– Yiya, uthathe: kukhona isobho, kunezinkabi, amapuleti, esiqandisini, – i-bedbug yaqala ukukhomba ngezandla zayo, imele ekhishini. -… kukhona umpheki. Uyazi… Ibhizinisi elingathi sína lihlakaze.
– Yini? About anasha? – ukukopela isobho ngokusebenzisa isobho, uHarutun wabubula.
– Vele ungathuki. Yijabulise futhi ungonakalisi isifiso sakho sokudla.
UHarutun walandela izeluleko zompheki futhi wamunca kuye.
– Kuyadingeka ukusungula ukubhekwa ngaphezulu kwe-nickle nokubamba yonke imilutha yezidakamizwa.
– Vele, apchi, sizosebenzisa usuku lomsebenzi womphakathi esigodini.
– Ngqo! Futhi imashi izokhokhela zonke izindleko zethu. Futhi ukuchaza nokubhubhisa zonke izidakamizwa…
– Ngemuva kwalokho-ke sizoyichitha le nkolelo.
– Ingabe lokhu kusemthethweni? Apchi
– Yini?
– Well, mayelana izingulube, apchi.
– Uyacasula, konke lokhu kuzofakwa embikweni, njengebhonasi eya kunenja esemthethweni iPoland, ekubanjweni kwe-Idot ne-Toad.
– Kepha kwakungu yimina, apchi, obabambe?
– Wena, kepha usangikweleta, uyakhumbula?
– Yebo, apchi, ukhunjulwe.. Makubekho iPoland.
– … Futhi sizothumela lo mbiko nge-Intanethi kuMarshall.
– Wake wambona uMarshal, apchi. – U-Arutun wehlise ijubane kwesipuni.
– Cha. Yize ngake ngasebenza njengommeleki wakhe.
– Ngakho-ke, ubani osayine amadokhumenti? – U-Arutun kufinyelelwe i-herring nomkhono uthinte ungqimba lwamafutha we-borsch. Kukhona iwindi emnyango wakhe, njengakwirejista yemali: kunamaphepha ayimfihlo no-grub, engikutshela imfihlo, angizange ngikhafule ngaphezu kwesisodwa.
– Futhi ubengazi? i-apchi.
– Uma engazange aqaphele, ngabe angikho lapha.
– Angiqondi, ubuhlala lapho njengoshizi ebhotela, kungani udinga ukukhafulela?
– Kuleli lizwe, ukukhafulela ngamathe kuyisihlamba, futhi ezweni lakithi kuwuphawu lokubingelela nothando, njengokuqabula. Ngemuva kwakho konke, lapho uqabula, uncela ekuqothulweni komlingani wakho. Futhi lokhu ukwanga kukude… Akekho owabona ubuso bakhe. Hhawu kahle, Yidla udle uzobuka isikhathi.
– Wena? i-apchi.
– Futhi ngizocabanga. Uma kwenzenjani?! – UKlop yawned. Ngingaphansi kwe-zhinka.
– Ekamelweni lokulala?
– Endlini yangasese, inqama, kunjalo. Ngcono avale egalaji. Ukusuka lapho, abasazukuphuma kuze kuse.
– Futhi imoto? i-apchi.
– Iyiphi imoto?
– Well, kusukela egalaji, i-apchi, khona-ke kukhona imoto?
– Kwake kwenzeka, ngokuqondile, isithuthuthu. U-Izya waqhekeza, manje sekusele izingcezu zensimbi eziqhekekile nje, zilele lapho…
– Kulungile, ngahamba, Boss?! i-apchi.
Ekuseni kufika i-Toad yakudala futhi, sesithole imiyalo, yahamba yahlanza uhlaka. Esikhaleni isikhathi eside isandla senkosi asizange sisetshenziswe futhi konke okwakukhona embozwe nge-shit. U-Ottila, njengenjwayelo, wahlala phansi ukuze avumelanise izipikili. Ngifuna ukuqaphela ukuthi bonke abaseshi banokuzilibazisa okubenza bacabange: UHolmes unomdlalo we-violin, uPoirot uthemba amaseli akhe ampunga ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka, u-Agent Kay unepayi, uKlop uqinise izipikili. Futhi lapho sebeqedile, wayeziqhubela futhi azidabule ukuze aziqonde futhi ngasikhathi sinye uzizwe enomsindo.
Bale, bale, bale, bale. Futhi ngakho-ke ihora nehora, usuku nosuku, unyaka nonyaka, futhi… Ngokuphazima kweso, kwavela ubuso obubi beToad buvela esibayeni babuka, bamamatheka iphoyisa.
