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Lerato: (3) Ngaphansi Kwezinkanyezi ZaseCamps Bay
Isidlo sakusihlwa sathatha isikhathi eside kunalokho okwakulindelekile. Indawo yokudlela esogwini lolwandle, cishe imizuzu embalwa ukusuka eCamps Bay, yayinikeze umbono omuhle kakhulu wolwandle newayini elibomvu elinamandla ngokwanele ukukhulula uLerato. Wayegqoke isiketi esimnyama esifushane kakhulu, cishe asidluli phansi kwezinqe zakhe, ijezi elimhlophe elicindezelwe eligcizelela ukujikeleza okuqinile kwamabele akhe, namasendela anezithende ayezisola kancane kakade. UThabo, ngehembe elimnyama nebhulukwe, wayembuka ubusuku bonke njengokungathi ufuna ukumdla.
Ngesikhathi i-akhawunti isikhokhiwe baphuma ebusuku obumnene baseCape Town. Umoya wawunuka usawoti nomoya omnene. ULerato wafaka isandla sakhe esandleni sikaThabo, esikhulu, esifudumele, futhi wahlanganisa iminwe yabo.
“Ngifuna ukuhamba,” esho nje. “Isandla esandleni. Njengabathandi. Nje… ukuhamba kancane. Ngaphandle kwenhloso.”
UThabo wamamatheka ebumnyameni, intshebe yakhe empunga ingabonakali kahle ngaphansi kwezibani zasemgwaqeni. “Khona-ke siyahamba.”
Bahamba ngomgwaqo osogwini, base behla baye olwandle. Izibani zedolobha zahamba kancane ngemuva kwabo. ICamps Bay yendlala phambi kwabo, banzi, cishe ingenamuntu ngalesi sikhathi. Umsindo wamagagasi wamboza wonke umhlaba. ULerato wakhumula amasendela akhe wawaphatha ngesandla esisodwa, izinyawo zakhe ezingenalutho zicwila esihlabathini esisafudumele. UThabo wagcina izicathulo zakhe kodwa wehlisa ijubane ukuze ahambisane naye.
Bahamba isikhathi eside bethule, iminwe yabo ihlangene. Ngezikhathi ezithile uLerato wayebeka ikhanda lakhe ehlombe lakhe elibanzi. UThabo wanga phezulu kwekhanda lakhe, lapho izinwele ezimfushane zimnene kakhulu. Amazwi ayengadingeki. Isifiso sase sikhona kakade, sihamba kancane, siphephile, njengolwandle olukhuphukayo.
Phambili ulwandle lwaba luhlaba kakhulu. Amadwala amnyama avele esihlabathini, aqoshwe umoya namanzi. Indawo engageni, ivikelekile emehlweni, lapho ukukhanya kwezibani ezikude kufika kancane. ULerato wama, wadedela isandla sikaThabo waphendukela kuye.
“Lapha,” ehleba.
UThabo wayengadingi isimemo esinye. Wamphusha kancane emuva kwaze kwaba yilapho umhlane wakhe uhlangana nendawo ebandayo, ehlakazekile yedwala elikhulu. Isiketi esifushane senyuka kancane ngokunyakaza. Wabeka isandla ngapha nangapha kwekhanda lakhe, emvalela ngaphandle kokumthinta okwamanje, wamanga.
Ukwanga kwaba kujulile, kuhamba kancane, kulambile. ULerato wabubula emlonyeni wakhe. Izandla zikaThabo zehla, zabamba imilenze yakhe engenalutho, zayihlukanisa. Waguqa isikhashana ukuze aphakamise isiketi kuze kufike esinqeni sakhe, eveza amaphenti amancane ase manzi kakade. Wawasusa eceleni, eveza ipipi elincane likaLerato kanye nomnyango wesibunu sakhe. Wabe esema futhi.
Wakhumula ibhulukwe lakhe, wakhulula ipipi lakhe elalilukhuni, lisindile kakade. Ngaphandle kwamazwi waphakamisa omunye wemilenze kaLerato, wayibeka ehlombe lakhe, wacindezela ikhanda elikhulu esibunwini esasisazwela izinsuku ezedlule. ULerato wabamba umoya wakhe. UThabo waphusha. Kancane, ngokungenakuphikiswa. Ubukhulu bangena, isentimitha ngesentimitha, kwaze kwaba yilapho engena ngokuphelele ngaphakathi kuye.
ULerato wabeka ibunzi lakhe ehlombe lakhe, ukububula okuphansi kukuphuma emphinjeni wakhe. UThabo wafaka isandla esisodwa entanyeni yakhe, hhayi ukuze acindezele kakhulu, nje ukubamba, ukumkhumbuza ubukhona bakhe. Esinye isandla sangena phakathi kwemizimba yabo sathola ipipi elincane likaLerato, elalilukhuni nengxenye kakade. Walithinta ngesithupha sakhe ngesikhathi eqala ukunyakaza.
“Ngifuna ukukugcwalisa ngaphansi kwezinkanyezi,” ehleba endlebeni yakhe, izwi lakhe lijulile, cishe lihlukumezekile. “Lapha. Manje. Ukuze kusasa uhambe usenami ngaphakathi kuwe.”
