uMthunywa
Charles Dube
USILOBILE usesenyanywa langumnawakhe uBantwini. Lokhu kuvele mgceke lapho uBantwini esemukela ukudla ayekuphathelwe nguSilobile njengomphako ayezawudla esikolo eNyathi. Wakwemukela njengento ayenyanyayo lokho kudla kwamangalisa abanye ayefunda labo.
UNgenzile owayelifolosi likaSilobile owaze wambalekisa kwabo watolika isenzo sikaBantwini njengobumbulu.
Wakutsho lokho sebeyihudula imisila yabo, besuka emoteni ingakasuki, ngenxa yokuthi uBantwini wayengathi uyabenyanya. Wayevalekile emehlweni lasengqondweni uSilobile wehluleka ukubona ukuthi uBantwini yimbulu njengokutsho kukaNgenzile. Wamangala nje ukuthi kanti umnawakhe umyangiselani kangaka. Kakukhumbulanga okwakhe.
Kuthiwa waze wathi ngaphakathi uSilobile, “Ngabe bengisazi!” Kodwa akusizanga lokhu ngoba kwasekwedlule.
Wadela uSilobile, ngoba engamzwanga unina laye esithi, ‘Ngabe ngangisazi ukuthi kuzakuba nje, ngabe ngabacela abaphansi . . .’” wala ukukukhupha angabe wakucela. Kodwa lakho lokho akusizanga lutho, ngoba wayesewamzala uSilobile. Sebefikile esikolo sabo eNyathi uBantwini wasizuza isikhathi. Wawubonga umnyama.
Waqonda oqaqeni, engabonwa muntu; wakujikijela egangeni ukudla akuphiwe ngudadewabo. Zambonga izinja, zavuka ziphila okwakutshengisa ukuthi ukudla lokho kwakungelangozi okungabe uBantwini wayekucabangela.
Kuthiwa yabamhlophe inhliziyo yakhe uBantwini nxa enakana ukuthi ukulahlile ukudla okulethwe zimbulu.
Wakhohlwa ukuthi udadewabo womuntu angaze ambuluzela umnawakhe. UNgenzile nguye owezwakala ethi lemoteni wenzenje waze wabhoboka esithi uBantwini wenza angathi kamazi.
UNgenzile wathunuka inhliziyo kaSilobile lapho ebuza uSilobile ukuthi uBantwini aze ehluleke ukuzalala kuye, yena engudadewabo? Esizwa lawo mazwi ububi bathontela enhliziyweni kaSilobile. Kodwa batshiswa yibuhle. Wazithoba ngokuthi uBantwini kakwazi lapha yena asebenza khona. Wangathi uyawubona umkhumbulo kaSilobile uNgenzile, wasesithi, “Lokhu lanxa ube engakwazi lapha usebenza khona ngabe ungibuzile, ngamlayela.”
Sekunjalo sasweleka isikhala sokubaleka kuSilobile. Wabona sibili ukuthi uBantwini wenze into ezondisayo. Ngabe wayezile kuye, bazolala bexoxa ukuze ezwe ngokwekhaya. Kodwa wakhohlwa uSilobile ukuthi watshiya ingubo zingendlulwanga. Kuthe nxa uNgenzile ecindezela esithi umntwana uyabe engenelani endabeni kadadewabo labazali bakhe, waphosa wabhukutsha ngomzimba wonke uSilobile esizibeni senzondo.
USilobile wakhumbula amazwi kaKhokho kusekuhle koMbengo, yena loBantwini besatshona belandelana; onakaSenzile labonakaZindaba sebeze benyenyeza, bahleke besithi abafana bengambona njani uSilobile yena etshona elusiwe. Wamkhumbula uKhokho esithi kuBantwini engayi eMbijana. Wakhumbula njalo ukuthi wamuzwa uKhokho esithi lodadewenu angayi. Wamuzwa uKhokho esithi, “Ububi sebungenile eMbijana. Bangena kancinyane; bamemetheka baze bagcwala iMbijana; baxotsha ubuhle.”
Wakhumbula futhi uSilobile uKhokho ebatshela esithi ububi kabuholobi njengomfula ogcweleyo. Wakhumbula ukuthi uKhokho wathi ububi buyanyenya; bungene buze bugcwale emithanjeni yomuntu. Bungazinza abe usefile umuntu, kwazalwa ububululu. Wambona uKhokho, uSilobile ecimeza, wamuzwa esecina esithi nxa belaye umuntu abaphansi, udonsi lobubi luyamfuthela lungakangeni, abe usilile njalo. Wesaba uSilobile ukumzonda umnawakhe.
Ngakho wephulela inkuni endlebeni ukuze amazwi kaNgenzile atshaye ngaphandle.
Kwakuke kuthinte enhliziyweni kaSilobile abubone ububi abenzayo bokuhlamukela imuli yakwabo kodwa ehluleke ukubuyela emuva. Bunjalo ububi nxa sebumnqobile umuntu. Laye uSilobile wayesengenwe yibubululu bukaNgenzile.
