Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

Inganekwane yethu yalamhla bangane bakaGogo imayelana loBuhlaluse Benkosi loMbulumakhasane. UBuhlaluse Benkosi wayeyinkosazana, indodakazi yenkosi. Wayemuhle kakhulu, njalo ethandeka kakhulu ebazalini bakhe. Wayehlala egqoke impahla ezinhle ezebukhosini. Njalo wayehlala egqize entanyeni, lekhalweni lwakhe, lezingalweni ubuhlalu bemibalabala eminengi. Obunye babubomvu, obunye bumhlophe, obunye buluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, obunye buluhlaza okotshani ehlobo, obunye njalo bulithanga, obunye buyibubende. Liyabazi ubuhlalu bangane? Ubuhlalu ngokungamangqongqo okuncane kakhulu okwenziwa kube ngumceco. Abazali bakhe babefisa endele kwenye inkosana ezalwa yinkosi kodwa ihlala khatshana kakhulu.

Safika isikhathi sokuthi uBuhlaluse ayekwenda. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo wonke. Unina wamlungisela izigqoko zakhe ezinhle wazipakitsha emxhakeni wakhe. Wafaka lamafutha lamakha anuka mnandi okumangalisayo. Wamgqizisa ubuhlalu obuhle kakhulu obunengi, entanyeni, okhalweni, engalweni, lenqagaleni. Wayezakuba ngumakoti omuhle kakhulu. Walungiselwa lomphako. Lwafika usuku lokuvalelisa ekhaya esesiya emendweni uBuhlaluse. Kwakuzathatha izinsuku ezintathu ukuyafika emendweni wakhe. Wavalelisa abazali bakhe ngezinyembezi, wasuka labaphelekezeli bakhe abathathu. Njengoba ummango wawumude, babehamba bephumula. Latshona elokuqala ilanga bacela ukulala komunye umuzi.  Elesibili lalo latshona belokhu besendleleni, bacelisa njalo komunye umuzi  owawungamuhle ungamawoba nje. Abanikazi basebathutha umuzi usungamanxiwa nje. Kodwa ukhona owayehlala kulawo maxhokovana.

Bafika bathi , “Ekuhle!” esangweni elalingasakhanyi. Lendlela eyayingena iguma yaseyavala lukhula. Bema phambi kokuliwoba okwakukhanya kungcono. UBuhlaluse Benkosi wathi,

“Ekuhle ngekhaya!”

“Yebo, fikani bemzhini!”

Kwaphuma isinanakazana esifana loxamu, kodwa sona singelamaxolo. Sasisikhulu singangomuntu, kodwa silekhanda elifana lelikaxamu, lomsila omude owawuhuba phansi.

“Shalibonani bantu bemzhini!”

Bavuma bonke bemangala ukuthi yinunu bani yonale. UBuhlaluse wabika ukuthi bacela indawo yokulala. Savumela phezulu isinanakazana lesi, singasawasusi amehlo aso kuBuhlaluse owayemuhle kakhulu.

“Ngubani ibizho lakho? Mina nginguMbuyumakhashana.”

“Mina nginguBuhlaluse Benkosi. Ngiya emendweni wami lapho engizakwendela enkosini. Wena uthe ungubani?”

“NginguMbuyumakhashane.”

UMbulumakhasane wahle wathi yena uzalala ndlunye loBuhlaluse. Zazimjabulisile izindaba zokuthi baya ekwendiseni, wahle wabumba icebo uMbulumakhasana. Abanye laba abaphelekezeli bangena kwelinye iwoba. UMbulumakhasane wahle wazidlela umphako kaBuhlaluse. UBuhlaluse wayeyintombi elomusa lozwelo. Kabanga lendaba ngoba ebona ukuthi isidalwa sikaNkulunkulu lesi sizilambele. Eqeda ukudla uMbulu wabe efuza emxhakeni kaBuhlaluse, wacela ukulinganisa ezinye izigqoko zika Buhlaluse. Njengomuntu olomusa wavuma. UMbulumakhasane wahle wakhupha amadende akhe walala egqoke impahla zikaBuhlaluse. Ekuseni wavuka eselolaka esithi uBuhlaluse kagqoke amadabudabu akhe. Wahle wamthathela lobuhlalu bakhe bonke obuhle wabugqiza yena. Wabethatha lelembu elihle okwakumele umakoti alembathe mhlalokho esefika emendweni, ukuzimboza. Phela umakoti wayezaze abonakale ubuso mhla betshada lenkosana, ngemva kwamaviki amabili.

