adminkuloba uPathisa Nyathi
KHATHESI wayesekhefuzela okomuntu obekade ehamba ngesiqubu. Ebunzini kwasekuthonta amanzi, kuthi amanye esengamazolo empondozankomo ngenyanga kaZibandlela. Wayeke ame awise iphika lawe uzizwele ukuthi le yindoda esikhathele. Wayezibuza, “Kambe sengingafela khona lapha. Bazakwazi yini, futhi njani ukuthi ngibulewe yini?” Kodwa phela wayesezathutsha lapha ayehlose ukuyafika khona.
Wake wakhothama kancane wabamba amadolo umlomo sekulubhalu lwenhlanzi. Ngesandla sokudla wayesesula ubuso bakhe acine esetsaka amathe. Belo lawo ayesomile kambe umlomo uzathanjiswa yini umuntu eseginqe tshitshi? Walikhangela walibona, walibuka kwangathi lokhu kumupha umdladla lomfutho wokuqhubekela phambili.
Lapha athe khwimilili khona kulenkalakatha yekwazakwaza. Ukhangela amaphepha alo alokhu ephephezela emoyeni aze afise ukuthi lakuye ngabe impilo yename okufanayo. “Kayitshe!” Wakhwaza sengathi usephenduke izinkabi ezidonsa ijogwe kuthi yena wabangumtshayeli wazo. Inhliziyo ebikade isibhulana lamaphaphu isike yathi hemu yasixolela isifuba sakhe. Phela engakemi akhokhe umoya ububona iyembe yakhe iphakama iphinde ilale ngokuphazima kweso.
Kanti ingqongo isiseduze nje. Waluma owangaphansi walikhangela ilitshe leli eliphambidlana kwakhe. Kulapho aya khona. Ngale kwalo ilitshe leli lilobhalu olukhamisileyo sengathi liqhugwana. Ngapha ungathi yizibunu kanti ngale lubhalu olutshonayo futhi oluqanda mo. “Ngizaqhula ngilubambe noma kanjani,” atsho ethi khinsi ewatheni lapho okulelitshe leli.
Wathi bhode sekungathi ubefutha ngomdlungudlungu wamafusi. Izithukuthuku sezithonta esilevini esilendevana sengathi ngezempongo yakoFelakhona. UNdevuzempongo uyathatha ukubuka imvelo adinge ukuyizwisisa lokuthi umuntu uthintana layo njani. Lamhla ulapha elitsheni leli elilentunja ezimbili.
Abanye lintaba bayithi nguNtunjambili besitsho ngalo ilitshe leli. Uqanda mo umthunzi welitshe. Eceleni kukhona izihlahlana ezithiwa ngumthunzi wentaba. Lukhona lalo uswenyane abanye abalusebenzisa ekuthungeni ingcebethu.
Imibankwa eluhlaza lelithanga ilokhu intantalaza izama ukuzidlisa satshanyana. Aluba umlomo wakhe ubulokhu ulubhalu ibizakuthi gulukudu itshaye isithongwana, bona kanye obukaBhuka. Pho isifu sesithancile lanxa nje singagandanga lutho. Usehlezi wanaba kuwo uMfokaSilevu.
Kodwa umqokolo wamehlo akhe abomvu klebhu sengathi ngawekhwezi yiwo aletha ukukhanya ebhalwini lolu olulomthunzi omnandi akwamagama. Khathesi usetshaye amangqetshane wakhangela uphahla lwalolubhalu.
Kulokungamaxodlwana okulithanga lokuluhlaza. Uyakujonkoloza azibuze ukuthi kanti kuvele kudlani khona lapha ngoba izulu kalifinyeleli. Futhi akulampande, sengitsho lawo amahlamvu aluhlaza akulawo. Imvelo ilezimanga, kasiyizwisisi, uyazibuza aphinde aziphendule uNdevuzempongo.
Umqanjwana olapha uphikisana lelanga eliphandele elibhadla likhuphe umkhovu etsheni. Kodwa phela lapha akaboni ukuthi ngumntakabani ongaqansa ezefika lapha ukuze athukuze umkhovu wakhe. Lawo usungafa ngephango umniniwo esehluleka ukuzafinyelela laphe ethwele esingelayolo.
Khathesi usephumule. Utshitshiliza izandla zakhe aze angathi uzakuthi “Ngqayingqayi!” Ingqondo yakhe isipholile.
Amehlo akhe asecandulwe. Usengakhangelisisa imvelo le azibuze aziphendule. Kanti khona lapha angaphendulwa ngubani nanku laboSibagobe angebagobe ukuze bamuphe impendulo. Lamagigo agigiza ayele lale angaze anaka ngaye. Uyalubona ukhozi olumnyama oludla abantwana bembila. Uyazi lokuthi lungeke lwanakana ukuthi ungumntanembila. Kambe indoda engaka onganakana ukuthi lizimu eliduna.
Uyayizwa imbila emnyama ilokhu itshaya imvokloklo enzikini yamatshe. Lemhlophe uke wayizwa itshela ezinye imbila ngokhozo lolu oselundize kalwaze lwadobha. Luphume ekaMabuyaze. Uyawuzwa umlozwi okhulayo aze ezwe lomnuko wempolompolo.
Abahlala eduzane lemvelo bayayazi. Bayazi futhi lokuthi lokhu okutshaya umlozwi kukhale sandlegu kuphinde kudale umnuko obamba nki sengathi kukhona odle indlubu oselokhu eyekethisa. Ulazi kuhle iginyambila lezenzo kunye lemigqa yalo. Inkulu futhi imnandi imbila. Iginyambila lidinga inyama yayo imbila.
Lokhozi olumnyama khaca lolu olulokhu lundiza luze lutshekele eceleni luthi kumbe lungalala ngesibomvu. Pho imbila sezavula amehlo zahlakanipha. Yiyo imvelo ayilande lapha ukuzayithapha. Lokhu bekuyisikhululamabhatshi nje. Uthini-ke umfokaSilevu?
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