INDODA ELIHAGA
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
Lamhla bangane bakaGogo inganekwane yethu imayelana lendoda eyayilihaga. Indoda le yayiligovu elibi, iyisihwaba. Ibizo layo lalinguGovu. UGovu wayelomfazi labantwana abathathu. Kwasuka kuleyo ndawo kwaba lendlala enkulu. Izulu kwasekuleminyaka emibili lingani ngemfanelo. Ngakho kwakungelalutho emasimini. Abantwana basebesidla inqweqwe zomlomo. UGovu wayephuma njengabanengi esithi uyadinga okungasiza abantwana, kodwa aphenduke elengise izandla, imilomo imhlophe nke. UmkaGovu nguye owayeke aphume ijumo aye kibo aphenduke lemputshana yokugoqoza ilambazi. Angachapha aye ngaphetsheya komfula wakibo omkhulu owawusulitshebetshebe lodwa, wayeke aphenduke ephiwe imifushwa yokuxhoxhoza, kunye lonkankalo lokupheka inopi.
Kwathi kwelinye ilanga uGovu esebhode wabhoda egangeni, wahlala phezu kwelitshe ephumula, wabona izinyoni ziphapha zisithi bhabhe phezu kwesihlahla esasibucwala. Wazibukela izinyoni lezo wazibona zilokhu zitshobotshobola esihlahleni. Wasukuma waya lapho wabona kulezithelo ezibomvana okulithanga, ayengazijwayelanga. Wamangala kakhulu. Wazitshela ukuthi okudliwa zinyoni zingafi, kutsho ukuthi lomuntu angakudla angafi. Ngakho wadonsa ugatsha, wakha izithelo, wajikela emlonyeni. Wezwa ha-a-a, ayisibumnandi. Zazinambitheka! Wakha, wanqontshela waze wasutha ntintinini. Wakha ezinye izithelo uGovu wagcwalisa izamba zakhe. Wahamba elokhu esidla, wathi ebanga esangweni lomuzi eseqede du, du, du lokho ayekufake ezambeni.
Uthe engena iguma uGovu wabopha ubusu ezihawulisa wafika wahlala embundwini wendlu.
“Litshona njani Baba?”
“Siyatshona Mama. Kuphela akulalutho engiluzuzileyo egangeni. Lonyaka sizacuba ngendlala.” Wahlala wabamba isihlathi.
Bayaxoxa nje unakabantwana wayephathekile ebonda isitshwala. Uthe ebeka imiganu phambi kukasekabantwana, wamangala eyisunduzela emuva esithi,
“Hatshi Mama. Phana abantwana. Mina ngizabopha ibhanti. Angingeke ngifelwe ngabantwana ngikhangele,” esitsho esehawula uGovu. Wasibekela imiganu unakabantwana. Wezwa esemthanda kakhulu usekabantwana ngokuthi ananze abantwabakhe kangaka. Yindoda qho. Kanti! Siphundu kawuboni! UGovu waphuma phandle esizwa isisu silokhu sigijima izinqola ngenxa yokusutha, lomoya lawo usufuqa ukuthi atshaye ibhu-u-u loba inkwi-i-i! Mhlalokho walala edubula amawola unkosikazi waze wamangala ukuthi kanti umuntu ofa ngendlala uyabe ewuthatha ngaphi umoya onjalo esiswini.
Ngelanga elilandelayo, usekabantwana waphuma njalo wangena iganga waya esihlahleni sakhe sayizolo. Wathi efika wahlabelela ngokuthaba wathi,
“Sihlahla sami, wesihlahla, ake ukhithize phela sibone!”