UBuhlaluse wayathe ucela impahla zakhe, uMbulumakhasana wavuka ubunyamazana. Wathi kavale umlomo engakamlaxazi ngomsila wakhe. Wesaba uBuhlaluse wahle wathula. Wathatha amanikiniki kaMbulumakhasana wawagqoka. Bamangala abaphelekezeli sebebona uBuhlaluse Benkosi esevunule amanikiniki, uMbulu esenguye intombi eya emendweni. Wahle wabethusela bonke uMbulumakhasana ethembisa ukubakarabha ngomsila wakhe bangayekela ukwenza lokho akutshoyo. Besaba bonke. UMbulumakhasana wabatshela ukuthi yena nguye osengumakoti, uBuhlaluse sezakuba ngomunye wezisebenzi zakhe. Bangena indlela sebeqedisa uhambo lwabo. Sebebanga emzini wenkosi, uMbulumakhasana wahle wembatha ilembu elihle lokuzimboza. UMsila wawugoqa wafihlakala ngaphansi kwezigqoko.

Bamkelwa kuhle abemzini, bevele belindelwe. Baphiwa ixhiba labo, indlu yabo lapho ababezahlala khona kuze kube lilanga lomtshado. UBuhlaluse Benkosi labaphelekezeli bakhe yibo ababevuka bethanyela, besiyakukha amanzi, betheza inkuni, njalo bepheka. Inkosi yalapho yakhangwa yikukhuthala, lobuhle bukaBuhlaluse. Yayisicabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe laye uzahle nje endele lapho. Yayimkhangela ehamba ehlabela ingoma yakhe ethile. Inkosi yayifisa ukuzwa ukuthi uthini. Kwelinye ilanga yacatsha eduzane ledwala uBuhlaluse ayevame ukufika ahlale kulo. Yambona esiza. Yacatsha. Wayehlabela ingoma yakhe yansuku zonke. Yakhona isizwa ukuthi iyahawulisa leyongoma. Yayilamazwi athi:

Baba loMama lingaphi?

Yimin’ uBuhlaluse Benkosi

Ngaqilwa nguMbulumakhasane

Wangithathela izigqoko zami

Wangithathel’ umendo wami

Wangenz’  isigqili sakhe

Baba loMama lingaphi?

Wamangala kakhulu ngamazwi engoma uyise wenkosana. Wabopha ukuthi uzayilandelisisa leyondaba ethule. UBuhlaluse labaphelekezeli yibo ababebona uMbulumakhasane nxa entshintsha izigqoko. Bamangala lokuthi wayeselomzimba kungakapheli lensuku ezingaki.

Kodwa kwasuka kwaba lesiga nje emzini wenkosi. Kwabonakala ukuthi igula lamasi livuka liphungukile kakhulu. Kwaba lesimemezelo esithi amasi ayantshontshwa, ngubani lowo olobusela? UGogo walapho esigodlweni wavele wacabangela abantu bemzini laba ngoba bengakafiki amasi ayengantshontshwa. Lalingekho isela. Bonke babengakwazi ukuthi uMbulumakhasana wayewathanda kakhulu amasi. Wayewathungathe wawathola. Insuku zonke wayevuka ebusuku awampompele, ewahotsha ngomsila wakhe omude.

UGogo wesigodlweni senkosi wathi akumenyezelwe ukuba, ngelanga elilandelayo kungakabi lomtshado, wonke umuntu wayezakweqa igodi thile elalizagejwa egumeni. Kwakufakwe inkalakatha yembiza eyayilezankefu zamasi. UGogo wayeleqiniso ukuthi lowo ontshontsha amasi uzahle abonakale ngoba kwakungasoze kumvumele ukuthi eqe atshiye izankefu. Lakanye enziwa wonke amalungiselelo. Lagejwa igodi, kwafakwa kulo inkalakatha yembiza igcwele izankefu. UMbulu wayengafuni ukuthi aphume exhibeni lezintombi. Kodwa kwathiwa wonke umuntu kumele ayekweqa. Kwaqala abesigodlweni senkosi, bonke beqa kuhle. Kwalandela abaphelekezeli bakamakoti, bonke beqa kuhle. Kwasala uMbulumakhasane. Lafika elakhe ithuba. Wazama ukweqa. Kodwa umsila njengenjwayelo wahle wathi tshombulukiyani, ngeniyani embizeni yamasi uthaphuza. Habe, nansi imihlola. Kwahle kwaba lokumangala ukuthi ngumakoti bani lo. Amadoda eza lezigodo zokutshaya uMbulumakhasana. Waphuma egodini ebaleka elandelwa yizigodo lamatshe uMbulumakhasane. Indaba yokuqilwa kukaBuhlaluse benkosi yahle yavela. Kwalungiselwa umtshado omkhulu ngelanga elilandelayo. Ubuhlaluse Benkosi wacina engumakoti wenkosana, batshada, kwabakuhle.

Ah, bangane bakaGogo, lingaqali ukungena ezindaweni elingazaziyo likhulumisana labantu elingabaziyo abanjengoMbulumakhasana. Abanye bayingozi enkulu. Sima lapha lamhla. Sizaqhubeka kwelizayo. Yimi, olithanda kakhulukazi, uGogo Barbara Nkala.