UMama Tau bekabuya ekhaya! Besele kukade akhambile ayokufunda, nomndenakhe nawo besele umkhumbulile. Woke umuntu bekathabile. Kodwana nakunguThaphelo yena, obuphetjhani bekhayapha nguye obekathabe khulu.

Ngelanga lokubuya kukaMama Tau, umndeni bewusolo ulungiselela kusukela ekuseni. Ilanga beliphumile ngaphandle. UThapelo bekararha ibholo etjanini. Bekafuna ukutjengisa umamakhe bona ulidlala kuhle kangangani ibholo njengombana kukade amgcina. “Bless, thatha ibholo,” kutjho yena arhuwelela inja. Kodwana uBless wase wayiqala ibholo leyo watjhinga ngendlini.

UThaphelo walandela inja wakhamba wayokufuna  usesakhe, uRefilwe. URefilwe bekangu DJ. Bekazitjela, ambatha amabhlere welanga ngendlini. URefilwe bekasekamurweni lakhe ayofuna umbhino azowudlalela uMama lokha nakangena ngomnyango wangaphambili. “Angifuni ukumdlalela i-rap le ahlala abalabala ngayo,” kutjho uRefilwe. “Namhlanjesi ngifuna ukudlala i-jazz kuphela. Ngiyazi uMama uyayithanda. Utjho njalo uhlubula amabhlere welanga utsibhela uThapelo ilihlo. “Mhlamunye uzaba ujayiva noMama.”

Ngemva kwalokho uRefilwe wafaka ama-headphone, wathoma wajayivisa ihloko.

“Ngikusize?” kubuza uThapelo.

“Uthini?” kubuza uRefilwe, akhipha ama-headphones. “Utheni?”

“Ngithi ngikusize na?” kurhuwelela uThapelo.

“Ungarhuweleli,” kutjho uRefilwe. “Ngikuzwa kuhle nje.” Nakaqeda wanikina ihloko. “Koke kusekhompyutheni, Thapelo. Yeke, angekhe ukghone ukungisiza ngombana usesemncancani.”

UThapelo wakhamba wayokufuna umnakwabo uSaul. Bekangekhwitjhini, abhaga ikhekhe alithanda khulu. Nakunento ehle ezokwenzeka ekhaya uSaul uzokubhaga ikhekhe. Ngelanga lamabeletho kaThapelo ubhage ikhekhe letjhokoleti walihlobisa ngama-Smarties ngaphezulu.

USaul bekambethe ifaskoti enemida, arura ihlama yekhekhe esitjeni esikhulu.

“Likhekhe lelamuna,” utjela uThapelo. “UMama uyalithanda.”

“Ngikusize?” kubuza uThapelo.

“Awa,” kutjho yena. “Mhla ugcina ukungisiza wawisa iqanda. Ngiyacolisa Thapelo. Usesemncancani.”

Wakhamba wayokufuna omunye usesakhe uMampotoko, obekahlobisa ngekamurweni lokuhlala. Bekunamatjheyini wamaphepha namabhaluni. Wathi kuye, “Ngikusize?”

“Ngibawa ufuthele amabhaluni la abe nommoya,” atjho anikela uThapelo amabhaluni. Wathatha elibovu wathoma ukulifuthela ummoya. Walinga ngamandlakhe woke kodwana labhala ukuzala ummoya.

“Awa-ke,” watjho adanile. “Ngisesemncancani.”

Yeke, uThapelo wakhamba wayokufuna uNtate. Bekahlezi etafuleni, aphuthela ubuhlalu bentanyeni bakaMama. “Ubuhlalobu bunemibala ayithandako,” kutjho uNtate. “Bunombala obubende nohlaza. Qala bona buhle kangangani!”

UThapelo wabona iinkwekwezi ephepheni lokuphuthela.

“Ngikusize ukuphuthela ubuhlalobo?” kubuza uThapelo.

“Awa, Thapelo, ngiyacolisa, usesemncancani,” kuphendula ubabakhe.

UThapelo wadana. Waqala inja, uBless, ihlezi hlanu kwakaNtate. “Bless, iza,” atjho ayibiza. Kodwana uBless wazihlalela. “NoBless ucabanga bona ngisesemncancani,” uThapelo uyacabanga.

UThapelo watjhinga ngaphandle, wazihlalela eentepisini zangaphambili. “Ngifisa ngathana ngingakhula ngibe mkhulu,” uyacabanga. “Boke bazongisaba, begodu akekho ozokuthi ‘ngisesemncancani.’”

Asacabanga njalo weza kurhuwelelwa ngendlini. “Bless! Bless, buya!”

UBless wagijima wadlula uThapelo wayokusithela ekhoneni lendlu. Walandelwa nguNtate.

Ngemva kwalokho walandelwa nguSaul, uRefilwe noMampotoko. “Inja leyo yebe isipho sikaMama!” kurhuwelela uNtate njengombana adlula uThapelo endleleni. UThapelo wagcina wabalandela, naye wagijimisa uBless.

UBless wangena entunjeni yedrada, waya ngakwamakhelwana. “Bless! Buya wena! Batjho babiza inja. Kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi uBless wabuya nelize, isipho singekho.

“Maye, utjhiye isiphesa ngakwamakhelwana!” kugandelela uNtate. “Napa nabakwaSithole nabo abekho, bazokubuya ksasa! Isiphesa sizokuhlala ngale kwedarada bebabuye.”

“Mina ngingangena entunjeni ngiyosilanda,” uThabelo eza nombono.

“Awa,” boke batjho kanye kanye. “Usese …” bathula. Baqala uThapelo.

“Uzokulingana entunjeni le?” kubuza uRefilwe.

“Uzokwanela?” kubuza uSaul.

UThapelo wakhokhoba wangena entunjeni. Intunja yamlingana. Nasiya isipho etjani ngakwaSithole, isipho esiphuthelweko, iphepha elisiphutheleko lirathuke kancani. Wasidobha isipho, wangena naso entunjeni yedrada wabuyela ekhabo.

“Maye, Thapelo,” kutjho uNtate. “Uyikwekwezi.”

“Asimthokozise kathathu uThapelo lo!” kutjho uSaul. Boke bamsingatha.

Lokha ntambama kwaba nomuntu okokodako emnyango. BekunguMama! UThapelo wagijima wamhlangabeza wawela ezandleni zakhe.

“Ukhulile msanami,” kutjho uMama. “Qala bona umude kangangani.”

“Kodwana ngimncancani Mama,” kutjho yena.

“Awa!” kubabaza woke umuntu.

“Awa, akusinjalo!” kutjho uNtate, “Ukhule ngokwaneleko.”