“Lalela!” kusho uLuthando.
“Uzwani?” kubuza uSonto.
“UMgqibelo.”
“Uzwakala kanjani uMgqibelo?”
“Uthule kunoLwesihlanu,” kusho uLuthando.
“Wonke umuntu usalele.”
“Kufanele ngikhande isango likaGogo namuhla,” kusho uBaba.
“Wonke umuntu ozongiphathisa
izimpahla zami sigoduke nazo ngizomupha u-ice cream,” kusho uMama.
“Sizokuphathisa, Mama,” kusho izingane.
“Qaphela, Luthando!”
“Hawu!”
“Ave uhlekisa kodwa wena,”
kuhleka uSonto.
“Ngizwa isithuthuthu,” kusho uLuthando.
“Akunasithuthuthu lapha,”
kusho uSonto, eqalaza.
Isithuthuthu sithi shwi sidlula.
“Zibukhali izindlebe
zakho bo, Luthando.”
“Qaphela, Luthando!”
“Hawu!” washo uLuthando enyathela ixhaphozi.
“Buka-ke ukuthi usumanzi kanjani,” kusho uMama.
“UBaba usefikile.”
“Wazi kanjani, Luthando?” kubuza uSonto.
“Ngiyalizwa iphunga lokudla akuphekayo,”
kusho uLuthando ehogela emoyeni.
“Libukhali ikhala lakho bo,” kusho uMama.
“Qaphela, Luthando!”
“Awe!”
“Qaphela lapho uhamba khona,” kusho uMama.
“ULuthando akasheshi ukubona,” kusho uSonto.
“Ubonani, Luthando?”
kubuza owesifazane onomoya omuhle.
ULuthando ufifiyela kakhulu.
Ubona okusamakokoroshe nje
amanyama odongeni.
Ubuka ngezibuko zamehlo.
“Ngibona izinhlamvu
zamagama,” kusho yena.
“Nazo-ke!”
“Buka, Gogo!”
“Unezibuko zamehlo,” kusho uGogo,
eshaya izandla zakhe.
“Kwaze kwakuhle lokho. Awungitshele ukuthi ubonani.”
“Ngibona izilokazane nezintuthwane nezicabucabu nezinyosi. Sengibona
YONKE INTO manje.”
“Gogo, ubuso bakho buqhekekile,”
kusho uLuthando, ethinta buso bukaGogo.
“Hhayi…Luthando! Akukona ukuqhekeka lokhu.
Imibimbi esebusweni bami ngenxa yokuba mdala kanye nokuhlale ngihleka
zonke izinto ozishoyo.”
“Unga…”
“Buka, nali ixhaphozi!” kusho uLuthando.
Usho emva kwendaba!
Look out, Luthando!