– Ngabe ufunani? Kubuza u-Ottila.
– Ngingabhema, umphathi? ikhehla labuza ngokungazi.
– Yini ukunuka?
– Hhayi igama elifanele. Wena, hike, wajika isidumbu esibolile sedayinaso?
– Cha, ngivele ngayihluza ngadedela ijuba elincane ngaphandle, lona uqobo elingakhanyi umoya-mpilo.
– Kulungile, bhema.
Indoda endala yaphuma ikhipha ugwayi.
– Linda!
– Yini, umphathi?
– Vele ushiye imbongolo yakho esibayeni.
– Hehe, ihlaya liyaqonda. – Igcwele isikebhe futhi ifuna ukukhanyisa ugwayi…
– … Cant, noma yini? – Isiphazamisi.
– Cha, umphathi, uBelomor nje.
– Woza lapha.
Indoda endala yakhipha ugwayi. U-Ottila wayithatha wayikhanyisa. Ugwayi wayehlanzekile, ngaphandle kwezengezo.
– Vuliwe, bhema. – Gave Ottil Toad ugwayi.
– Wena isikhathi eside kithi?
– Ngibe lapha iminyaka eyisithupha futhi bengicabanga kuze kube phakade. Sengibuyisile. Amkhafulele emsebenzini wakhe. Inyathelwe lomhlaba omangalisayo, ovela kuwo uthwala ubulongwe… Ngamafuphi, sengikhathele ini vele?
– Cha, ngesikhathi ngihlala lapha kuze kube ngukugcina ngisebenzela khona, iphoyisa lesifunda lashintsha njengamagilavu.
– Futhi ngani?
– Izizathu zazingafani: bebephuza ngokweqile, bese beba ngokulinganisa.
– Yebo, akusongeli kimi. Ngibhalwe phakathi kwabaphathi bami njengomuntu ongaphuzi futhi ongumthengisi. Ake ungitshele okuthile, ngingaqedela ukwakha uhlaka ngaphambi kwekwindla?
Le ndoda endala yahlola lesi sakhiwo, esasiyingxenye yesitini. Izikhala ezadilika ezindongeni zathathelwa phezulu: kungaba yi-plywood ebolile, bese kuba yophahla lwendlu, bese kuba amasaka.
– Ungakwenza. Konke lokhu kudinga ukushintshwa. Yebo, futhi izindonga zakho ziphelile.
– Futhi baneminyaka emingaki?
– Ahhh! Induna, yebo, ngokufika engingakhumbula ngayo, lesi sakhiwo sasimile. Lapha bekuvame ukuba yigceke lomthengisi othile. Kule nguquko, bathi, babamba imbalekela ephuma ezingubeni-ezibomvu, bagcina lapho ngomndeni wonke.
– Kuphi?
– Yini, kuphi?
– Well, kwenziwe.
– Ah, ngakho-ke lapha esibayeni. Futhi-ke kwakuyindawo yokugcina izinto, futhi emva kwempi – inqaba.
– Kumnandi. Ungakwenza? Vele, ungahlukani kuze kube sekupheleni. Amamilimitha asenamandla, nawo ayamatshe. Vele uwaqede.
– Ukuthola iwashi elihle ngeke kusebenze. Ngaphezu kwalokho, udinga umsizi hhayi oyedwa, okungenani amabili. Futhi, ngokweqiniso, kusengaphambili, khona-ke kuzoba nesikhuthazo.
– Yebo, kuzoba khona iwashi elihle endaweni yokuqala, kodwa sizobona. Kepha ngizokhokha uma kufanele. Njengokuthi – Ngizonikeza ama-chervonets, kepha cha – ijaji lizonikeza ama-chervonets. Ngakho savuma. Futhi esifundweni, ngizokutshela i-Idot. Uyakwazi lokhu?
– Impela. Le yi-moron evela eKyzikhston. -Ixhegu selikhe limuncu.
– Futhi yini?
– Yebo, ungumlutha wezidakamizwa, ngiyababa. – ikhehla lalikhipha i-apula lika-Adamu ngeminwe yalo.
– Wena?
– Mina? Impela, lesi isiwula esiyinhloko sale moron elalelwayo.
– Futhi yini, baxhumana ngempela? ulungile kuye.
– U-Ay, wamnika imali eyengeziwe. Ngokuphuza, kunjalo.
– ENkantolo,