uMthunywa
kuloba uPathisa Nyathi
Ikhanda lakhe laseliphambene engasazi lokuthi enzeni. Ahambe kumbe angahambi. Yanda imibuzo yakhandana ekhanda lakhe uXabanisa akaze azi ukuthi aphephelephi. Uvuke isanda kuphuma inkwenkwezi wazalinda ibhasi esilindweni lesi abasithi kuseSibungwini. Babengazi abanengi ukuthi lesi isilindo sethiwa leligama kwenzenjani.
Phela amabizo ethu lawezindawo aqukethe imbali lezehlakalo. Ayakhuluma. Akusasizanga kuXabanisa ngoba isisusa kazange asidinge. Uzasidingelani umfokaMbizo ingqondo yakhe ingasekho lapha?
Kuyaqanda lapha kuqaqambisa amathambo kujiyise umnkantsho osethanjeni. Umoya ovelela ngempumalanga utshaya umlozwi nxa uvuthela amahlamvu ezinga, ugagu lomsehla. Ungazake uthi lo ngumculo ohlabusayo ezindlebeni ngoba lezondlebe sezibanjwe zoma qha ngumqando kaNhlangula. Kubekulula ukuthi sibeyiso isikhathi sokuklekla izindlebe ezinjengezikaXabanisa. Umqando uthundubeza izindlebe ukuze lensingo nxa isizithwebuza zingaze zabuzwa ubuhlungu. Lesiqhazo sogaba lwebele kasisezwakali nxa sihlonywa esikhaleni leso.
Lamhla akusenjalo. Kabasaklekli abantu sebeyizacuthe. Amasiko asamuka lomoya ofana lawonalo ohininiza eSibungwini. Yona intsha yalamhla elingana loXabanisa angithi isisephulela iziqu endlebeni igcike izintwana ezikhafulela imisinjwana ezindlebeni. Kabasezwa laba. Kabasagobeki laba. UXabanisa uzemelela ibhasi uPelandaba eqonda khona koBulawayo isuka eSankonjana. Amakhaya asebaluma abantwana balamuhla. Inengi labo selachapha uNgulukudela liyofuna impilo engcono khona eGoli leyo eyodumo. Abanye bahle bahlafunwe yizo ingwenya eziqakeza izandla nxa zibona ingimba iwela amazibuko.
Kwabanelisileyo ukucapha inkubu lazo ziyabobotheka nxa zibona imilalazi lapho ezizalolela khona ingavula zamazinyo eziphambeneyo. Ingcosana elonyanya ethe yaphumelela yayafinyelela eGoli leyo iphila impilo elumelayo.
Labo ngabahlala emikhukhwini beminyene njengamacimbi agolelwe odengezini. Lindawo iba yisivande semigulukudu lapho ezingela khona. Izikhwama ziyakhuthuzwa, kodwa bazakuthini laba abasakhulayo nanku imisebenzi kayibonakali kwelakibo. Ifa iqhatsha.
Ngale ngekhaya wavuka uSigadula Khumalo uyise kaXabanisa okwakulisongwana lakhe elilodwa aliphiwa nguMaThebe oweMncwazini, indawo esentshonalanga kweSibungwini. Akusazange kubelomunye futhi umntwana.
Ithemba likaKhumalo lonke laseliphelele kuye uXabanisa. Zazanywa izinyanga ukuthi kumbe bangazuza esinye isilibaziso kodwa kwalanduleka. Pho uKhumalo owaseSibungwini sewaduvaza. Usemxhiliba ngakhona ngoba iminyaka seyadudulana ilokhu itshovana imtshiya yena elokhu esawadla lapha kwelakoMhlaba.
