kabi uFahlaza. Into eyenza lokho ukuthi, bathi uma bekhuluma indaba yabo, gwiqiqi, usefuna ukuyiyisa kumuntu onguthisha. Manje akasazi noma kumele aqhubeke nodaba noma asale eseyeka kanjalo. Enye inhliziyo yamtshela ukuthi, qhubeka ngoba noma angakhuluma notisha uFahlaza ngeke kwenzeke lutho, mhlawumbe uyazidlalela nje nalo Fahlaza.
“Madoda, lo gwayi engikhuluma ngawo udinga olukhulu usizo lwenu.”
“Qhubeka Mchithwa,” kucela uFahlaza.
“Wakhiwa ngalokhu okuthiwa ama-ARVs bese uhlanganiswa nensangu, kuphume unqambothi lwento.”
“Isidakamizwa lesi ngendlela engibona ngayo. Uthisha omkhulu ngicabanga ukuthi uyasazi. Wena Fahlaza, ungalinge nje uyikhulume le ndaba kaMchithwa.”
“Yini uthi isidakamizwa?” kubuza uFahlaza.
“Into okukhona kuyo insangu phakathi nje yisidakamizwa.”
“Uqinisile uNsonsothela,” kunanela uMchithwa.
“Bengizidlalela. Angeke ngimtshele ubab’ omncane.”
“Manje sikusize kanjani?” kubuza uFahlaza kuMchithwa.
“Ningizamise ama-ARVs kubantu enibaziyo ukuthi bayawasebenzisa ngoba ubhut’ uNtondolo wangitshela ukuthi uyongipha iwunga, ngeke nangephutha angidayisele.”
“Ubala kakhulu kimina lokho,” kusho uNsonsothela.
“Mina ngizozama, kodwa angive ngifisa ukuqala ngokuyibhema le wunga, ngaphambi kokuba ngenze imizamo yokuthola ama-ARVs,” kusho uFahlaza.
Kwathi gidi kuMchithwa emva kokuqonda ukuthi abangani bakhe le ndaba ayikhulumayo kubukeka behambisana nayo, yize uFahlaza efisa ukuyibhema kuqala.
“Wena Fahlaza khululeka, iwunga uzoyibhema kakhulu. Ungesabi ndoda yamadoda, ubhut’ uNtondolo hleze afike nayo eningi kunale ngoba isincane. Noyibhema nize nishayane ngayo.” Baqala babhema.
Lwashaya uLwesihlanu ntambama. Wajabula kwathi akafe uMchithwa uma ebona uNtondolo epake imoto yakhe ngenhla komuzi wakubo kaMchithwa. Wabona ukuthi uze kuye ukuzobheka leyo mpahla.
“Kuhamba kanjani Mchithwa ngaleya mpahla?” kubuza uNtondolo emva kokubingelelana.
“Ungesabi bhuti, abangani bami bethembise ukuthi bazongipha ama-ARVs ukuze usizakale. Into abayifuna kakhulu ukuthi bayibheme le wunga ngaphambi kokuthi benze imizamo. Ngibezwisile nje, enye ngasala ngayibhema.
“Ubala lolo,” emnika eningi iwunga le.
“Wangisiza bhuti.”
“Ngicela ukuyithola nami leyo mpahla,” kusho uNtondolo enwaya ikhanda.
“Njengoba sizoyibhema nabo, sekuseduze phambili bhuti. Isithakiwe uma isinje?”
“Yebo isithakiwe, sekusele ukuyifaka ephepheni nje bese nilayitha niyibheme, kodwa ningayifaki yonke. Okufanele ukwazi ukuthi leyo eyezinsuku ezine. Ngicela ukuhamba, nawe ubambisane nabangani bakho.”
“Ngicela inombolo yakho yocingo bhuti.” Nebala wamnika behlukana onkabi.
Endleleni uNtondolo ucabanga uMchithwa omuhle kanjena osezodlala iwunga. Lowo mcabango wawuphebeza ngoba naye iwunga akazifundelanga, kodwa wafundiswa, futhi le wunga imnika imali eningi. Uma kuqhuba kanje, umsebenzi wokushayela itekisi uzowuyeka. Ngenkathi umcabango uqhubeka ngewunga, wabona iyinhle yona ngoba ayibulali, ukube iyabulala, ngabe le ngane yakwaNcokwane akayifaki kuyona.
UNtondolo wazithethelela ngokuthi akekho umuntu ombhemise ngenkani iwunga uMchithwa. Wabona kuzotholakala inqwaba yabathengi bayo la kwaDumisa. Into eyenza acabange kanjalo ukuthi uMchithwa nguye ozongamela abathengi, bese yena Ntondolo amlethele, mhlawumbe nonina uMaMsomi kunokwenzeka ahehwe nguMchithwa wakhe. Kubo kaMchithwa yikubo wemali. Ibhizinisi into yakhona.