ULerato wahleka kancane, ukuhleka okuthuthumelayo kancane ngenxa yokungena. “Ungathanda ukungikhulelisa, mhlawumbe?”
UThabo wehlisa ukunyakaza kwakhe kodwa akamisi. Wambuka emehlweni, isandla sakhe sise ntanyeni yakhe, isithupha sakhe sithinta ohlangothini lwentamo yakhe.
“Uma kwakungenzeka,” esho ngokungathi uzimisele ngendlela engalindelekile, “ngangizothanda kakhulu. Ngoba uma ubheka ubuhle bakho… umntwana, noma kungaba umfana noma intombazane, wayengaba nje omuhle kakhulu. Ubuhle bengelosi.”
ULerato wezwa into icindezela esifubeni sakhe. Wafaka izingalo zakhe entanyeni yakhe wamanga, ngesikhathi enyakazisa izinqe zakhe kancane ukuze amzwe ngokujulile.
“Ngingathanda umfana,” ehleba ezindebeni zakhe, ukumamatheka okunobuqili ezwini lakhe. “Umfana ozodla ifa lepipi lakho elikhulu. Ukuze umhlaba wazi ukuthi uvelaphi.”
UThabo wahleka kakhulu ngokuhleka okuphansi, okufudumele okwathuthumela esifubeni sakhe. “Awunakuguquka.”
“Futhi uyangithanda ngenxa yalokho.”
Wamaya ngamandla amakhulu. Ukushaya kwaba kude, kujulile. Idwala lakhahlela umhlane kaLerato kancane ngejezi elincane, kodwa wayengenandaba. Wayezwa yonke imithambo, yonke ukushaya kwepipi elikhulu elalivula. Isandla sikaThabo epipini lakhe elincane sase sinamandla kakhulu: wasicindezela, wasidonsa kancane, sathinta amasende amancane azwelayo ngokuhambisana nokushaya kwakhe.
Ingozi yokubonwa yenza konke kube namandla kakhulu. Iqembu labantu lalingavela kude, umhambi wasebusuku, noma ubani. ULerato wakuzwa ekushayeni kwenhliziyo yakhe, ngendlela isibunu sakhe esicindezela uThabo ngaso sonke umsindo osolisayo.
UThabo wamphendula ngokuzumayo. Umhlane wakhe wacindezelwa edwaleni elibandayo. ULerato wabambelela entanyeni yakhe, wasonga imilenze yakhe ezungeze isinqe sakhe esibanzi. UThabo wamphakamisa kancane, walungisa i-engeli, wangena ngokushaya okukodwa kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni. ULerato wamemeza, umsindo wafinyelezwa ngokushesha ngomlomo kaThabo odla izindebe zakhe.
Wayembamba kalula, isandla esisodwa ngaphansi kwezinqe zakhe, esinye sise phakathi kwabo, sidlala ngepipi lakhe elincane elalilukhuni manje. Ukwanga kwakungahlelekile, kumanzi, kulambile. ULerato waluma isindebe sakhe esiphansi, wabubula emlonyeni wakhe, waqinisa imilenze yakhe ngamandla amakhulu ezungeze yena.
“Ngamandla,” encenga. “Ngokujulile… ngiyakucela…”
UThabo walalela. Ukushaya kwaba bukhali, kunamandla. Umsindo wenyama yabo ihlangana wahlangana nokusansaza kwamagagasi. ULerato wezwa ukuphuma kwejubane, okuhlukile, okubanzi. Ipipi lakhe elincane lashaya esandleni sikaThabo. Waphuma ngesikhashana ethuthumela, umthombo ofudumele ocacile owageleza epipini likaThabo elalingaphakathi kuye. Wakuzwa ngokushesha.
“Yilokho…” ebubula. “Nginike konke.”
Isibunu sakhe sacindezela ngamandla ezungeze yena ngesikhathi sokuphuma. Ukucindezela kwacindezela ipipi likaThabo ngendlela ecishe yaba buhlungu. Akazange amelane isikhathi eside. Ngokububula okude, okuphansi wangena okokugcina kwaze kwafinyelela ekugcineni waphuma ngaphakathi kuye. Imithombo efudumele, eningi yagcwalisa izibilini zikaLerato. Wakuzwa, kucacile, kujulile, futhi ukuthuthumela kwesibili kwahamba kuye.
Bahlala bencamathele ndawonye, bephefumula kanzima, ibunzi likaThabo libhekene nelakhe. Ipipi likaThabo lalisashaya ngaphakathi kuye, likhipha amaconsi okugcina. Ngaphakathi kwabo ulwandle lwahlala lungenamuntu. Umoya kuphela, amagagasi, nokunambitha usawoti ezindebeni zabo.
ULerato, ephefumula kanzima, wafaka isandla esithuthumelayo entshebeni kaThabo wahleba eduze nomlomo wakhe:
“Ngiyakuthanda.”
UThabo wamanga okokugcina, kancane, cishe ngothando, ngesikhathi esalokhu engaphakathi kuye ngaphansi kwezinkanyezi zaseCamps Bay.
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