“Hawu, ngikhuluma nawe, sani.” NguLolo ebukisisa uSinenhlanhla owayegqolozele ithebhulethi. Naye uSinenhlanhla aswele indlela angamcashela ngayo loLolo. Njengomfana wesinaphungana, naye akhethe ukumziba nje lo Lolo. USinenhlanhla uyawexwaya kakhulu amantombazane angophumasilwe. Futhi nje lolu hlobo oluphinde luphafuze nogwayi akalunambithisisi kahle. Kunokuthi aphendule uLolo avele akhethe ukuxoxisa umfana ozacile: “Konje wena ungubani I … e … ngisho igama lakho?”
Kube isiqome esokeni kusithothobala somfana, namahloni athi damu kanye. “W … wo, ee … mina nginguZakhele, kodwa bangibiza ngoMzeke lapha ekasi, uyabona.” ULolo avele asunduzele uMzekezeke eceleni. Naye uMzekezeke athi ntengentenge acishe angqubuze ideski elingemuva ngesiphongo: “Suka lapha wena Mzeke, awuboni ukuthi ngisakhuluma?” esho uLolo esikaza uMzekezeke ngempama. Avike uMzekezeke. Bome yinsini abafundi ababukele.
USinenhlanhla abheke eceleni. Asondele uLolo.
“Wena ngathi ngikubuza umbuzo wangiziba, yini vele ngawe? Zikhiphani ngawe sani?” NguLolo eqhukuluza uSinenhlanhla ehlombe. “Mxm, hheyi wena!” esho uLolo enyakazisa uSinenhlanhla ehlombe. “Umthetho wakho uyazibona sani, ne? Ucabanga ukuthi wena ungcono kunathi.”
“Wo, a … angizwanga. Ubuthini konje, Lolo? Eish, ukuthi kunomsindo la …”
“Yingoba awungazi ukuthi nginjani, sani?” Hhayi, kodwa nawe usazongifunda kahle. Vele nonke nifika lapha eSoweto nidelela kanje. Izophela yonke inkani, sani lapha kimi. Ngizoyivova yonke nya le nkani.” ULolo ahlale eceleni kukaSinenhlanhla. USinenhlanhla abingelelwe yiphunga lamakhwapha. Ahlehlele eceleni ngokushesha.
ULolo abuke uSinenhlanhla isikhathi eside bese ezwakala esethi: “Kusho ukuthi ekhaya kini ninemali sani, ne?”
“I-… imali? Kungani usho kanjalo?”
“Ya, ubaba wakho phela uMashikisha uvela nasema-TV, futhi ngizwile nokuthi unamabhisinisi, kanti umama wakho yena uhola imali eningi. Uyajabula wena, sani, osenabazali, mina ebami sebashona kudala eyish …” Asho eze ezishikisha esiphongo okomfana uLolo. “Hhayi, fede, kuzolunga.”
Adabuke uSinenhlanhla: “Ngi-… ngiyadabuka kakhulu ngalokho Lolo. Be- … bengingazi ngabazali bakho. Yinto eyenzeka nini leyo?”
“Yinto yakudala, eyish! Kungcono siyiyeke le ndaba.” Avele aphelelwe ngamagama uSinenhlanhla. Nephunga lamakhwapha kaLolo kube sengathi akasalizwa nhlobo. Avele akhophozele nje. NoLolo naye kube sengathi uthonyekile, alibale ukuzinwaya isiphongo. Ngesikade asukume uLolo bese ethi: “Ubaqaphele laba bafana bezikhothane. Maningi amantombazane amahle njengawe abawakhohlisile. Ngikhuluma nje enye intombazane enhle njengawe ishiye isikole ngonyaka odlule. Uvule amehlo.”
“Bese kwenzenjani, Lolo?”
Asineke uLolo: “He! Uthi bese kwenzenjani? Phela bese kwenzeka lokho abafana abafuna kwenzeke.”
“Kanti benzani laba bafana, Lolo?”
Asondeze ubuso bakhe ngakuSinenhlanhla: “Uyabona mina, sani …” Uyahlebeza manje. Njengoba ekhuluma kuphinde kuthi fuqu nephunga likagwayi eliphuma lapha emlonyeni. “. . . uyabona, uma ufuna ukuvikeleka kahle lapha esikoleni, vele uvumele mina ngikuphathe ntofontofo.”
Aguqule amehlo uSinenhlanhla abheke phezulu: “Hhayi bo!” Wena Lolo uzophatha mina ntofontofo uma sekwenzenjani-ke?” Agegetheke uSinenhlanhla. Ashaye izandla. “Hhayi angiyizwa le nto oyishoyo!”
“Hhayi ungahleki, phela angidlali sani. Uyabona, uma uphethe mina akekho umfana ongakuthinta. Ngingambamba kanje …” ULolo asho elinganisa ngezandla zakhe zombili entanyeni yakhe. Aze avale amehlo okomuntu oklinyekayo. Kumkitaze futhi lokhu uSinenhlanhla. Agegetheke kakhulu.
“Hehehehe! Uthini Lolo? Uthi umfana ungamenzenjani? Yenza futhi …” Aphinde enze futhi uLolo. Agegetheke kuze kuvele elomhlathi uSinenhlanhla.
“Wena nje uma ungaba yi-…” Esho ezikhomba amabele akhe omabili ngesandla uLolu. Kuthi lapho ebona uSinenhlanhla ehlahle amehlo, asondele ngakuSinenhlanhla, athi. “… uma ungaba nguLettie wami sani. Uyayizwa leyo nto?”
