yeyona ndoda isisityebi kwiAfrika iphela,” uKabelo waqhayisa njengokuba babehamba kulo ndlela inothuli eyayineqhina elonyukayo ukuya endulini. “Ndikrelekrele, kwaye ndimhle akuzukuthatha thuba lide ukuba ndibe sisityebi.”
“Kulungile,” watsho uLefa.
"Ndicinga ukuba uyakuwufumana umsebenzi ukuba unethamsanqa,” watsho uKabelo. “Mhlawumbi uyakutshayela izitalato zedolophu.”
“Kungakuhle oko,” watsho uLefa. “Ukuba nje ndingakwazi ukuthumela into kuMama noodadewethu abancinci, ndakonwaba.”
Babesebehambe intsasa yonke, nelanga laligqatse ubhobhoyi. Ngexesha lesidlo sasemini esi sibini sasidinwe kakhulu kwaye silambile.
Ngequbuliso babona ixhego elalineendevu neentshebe ezimhlophe lizihambela lisiza ngakubo. Laligobile ngenxa yokusindwa yingxowa enzima kunene elaliyibeke emqolo.
“Molweni, boonyana,” latsho ixhego laku ka kubo. “Nisingise phi?”
“Asiyongxaki yakho leyo,” wamngqavula uKabelo. “Yintoni le ikule ngxowa yakho, xhego?”
“Ngamatye nje,” latsho ixhego. “Ke ngoku, nina nobabini nisingise phi?”
“Siya edolophini siya kwenza imali,” watsho uLefa ngokuchubekileyo.
“Mhlawumbi ndinganinceda,” latsho ixhego. Lafaka isandla epokothweni yalo laza larhola isingxobo sesikhumba esigcwaliswe ziinkozo zegolide. “Ngoku ke ngubani apha kuni ongathanda esi singxobo?” labuza ixhego.
“Ndim! Ndim!” wakhwaza uKabelo. “Ndiyasifuna.”
“Naso ke, sesakho,” latsho ixhego, linika uKabelo isingxobo sesikhumba, nowakhawuleza wasi hla kubhaka wakhe. Emva koko walijonga ngamehlo anyolukileyo ixhego efuna ukubona ukuba ingaba yintoni enye elaliyiphethe.
Ixhego lafaka isandla salo epokothweni yalo kwakhona. Kweli lixa larhola ibhokisana encinci yesikhumba emdaka ngombala.
“Kukho ntoni ngaphakathi?” wabuza uKabelo, amehlo akhe ekhazimla.
Ixhego lajija lavula isiciko sebhokisi. Ngaphakathi kwakukho idayimane enkulu kakhulu. Yayikhazimla imenyezela ekukhanyeni, uLefa wayecinga ukuba yeyona nto intle awakhe wayibona.
“Ngubani apha kuni oyifunayo le dayimani?” labuza ixhego?
“Ndim, ndim,” wantswininiza uKabelo. “Ndiyayifuna. Yinike mna.” Ngoko ke ixhego lamnika uKabelo idayimane waze wayi hla ezantsi kwipokotho yeblukhwe yakhe.
Ixhego lathatha ingxowa yalo enzima kwakhona. “Ngubani apha kuni ofuna ukundincedisa ndiphathe le ngxowa yamatye ndiyise elalini yenu?” labuza, lizama ukuphakamisa ingxowa liyibeke kuloo magxa alo abhityileyo. “Inzima kakhulu, kwaye ndidinwe gqitha.”
“Asindim!” watsho uKabelo. “Asiyi elalini, siya edolophini. Andinalo ixesha lokukuncedisa.”
ULefa wajonga emva kuloo ndlela inde ababeyihambe intsasa yonke. “Awunakuhamba wedwa yonke le ndlela, Tata,” watsho uLefa. “Kukude ukuba ungahamba nale ngxowa inzima u ke phambi kokutshona kwelanga. Mandihambe nawe. Ndiza kukuphathela ingxowa yakho.”
