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Lerato: (2) Ubumnene Nobuhlungu
ULerato wavuka kancane, umzimba usinda, ikhanda lisasezintofinto zokulala. Ukukhanya okumpunga kwasekuseni kwakuthela ngeziheqo zaseSea Point, kudweba imigqa ephaphathekile embhedeni ongahlelwanga. Wanyakaza kancane nje wezwa ngokushesha ukuzwela okubukhali kwesibunu sakhe. Ubuhlungu obuthambile, obufudumele, obuqhubekayo, bamkhumbuza yonke isentimitha yepipi likaThabo elalimgcwalise izolo. Wayesagcwele yena. Amadlozi ayeseomile kancane ngaphakathi kwemilenze yakhe, ancangathi, futhi umuzwa wokusinda wawusasele ugxilile ngokujulile ngaphakathi kuye.
UThabo wayelele ngomhlane eceleni kwakhe, ingalo esindayo idlule ezungeze isinqe sakhe. Intshebe yakhe empunga yayihlikihla kancane ehlombe lakhe. Isifuba sakhe esibanzi siphakama futhi sehla ngesigqi esizolile. ULerato wahlala enganyakazi isikhashana, amehlo evulekile, ejabulela ukufudumala komzimba wakhe ngokumelene nowakhe. Ngomzwangedwa wabeka isandla esibunwini sakhe wathinta ngezihloko zeminwe umnyango osavuvukele kancane, ozwelayo. Ukuthuthumela kwahamba esiswini sakhe. Kwakubuhlungu. Kodwa akazange azisole ngalutho.
Waphenduka kancane kuye. UThabo wavula amehlo cishe ngokushesha, njengokungathi wezwa ukubuka kwakhe. Ukumamatheka okuhamba kancane kwanweba izindebe zakhe.
“Sawubona, sthandwa sami,” ehleba ngezwi elisakhuhla ngenxa yokulala. “Kubuhlungu?”
ULerato wanikina ikhanda, enamahloni kancane, ejabule kancane kakade. “Yebo… kuyadonsa. Kuyashisa kancane.”
UThabo wadlulisa isandla esikhulu ehlombe lakhe, wase ephansi, phakathi kwezinqe zakhe. Iminwe yakhe yahlola ngobumnene obumangazayo. Wathinta umnyango ozwelayo, wezwa ukufudumala nokuvuvuka okuncane. ULerato waqhaqhazela.
“Ngiyazi,” esho nje. “Ngikuthathe ngamandla izolo. Futhi isikhathi eside.” Wagobela wabeka ukwanga ebunzini lakhe, wase emlonyeni. “Kodwa umuhle kakhulu kanje. Usavulekile. Usuyimi.”
Wamanga ngokujulile kakhulu. Intshebe yakhe yayihlikihla kamnandi isilevu sikaLerato. Ulimi lwakhe lwangena emlonyeni wakhe ngokuhamba kancane okungokwempahla. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, umunwe omkhulu wacindezela kancane esibunwini sakhe esibuhlungu. ULerato wabubula ekwangeni, umzimba uqinile phakathi kwenjabulo eqalayo nokuzwela okukhulu kakhulu.
UThabo akazange aphuthume. Wayemthinta isikhathi eside, isandla esisodwa emabeleni akhe aqinile, egingqa amabele ase eqinile kakade phakathi kweminwe yakhe, esinye isandla sisele phakathi kwezinqe zakhe, sicubungula umnyango ozwelayo ngaphandle kokungena okwamanje. Wayehleba amazwi emlonyeni, entanyeni, endlebeni.
“Uyafiseka kakhulu… noma ubuhlungu… ikakhulukazi ubuhlungu. Umbobo wakho omncane osangazi. Amabele akho aqinayo uma ngikuthinta. Naleli pipi elincane…”
Isandla sakhe sahamba phambili. Wathola ipipi elincane likaLerato, lisathambile, ligobile ku-foreskin enama-wrinkles. Walithatha phakathi kwesithupha nomunwe, walithinta ngokuhamba kancane ocishe waba uthando, elihambisa esikhumbeni salo. ULerato waphuma ukuphefumula okuthuthumelayo. Ubuhlungu ngemuva nokuthinta phambili kwahlangana ngendlela ekhathazayo.
“Phenduka,” kusho uThabo kancane. “Ohlangothini. Ungibheke.”
Walalela. Waphakamisa umlenze wakhe ophezulu wawubeka ehlombe lakhe. Ipipi lakhe elase lilukhuni futhi lisindile lahlala phakathi kwezinqe zikaLerato. Akangenanga ngokushesha. Wahlikihla nje ikhanda esibunwini esizwelayo, eligcwalisa ngoketshezi lwakhe lwangaphambi kwamadlozi, elihambisa phezulu naphansi, ecindezela nje ngokwanele ukuthi uLerato azwe ukucindezela ngaphandle kokuvulwa okwamanje.
“Ngibuke,” wayala.