Yayingamhambi kuhle indaba yokuthi afulathelwe lisongwana lakhe. Abeyini kuwolo umhlaba engasatshiyanga ibala lakhe? Wayibona ingwenya igxavuza umntanakhe, wayibona inkubu ithunga umntanakhe ngengavula lwamtshaya lwameqa. Waze wayibona inhliziyo yakhe isitshaya ngamandla esifubeni. Wakhefuzela andubana awise iphika kabanzi okwaze kwabonwa nguMaThebe ukuthi kukhona okuhlupha umkakhe. Akusathathanga isikhathi esiyangaphi.
UMaThebe wacina esesazi ukuthi uXabanisa usenye amahlabathi engazange aze alokothe lokubavalelisa. Wazindla izibindi ecabanga aze aphelelwe lapho edingisisa ukuthi angabe ewabhekisephi umntanabo.
Ngale eSibungwini uXabanisa ulokhu ethiye indlebe ukuthi ezwe iloba kolomdumo awuzwayo. Wezwa umdumo womoya usika amahlambu. Wayibamba indlebe yakhe ngesandla sakhe ukuze iqaphe njengeyebhalabhala ethi mhlawumbe angezwa ngcono. Lutho. Umqando wasulokhu usiba lamandla. Wayethe ephuma exhibeni lakhe wabheka isibhakabhaka kwathi empumalanga wabona inkwenkwezi isiphumile.
Dukuduku wayibona indonsakusa wahle wazi ukuthi sekuzakusa. Lamaqhude ayevele ekade eqale ukubika ukuthi ilanga selisendleleni. Umnyama okhasayo wase uzaphelelwa ngumphako. Pho kasibugwala bawo umnyama nxa ilanga lisondela lizemba lithwele induku lesagila. Khathesi sekuqala ukukhanya izimpondo zezinkomo ezileleyo.
Indlebe zasezithiye zaze zadela. Khonokho nje wezwa umdumo ohwabhayo uqansa umqanso phetsheya komfula uKami. “Le yiyo nta uMqwayobomvu, uMagudukubhema,” watsho emamatheka uXabanisa amehlo esethiye kungathi ngawesikhukhukazi esibikelwe liqhude ukuthi kulohelwane ohahabela amatshiyane esikhukhukazi ntandokazi. Kanti kawubuzanga elangeni Ntungwa lakoSoKhumalo. Kwacitsha umdumo lo ayethi ngowebhasi, kwaze kwacitsha laloya ayewuzwa lapho umoya uqabujana lamahlamvu ezihlahla zalapha eSibungwini.
Wawuzwa umsindo umemetheka waqala uXabanisa ukuthwala amehlo. Wayekade eyizwa ibhasi uPelandaba nxa isiqansa umqanso, kodwa lokhu okwalamhla hatshi sekungokunye nje. Amehlo ayesewathwele ehlela phansi azagxila eceleni kogagu okwakulomhome ongathi linxeba lemvukuzane.
Khathesi wayengasakhangelelanga ukubona ibhasi. Umhome lowana, ithara ayethi kulapho okuzathutsha khona ibhasi kanye logagu wakubona sekulumbene kwafana lenkalakatha yengwenya ekhamise umlomokazi wayo imhahabela sengathi ivele ilamaviki ingadli.
Wathi ngalo yephuka uXabanisa waxabanisa amazwane akhe lenhlabathi, wawaxabanisa lotshani waze wawaxabanisa leziphunzi. Wazi ngaphi okaMathonsabanzi? Wazi exhibeni lakhe ngekhaya. Wantantalaza wantininiza esizwa sengathi kulelizwi elimnqolongayo, limbizela eduze. Walalela elokhu empampa engasathalazi lemuva.
Walizwa ilizwi liklasa, licaca. Lalingelikayise. “Ungitshiyelani mntanami! Phenduka thusana lami. Woza ndabulangcubula yentombi yami.”
Kazange azi uXabanisa ukuthi wangena njani exhibeni lakhe ngoba loyise owayelokhu ejamile ekhangele eSibungwini waphosa wedlula laye. Limqotho elithi elomzali kaliweli phansi. Wahlala phansi uXabanisa akaze futhi alokotha loba nini ukuya eGoli.
