Umculi wokholo wodumo kwiJoyous Celebration ne-I Want To Sing Gospel Competition, uSiphumelele Mbambo, ugonyuluke ngobuhlungu abuzwa mhlazane ezwa ukuthi umyeni wakhe usembhangqe nentombazane yakubo.
Uthe yize ayeyisoka eliqonywa kwasani futhi embekezelele kodwa kwamphatha kabuhlungu okomuntu wakubo.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi igazi lami lathuka kakhulu, ukuthi umuntu wakithi pho? Ngangibabona labo engibaziyo kodwa owakithi pho? Ngangiqala ukuzwa ubuhlungu ngaleya ndlela," kuphawula uSiphumelele.
Uthe kungcono ukube umyeni wakhe wavele waganwa wumuntu wakubo kunokujola naye.
Nakuba kunjalo, uSiphumelele uthe wumyeni wakhe owakhipha igama lokuthi ucu alusahlangani.
"Uma engala, angikholwanga. Mina ngaliwa nje straight. Wathi usekhathele wukungihlupha. Wangala."
Uthe wahluleka ngisho esemncenga ngokuthi okungcono akathathe umfazi wesibili kodwa kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya.
"Ngangisaba ihlazo lokudivosa. Ngangisaba ukuthi abazali bami bazothini, bengikhulise kahle kangaka. Kuzoba njani emakhaya? Kwacaca ukuthi umyeni uyangala. Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi ngahlala ngizitshela ukuthi uzobuya, lalinetha izulu."
Uthe wayelokhu ebuya ezothatha izingubo zakhe kancane kancane, ehamba nezintombi. "Wayengincenga ethi angimyeke. Wayengibulala inhliziyo ngoba wayazi ukuthi ngiyamthanda. Wayethatha izimpahla zakhe maqede ahambe. Ngiyokhala ngithi sewungiyeka ngempela“
Uthe wahlala wamlinda umyeni wakhe, kwaze kwaphela iminyaka emine kodwa wagcina engabuyanga.
Echaza ngokushada nomyeni wakhe, uthe wambona wamthanda futhi wamlobola kahle kubo baze bashada.
Emuva kokuhamba kwesikhathi uthe umyeni wakhe wabe eseqonywa ngapha nangapha. Uthe isikhathi sokujabula phakathi kwabo sagcina sesisincane futhi sekungathi wuyena oncikisiwe emshadweni.
Uthe ubuyile esefuna ukumshada okwesibili kodwa wanqaba. Eqhuba uthe angamjabulela uma engathola intombazane engaba wunkosikazi wakhe.
Uthe wamxolela emuva kwezinyanga ezintathu emshiyile kodwa wamthethelela ngoba waba neqiniso kuye ngokuthi wahlambuluka, wangamhlukumeza ngokumshaya nangokumbulala.
Echaza ngokunyamalala kwakhe emculweni, uthe usagada uyise owaba ntekenteke emuva kokushona kukanina kaSiphumelele, uMaMkhize.
Esephetha uthe uhlele indumezulu yomthandazo eTropicana Hotel, eThekwini namhlanje ngo-10 ekuseni, okuzobe kungenwa kuwo mahhala. Uthe kuzobe kuthandazelwa izinkinga ezikhungethe izwe futhi iminikelo yamukelekile ngoba akunamxhasi.