Indaba Yehora

Phela babemazi uNkk. Mallard ukuba waye nesifo senhliziyo, yingakho baqinisekisa ukuba bamethulela ngesineke izindaba zokundlula kukamnyeni wakhe.

Kwabangudadewabo uJosephine owamtshela, ngemisho ephukile. Umngane womyeni wakhe uRichards wayekhona naye, eduze kwakhe. Kwakunguye owayesehhovisi lephephandaba ngesikhathi kwamukelwa izindaba zenhlekelele yomzila wesitimela, negama likaBrently Mallard lihamba phambili ohlwini lwababulewe. Wazinika isikhathi sokuziqinisekisa ngeqiniso lazo ngocingo lwesibili, wabe eseshesha wathinta uJosephine okwakunguyena ayemethemba ekuphatheni lomlayezo odabukisayo.

Akayizwanga le ndaba njengabanye abesifazane abaningi uma bezwa okufanayo, bekhubazeke bengakwazi ukwamukela ukubaluleka kwayo. Wakhala ngaso leso sikhathi, ngenxa yokulahlwa ngokuzunywa, ezingalweni zikadadewabo. Lapho isivunguvungu sosizi sesiphelile wasuka waya ekamelweni lakhe yedwa. Wanqaba ukuba alandelwe.

Kwakumi, kubheke efasiteleni elivuliwe, isihlalo esinethezekile nesivulekile. Kulokhu wacwila, ecindezelwe ukukhathala okungokomzimba okwakumkhathaza futhi kubonakala sengathi kuzofinyelela emphefumulweni wakhe.

Wabona esigcawini esiphambi kwendlu yakhe iziqongo zezihlahla ezazigcwele amanzi ngempilo entsha yasentwasahlobo. Iphunga elimnandi lemvula lalisemoyeni. Emgwaqeni ongezansi umthengisi wayekhala ngezinto zakhe. Amanothi engoma ekude eyayiculwa ngomunye afika kuye kancane, nomculo wezinyoni eziningi wawuduma kamunandi ezindlebeni. Kwakukhona iziqephu zesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza zibonakala lapha nalapha emafini ayehlangene futhi anqwabelanisa elinye phezu kwelinye ngasentshonalanga libheke efasiteleni lakhe.

Wahlala wabeka ikhanda phezu komcamelo wesihlalo, enganyakazi, kuphela uma kuvele isililo emphinjeni wakhe simnyakazise, kuhle kwengane ekhale yaze yalala ilokhu ikhala emaphusheni ayo.

UNkk. Mallard wayesemusha, enobuso obulungile, obuzolile, imibinjana yakhe emincane yayiveza ukucindezeleka. Wayesegqolozile kabuhlungu, egqolozele kude le kwenye yalezo ziqephu zesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza. Kwakungekhona ukugqoloza nje kokudlinza, kodwa kunalokho kwakubonisa ukumiswa komcabango thizeni.

Kwaku khona umuzwa owawuza kuye, usondela. Wayewulindile, umfakela uvalwana. Wawuyini? Wayengazi; wawucashile kakhulu futhi kunzima ukuwuqamba. Kodwa wawuzwa, ukhasa esibhakabhakeni, wafika kuye ngemisindo, amakha, nombala ogcwele emoyeni.

Isifuba sakhe sasiphakama siphinde siwe ngokuxokozela. Wayeseqala ukuwuqonda lomuzwa owawusondela ukuba umphathe, futhi wayelwela ukuwubuyisela emuva kodwa engenamandla njengoba izandla zakhe ezimbili ezimhlophe zazibuthakathaka. Lapho ezilahla kuphunyuka izwi elihlebezayo. Wakusho ngokuphindaphindiwe ngaphansi kokuphefumula kwakhe: “inkululeko, inkululeko, inkululeko!” Ukugqolozela into engabonwa kanye nokwethuka kwaphuma emehlweni akhe. Basala ubuso bakhe bukhanya kungathi ingqondo isivuleke kabusha. Ukushaya kwenhliziyo yakhe kwashaya ngokushesha, ukufudumala kwegazi lakhe kwathoba zonke izitho zomzimba wakhe. Wazibuza nje ukuba kwakuyintokozo yini lena eyayimbambile kepha waphinde wawuchitha lowomqondo njengowubulima.

Wayazi ukuthi wayezophinde akhale lapho esebona izandla zomnyeni wakhe ezinomusa nezithambile zigoqiwe ebhokisini; ubuso obungakaze buveze enye into ngaphandle kothando phezu kwakhe, buqinile futhi bumpunga, bufile. Kodwa wabona ngale kwalowo mzuzu obuhlungu udwendwe olude lweminyaka ezayo eyayizoba ngeyakhe ngokuphelele. Wasevula wazelula izandla eyamukela. Kwakungasephinde kube khona amphilelayo kuleyo minyaka ezayo; wayezoziphilela yena. Yayingephinde ibe khona intando enamandla egoba eyakhe. Wazisola ngalomuzwa ayewuzwa kodwa waphinde wakuphebeza lokho.

Nokho wayemthanda umnyeni wakhe – ngezinye izikhathi. Ngokuvamile kwakungenjalo. Akubalulekile lokho! Uthando, imfihlakalo engaxazululiwe, lungabalwani lapho esebhekene nalomzuzu wokuqhakambisa ubuyena phambili?!

“Inkululeko! Umzimba nomphefumulo kukhululekile!” elokhu ezihlebela.

UJosephine wayeguqe phambi komnyango ovaliwe izindebe zakhe zibheke embotsheni kakhiye, ecela ukungena. “Louise, vula umnyango! Ngiyakuncenga, vula umnyango – uzozigulisa. Wenzani, Louise? Vula umnyango.”

“Hamba. Angizigulisi mina.” Cha; wayephuza ukuphila uqobo ngaleliya windi elalivuliwe. Inqondo yakhe yayizulazula kuleziya zinsuku ezizayo. Izinsuku zasentwasahlobo, nezinsuku zasehlobo, nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinsuku ezazizoba ngezakhe nezakhe yedwa. Waphefumula umkhuleko osheshayo ukuthi impilo ibe yinde. Kwakungayizolo nje lapho wayethuthumela ukuba impilo ingase ibe yinde.

Wasukuma ngemuva kwesikhathi eside wavulela udadewabo owayesamuncenga. Kwakubhalwe ukunqoba emehlweni akhe, futhi wazithwala njengonkulunkulukazi Wokunqoba. Wabamba udadewabo okhalo, behla ndawonye ngezitebhisi. URichards wayemi ebalindile ngezansi.

Kukhona owayevula umnyango wangaphambili ngokhiye. Kwakungu-Brently Mallard owangena, ehamba kancane, ephethe isakana lakhe elibambe ngesandla kanye nesambulela. Wayekude nendawo okwenzeka kuyo ingozi, engazi nokuthi kwakukhona ingozi. Wema emangele ngesililo sikaJosephine esihlabayo; nangesenzo sikaRichards esisheshayo sokumfihla emehlweni omkakhe.

Kodwa uRichards wayesephuzile.

Ngesikhathi odokotela befika bathi uNkk. Mallard ubulawe yisifo senhliziyo – injabulo ebulalayo.