Kuyo le micabango ayicabangayo ngewunga yakhe uDlamini, akukho nokukodwa akubona kuyiphutha. Akacabangi ukuthi hleze uMaMsomi angayithandi indaba yewunga. Futhi uyakhohlwa uNtondolo ukuthi ingoduso yakhe yachithwa iyo indaba yale wunga eMlazi. Ubona uMchithwa engenayo ingoduso engachitheka. Le wunga phela uyidayiselwa yiNdiya laseMobeni, elinenqwaba yamaloli alayisha imithwalo anqamule amazwe. Nalo belu leli Ndiya liyayidla le wunga, kodwa ukezwe likhala kakhulu ngama-ARVs elize liwathenge.
Wamisa itekisi uNtondolo ngoba ngaleso sikhathi sekuhlwile. Wakhipha isibhamu wasibeka phezu kwesihlalo esiseduze kwakhe. Nanku umcabango umtshela ukuthi akaye kokweba. Nguye lo ephendula imoto iqonda eKenterton, lapho wafika wayimisa khona. Wakhipha izinto zokugquzula isicabha. Walayisha inqwaba yezimpahla emotweni. Phela la ehlala khona uphila ngazo izinto azebile. Empilweni yakhe uNtondolo likhulu iqhaza elibanjwe iwunga, futhi uyazitshela ukuthi uyoyiyeka mzukwane wafa.
* * *
Kuthe kusenjalo, kwabonakala uFahlaza noNsonsothela bexoxa nje sekuhwalala, bezidlisa satshanyana laphaya kwaNdukwebandla, okuyisitolo esidayisa ukudla. Ngakusasa kwasa kuvuleke gengelezi, konke obekuphakathi kungasekho.
Izincwadi kanye namapeni esikoleni okufunda kuso oMchithwa kwakuphela. Bheka nje, babe sebentshontshela ngisho othisha imbala. Uthishanhloko wayebikelwa ngalezi zigigaba zakamuva, kodwa asho ukuthi uzophenya, ngeke kugcine laba abenza lokhu.
Kwathi ngolunye usuku kunguMsombuluko kusanda kuqalwa ukufunda, uthisha wabona uMchithwa ejuza amathe, ozela omdala. Wabona kufanele amvuse lo mfundi ngoba akathandi kube khona ingane eyozelayo uma efundisa, wazi ukuthi iyafeyila. UMnumzane Sishi okunguye obone uMchithwa evuza amathe, wamthethisa emtshela ukuthi akulalwa uma kufundwa, kodwa umfundi kumele azinike isikhathi esanele sokulala ebusuku.
“Ncokwane awulali. Nigibela imfene ebusuku, hhe?”
Zahleka izingane uma zizwa uSishi ekhuluma kanjalo noMchithwa.
UMnumzane Sishi wagcizelela ukuthi unyaka usuzophela, kodwa akafune ngane ezophinda ikilasi. Wanxusa uMchithwa ukuthi uma ezwa ukuthi uxinwa ubuthongo kufanele asukume, noma kanjani ngeke bungapheli.
Waziba nje uMchithwa. Uthisha waqhubeka nokufundisa. Avuza futhi amathe. USishi wanyonyoba eqonde ngqo kuye. Wafike wamvusa ngempama, zahleka izingane.
Isahluko 3
Kubukeka isimo sithanda ukushuba lapha endlini okuhlezi khona uMaMsomi, uNtombi kanye noMchithwa. Namhlanje kupheke uNtombi ngoba wenqabile uMchithwa. UMaMsomi akuve kummangalisile lokho. UMchithwa usengumuntu othandayo ukukhuluma, kanti umthetho wakhe uyahlonipha, uvuma lokhu okusuke kushiwo unina esikhathini esiningi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uNtombi wazi kahle ukuthi la ekhaya umuntu othandwa kakhulu nguye belu uMchithwa. UNtombi uklebe enjalo nje.
“Ngicela ugeze izitsha mntakama, sengiphekile mina.”
“Ntombi, musa ukudlala ngami,” ebhoka ngolaka.
“Ngidlala ngawe uma ngithini bafo?”
“Uyangibhedela!” anikine ikhanda, etshengisa nje uMchithwa ukuthi noma angalwa uNtombi kodwa yena uMchithwa angamudla amfele. UMaMsomi wachoba izinzipho zakhe, eshaya sengathi akezwa ukuthi kuyahiliziswana lapha endlini.
“Mchithwa, ngicela ungihloniphe ngoba ngimdala kunawe.”
“Uyintombazane wena. Nguwe okufanele uhloniphe mina. Umuntu wesifazane ungaphansi kowesilisa, ngisho iBhayibheli liyafakaza,” esho lokho ebuka unina emehlweni
