Ngakho-ke, uLwesihlanu olwedlule belungolunye lwalezo zinsuku ezikukhumbuza ukuthi kungani senza lokho esikwenzayo. Imvunge evamile yelebhu yayixubene nomsindo ohlukile… kahle, ukulindela. Besilindele inkampani. Hhayi nje noma iyiphi inkampani, kodwa iqembu labalingani esisebenze nabo iminyaka eminingi, ekugcineni singena ngeminyango yethu.
Uyazi ukuthi kunjani. Nishintshana ngama-imeyili amaningi, nixoxa ngevidiyo njalo ngemva kwesonto, kodwa akukho okufana nokwabelana ngesikhala esifanayo. Ukuxhawulana kokuqala kuhlukile. Ubona umuntu, hhayi isithombe sephrofayela kuphela.
Asiqalanga ngedekhi ye-PowerPoint ebushelelezi. Empeleni, asizange sisebenzise igumbi lebhodi. Kunalokho, sabayisa ngqo ebhentshini lapho kwenzeka khona umlingo. UJames, wethimba lethu le-QC, wayephakathi kokuhlolwa okuvamile lapho iqembu lihlangana. Okwakufanele kube yidemo esheshayo kwaphenduka ukucwila okujulile kwemizuzu engamashumi amabili ngoba umuntu wabo oyinhloko wezobuchwepheshe, uRobert, wabuza umbuzo olula kakhulu mayelana nezixazululo ze-buffer esingazitholi ngokuvamile. Amehlo kaJames akhanya nje. Uyayithanda leyo nto. Walahla i-speel yakhe ayeyihlelile, base beqala ukukhuluma ngokushintshana—bephonsana imibandela, bephikisana ngemibono yomunye nomunye. Kwakuwuhlobo lomhlangano olungcono kakhulu, olungakahlelwa.
Inhliziyo yokuvakasha, vele, kwakuyinto entshaamakhithi okuhlola okusheshayo e-ractopamine. Sasiphrinte zonke izici, kodwa ikakhulukazi zazihleli etafuleni. Ingxoxo yangempela yenzeka lapho uMaria ephakamisa omunye wemigqa yesibonelo. Waqala ukuchaza inselele esasibhekene nayo nge-membrane porosity yokuqala, nokuthi yayibangela kanjani amaphutha amancane ezimweni ezinomswakama ophezulu.
Yilapho uRobert ahleka khona wakhipha ifoni yakhe. “Uyakubona lokhu?” esho, esitshengisa isithombe esingacacile somunye wochwepheshe babo basensimini esebenzisa inguqulo endala yekhithi yokuhlola endaweni eyayibukeka njengendlu yokugcina izinto enomusi. “Yilokho esikuqaphelayo. Inkinga yakho yomswakama? Yikhanda lethu lansuku zonke.”
Futhi kanjalo nje, igumbi lavutha. Sasingaseyona inkampani eyethula kumakhasimende. Sasiyiqembu labaxazululi bezinkinga, sibuthene eduze kocingo kanye nomugqa wokuhlola, sizama ukuphula into efanayo. Othile wabamba ibhodi elimhlophe, kwathi ngemizuzu embalwa, lase limbozwe ngemidwebo exakile—imicibisholo, amafomula amakhemikhali, kanye nezimpawu zemibuzo. Ngangibhala amanothi ekhoneni, ngizama ukuhambisana. Kwakungcolile, kwakukuhle kakhulu, futhi kwakungokoqobo ngokuphelele.
Siphuze isidlo sasemini sekwephuzile kunokulindelekile, sisaphikisana kahle ngokubonakala kwentambo yokulawula. Amasangweji ayelungile, kodwa ingxoxo yayimnandi kakhulu. Sixoxe ngezingane zabo, indawo engcono kakhulu yekhofi eduze kwendlunkulu yabo, konke futhi akukho lutho.
Sebebuyele ekhaya manje, kodwa lelo bhodi elimhlophe? Siyaqhubeka. Kuyisikhumbuzo esididayo sokuthi ngemuva kwayo yonke imininingwane yomkhiqizo kanye nesivumelwano sokuhlinzeka, yilezi zingxoxo—lezi zikhathi zokukhungatheka kanye nokuphumelela ngenxa yekhithi yokuhlola kanye nesithombe sefoni esibi—ezisishukumisela ngempela phambili. Angikwazi ukulinda ukukwenza futhi.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Novemba-26-2025