Insert #11… When the three of us got to the car, my dad made a hand gesture for me to get on the front passenger’s seat wavulela uBukho umnyango wangasemva wogqiba wajikela wazokukhwela naye. This whole time he wasn’t saying anything nam ke I didn’t want to initiate the conversation kuba ndingamazi into ayicingayo nayizeleyo. Bukho was still licking on his Ice Cream, with some if it dripping down his hand right to the floor of the car. By the way he turned to the backseat; I could tell my father was very annoyed by this. Uthe akugqiba ukujonga lento yale Ice Cream wakhupha ilekese from a bag that was under the seat and turned back to Bukho. Dad: Ina kwedini nantsi ilekese. Lahla loo nto engcolisa imoto yam. Bukho just kept quiet and did as he was told. Akayithatha kodwa ilekese yona. A few minutes went by oko sihleli in a stationary car kungekho mntu uthethayo. Apho acinge khona wa start-a iEngine. Bukho was still frightened of this strict man that the engine starting rattled him. Dad: Noluthando Me: Uhmm… Tata? Him: Kutheni lento ufuna ndife nje? Me: Haybo Tata, uthetha njani kengoku? Him: Kutheni lento wena apha emhlabani into ozimisele kuyo ikukundihlaza nje? Tears just started pouring down. Andaphendula. Dad: Jonga ke sisi, nantsi into omawundenzele yona; xelela uBhuti ukuba if iyenzeka loo nto yaloo mtshato wakho angaphinde andibize mna, uyandiva? Kwaye naloo mali andifuni ne cent yayo. Me: Kutheni ungamxeleli ngokwakho uTatomkhulu loo nto? Wajika apha ebusweni yangathi ndimthukile. Waqala wavuka umsindo wakhe wa 6 years ago. Wandithukela umunhlazisa ngokuza nesisu endingasaziyo echaza nendlela andizonda ngayo xasidibene no mama ekwabalisa nangendlela onwabe ngayo endlini yakhe nosapho lwakhe. I just sat there, ndisizele iindletyana zosana lwam. Bendinganweneli azive zonke ezi zinto zithethwa apha. He was too young for that. I sat there listening to every word piercing through my heart. Ngaphakathi ndabe ndizixelele ukuba ndifuna athethe onele axole naye kweyakhe intliziyo ngoba indlela le wayethetha ngayo kwakuvakala ukuba ngumntu lo ekudla eyicinga lento nokuba uyakuze athini kum mhla wandibona. After a few good minutes wecwaka. Ndeva ukuba ugqibile ngoku. Me: Ndicela umise imoto. Him: Kuze? Ufuna ukubuyela nkwenkwe? Me: Its getting dark. Oko sijikeleza eziztrato. Ndifuna ukugoduka. Him: Umntu uzolotyolwa yindoda kodwa uhambe ezula zula namanye amadoda… Waqala ekuqaleni endithethise, sele ethethela phezulu kengoku. He finally parked the car ecaleni. I jumped out and Bukho did the same, ndibona ukuba usothukile umntana. I picked him up and we started walking. Wehlika naye wavala amacango emoto yakhe la siwashiye evulekile. As soon as he got inside the car sema and watched him drive off. Xandijonga ixesha ndabona ukuba iiTaxi sele ziphelile so I decided to call Andile and ask him to come pick us up. His phone rang a few times before going to voicemail. I didn’t leave a massage, I just cut the call. I was about to call Zanele when Andile returned my call. Me: Andile… Caller: Sorry, ngubani othethayo? Me: Ngu Nol’thando. Bendisacela ukuthetha no Andile if he’s around. Caller: Andile uBusy nomntana. Ikhona into ofuna ndimxelele yona? Me: No, it’s fine. Enkosi, bye. I ended the call and went through my contact list looking for Zanele’s number. I found and dialled it. But she too couldn’t come pick us up where we were ngoba umyeni wakhe ebehambe ngemoto. Kulento yokutsalwa ngutata asingenise emotweni yakhe azange ndikwazi nokuthatha iJacket ka Bukho from Andile’s car and ebeseqalisa ukugodola ngoku. Umoya wa late ubuvakala ngamandla. I thought of calling Bongani but I really didn’t want to give him the wrong idea so sema for a few more minutes ndisazama ukucinga abantu endibaziyo. With my life focused on raising the child and trying to make enough money for everything I didn’t really have time for friends, and the few friends I did have, I wasn’t speaking to them very often so bendisonqena umntu ndithi ndineenyanga ndingasathethi naye ndivele sendifuna iFavour. I looked around and lendawo besime kuyo wasn’t safe so I put Bukho on my back and started walking to a safer place. It was a small shop ecaleni kwendlela and there were people coming in and out, mostly white people. Ngoba lendwo besijikeleza kuyo was a white residential area. This must have been a little convenience store for the locals who resided in the area and the two of us standing there just stood out, kubonakala nje ba asingoba pha kwaye nabo ingathi basithelengqa. I decided to sell my soul to the devil and call Bongani. I took out my phone and I was about to dial his number when my phone rang, it was Andile. I simply rejected his call and continued with what I was about to do before he interrupted. Again ndathi ndingeka cofi the call button yakhala, I was about to reject the call again kodw this time it was Zanele. She asked me to give directions to where we were and told me that she and her husband were on the way to get us. I was so happy I didn’t have to call Bongani for help. Nyani a little while later sayibona imoto yabo sasuka phambi komnyango wevenkile sabakhawulela. I thanked them for coming to get us, sangena ngasemva and I didn’t say another word after that