Lucky Sithole
UThabo ongunogada wezimoto ungisiza ukupaka imoto yami ewuhlobo lwe-polo endaweni yokupaka.
Ngasengiphumela ngaphandle kwemoto sama sobabili phakathi nomgwaqo sigqolozele imoto yami encane.
“Mnu uLucky, imoto yakho idinga ukuwashwa,” kusho uThabiso. Ukusho nje lokhu ngemuva kwemvula enethe isonto lonke, futhi akukho ngisho nechashaza lothuli elikhombisa ukungcola emotweni yami ecwebezelayo.
“Kunjani, Thabo?” Ngibuza njengenjwayelo.
Wangiphendula wathi “ngiyaphila ngoba kuyaphilwa emhlabeni,” ngaphenduka ngambuka ngimangele. Uyaziqhenya ngokuba owaseVenda ngase-Polokwane lapho akhulela khona, futhi akasiye umuntu ojwayele ukukhononda njalo njengoba bengilindele ukuthi uzothi “konke kuhamba kahle” njengenjwayelo.
Kodwa izinto azibukeki zihamba ngendlela, angithi?
Lesi sifo esisabekayo sesidale umonakalo omkhulu emabhizinisini ezindawo zokudlela nezindawo zokucima ukoma eGoli, ikakhulukazi emgwaqeni u-Seventh Street, e-Melville, sekuphenduke isibhicongo.
Amabhizinisi amaningi afana ne-Nuno’s kanye ne-Ant and Poppy avaliwe. Indawo okwenziwa kuyo ama-tattoo ayisekho kanye nendawo yezinwele isiphenduke isitolo esincane.
Yebo, ngivumelana naye uThabo, “izinto zinzima”.
Ngezikhathi zakudala indawo yokupaka engcono wawuyithola uma ngabe unenhlanhla noma kukhona omaziyo, kodwa manje usukwazi ukupaka eduze kwesitolo oya kuso.
Sithe sisamile emgwaqeni kwafika u-Eddie Sibanda, umphathi we-Xai Xai, engiphathele ubhiya. “Akufani khona ibhizinisi liya ngokuba ngcono Lucky.” Kodwa lokhu akushoyo kuzwakala njengento ayifisayo.
Bengithi ngizowela umgwaqo ngiye ngaphesheya e-Hell’s Kitchen, kodwa ngathatheka kalula. Ngale kwalokho, namhlanje uLwesihlanu kanti ngiyazifela ngesipesheli sama-prawns esiPutukezi. Ngithe ngisamile ngibone u-Delme Cupido ehlezi etafuleni ekhomba amashothi amabili e-Jägermeister abesetafuleni eliphambi kwakhe – ngavele ngahluleka ukunqaba isimemo sakhe.
“Zingcono kangakanani izinto Eddie?” ngimbuza nje ngiminya ubhiya wesithathu.
Bekungewona umbuzo ofanele, kodwa wavele waphakamise amahlombe akhe, evumelana nephuzu ebengilisho. Ube esethi: “NoKhisimusi ususendleleni.”
Ngiyazi ukuthi uqonde ukuthini. Indawo yase-Melville yaziwa njengendawo lapho ngesikhathi samaholidi ama-Uber adala isiminyaminya sezimoto kanye nalaba abadlala ama-skateboards, abantu abadala abanentshebe nabaluke njengamaRasta – bekhombisa injabulo muwehla ngomgwaqo ubheke ngase-Smoking Kills kwenye yamapaki lapho kubonakala sengathi sekuqubuke ipaki elingahlelekile lokudlala i-skateboard. Abashayeli bezithuthu ababukeka benolaka bapaka izithuthu zabo zohlobo lwama-Harley bese bephenduka abammeli abakhuluphele ngokweqile noma izazi zezakhiwo bevumele abesifazane abasebasha ukuba babahehe ekukhokheleni iziphuzo zabo.
Ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi, indawo yase-Melville ithula ngendlela emangazayo ngezikhathi ezinhle; kodwa kuthuleka njengasemathuneni ngezikhathi ezinzima. Abakwazi ukuya emaholidini, bayahamba; kodwa abangakwazi, bahlala emakhaya.
“Kuzokwenzekani ngonyaka ozayo?” Ngibuza u-Eddie njengoba ngibheke esikhathini esizayo “uma sekudlule uKhisimusi”.
Ubuso buka-Eddie buvele bagcwala ukumamatheka okukhulu, kwavela amazinyo akhe amhlophe acwebezelisa intshebe yakhe emnyama. “Sizobe silapha!” ehleka.
“Kunjalo, nami ngizobe ngilapha Eddie,” kusho mina ngivumelana naye.
Ngizwe izwi likaThabo ngemuva kwami. “Mnu uLucky. Imoto?” Ngivume ngekhanda. “Impela kufanele iwashwe, angithi?”
Sibe sesihlukana njengoba uThabo uhambe eyokha ibhakede lakhe lamanzi, u-Eddie wabuyela esitolo sakhe mina ngayophuza i-Jägermeister yami.
Sobathathu siyazi ukuthi, unyaka ka-2022 uzoba ngcono kakhulu.