Kwangani siyezwa isihlahla. Izithelo zakhithika, zakhithika. Wabutha wabuthelela, wadla, wazitika isisu saze sathi ntintinini. Mhlalokho kazidubanga ngokugqiba ezambeni. Njengayizolo ngekhaya, wathi eqhutshelwa ilambazi lokubamba ithumbu wazihawulisa, wathi unakabantwana kungcono aphe abantwana. Wamangala kakhulu unakabantwana. Kodwa ebusuku usekabantwana walala edubula amawola avimbanisayo. Kwelilandelayo waphuma njalo, waphenduka esala ukudla, kodwa isisu saba ngumatuklelana endaweni yokuthi silambe. Kuthe ngelanga elilandelayo ephuma uGovu, uMama wasala wangena emzileni wakhe ehamba ecatsha efuna ukuyabona lapho ubaba wabantwana atshona khona. Wabona nanguyana esiya ngaphansi kwesihlahla efika esithi,
“Sihlahla sami, wesihlahla, ake ukhithize phela sibone!”
Habe, nanso isimanga! Nango uGovu ehlala phansi esidla. Waphelelwa ngamathe unakabantwana ekhumbula indlela uyise wabantwana ayefika ezihawulisa ngayo ngekhaya. Wasuka lapho watshitsha wabuyela ngekhaya unakabantwana. Wafika wanyenyezela umfana omdala lokho akubonileyo. Lakanye usekabantwana wafika wala ukudla ilambazi elingala latshukela esithi akuphiwe izingane. Ngelanga elilandelayo, unakabantwana wamcela ukuthi ayebathathela umgodlana wempuphu awuthenjiswa nguyise ngaphetsheya komfula. Wavuma, kodwa ekhonona ngoba kwakuzamphuzela ukuthi ayefika esihlahleni sakhe. Uthe nje ephuma uGovu, unakabantwana laye wabiza umfana wakhe omdala bathatha amasaka amahlanu bangena indlela eya esihlahleni sezithelo. Wafika uMama laye wathi,
“Sihlahla sami, wesihlahla, ake ukhithize phela sibone!”
Zakhithika izithelo. Babutha bagcwalisa amasaka amabili. Wahlabela njalo unakabantwana, ah sakhithiza isihlahla, babutha besabutha. Wahlabela njalo, sakhithiza isihlala saze sacina sesikhithiza okuluhlaza okungadlekiyo. Wahlabela sakhithiza isihlahla kwaze kacina kungasakhithiki lutho. Babutha bagcwalisa wonke amasaka. Bawathwala basisitheka lawo bayawafihla egangeni. Bathwala elilodwa isaka bafika badla labo izisu zaze zaba buhlungu. Uthe evela phetsheya usekabantwana, futhi eyiswele lempuphu leyo ayeyithunyiwe, wasuka etshitsha esiya egangeni lakhe. Unakabantwana lomfana wakhe balandela bacatsha ngemva kwesixuku, babukela. Njengenhlalayenza wahlabela ingoma yakhe,
“Sihlahla sami, wesihlahla, ake ukhithize phela sibone!” Akwaze kwaba lolutho olukhithikayo. Waphinda njalo. Nya-a-a! Pho, njengomunto owayekade evukele ngaphetsheya, lephango laselikhona. Wahlabela ilizwi selingelikhalayo,
“Sihlahla sami, wesihlahla, ake ukhithize phela sibone!” Qha!
Uthe engananzelele, kwabe kuthutsha umtshitshi wenyosi, zamntinyela, zamntinyela ebaleka waze wagiqika phansi, ehlaba umkhosi. Unakabantwana lomfana basuka bebaleka sebesesaba ukuntintinywa zinyosi. Kwamthatha isikhathi uGovu ukuyafika ekhaya evuvuke esesabeka, esebuhlungwini njalo efile yindlala. Wayengaphekelwanga lutho mhlalokho. uNakabantwana watshisisa amanzi ukuba amthobe usekabantwana. Wayesemzwela.
Awu, bangane bakaGogo, indaba yobugovu, ubuhaga lobo, yinto embi kakhulu. Sithemba usekabantwana wafunda isifundo esikhulu mhlalokho. Hmmm, linanzelele ukuba ngamahaga, amagovu. Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi esizayo. Yimi olithanda kakhulu, uGogo Barbara Nkala.
