Indaba yesipho sikaKhisimusi iwubufakazi bothando
Lena indaba yesipho seMagi, Indaba kaKhisimusi. Yabhalwa ngu-O’Henry. UDella noJim babenonyaka nje bashadile. Babenemali encane kakhulu futhi bempofu. Kodwa lokho ababekuntula ezintweni zikanokusho, babekwenza ngothando.
Ngakusasa kwakunguKhisimusi. Yonke imali uDella ayenayo ukuze athengele umyeni wakhe othandekayo isipho yayingu-$1,87. “Ngingathengani ngalokho emhlabeni?” ebuza.
Wathi ephenduka wabona isibuko sakhe esibukweni. Enyukele esibukweni, agqolozele isithombe sakhe. “Okungenani uJim uyazithanda izinwele zami ezinde ezinhle,” kusho yena, ethatha ispin. “Ungibiza ngendlovukazi yakhe!” Wabe eseyeka ukugodola. “Ngiyindlovukazi ethile!” wathi, “ngo-$1,87 kuphela engizowusebenzisa ngithengela umyeni wami isipho.”
Khona manjalo, uDella wayesekwazi okufanele akwenze. Ngokukhulu ukushesha, wagqoka ingubo yakhe wagijima waphuma efulethini. Wehla ngomgwaqo egijima eya esitolo lapho kwakwenziwe khona amawigi. Uphawu lwaluthi: “Sithenga izinwele.”
“Ngitshele,” uDella ebuza owesifazane wasesitolo. “Uzongikhokhela malini ngezinwele zami?” “Ngena ngaphakathi,” kusho owesifazane wasesitolo, “ngikubone.”
UDella wangena esitolo wakhumula ingubo yakhe. Kwawa izinwele zakhe ezinde eziwugqinsi.
“Mina, mina!” kusho owesifazane wasesitolo, “Ngizokukhokhela amadola angamashumi amabili ngezinwele zakho ezinhle, ezinde.”
Ekugcineni, ephethe amadola angamashumi amabili ephaketheni lakhe kanye no-$1.87 wangaphambilini, uDella wayesengakwazi ukuyothenga. Kodwa yini okufanele ayithole umyeni wakhe? Into eyodwa uJim ayeyithanda kakhulu emhlabeni wonke kwakuyiwashi lakhe lasephaketheni eligolide. Yayivela kuyise, futhi ivela kuyise kayise ngaphambi kwalokho. Ngezinye izikhathi, lapho uJim engacabangi ukuthi kukhona ongabona, wayekhipha lelo washi legolide, aliphendule, alihlikihle ngokucophelela. UDella wayekwazi lokhu ngoba embona ekwenza. UDella wabe esebona isipho esihle kakhulu- iketanga legolide lewashi lakhe lasephaketheni!
Ngo-$21 wathenga uchungechunge lwewashi legolide. Njengoba lelo chain lixhunywe ewashini likaJim ephaketheni, iwashi alikwazanga ukuphuma ephaketheni lakhe. Futhi ubengeke yini uJim abukeke emuhle lapho ekhipha lelo washi lesikhwama segolide futhi wonke umuntu ebona iketango legolide elicwebezelayo, futhi!
Ngalobo busuku lapho uJim efika ekhaya, uDella waphuthuma eyomnika isipho ayesithengile. Nokho lapho ebona izinwele zomkakhe ezimfishane ebusweni bakhe, kwavela ukuhwaqabala lapho ayemoyizele khona. “O, ungakhathazeki, myeni!” wakhala. “Izinwele zami zikhula ngokushesha.”
Khona-ke, ngaphambi kokuba anikeze uJim isipho sakhe, wanikeza umkakhe ibhokisi elincane. UDella waqaqa iribhoni walivula. Ngaphakathi kwakunamakama amabili amahle ezinwele! Zazifana ncamashí nalezo ayezikhweze kaningi emafasiteleni esitolo, kodwa zibiza imali eningi kakhulu.
Manje base beyisipho umyeni wakhe othandekayo ayemuphe sona. UDella wabe esenika uJim ibhokisi lakhe. “Manje yithuba lakho,” kusho yena.
Lapho uJim eyivula futhi ebona iketanga lewashi legolide, kwadingeka ahlale phansi. “Awuthandi?” Kusho umkakhe. “Yebo, ngiyavuma!” Kusho uJim. “Kodwa uyabona, ngithengise iwashi lami ukuze ngikuthengele amakama amabili ezinwele.”
“Futhi ngithengise izinwele zami ukuze ngikuthengele uchungechunge lwewashi!” Kusho uDella.
UJim noDella bobabili babelahle into eyodwa ababeyithanda kakhulu ngenxa yenye. Futhi manje babengenalutho ababengalubonisa ngakho.
Noma kunjalo? “Ndlovukazi yami,” kusho uJim, ethatha izandla zomkakhe embheke emehlweni. “Myeni wami othandekayo,” kusho uDella, ngothando.