Sela, Sela, Sela ... Ufe?

Abaphangi kuhola wendlela banamathele kwimipu yemoto kwifestile yemoto yakho kwaye, ukuba babanjiwe, babulawa elunxwemeni, bebotshelelwe kwimigqomo yeoyile. Ukuphelisa isenzo sokuphanga kuhola wendlela, ukubulawa kwabantu kwaboniswa ngomabonwakude. Ndabona umntu edanisa kwaye ewangawangisa njengoko wayesendleleni eya kutshayelwa; wayechulumancile ukuba kwi-TV ezibhankini, walinda emgceni kangangeeyure ngaphandle kokuba unike u- “dash” —umnyobo ofunekayo owawuthambisa iivili uze wenze izinto zihambe ngokukhawuleza. Ngesinye isihlandlo, xa umniki-zinkonzo wandinika iglasi yamanzi anomkhenkce, ndothuka ndoyika: Bendingafuni ukufela kwigumbi elisekungeneni kwebhanki.

Nangona iLagos yayothusa kwaye inqanaba lam loxinzelelo laliphezulu kakhulu kunamanqaku e-SAT, ndandibathanda abantu. Abafazi ababini baluka iinwele zam ezibhityileyo nezimhlophe zaziba ngamakhonkco. Indoda eyayilala phantsi ngaphandle kwendlu endandihlala kuyo yandifundisa amabinzana endawo athi, "Uyayithanda le mini," nto leyo ethetha ukuba, "ukhona ngathi akekho." Ichaze ngokugqibeleleyo amava okuthetha nomntu obengekho, ophazamisekileyo, kwilizwe lakhe, ochithe okanye oxholwe ngamatye.

Xa ndaxelela uthisha onobulali, notitshala wesikolo oselula ukuba ndibaleka iqela lezemidlalo laseSwitzerland, wandanga kakhulu waza wandimema ukuba ndibukele umdlalo weqonga wasekhaya. Ndiye ndavuma engekagqibi nesimemo. Kwakungaphandle, kwaye abadlali babedlala eqongeni, ngelixa abaphulaphuli behleli ezitulweni kwiitafile ezenziwe ngomthi, be-odola iziselo kwaye bencokola. Umdlalo wawunesiphithiphithi, ubhalwe ngokungacacanga, ubukhulu becala wawuphuculiwe. Ndiliqondile iqhekeza layo, kodwa ndangena ekubambeni okungathethekiyo kwabadlali, kunye nokuziphatha kwabo okuhlekisayo, okuhlekisayo kunye nokuziphatha okubaxekileyo kwindlela abaziphethe ngayo.

Ndihleli etafileni nabantu balapha, abebethe guffawing kakhulu. Omnye wabo wayalela iwayini yesundu, kwaye sasela iglasi emva kweglasi, sikhula ngakumbi nangakumbi ngaphandle kokuthintelwa. Ngasihlandlo sithile, utitshala owayebonakala ngathi ugcinwe kakuhle wema ebhentshini apho sasihleli khona, waqala ukutsiba. Ndabambelela esihlalweni ngokungathi ndikwi bronco.

Enye ibhotile yewayini yesundu yafika etafileni, kwaye, kwindawo enotywala, ndabuza umlungiseleli ukuba iwayini yesundu yayixutywe nantoni na, kuba yayinamandla kakhulu. Waphendula wathi, "Kuxutywe namanzi."

"Amanzi etephu?" Ndibuze.

“Ewe, miss,” uphendule watsho.

Yayiyiyo leyo. Ndiza kubulawa yikholera eLagos. Ndifumanise ukuba kungathatha iintsuku ezintlanu ukubonakalisa, kwaye bendizakwenza ntoni ngezo ntsuku zokugqibela zobomi bam? Ndayikhupha ngaphandle indawo yemidlalo yeqonga, kwaye ngandlela thile ndafumana umntu wokundigodusa. Ndabhala iileta zokuvalelisa kubahlobo endibathandayo, ndaza ndabaxelela ukuba xa befumana amaposi am, ndiza kube ndimkile kudala. Ndiyekile ukuphuma. Ndityile i-paw paw (papaya) kunye nemangos kwaye ndalila kakhulu. Ndandisemncinci kakhulu ukuba ndingafa.

Kwadlula iintsuku ezintlanu. Emva koko ezintandathu. Ngaphandle kokuqunjelwa ziqhamo, khange ndife.

Ndandihleli kwitafile enye kwindawo yokutyela yaseLebhanon kwaye kwavela usomashishini omnye. Ngokuya sasinyusa ihummus, ndamxelela ukuba ndiyisele iwayini yesundu ngamanzi etephu. Undixelele ukuba ndikhohlisile ukufa, kwaye kuthetha ukuba ndiza kuphila ubomi obunomtsalane.

Wayenyanisile. Kwaye ndinetyala lawo onke amanzi ompompo eLagos.

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UJudith Fein yintatheli yokuhamba ephumelele amabhaso kunye nombhali WOBOMI LUHAMBO: Uguquko loMlingo woKhenketho. Esi sithuba simalunga namava akhe okuqala, kwiminyaka eyadlulayo, ngamanzi okusela ngelixa usendleleni.