UNawomi, uninazala kaRuthi, wathi kuye: “Ndodakazi yami, ngingakufuneli yini umuzi ukuze konke kukuhambele kahle, na? UBhowazi lona obusebenza nezincekukazi zakhe akayiso yini isihlobo sethu esisondele, na? Bheka, namuhla kusihlwa uyokwela ibhali esibuyeni. Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke kahle bese wehla uye esibuyeni. Ungaqale uziveze kuye engakaqedi ukudla nokuphuza. Ubombheka ukuthi uzolala kuphi, bese uya lapho, ufike uphakamise ingubo ezinyaweni zakhe uzishutheke, yena-ke uyokutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”
URuthi waphendula wathi: “Konke lokho okushoyo ngizokwenza.”
Wayesehla waya esibuyeni, wafike wenza njengalokhu uninazala emyalile.
UBhowazi wadla, waphuza, wenama, wayesehla eyolala ngasekugcineni kwenqwaba yebhali. URuthi wanyonyoba wembula ingubo ezinyaweni zikaBhowazi, walala lapho. Kuthe phakathi kwamabili uBhowazi waphaphama. Mamo! Nangu owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zakhe! Wambuza wathi: “Ungubani wena, na?”
Waphendula wathi: “NginguRuthi, incekukazi yakho. Ake welule ichopho lengubo yakho ungifukamele, ngokuba ungumhlengi.”
Waphendula wathi: “USimakade makakubusise, ndodakazi yami. Ekugcineni ukhombise ukwethembeka okukhulu kunasekuqaleni; awuzange ugijimele ezinsizweni ezicebile noma ezimpofu. Manje ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, konke okucelayo ngizokwenzela khona. Ngokuba bonke abantu bakithi bayazi ukuthi ungowesifazane onesimilo. Impela kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo sakho, kodwa kukhona omunye umhlengi oseduze kakhulu kunami. Okwanamuhla kulobu busuku ungalala, kuzothi ekuseni ngikhulume naye. Uma engathandi ukukuhlenga kulungile, mina ngizokuhlenga. Ngiyakwethembisa phambi kukaSimakade; lala kuze kuse.”
URuthi walala lapho ngasezinyaweni zikaBhowazi kwaze kwasa, wavuka kusemnyama kungakabonakali lutho. UBhowazi wathi: “Angifuni kwazi muntu ukuthi kuke kwafika owesifazane lapha esibuyeni.”
UBhowazi wayesethi kuye: “Letha leli bhayi obulembethe, ulendlale lapha.”
Ngempela uRuthi wenza kanjalo. UBhowazi wathela kulo ibhali elinesisindo esicishe sibe ngama-efa amabili, wamethwesa lona. URuthi wathwala leso sijumbana, wenyukela ekhaya naso.
Wathi uma efika ekhaya uninazala wambuza wathi: “Uhambe kanjani ndodakazi yami, na?”
URuthi wamtshela konke okwakwenzekile nayekushilo uBhowazi. Waqhubeka uRuthi wathi: “Uthe: ‘Awuzukubuyela emuva kunyokozala ungaphethe lutho,’ wayesengipha nanti ibhali elicishe libe ngama-efa amabili.”
UNawomi wayesethi: “Hlala nje ndodakazi yami ulinde, uze ubone ukuthi lolu daba luphetha kanjani. Nakanjani ngeke behle ubuthongo kuBhowazi engaluphethile lolu daba.”