oko ndiminxwe ziingcinga. Umfana ekuthiwa ngu Andile kept calling my phone de ndadikwa ndayicima. The drive home took forever. As all I wanted to do was climb in bed ndilale ndizokuyeka ukucinga ngezinto ezenzekayo. When we got home Zanele offered me tea endlini yakhe. Me: Hayi enkosi Sisi, ndisafuna ukulungiselela uBukho impahla yakhe yesikolo and kulate ndidinwe nodinwa ngoku. Zanele: U Sure awufuni mntu ozakuthetha naye? Me: Ndi right enkosi. Enkosi ngento yonke. Enyanisweni bendimdinga ngamandla umntu endinokuthetha naye neengcebiso nazo ngokunjalo kodwa I wasn’t comfortable talking with her after I realised that izinto zam bazithetha phambi komntwana nomyeni wakhe. The last thing I needed was Bukho asking me about his father nangalomtshato kuthethwa ngawo yile family yakowabo. Me: Bukho, khulula impahla ndizakugalelela amanzi okuhlamba uzolala. He just nodded his head akathetha. I could tell ebengekabikho right from la scene ka tata. Ndakhawulezisa ndamgalelela amanzi wangena kuwo. I took out both our uniforms and started ironing. Bukho: Thando, ndigqibile mna ngoku. I went to attend to him, ndafika ndlamhlamba nam. You can’t trust a six year old to bathe himself. When I was satisfied he was clean I took him out and wrapped a towel around him and told him to wipe his body dry while I looked for his pyjamas. Wazosuka wagqiba wanxiba wangena ezingubeni, both of us weren’t hungry so andenza nto yokutya. After tucking him in, I went back to my ironing ndagqiba, after that I polished his shoes. Ndakhawuleza ndahlamba before going to bed myself. The next morning I woke up very early to the sound of my alarm yangathi kuse msinyane kakhulu, ubuthongo busandibambile. I got up and had my bath ndanxiba before waking the little man. As he was getting ready I fixed his breakfast and lunch, wagiba unxiba weza ndamlungisa wahlala phantsi watya. I could see ebengekabikho right ncam… Me: Utheni uthule kangaka baby? Bukho: Andithulanga mna. Me: Uyavuya uzakudlala neetshomi zakho es’kolweni? Him: ewe. Me: ufuna ndikuphathele ntoni ke xandibuya emsebenzini? Wavela wenyusa amagxa akathetha. After breakfast wathatha iSchool bag sakhe wathi uzakuya kulindela uQhama kowabo. My heart broke into a milliom pieces watching this tiny little kid walk out the door heartbroken. I was very annoyed with my father for what he had done infront of my son. Andikhathali ba ufuna ukungxolisa mna or andithuke kodwa phambi komntwana? Hay noko. I don’t really like breakfast so after uBukho emkile itidied up izitya ebetyela kuzo yena and grabbed my bag and left for work. I got there abantu sebefikile, Nadine gave me a look that said I can’t wait to talk to you. Ngezinye imini bendingazokuba namdla wezinto zakhe but today I needed her distraction. She was working on the floor and all the pay points had people working them already so I joined Nadine on the floor sa pakisha izihlangu. She was pricing mna ndi pakisha on the racks. Nadine: Why are you like this man? Me: Like what? Her: No, never mind. So, I had a date this weekend with- She interrupted her own sentence like a new thought had come to her mind. Nadine: Never mind my date, tell me about the mystery man. Me: What? A mystery man? Oh utsho that guy whom you GAVE my numbers? Her: No, not that one, the other guy. She said all this without even acknowledging my emphasis to the fact that unikezele nge number yam ndingatshongo. So apparently ngolwesine odlulileyo Bongani went there looking for me esithi he’s the man in my life and he was looking for me and as you would guess, Nadine was the one to receive him xa efika evenkileni. She had to describe him a few times before I figured that the mystery man she was talking about was Bongani. Even though Nadine had her crazy moments, kulula ukuthetha naye so, I recited the story to her, ndamxelela nango tata who was acting like a child giving me hard time. This whole time I was talking ebezithulele angathethi emamele qha. After I had told her everything waphakama from her seat and gave me a hug, one of those tight hugs that say “I’m here for you” Nadine: Do you feel better now that you’ve talked about this? I smiled and gave her another squeeze. It really felt good sharing with someone. Bekuse early so bekungekabikho bantu bangako evenkileni. Ndithe xandibeka izihlangu endaweni yazo I noticed a man standing there as if he was listening in on our conversation. I decided to go up to him and see if he needed assistance. Me: Sorry, ndingakunceda? I immediately turned around as soon as I realised that ngu Andile lo. Andile: Khawume torho Thando… Me: Ufuna ntoni apha? He was about to say something when his phone rang. Waxolisa wacela ukuyibamba. I said okay and turned around and went back to what I was doing. Andile (on the phone) :Hello?....ewe? …ndiseTown ngoku….Hayi Melissa sukhala kaloku, sizakumsa sobabini umtana kwagqirha, yiba umlungisa ndiyeza… okay sure. He rushed to my work station. Andile: Jonga, I have to go now sizo- Me: I know. Umntana uyagula ndivile. Ingathi ngowukhawuleza . He dashed out the store like a mad man eleqa… Nadine: And that phone call…?
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 19:37:36 +0000
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