“Hhayi Lolo, usuthini manje?” Ahlahle amehlo uSinenhlanhla: “Mina ngibe ngu-… ngumuntu wakho kanjani?”
“Ukuthi nje ngiyakuthanda, futhi angizenzisi.” Acife iso uLolo: “Ukuthi nawe uyashisa, sani.”
Anximfe uSinenhlanhla. Akhulumele phezulu ukuze abaseduzane bezwe: “Usuyahlanya-ke manje Lolo. Angiyiso isitabani; ungibheke kahle mina!”
Ahwaqabale ebusweni uLolo: “Shhhh. Khulumela phansi wena; ufuna bonke abantu bezwe ukuthi ngiyakweshela manje?” Usho usephakamise nesandla okomuntu oselungele ukuvala umlomo omkhulu kaSinenhlanhla ngempama.
“Ok, kulungile-ke, ngizozama ukukhulumela phansi kodwa mina Lolo angi-…”
“Wena yani Sne?” Mina ngifuna ukukuphatha ntofontofo kuphela. Uma ungangiqoma akekho umfana ozokuthinta, futhi nje mina angeke ngakuyekisa isikole. Futhi angisoze ngakuklinya . . .” Amamatheke uLolo kuvele amazinyo akwakungathi yizinhlamvu zommbila. “Uthini-ke lapho, sani?” Bengicela uvume ukuba ngumuntu wami nje. Angisoze ngakuphoxa.”
Anikine uSinenhlanhla. “Hha … hhayi Lolo, eyi angazi ngoba mina ngi-…”
“Ungesabi lutho, yonke into ngizokufundisa yona kahle. Wena nje vuma ukuthi sithandane kuphela. Uzobona ukuthi ngizokuphatha kahle kanjani.” ULolo aze aphulule uSinenhlanhla esihlathini, uSinenhlanhla asisuse ngokushesha isandla sakhe:
“Eyi, Lolo, kungcono manje uhambe uye edeskini lakho.”
“Manje le ndaba yami uthi uzoyicabangisisa kahle, angithi?” Mina nje ngifuna sibe kanje kuphela, ayikho enye into engaphezu kwalokho. Asho aze alinganise ngeminwe uLolo. “Futhi akekho nje umfana ozokuthinta uma unami.”
Aqudule umlomo uSinenhlanhla. Iyamthukuthelisa le nto kaLolo. Selokhu kwathi nhlo ayikho intombazane esike yamkhulumela lo mbhedo.
“Kulungile ngisahamba. Ucabange mina kuphela namhlanje, uyezwa?”
Acife iso futhi uLolo maqede asukume ayohlala edesikini lakhe emuva.
Kufike uThando Mabhena lona osengamathe nolimi noSinenhlanhla. Usho ngezimbumbulu zamehlo amakhulu okwakungathi ayezovele aqathakele phansi yinoma nini nje. UThando wayengomunye wabafundi ababezizonda kakhulu iZibalo. Isifundo ayesithokozela kakhulu yisiNgisi. Wayesithokozela kufanele ngoba phela sasibuye siqhashe kahle ngamakhala lapha kuye. Phela yingoba useke wafunda nasesikoleni esixube izinhlanga. Uzithole eselapha eKuphakameni ngenxa yokungabi namandla emali kwabazali bakhe. Umdlalo ayewukhonze kakhulu wukubhukuda. Ukubhukuda lokhu wakufunda khona esikoleni ayefunda kuso, lapha eKuphakameni wayesengomunye wabafundi abaqokelwe ukuyomela isikole eTshwane kulo nyaka. NoSinenhlanhla ugcine esengene eqenjini lokubhukuda lalabo abasafufusa ngenxa kaThando. Babingelelane abangani ngokwangana. Bonkonkoshelane isikhathi eside.
“Eyi, Thando, ubulibelephi sonke lesi sikhathi? Futhi nje namhlanje, nango phela noLolo uthi ufuna ngibe ngumuntu wakhe. Cabanga nje, mina!” Aze azithinte esifubeni uSinenhlanhla.
Ahleke uThando: “He-he-he! Ini? Nawe useyakweshela? Itheni-ke wena, Sne?”
“Ngivele nga-… eyi futhi nje, uyabona lapha ekhanda likaLolo sengathi kuya-…” Asho uSinenhlanhla ebonisa ngokuzungezisa ngomunwe lapha ngasekhanda lakhe.
“Hhayi, uyahlanya vele uLolo. Ucabanga ukuthi wena ungavuma ukuba yintombi yakhe kanjani?” UThando abesejeqeza abuke ngakoLolo. “Hheyi, ake uhlukane nomngani wami wena, Lolo!” Abafana abahlala noLolo emuva bavele bagegetheke kakhulu.
“Mxm, awuzwe ukuthi bahleka kanjani. Uyazi, kofanele sitshele uthisha ngale nto, Sne,” kusho uThando esesukuma, kodwa uSinenhlanhla amdonsele phansi.
“Shhh, myeke, Thando!”
“Sne, uLolo wenziwa yila madimoni amphethe, nasenkonzweni bebesikhuza ngezinkonkoni ngeSonto.”
Ahlahle amehlo uSinenhlanhla: “Ini? Ngamadimoni ani lawo, Thando?”
“Awazi yini wena ukuthi amantombazane