Chapter 41 It was as if ndibethwe ngumbane weendudumo. But then, I was Aluludwe, the tough girl who knows the pain very well. Ndagalela amanzi kwiwashing basin and went to Bantu’s room ndayokuvasa. Luckily iimpahla zam oko zazikwiisuitcases and bags, I never unpacked them so I just pulled them from Mandla’s room and put them in the room that Bantu used as a kitchen. I quickly washed ndisenzela ukuba athi uBantu efika eroomini yakhe ndibe sendigqibile. Ndakhe ndathi ukuthi chiphi-chiphi ngeli xesha ndivasayo ndaphinda ndazixolisa ngelithi, ndinomsebenzi ngoku so I will save money and get my own place. Ndagqiba ukuvasa then ndayohlala phandle ecaleni kwendlu. Bantu and Nwabisa arrived, ndenza ke loo fake smile yam pretending that all is well. Endandinomdla wokuyazi kukuba uMandla uzakuthi uNwabisa ngubani kuba kaloku selethe kuSibongile ndiyicherry kaBantu. Ndaphinda ndazixelela ukuba leyo into was not my worry, iworry yam yayikukuba ndandifuna ukuhamba kwaMandla, yayikukuba ndifumane indawo yokuhlala esafe ibe yeyam. Nwabisa came, wazohlala nam ecaleni kwendlu, then ndambalisela yonke into ndingcwengise iinyembezi. She asked me to come inside siyokutya. Ndandingenawo nomdla wokutya ndandifuna ukulala then ndivuke ndiqalise ukukhangela indawo yokuhlala. I don’t know uba ndalala nini phezu kwalo couch kaBantu yayikwi corner yekhitshi, all I know is that I cried and cried, prayed and prayed, isingqala sisitsho njalo, ndade ndabiwa bubuthongo. Ndivuke kuqala kusasa, ubuso bunzima, ndasonga nje loo ngubo ndandiziqoshele ngayo, ndathi ndakuzijonga esipilini abe amehlo edumbe nyani. I just warmed amanzi ndakhawulezisa ndavasa. Ngelucky uNwabisa wambalisela uBantu so ndacela ukuba ndikhe ndishiye iimpahla zam pha kubo. Ndaphuma ngegate ndingazazi nokuba ndiyaphi, into endandiyiva kukuqaqamba kwentloko. Ndaya eclinic. Neecleaners zafika sendihleli kwisitulo esasikwi verandah. When the nurses arrived at 7 am, I could feel ukuba ndiyayoba qha ndaziqinisa. At about 7:25 am, I was called to come in, kwasekukho nabanye abantu. The nurse who was attending me told me that I had a low BP. I was dehydrated too so they had to put me on the drip. When they saw that ndiya ndiphela, they offered me bread and water with lots of sugar. Ndatya ke then ndalinda ndisathiwa idrip. Ndakhululwa after 11 am sendiziva noko ukuba ndingcono. Ndandihamba ndikhangela imizi eneeflats at the back ndibuzise ukuba akukho gumbi lokurenta na. Ndahamba ndadinwa kungekho nto ndide ndiyifumane. I was so tired so I decided to go back kwaMandla. Ndifike andangena endlini ndathatha umgqomo lo umnyama wokulahla irubbish ndahlala phezu kwawo next to the kitchen door. Kuthe xa kuqala ukurhatyela, wafika uBantu ephethe icarry pack yeciders. He greeted, ndavuma, wathi masingene, wavula umnyango sangena. He asked me to cook isausage ebeze nayo, ndayenza ke ndenza nestiff pap nentwana yebisto satya. Sathoba ngeeciders sincokola sihleka. Sithe sisahleka njalo, iknock yathi gqo gqo nje kabini emnyango then lwavuleka ucango wangena umntu. It was Mandla. Ndathi xa ndiphakamisa ubuso yatsho impama eshushu. Me: (ndikhala) Wenza ntoni Mandla? Mandla: usisifebe maan, ngosuku nje olunye sowunyubula intsini noBantu, caba uyathanda ukutswebela amadoda, why ungandilindi? Ndithe ndisaxakwe kukuphendula noBantu esalungisa ubuso, yatsho eyesibini, hayi ke yayimvula de uBantu waphakama emnqanda, wathi esawunganqandeki wamfaka inqindi, ndabe sendincedisa nam ndimkhaba uMandla elele phantsi esopha igazi empumlweni, ndathi ndakugqiba ndatsiba ndayokuma epasejini. Mandla: Yhoo, Bantu mfethu undenze ndibenje ngenxa yesisifebe secherry? Kunini sazana thina! Bantu: Xa uziphethe okwenja mfethu uzophathwa njengayo nyani. Kuthe kusenjalo satsho isikhalo esikrakra sika Sibongile eme emnyango eliliswa kukubona uMandla elele phantsi enegazi. Wafounela amapolisa elila. Sibongile: nikhohlakele nina, nidibene ngenkohlakalo, ningathini ukubetha utata kaSimamkele abenje? Mfncmm, sobabini noBantu saqonda ukuba asizokuyiphendula tu ke le imfitshimfitshi yayithethwa nguSibongile. Mzuzwini, afika amapolisa. Bantu went outside with them, bathetha then wabuya, yemka ivan yamapolisa.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 11:42:05 +0000