Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…


Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

Namhla bangane bakaGogo ngiliphathele inganekwane kaBunyonyo loNtethe. Kuthiwa laba babezwana kakhulu. Babehlala bedlala bonke ezokukhwenyeza lokweqayeqa, bayedinga izithelo lokudla okumnandi bebonke, bazitike izisu zibe bomvu. Basuke baye emthonjeni bayenatha amanzi babe sebevalelisana sebesiyalala. Kwakulomahluko owodwa phakathi kwabo. UBunyonyo kwakusibakhona izikhathi lapho ayengelaso isikhathi sokudlala, esithi kusamele ahlanganyele labanye koBunyonyo besenza umsebenzi. UNtethe yena esakhe isikhathi sasingesokukholisa kuphela, singekho esokwenza umsebenzi.

UNtethe wayethi angadla ukudla kwekuseni, nango ephuma. Wayevakatshela abanye abangane bakhe abanengi kakhulu. Wayehlala egaxe ikatali yakhe emahlombe akhe. Wayeligabazi elikhulu ekuhlabeleni lekugideni. Awukho bangane bakaGogo umgido ayengawazi uNtethe. Ungathi akugidele isitshikitsha sakudala esegqize amahlwayi, wawungazithola usuqakeza izandla uzama ukumlingisa. Lengquzu wayeyazi, ayitshaye aze akhombe eMpumalanga. Lapho okugidwa khona ipantsula, levotsho, igwaragwara, ihip-hop, letik-tok … ah, yonke imigido bazukulu, yini eliyaziyo, uNtethe wayeyintshantshu. Wawusizwa sebetshaya amakhwelo, abanye belilizela, abanye beklabalala ngokukholisa. Umzawakhe owayehamba emlandela emthwalela ikatali yakhe wawuzamuzwa esemhaya emtemeleza esithi,

“Yela! Yela! Aaah, uyayikhiya mfoka Ntethenkulu. Uyayikhiya my BFF … my Best Friend Forever! Halala! Ikhiye tshomi! Vele kakho ongakuncinta enkundleni.”

Athabe uNtethe esizwa lokho, ajayive kube luthuli.  Wayetsaba atshone phansi, anabuluke, atshaye ngonyawo olulodwa esebhensile, atsabe esiya  kwesokudla, athi thwitshi aye kwesenxelele! Wena-a-a! Nxa wawusiyakukha amanzi inkonxa yayikhohlakala usubukele. Alisuse idolo lesokudla litsabe lodwa kungani lizakuthi khwinxu lisuke kuye. Nxa wawungabe ukhanzinga isitshebo, sasingatsha qhu uthatheka ngemgido kaNtethe.  Angathi utshaya ikatali, kwakusukuma bonke abangane bakhe sebeyifakazela ijiti. Athabe afe athi nya-a-a. Bamkhunge ngotshwala lamawoso. Athi esesiyalala esekhathele eseyinkukhu. Wayevuka ekuseni esehlutshwa libhabhalazi. Abesebuyela njalo emgidweni ntambama abanye sebetshayisile emisebenzini yabo.

Ikanti ubunyonyo wayekwazi ukugaba isikhathi sakhe kuhle. Wayevuka ngesikhathi sokuvuka. Ageze adle ngesikhathi sokudla, asebenze ngesikhathi sokusebenza. Aphumule. Athole lesikhathi sokuyabukela imigido lokuhlabelela. Athole lesokudlala, lesokwelula umzimba. Ayelala ngesikhathi esifaneleyo.  Imuli yonke yakwabo koBunyonyo yayivele ikhuthele. Insuku zonke wawubathola beludwende bebekelela ngomzila omnyama besiyadinga ukudla. Ubone sebephenduka ngulowo ethwele loba ehudula okuthile okudliwayo. Emhomeni wabo koBunyonyo kwakubuthelelwa konke ukudla okuzuzakalayo kulungiselwa isikhathi somqando lebusika lapho kungasabonwa khona. UBunyonyo wake wathi kumngane wakhe uNtethe,

“Kanti mngane wami wena usebenza nini ngihlala ngikubona nje uthokozisa abanye?”

UNtethe wazonda wathi, “Hawu, Bunyonyo! Ulomhawu yini? Uduba ngokuthi wena uhlala ugobile ngomsebenzi labakini bonke. Impilo le kumele siyikholise. Howu!”

“Hatshi mngane wami, bengibuza nje. Bengingafisi ukukucaphula.”

Wabe esuka uNtethe esenengwa nguBunyonyo. Wafica sebemmelele enkundleni yomgido. Bamemeza besithi,

“Ntethe-Ntethe! Ntethe-Ntethe! Ntethe-Ntethe! Ntethe-Ntethe!”

Wabe eyisusa ikatali, wanikina ikhanda evumelana lengoma ayeyiqhunsa. Kwabayiso leso insuku zonke wakhohlwa lokuthi abathanda imigido yakhe bamuphe okwaneleyo okuzamsiza kwelakusasa. Amalanga ayehamba. Amaviki aqhuba. Izinyanga zatshovana. Safika isikhathi somqando, lomoya lemifefezo. Kwagodola. Kwatshaza ezingadini. Kwaqanda, iminwe lamazwane kwabanjwa. Ababethanda imigido babengasayi enkundleni yemigido sebetshona bezivalele, abanye bothe umlilo ezindlini zabo. Untethe wayebhode lapha lalaphaya, phinde abone umuntu. Indlala yathi woza sihambe ndoda. Wanquma labangane ehamba eqoqoda eminyango, phinde bamvulele. Waya koBunyonyo. Lakhona wafica kuvaliwe. Babengasaphumi abakoBunyonyo sebesidla abakusebenzelayo bekufaka eziphaleni zabo. Wahlala lapho emnyango ecabanga ukuthi uzababona bephuma, bamvulele. Nkwe! Umnqando wamngena enyameni lemathanjeni. Indoda yakoNtethe yoma qha khonalapho. Kuthe isikhathi somqando sesidlule abakoBunyonyo bathi bevula umnyango womhome wabo bathola, hawu, nanka amathambo kaNtethe emnyango wabo.

Hmm, bangane bakaGogo, ukuphila ngokukholisa umuntu angasebenzi nzima kuyabulala. Kuthelela ubuvila. Akuyifaki imbiza yokudla eziko. Phela ivila lidla ubuvila balo. Mina ngiyathaba kakhulu ngoba bonke abangane bakaGogo bakhuthele kakhulu. Lingaqali bangane bakaGogo ukuphika ngokudlala lingasebenzi. Liphutha elibi lelo. Sizahlangana njalo kuviki elizayo bangane. Yimi olithanda kakhulu, uGogo Barbara Nkala.