“Sukuba sisidenge!” uKabelo wangxolisa uLefa. “Ungacingi ukuba mna ndiza kukulinda. Uza kuhamba yonke le ndlela ibuyela elalini yethu kwakhona, ukunceda nje eli xhego? Soze uyenze imali ukuba uza kwenza njalo!”
ULefa wayenexhala. Wayefuna ukuhamba nomntakwabo, kodwa akubona ixhego lincwina kukusindwa yingxowa, akazange akwazi ukulishiya.
“Qhubeka uhambe, Kabelo,” watsho. “Ndiza kukufumana. Ndiza kubaleka endleleni yam ebuyela kuwe.”
“Kulungile, kodwa mna andizikukulinda,” watsho uKabelo. “Kufuneka ndibe sedolophini ndithengise idayimane yam entsha ekhazimlayo.” Wahamba ke uKabelo ebetha umlozi ngolonwabo.
ULefa waqubula ingxowa wayibeka emagxeni akhe. Yayisinda kakhulu, yayisenza amathambo akhe akrikrize.
“Yiza, Tata,” watsho ngoncumo uLefa. “Masizame uku ka elalini lingekatshoni ilanga.”
Yonke loo mva kwemini babehamba nzima. Loo ngxowa yayisiya isinda ngaphezu kokuba yayisinda njengokuba babehamba nje. Ngokukhawuleza uLefa wayemanzi toxo ngumbilo. Nangona kunjalo wabheka phambili, ephethe ingxowa yelo xhego.
Ngelingeni ba ka elalini. Kwakusekuqala ukuba mnyama.
“Uhlala phi Tata?” wabuza uLefa. “Uyayifuna indawo yoku hla intloko ngokuhlwa nje?
Usapho lwam alunanto ininzi, kodwa ndiyazi ukuba umama wam uza kukonwabela ukwabelana nawe ngesidlo sethu sangokuhlwa, akunike nendawo yokulala ngokuhlwa nje.”
Ixhego lahlala kwisikhondo somthi. “Kukude ngokwaneleyo ngoku,” latsho.
“Kodwa awunakuhlala apha,” watsho uLefa. “Akukhuselekanga. Kunga ka umntu ayibe ingxowa yakho.”
“Yithathe,” latsho ixhego. “Goduka uye kumama wakho, uze umnike le ngxowa.”
“Hayi, hayi!” wakhuza uLefa. “Andizikukwazi ukuthatha ingxowa yakho. Uyayidinga.”
“Sisipho sam kuwe,” latsho ixhego.
ULefa wakhulula iqhina elalibophe ingxowa wakroba ngaphakathi. Kwakukho into ebengezelayo kwelo langa elalisele libutshona. ULefa wafikelela ngaphakathi engxoweni, wakukhupha oko kwakungaphakathi. Yayiyidayimane. Emva koko waqhubeka wayivula ingxowa – ingxowa yayizaliswe ziidayimane ezinexabiso!
“Ndiyabulela, ndiyabulela!” watsho uLefa. Kodwa akubhekabheka, lalithe shwaka ixhego. Kwakungasabonakali nophawu lwalo naphi na. Kwakushiyeke nje kuphela ingxowa enedayimane.
Yayilurhatya olumnandi lwesidlo kuloLefa. Wayengahambanga thuba lide, kodwa wayesele enzele usapho lwakhe imali. Umama kaLefa kunye noodadewabo babonwabile, badanisa becula kwade kwahamba ubusuku.
Emva kweenyanga ezininzi, uKabelo onyolukileyo wabuyela elalini engaphethanga nto, koko eze kuqhayisa ngemoto yakhe entsha kunye neempahla ezintle. Wafikela kusapho lwakhe olwalusitya ukutya okwakukumgangatho ophakamileyo kwindlu yabo entsha enkulu. Intamo kamama wakhe yayijikelezwe yintsimbi yehombo yentamo eyenziwe ngeedayimane.