ULerato waphakamisa amehlo akhe kuye. Awakhe ayemnyama, ezolile, egcwele isifiso esijulile nesibekezelayo.
“Umuhle,” esho ecindezela kakhulu kancane. “Muhle kakhulu namadlozi ami asengaphakathi kuwe. Muhle kakhulu uma ubuhlungu ngenxa yami.”
Waphusha. Ikhanda langena kancane. ULerato wacima amehlo isikhashana, ukububula okubukhali kuphuma kuye. Kwakuluma. Isibunu, esase sicashile kakade, sanwebeka futhi ezungeze ubukhulu bukaThabo. Wahamba ngamamitha ngamamitha, emisa njalo uma eqina, emanga umlomo wakhe, ethinta ipipi lakhe elincane ukuze aphambukise kancane ubuhlungu.
“Phefumula… yimi… ungithatha kahle kakhulu…”
Ngesikhathi engena ngokuphelele ngaphakathi kuye, wahlala enganyakazi isikhathi eside. ULerato wayethuthumela kancane, ibunzi libhekene nelakhe, ukuphefumula kufushane. Ubuhlungu babukhona, bubukhali, kodwa base buhlangene nenye into: umuzwa wokugcwala, wokuba yimpahla, wokufiseka. UThabo wanyakaza ekugcineni. Ukushaya okuncane kakhulu kuqala, nje ngokwanele ukwenza azwe ukuya nokubuya ngaphakathi kuye ngaphandle kokuhlasela umnyango ozwelayo.
“Uyangizwa?” wabuza ezindebeni zakhe.
“Yebo…” waphefumula. “Umkhulu… kakhulu… kubuhlungu… kodwa hlala… hlala kimi…”
Wamamatheka waqala ukumthatha ngempela. Kancane. Ngokujulile. Ukushaya ngakunye kwakulawulwa, kulawulwa, kodwa waya kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni, ecindezela isinqe sakhe ezinqeni zikaLerato, emenza azwe yonke isentimitha. Esinye isandla sahlala epipini lakhe elincane, silithinta, sicindezela ngezikhathi ezithile ngamandla amakhulu kancane, sidlala ngamasende amancane azwelayo. Esinye isandla sabamba ihlombe lakhe, simgcina lapho afuna khona.
“Ungowami,” ehleba ngesiZulu kuqala, wase ngesiNgisi. “Ngiyakuthanda… uyafiseka kakhulu… isibunu sakho esingicindezelayo noma kubuhlungu… amabele akho esifubeni sami… leli pipi elincane elithambile esandleni sami…”
ULerato wayebubula manje ngaphandle kokuzibamba. Ubuhlungu babungashabalanga, kodwa base buguqukile. Kwakuyingxenye yenjabulo. Njalo uma uThabo engena kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni, igagasi lokufudumala lalikhuphuka ngomqolo wakhe, lihlangana nokusha kokunwebeka. Wayebambelela emahlombe akhe abanzi, uzipho lugxilile esikhumbeni sakhe esimnyama.
Wamthatha kanje imizuzu emide, ngaphandle kokusheshisa ngempela, ejabulela ukuphefumula ngakunye, ukuqina ngakunye, ukukhala okuncane ngakunye. Wabe esephuma kancane. ULerato waphuma ukububula kokuphikisa ngesikhathi ivenge lenziwa ngaphakathi kuye.
“Ishawa,” kusho uThabo nje. “Ngifuna ukukuthatha ngaphansi kwamanzi.”
Wasukuma, esabekeka noma enqunu, ipipi lakhe lisacwebezela ngenhlanganisela yoketshezi lwabo. Wanikeza isandla. ULerato wasithatha wamlandela kwaze kwaba yilapho efika egumbini lokugeza.
Amanzi afudumele ageleza emizimbeni yabo. UThabo wammisa ubheke udonga olufakwe ithayela, izandla zivulekile ethayeleni. Waguqa ngemuva kwakhe wasula isikhathi eside isibunu sakhe ngolimi, ehlanza, ethambisa, ejabulisa ngesikhathi esifanayo. ULerato wabeka ibunzi odongeni, amadolo ebuthakathaka. Ulimi olufudumele lukaThabo enyameni ecashile lwalucishe lwaba lukhulu kakhulu. Wakhotha, wamunca, wafaka kancane isihloko solimi, wase ephakama.
Wangena futhi. Kalula kakhulu manje ngenxa yamanzi namathe, kodwa ubukhulu basafuna. ULerato wakhala kancane ngesikhathi engena ngokushaya okukodwa kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni.
“Shhh… umuhle,” esho endlebeni yakhe eqala ukumaya ngokuqinile kakhulu. “Muhle kakhulu ngaphansi kwamanzi… nepipi lami lingene kuwe… amabele akho amancane acindezelwa odongeni…”
Wamthatha ngamandla amakhulu manje. Ukushaya kwesinqe sakhe ezinqeni zakhe kwakuzwakala ekhabinethini yeshawa. Amanzi ageleza emizimbeni yabo, ehlanganisa umjuluko nensali yamadlozi obusuku. UThabo wabamba izinqe zakhe ngamandla, emdonsela kuye ngakunye ukushaya. Isandla sangena phambili sabamba futhi ipipi elincane likaLerato. Wasicindezela, wasidonsa kancane, sacindezela amasende amancane phakathi kweminwe ngesikhathi esheshisa.
