Kwakusekuseni kumakhaza futhi kunetha. UMama wayegqoke ijazi lakhe elifudumele kanye nesikhafu. “Thoko,” kusho uMama, “ngiya eKapa engxoxweni yenhlolokhono yomsebenzi. Ngizobuya ngaphambi kwesikhathi sesidlo sakusihlwa.”

UGogo noThoko babuka uMama ngefasitela ngesikhathi ehamba emvuleni. UMama bantu! UGogo wathi, “Brrr, kubanda kakhulu ukuthi umuntu angama la, ngisayothokomala embhedeni okwesikhashana.”

UThoko wazithelela isiriyeli ayithandayo endishini, wathela nobisi wase egovuza. Kwaba yilapho wathola khona isu lakhe elihle. Ngakho, wathi uma eseqede ukudla wagcwalisa amanzi ebhodweni, wase ebheka efrijini ukuthi angafakani kuwo. Nazo-ke, ekugcineni wathola ipapa kanye nesobho ebelisele ngayizolo! Uthoko wahhulukuhlela ukudla obekusele wase egovuza ipapa laze lahlakazeka, nesobho lajika amanzi aba nsundu. Wase ema phezu kwesitulo ukuze alunguze ekhabetheni lokudla.

“Wenzani?” kubuza uGogo, engena ekhishini. Wayesagqoke igawuni yakhe ephinki emfamumfamu.

“Ngenzela uMama isobho ukuze adle uma efika egodola, elambile,” kusho uThoko.

“Yisu elihle ngempela lelo,” kusho uGogo. “Ake ngikusize.”

UGogo wabheka ebhodweni. “Yini le?” kubuza yena.

“Ukudla obekusele,” kusho uThoko.

“Le indlela ekahle yokuqala isobho,” kusho uGogo, “kodwa sidinga nokunye futhi.”

“Ngiyazi,” kusho uThoko. “Amapetshisi! UMama uthanda amapetshisi.”

“Awafakwa amapetshisi esobheni, Thoko,” kusho uGogo. “Sidinga izaqathi.”

UGogo wacwecwa wase eqoba izaqathi. Wazifaka ebhodweni wase elibeka esitofini ukuze zibile. UGogo walandelisa ngophizi oqhekeziwe ogcwele isandla. Uthoko waya ekhabetheni wabuya nephakethe lamabhisikidi ejinja.

“UMama uyazifela ngalawa,” kusho uThoko. “Azokwenza ukuthi isobho linambitheke kamnandi kakhulu.”

UGogo wahleka. “Awu kodwa, Thoko, akekho umuntu ofaka amabhisikidi esobheni lakhe. Sidinga nje ikani likatamatisi, u-anyanisi, isitokhi semifino esingangesipuni kanye nosawoti omncane.”

UGogo wavula ikani likatamatisi wase ethi uThoko akalifake esobheni. Wase efaka isitokhi semifino, wase eqala ukuqoba u-anyanisi.

Masinyane nje, kwagcwala izinyembezi emehlweni kaGogo. “Eish!” kuphefumula uGogo. “Ukuqoba u-anyanisi kuyangikhalisa, kanti ukukhala kungenza ngibe namafinyila amanzi. Ngicela ugovuze isobho ngenkathi ngisayofinya.”

UThoko wagovuza wabuka lezi zinto ezifakwa esobheni ezengezwe nguGogo, wazibuka zizungeza ebhodweni. Yinye kuphela into yena ayeyifakile, kwakungukudla okwakusale ngayizolo. Kwakungekho bulungiswa kulokhu! Leli bekumele kube yisobho likaThoko lekhethelo alenzele uMama – akulona elikaGogo!

Ngakho ngesikhathi uGogo esaphumile, uThoko waya ekhabetheni wathola into yekhethelo ayeyazi ukuthi uMama wayezifela ngayo. Ngokushesha, wayifaka esobheni, wase eligovuza. Kwathi uma ebuya uGogo wathi, “Mmmm, manje selinephunga lesobho lekhethelo!

UThoko noGogo bayeka isobho labhadla isikhashana. UGogo wabe esecisha isitofu wayesethi, “Manje selilungele ukufudunyezwa ngaphambi kokuba uMama afike ekhaya. Woza, Thoko, ngizokufundela indaba ngesikhathi silinde uMama.”

Lapho uGogo esafunda, zaya ubuthongo kuThoko. Into elandelayo ayizwa ukuvuleka komnyango wangaphambili noMama ememeza ethi, “Sengibuyile!”

UMama wayebukeka egodola futhi ekhathele, kodwa wayenezindaba ezimnandi. Wayewutholile umsebenzi!

“Ngiyafa yindlala!” kusho uMama, ekhumula ijazi lakhe. “Yini le enuka kamnandi kanje?”

“UThoko ukwenzele isobho,” kusho uGogo.

“Ngiyabonga, Thoko,” kusho uMama. “Yilokho engikudingayo ukuze ngifudumale.”

Lapho uMama eseshintshele ezingubeni ezomile, bahlala phansi ukuze badle.

“Mmmmm,” kusho uMama, “lehla esiphundu! Yini le eyenza leli sobho linambitheke ngokukhethekile kangaka?”

“Ngifake isitokhi semifino esimnandi,” kusho uGogo.

“Lutho,” kusho uMama, “akuyiso. Ngizwa …”

UThoko wathula wathi du. UGogo wabuyisa izinhlonzi.

“Yebo, into emnandi futhi enoshukela!” kusho uMama.

Kwathi uma seliphele lonke isobho, uMama waya ekhabetheni lokudla wabe esethi, “Manje kunento okudala ngiyibekele umgubho wekhethelo.” Kodwa uMama akazange ayithole into ayekade eyicinga. “Kuyamangaza-ke lokhu,” kusho uMama, “Bekunezingcezu ezintathu zikashokoledi wami engiwuthandayo ebengizibekele usuku lwekhethelo.”

UThoko waqhubeka nokugebisa ikhanda lakhe. Wayewezwa amehlo kaGogo ethe njo kuye.

“Thoko,” kubuza uGogo, “uwenzeni ushokoledi kaMama?”

UThoko waqala ukuchiphiza ngesikhathi etshela uMama ukuthi ufake ushokoledi esobheni. Kodwa esikhundleni sokuthukuthela, uMama wahleka, “Kusho ukuthi yilokhu okwenze isobho lanambitheka ngokukhethekile kangaka!”

“Kanti-ke lolu yilo usuku lwekhethelo,” kumamatheka uGogo. “Uthole umsebenzi namhlanje!”

UThoko wesula izinyembezi.

“Uyazi, Thoko sithandwa sami,” kusho uMama, “kube yinto enhle kakhulu ukuthi ucabange ukungenzela isobho. Libizwa ngokuthini?”

“Yisobho likaThoko lekhethelo,” kusho uThoko

“Empeleni, liyisobho elimnandi ukudlula wonke engake ngawezwa,” kusho uMama, ewola uThoko kakhulu.