UMary Allen
Siye saba yinja yemboleko. Kodwa eneneni unento enye ngomqolo, ucinga ukuba ndim ogqibayo ekhaya.
Yikota ukuya kweyesihlanu kusasa kwaye ndihamba epakini ndinxibe ibhulukhwe yesuti, ilokhwe yokulala, ikawusi eyodwa (enemibalabala), kunye neminqwazi yomyili yasePalermo. Ukuba bekuyiminyaka eyi-15 eyadlulayo, kwaye ndimhle ngakumbi, ngendiphazame njengomntu opholileyo onemikhwa kade.
Phambi kwam kubaleka iwotshi ezulazulayo enezithupha ezithambileyo ezifudumeleyo, amehlo amdaka anzulu, kunye nempumlo enencasa yomqolo. Ewe, bafundi abathandekayo, siye saba yinja ye-timeshare, i-bastard yaseCypriot emangalisayo (ngokupheleleyo ngokungazi, ndicinga ukuba) ithatha inxaxheba kuqoqosho oludumileyo lokwabelana. Ke xa umntu ebuza ngohlanga lwakhe, ndiphendula “trendsetter”, (kodwa ngaphakathi kuphela, awukho kåsör ngexesha lakho lokuphumla).
Enoba yintoni na, ngoku, malunga neveki nganye, sine entsatsheni. Iseti yokuqala kunye noMnu. B, uNksk. B, kunye no-Little B yomelezwe nge-B-Dog - okwangoku ejikeleza indlu yakhe yemboleko kwipaki ekufutshane yekhaya. Ngokwenene simbalwa apho, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo ndingoyena umbi ekunxibeni.
Isizathu sam? Yimizuzu elishumi kuphela ukusukela oko ndilele kamnandi ndiphupha ihotele yealpine apho yonke into eyayifuneka ukuze ishedyuli yasehlotyeni idityaniswe yayikukutshintsha ithambeka elinye lamaziko. Ndandiza kuthumela isigebenga sase-Argentine uFederico Fazio xa i-tick tick of paws on the parquet yayilandelwa ngamehlo alumkileyo kunye neendlebe eziphaphazelayo i-decimeter ebusweni. “Hayi,” ndatsho ngokuzolileyo, “ngokuhlwanje” – ndiyathemba! – “Kufuneka” – ithemba! - "Ngokwenene lala."
Ithemba.
Ithemba.
UJahapp ubamba nje intambo kwaye aphume ekuseni.
U-B-Dog yinja elumkileyo, ecacileyo kunye nento ayifunayo-ukutya, ukudlala, kunye nokukrwelwa ziintandokazi - kodwa unento enye malunga nempuphu yakhe yangasemva. Ucinga ukuba ndim ogqibayo ekhaya. Kwaye kukho into kuloo nto, kodwa kuphela kwimibuzo ecacileyo, mhlawumbi ngakumbi xa kufikwa kwimpahla yangaphantsi esifanele siyinxibe.
Ukunqulwa kwezithixo ngendlela ephosakeleyo kundenza ndicinge ngomgca ka-Aldous Huxley: “Kwinja yakhe, onke amadoda nguNapoleon, nto leyo ecacisa ukuthandwa okuzingisileyo kwenja.” Kwaye, ewe, ndiyaqonda ukuba ndingumntu webhiliyoni ukwenza loo joke. (Ngaba uyamva u-B omncinci noNksk. B? Phezulu kunye ne-laurel wreath kunye ne-memento mori ikhoboka kwiveki ezayo!)
Kodwa ndifuna ukucinga ukuba yenye into, into engekokuzicingela nje kuphela, eyenza ukuba indoda ediniweyo yasentwasa hlobo ijikeleze phakathi kwabantu angabaziyo phambi kwentsimbi yesihlanu kusasa ngolwesine ichole indle – kwaye icinge ukuba iyamangalisa.