Phumzile Sithebe and Vuyokazi Mehlwana.jpeg: Kwigumbi labo lokuphumla banexesha elisemgangathweni: Umfanekiso: Inikezelwe.
Usuku lukaValentine: Ukuvuleleka kunye nokunyaniseka kugcina uthando luphila
INTATHELI YETHU
Ukutshona kwelanga elunxwemeni yindlela uPhumzile Sithebe noVuyokazi Mehlwana abaceba ukubhiyozela ngayo uSuku lweValentine. Esi sibini, esikwiminyaka engamashumi amane, sithi sisazakuba kunye kwiminyaka yamashumi asibhozo.
Kodwa ukufumana uthando bekungekho lula. USithebe wayenabantwana ababini xa wayesuka eRhawutini esiya eKapa ngo-2012, wayengazange azive etsaleleleka kwamanye amanina. Yatshintsha loo nto xa eqala ukusebenza kwivenkile ethile eKapa wadibana noMehlwana owayesebenza naye.
“Ibiluthando ekuqaleni,” utshilo uSithebe, nowade wazibona sele engumntu onesini esahlukileyo.
USithebe uthe utsaleleke kakhulu kuMehlwana kangangokuba ebesiya emsebenzini kwangethuba ukuze abe kufutshane naye.
“Ndandisoyika, andizange ndithandane nomntu obhinqileyo,” watsho uSithebe, owayexakwe yindlela avakalelwa ngayo ngelinye ibhinqa kangangokuba wacinga ngokucela uncedo ecaweni.
Kwabakho itheko lokuthi ndlela-ntle yomphathi emsebenzini apho ukuwolana ngombuliso kwakhokelela ekubeni uSithebe noMehlwana bancamise okokuqala.
Emva kwepati, uthi bathetha ngomnxeba ebusuku.
“Saqala ukuthandana. Ndandiye ndixoke kumakazi eParklands ukuba ndiyoqeqeshelwa emsebenzini kodwa ndandisiya eDunoon (apho wayehlala khona uMehlwana). Kwakungathi luthando lwam lokuqala. “
Kodwa ngenxa yebala eliyayanyaniswa nobufanasini, kunye nohlaselo lobundlobongela kubantu abathandana nabasetyhini, uSithebe noMehlwana babufihla ubudlelwane babo.
Uthi wade wathatha uhambo noMehlwana ukuya kudibana nabazali bakhe eRhawutini, baxelela abazali bakhe ukuba babengabahlobo nje.
“Ndandingazi ukuba bazakucinga ntoni xa ndimazisile njengesithandwa sam, ndacinga ukuba mhlawumbi bangandigxotha okanye babe krwada kuye kuba ngalo lonke ixesha ndandithe ngqo [isini esingafaniyo]”.
Uthi ukhuliswe nguninakhulu owathi akukuva oko wothuka.
“Wandifowunela esithi u serious? Ngaba obu luhlobo lobomi ofuna ukuluphila? Kodwa bayabona ngoku ndonwabile kwaye ndiziphethe kakuhle” utshilo uSithebe.
“UVuyo [Vuyokazi] undibonise elinye icala lothando endingazange ndalibona ndiyindoda. Izinto ezincinci zibalulekile. Wayendimangalisa ngeentyatyambo, i-teddy bear, wayethumela abantu ukuba bandiphathele ukutya xa ndin emsebenzini ndingazi, wayethenga amakhadi amancinci kwaye abhale nemiyalezo … njengezinto esizibona kwiimuvi.
Bakuba besazisile ngobudlelwane babo kusapho, uMehlwana wamhlawulela ilobola yena nabantwana bakhe.
“UVuyo [Vuyokazi] undibonise elinye icala lothando endingazange ndalibona kwindoda. Izinto ezincinci zibalulekile. Wayendimangalisa ngeentyatyambo, i-teddy bear, wayethumela abantu ukuba bandiphathele ukutya xa ndingekho emsebenzini ndingazi, wayethenga amakhadi amancinci kwaye abhale nemiyalezo … njengezinto esizibona kwiimuvi.
Bakuba besazisile ngobudlelwane babo kusapho, uMehlwana wamhlawulela ilobola yena nabantwana bakhe.
“Abantwana bam bathe phithi nguVuyo kwaye uyabathanda naye.”
Uthe nangona iilesbians ziye zahlaselwe zibulawe kwiindawo ezifana neeGugulethu, Khayelitsha, kunye neeLower Crossroads, abantu baseDunoon babamkele.
UMehlwana uthi wanqwenela ukuba ngewadibana noSithebe kwangethuba ebomini bakhe.
“Ukudibana kwam noPhumzile ndaqonda ukuba uthando lukhona. Ndiphumelele okuninzi okoko ndadibana naye. Ukuba bendidibene naye ngaphambili, ngendandikude kakhulu. Bendingenaxanduva phambi kokuba ndidibane naye, ndinoxanduva ngoku.”
UMehlwana uthe esemncinane wayengumntu obhinqileyo, kodwa esengumntwana kunzima ukuqonda isizathu sokuba atsaleleke kumanina nanjengoko wayekhuliswe ngezithethe zoosolusapho.
Ngelixa sithandana kakhulu, esi sibini sithi sinazo iingxabano nokungavisisani kwazo. Ngamanye amaxesha basenokungathethi omnye nomnye kangangeentsuku kodwa bahlala benxibelelana ekugqibeleni.
“Into esenza siqhubeke luthando, ukungafihli nokunyaniseka,” utshilo uSithebe nanjengoko uMehlwana evuma.
USithebe uthi: “Uthando lwethu lusavutha, ingathi sisandokudibana.”