“We Thathisani! Wanethezeka kangaka, uwuthola nini umsebenzi? Uyajabula yini abantwabethu bebulawa yindlala? Esikolo-ke, bazabuyela nini njengoba lemali yakhona ingekho?” Kuthetha uMalawula ehwaqile, ethe nhlo umyeni wakhe emehlweni. 

“Kanti ufuna ngiyithathephi imali yakhona, ngiyeyeba yini, nakaZwelithini? Ngiyawudinga umsebenzi, kodwa selokhe wangiphelelayo kome qha, kayibonwa ngitsho!” Atsho ngelihawulisayo uThathisani, qede ahlome amehlo phansi.

“Kayinyonywa, kayinyonywa ukuthini kwakhona, Thathisanindini? Angilandaba loba ungayayeba, sidinga imali labantwabami. Khonapha, sesilenyanga ezimbili sixolisa kumninindawo ngoba singelayo imali yokukhokhela indlu le esirenta kuyo, kulungile khonalokho? Mnxm, uyindoda ngamabhetshu wena!”

“Uthini mfazindini? Ungihlokoza esweni, uthi ngithule ngikubuke? Ngizakwenzakalisa mina, oyi-i! Ufuna ngiyefela ejele, abantwabami basale behawula ngenxa yokulahla kwakho umlomo?”

“Utshaya bani? Tshaya sibone phela nxa ulamandla okutshayana lami, usehluleka ukunakekela umndeni wakho. Mpthu-u, uyayangisa!”

“Ngikukhuza okokucina manje, Malawula, uyangizwa? Angiz’ ukukhwelwa nguwe ekhanda, nginguDube mina, inhloko yal’ umuzi.” uThathisani emkhomba ngomunwe, esemubi ebusweni. Amane asuntule umlomo uMalawula, efuthelene kodwa angasatsho lutho.

Sebehlale iminyaka eyedlula elitshumi, berenta ikamelo elilodwa endlini kaMandisa Jali, ongumZulu, elokitshini laseSoweto. Selokhu kuqale ukuvaleleka ezindlini ngenxa yobhubhane lweCovid-19, sekumunyu ngokweqileyo ebudlelwaneni bukaThathisani Dube loMalawula Ncube. UThathisani umane wamiswa emsebenzini wakhe wobuweta lapho okuthengiswa khona ukudla okuphekiweyo, kwathiwa akuselamali yokubhadala izisebenzi. Bahlala labantwababo ababili abangamankazana, kulelokamelo osekungumsindampisi ukulibhadalela nanko loMalawula ubevele engasebenzi ethi unakekela amadodakazi abo aleminyaka engaphansi kwelitshumi. Bahilizisana nje, abantwana babukele, sebeze bekhala.

Besakhangelana ngelengulube kanjalo, kuzwakale kuqoqodwa emnyango. Ayevula uThathisani, uMandisa avele amgame engabingelelanga athi,

“Nicabanga ukuthi nizohlala mahala la kwami, kuze kubuye uJesu yini? Cha, we makwelekwele! Phumani nihambe kini lapho enizohlala ningakhokhi khona. Imali esandleni, kumbe igubhe.”

“Uxolo mama. Sicela usibekezelele okwamaviki ambalwa. Siyathembisa, sizazama iqhinga lokuthola imali yakho.”

“Eyami imali ngiyifuna njengamanje. Kungenjalo, khiphelani impahla zenu phandle. Nishiye iTV nesiqandisi, nomsakazo. Kokuthathu kuzokhokhela imali yami yenyanga ezimbili ningakhokhi. Ninganqaba, nizokubon’ okwakhweza ikati emthini ngoba zizonizingela inkabi zami zinithole, zinenze okuzilayo” Atsho qede atshaye unyawo, aqonde endlini yakhe engagqize qhakala.

“Hawu, ubuntu sebayaphi sibili ebantwini? Kambe abantu usuhlale labo iminyaka engaka, wehluleka ukubhadala okuzinyanganyana, usulaxazwa okwamafinyela! UJehova labaphansi basifulathele sibili,” enguThathisani ebambe ikhanda, ephelelwe. Abone ukuthi akungeke kumsize lokho. Baqale ukuqoqa okungokwabo, belokhe betubhulelane imilomo, benyonkolozana lomkakhe. Ngempela iCovid-19 ibagilela imikhuba, ibalethela ukuhlupheka osekuyinsakavukela umchilo wesidwaba.

Basuke lapho koMandisa izinhliziyo zivuza igazi ngobuhlungu bamatshwa abahlangana lawo. Bahlale usuku lonke emgwaqweni, abantu besedlula bebathapha ngamehlo, bebachilela lamakhala angathi babona izinto ezibole phihli! Abanye njalo, ngabaqopha umlando ngabomakhalekhukhwini babo, ukuze bayethola okokugobhoza ngakho ezinkundleni zokuxhumana. Ubuntu bomuntu sebamuka lomoya ngempela! Khona bavele badingani phandle, khona kuthiwe abantu kabahlale ezindlini ukuze bagweme ukuthelelana leligciwane leCovid-19? Asazi sibili.

Kuze kuthi sekuhwalala, uMalawula esetshayele uyisekazi uKhathaziwe Ncube ucingo, abuye azemlanda kodwa ekhonona. Amhlasele ngamazwi alumelelayo, esithi ubevele esenzela abantwana kuphela ngoba bona kabalacala. Ambalisele ngokungazisondezi kwakhe emndenini; engahambeli abantu. Agcizelele ngokuthi uyimbulu kakhulu, ufuze unina abangazwaniyo.

Athathe uMalawula, abazukulu bomnewabo kanye lempahla uKhathaziwe, atshiye uThathisani ngelithi yena angeke enelise ukufuya umkhwenyana. Adumale uThathisani, ngemva kokuzama ukucela ukufihla ikhanda kubazawakhe nanko benqabe ngokuthi bahlala lamakhosikazi ekamelweni elilodwa. Phela yena wazalwa waba nguyedwana. Kumcacele ukuthi usengusimayedwa okwelanga nanko labazali sebabhubha eNkayi, kwelaseZimbabwe. Angene umgwaqo ebhabhule isikhwanyana sakhe. Aqale mhlalokho ukulala emgwaqweni, esidla emgqomeni wengcekeza, elala etshazwa langamakhaza.

UKhathaziwe utshayele imota yakhe, yayababeka lapho abafihla khona ikhanda lomyeni wakhe uThabani Ndiweni, enkabeni yedolobho laseGoli. Bona bacebile sibili. UMalawula usehlala ecocobisile ngokwesaba ukuhwajelwa lokubaliselwa ngokugcinwa kwakhe labantwana imihla lamalanga. Nango lomkhwenyabo ulokumhlukumeza ngokocansi nxa umkakhe engekho, athi nxa esenqaba, akaphume aphele lenzalo yakhe endlini yakhe.

“He-e, impilo idlisa amanyala ngeqiniso! Kungakafiki izigigaba zeCovid-19 lodonsi lwayo, besizihlalele lomyeni wami kanye labantwana, kungekho okusixukuxa imimoya. Kwahle konakala konke mhla sivalelwa ezindlini, kuthiwa sihlale khona. Kazi kuzakufa kwalunga yini? Ungaphi nxa kunje uThathisani wami? Ngenela Somandla.” Atsho ebambe isihlathi uMalawula, ehlengezela inyembezi, ukudana sekuyikudla kwakhe kwansukuzonke. 

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