“Kubuhlungu?” wabuza, izwi likhuhla.
“Yebo…” wabubula uLerato. “Yebo… kodwa ungami… ngiyakucela…”
“Ngoba uyafiseka noma ubuhlungu. Ikakhulukazi uma ubuhlungu ngenxa yami.”
Waqhubeka. Ukushaya kwaba kujulile kakhulu, kuphikelele. ULerato wezwa isibunu sakhe sisha, sivuleka, sivaleka ezungeze ipipi elikhulu. Ubuhlungu nenjabulo kwakuhlangene kakhulu kangangokuba wayengazi ukuthi kuphelaphi okunye nokuqala okunye. Waphuma kuqala, ukuphuma okomile nobudlova okwamenza wathuthumela umzimba wonke, ipipi lakhe elincane licindezela esandleni sikaThabo ngaphandle kokuphuma cishe lutho.
UThabo akamisi. Wamgcina evulekile, wangena futhi futhi, ehleba amazwi angcolile nathambile ngesikhathi esifanayo.
“Ngizokugcwalisa futhi… ngizoshiya amadlozi ami kuwe usuku lonke… uzohamba unami ngaphakathi… uzonuka iphunga lami…”
Waphuma ngokububula okude okujulile, engena kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni futhi ehlala encamathele kuye ngesikhathi imifudumalo ifudumele igcwalisa izindonga ezizwelayo zesibunu sakhe. ULerato wezwa ukushaya ngakunye. Waphuma isililo senjabulo nokugcwala kakhulu.
Bahlala ngaphansi kwamanzi isikhathi eside, uThabo esangena ngaphakathi kuye, izandla zakhe ezinkulu zikhuphuka ngasesiswini sakhe zithatha amabele akhe. Wanga intamo yakhe, amahlombe akhe, phezulu komhlane wakhe.
“Ungowami,” waphinda nje.
Kamuva, besongwe ngamathawula, babuyela embhedeni. ULerato walala ngesisu. UThabo wahlala eqaqela ngemuva kwemilenze yakhe waqala ukucubungula isibunu sakhe esisavulekile futhi sibomvu ngeminwe emibili egcotshwe nge-lubricant ayithole edroweni. Wangena iminwe kancane, eyihlukanisa, eyivala, ecubungula izindonga ezibuhlungu ngaphakathi.
“Kuyathokozisa?” wabuza.
“Yebo… futhi cha…” waphefumula uLerato, ubuso bufihliwe kumcamelo. “Qhubeka…”
Waqhubeka isikhathi eside. Wengeza umunwe wesithathu. Wawaphendula, wawagoba, wathola amaphuzu okwenza uLerato akhale. Wabe esekhipha iminwe wangena okwesithathu ngepipi lakhe, kancane kakhulu, ocishe waba uthando, ngesikhathi egoba ukuze amange umhlane futhi akhulume phansi kuye.
“Uyinto enhle kakhulu engake ngayibamba. Noma uthuthumela. Noma ubuhlungu. Ikakhulukazi khona-ke.”
ULerato wayekhala kancane manje, ngenxa yenjabulo, ngenxa yemizwa eminingi kakhulu, nangenxa yendlela ubuhlungu nobumnene obuhlangene ngaphakathi kuye. UThabo wamthatha kwaze kwaba yilapho ephuma okokugcina, kuncane kakhulu, kodwa ngokujulile, embamba kuye.
Ngemva, bahlala behlangene, ipipi likaThabo lisangene nengxenye ngaphakathi kuye, liphola kancane. ULerato wadweba imibuthano engekho esifubeni sakhe esibanzi.
“Angazi ukuthi ngizokwazi yini ukuhamba kahle namuhla,” ehleba nokuhleka okuncane okukhathala.
UThabo wamamatheka ezinweleni zakhe. “Kulungile. Ngifuna uzwe ipipi lami lisengaphakathi kuwe uma wenza i-live yakho kusihlwa. Ngifuna uhlale kancane ngokucophelela. Futhi ucabange ngami.”
Waphakamisa ikhanda wamanga.
“Ngizocabanga ngawe,” wathembisa. “Ngaso sonke isikhathi.”
Ngaphandle, iCape Town yayivuka ngempela. Ngaphakathi, uLerato wagcina amehlo evaliwe isikhashana, umzimba usinda, isibunu sishaya kancane ngesigqi senhliziyo yakhe, egcwele ubumnene nobuhlungu uThabo amnikeze kona.
Wayesazi kakade ukuthi uzofuna ukuqala futhi. Maduze. Maduze kakhulu.
Ubudlelwano babusanda kuqala.
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