uMthunywa
WALIKHANGELA walibhekisisa. Fuqu fuqu khusu; fuqu fuqu khusu. Leli kayisilo uTshakazamazolo. Lima kuze kukhudumale amazolo aphetshulwe lilanga anduba libheke phansi liqale uhambo oluzaliletha khona lapha ngemva kwezinyanga. Lenza njalo icimbi nxa selidle laze lawasutha amahlamvu ephane. Liyasazi isikhathi sakhona. Liyasizwa embilini walo. Lihle liqale ukufuquza lisehla libheke phansi. Likhanya liyazi lapha eliwabhekise khona. Phansi emhlabathini, fuqu fuqu khusu.
Liyiqonde nta enye indlu esendleleni ekhethiweyo. Lokutshenkeleza liyakwazi. Nanto lisiyafohla uthangwana lomuzi liqonda amaphane abhahileyo kule indawo. Laphuma emehlweni lengqondweni kaNcozana indoda esiduvazile lapha eMncwazini. Kwathi hemu laye waze wawisa iphika sengathi ngumuntu obekade egijima umango omude. Kwangathi ubuthuku obebusemehlweni akhe benyuke laleliya eselingene phansi njengomswenya.
Kanti ibike yabamba yaminya kwancipha indawo. Abalapho baphatha amaphaphu ngezandla bengazi ngakhona ukuthi iyozala nkomoni koMhlahlandlela. Phela zazindala zombili. “Lamhla sizake sibone lapho okuzawela khona induku loxakuxaku,” kwatsho enye indoda eligodla elamazinyo asakhalala imihlathi. Nansiya imota isiza ibhensile isuka eNyandeni. Ithwele inyama yengovu eyedabulambiza elinganonile liyadabuka. Abasemoteni sebeke bayidla inyama yalelidabulambiza. Isibindi sonke saphelela eziko. Wayesiklayile umfokaVezi wasesithi tshalatshala isawudo wasithi zho emalahleni asethe khehlelele.
Sacocomba sawakhafula amanzana esasilawo saqala ukoma kuhle. Zalandela izinso lazo wazikhupha ingubo yamafutha wasezidabula wazithela ngelimhlophe nke zawatshaya amangqetshane emalahleni. Eza amadilikelane lawo azakhapha izinso lesibindi. UNcozane wasikhangela isibindi wakhumbula insuku zezolo impundu isadliwa nguSothenjwase owayengasuki enqulwini zomninimuzi. Walukhangelisisa ubhedu wananzelela lokuthi lapha kabasakwazi lokulwehlukanisa lenye ingxenye yesibindi. Lokuthi ludliwa ngolamandla kodwa engalosanga kabasakwazi. Kubo konke yisibindi nje sidliwa yiloba ngubani engagqize qhakala.
Ubunengi benyama yakhwezwa emoteni yasibekelwa ngeseyili lwaqala uhambo lokuyakusa inyama koNakaSigqoloza khona eMncwazini. Omakhelwane bakaSibanyana owakoMdluli beza bebahlanu ukuzakhapha umakhelwane lapha eNandeni owayebhujelwe ngumkakhe. Wayisusa uNcedani laye engowakoMdluli engumfowabo kaSibanyana. Yawudla umango kwakhanya sengathi izihlahla ziyahamba, belo zisiya emuva lapho okwakuvela khona imota.
Ilanga laseliqala ukubekezela selibantubahle. Laselisiya ngomtsha wendoda isikhathi sokuthi amadoda eze emakhaya awo azekhulula imitsha abethwe ngumoya wentwasahlobo. Nango-ke uSibanyana engasawazi umango lendlela isimphica. Imota isihamba ike ithikaze ihambe nyovane kukhanya sibili ukuthi indlela isithungathwa.
Kulapho uSibanyana athi jiti emoteni wasekhokhela imota eyayisibanga koNakaSigqoloza. Dukuduku yathi fuqaqa khona koNakaSigqoloza abomuzi babonakala bethe wathalala eceleni kwendlwana eyicezwe licimbi selisiyangena phansi. Abantu laba bahlezi phezulu kwayo indlela yensumbe ehambe khona ifuquza isiyangena phansi.
Kwamangalisa uNcedani umfowabo kaSibanyana ukuthi kanti umuzi lo wabizwa ngoNakaSigqoloza umkakhe ekhanya ekhona kwenzenjani. Wazafunda emveni ukuthi ubaba walapha weqiwa ligula lodiwo. Inina lakwakhe likhwela phezulu kwenduku zakhe yena ankeme umlomo angaze azi lokuvusa ikhanda. Lasebenza ikhothamo lapha. Asazi kumbe ngumdlwane wenje kumbe ngokunye njalo. Amehlo abalapha ekhaya asethwelwe kukhanya bengabathithibeleyo. Wamangala uNcedani ngoba lolu lusuku olwaluvunyelwene. Ubaba walapha wayeyingxenye yaleso isinqumo. Kanti pho sekusale kwathini nanku laba abalo umuzi sebethi umngcwabo ukhona ngoMgqibelo, hatshi uLwesihlanu. Asazi-ke NakaSogqoloza iloba uMgqibelo uwuthandeleni waze wakhupha umkakho esinqunyweni samadoda amane.
Wadinga intshukuntshu uNakaSigqoloza wayifumana. “Uvele akanihloniphi umkhwenyana lo. Avele kakaze angibize mama ngingaka futhi ngamzalela itshatshazi lakhe eselitshonile. Unginqolonga angiqede ngelikaNakaSigqoloza. Lamhla akalibonanga ngitsho amaNtshali akithi. Ngiyamkhulula abone konke!” wantela wagqabhaza uNakaSigqoloza. “Uza egoqe imikhono uvele uyalwa, lamhla uhlangane lembila zithutha, uzabona impumalanga litshona. Ungizwa ngendumela kangazi.” Abantu basebemi amadlodlongwane amadlodlombiyane bengazi ukuthi oluphuphumayo olunje luvele lubanjwa njani. Lapha ekhaya sebemangele ukuthi kanti inyama yalethwa lamhla sekutheni nanku batshelwe ukuthi umngcwabo ukhona ngoMgqibelo. “Lebhatshi akaligqokanga lumkhwenyana, lamhla uzabona inkume isemnkenkeni wedwala ngifunga umnewethu owabulawa nguFezela.”
Pho loNcedani laye lwalungolunye ubhedane olwavuka umqholoha ongazange uze ubonwe kulesi isigaba. Ubaba ongasibaba usemangele ngokwenzakalayo. Usebukele nje kuphela. Yathunqa yabheda yaze yadediswa ngusobhuku owayelapho kwavunyelwana ukuthi umngcwabo usuzakubakhona kuvuka kusayo. Kwakhanya obala ukuthi icimbi leli elifuquze litshona belivele lihlola kanti belizakuyangena phansi litshona bekuvele kutheni?
