Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…


Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA

 

Kudaladala, amatshe esancwebeka, uFudu wayelejazi elihle,
elibutshelezi elalisembesa umzimba wakhe wonke. Lalimvikela nxa
ilanga litshisa, limvikela nxa izulu lisina kakhulu, njalo limvikela nxa
kuqanda kakhulu. Kodwa okukhulu lalimvikela kuzitha zakhe.

Wayethi angabona isitha ahle athi ntshobe phakathi kwejazi lakhe
eliqinileyo. Wayegubuzela konke inyawo lekhanda kuthi catshiyani
phakathi kusale nje kungani yimbokodo yokuchola. Nxa angabona
sengani isitha sesidlule, ananabule intamo akhuphe ikhanjana lakhe,
athalaze ngapha langapha ukubona ukuba akulalutho olubi. Abe-ke
esekhupha lezinyawo ananayile aye lapho afuna ukuya khona.

Kwathi kwelinye ilanga ezidlela utshani obumnandi
lamahlamvu, wabona inyoni ziphapha khatshana le. Wazikhangela,
wazibuka, wazihawukela. Wafisa ukuba ngabe laye uyaphapha
ayehlala phezu kwesihlahla akholise ukumofuza amahlamvu amahle
amnandi. Wayeselokhu eselula umqala ezibuka ziphapha ziyele lale.
Enye inyoni yaphapha yathi, phrrrr, phrrrr! Yathi hlaliyani ogatsheni
lwesihlahla uFudu ayequthe ngaphansi kwaso.

UFudu wazizwa
esesithi,
“WeNyoni enhle, mngane, sabona!”

Wathalaza uNyoni wathi, “Hawu, yebo Fudu! Bengingakuboni.”

“Nyoni mngane, ngilesicelo!”

“Yebo Fudu. Uthini?”

“Bengilibukele lomzawakho liphapha lisiyale, lale.”

“Yebo, siyakholisa. Sibonga uMdali owasipha impiko
zokuphapha.”

“Liyathaba kakhulu Nyoni. Lami ngiyafisa ukuphapha.”
“Wo-o! Ngizakhuluma labafowethu sibone ukuba singakunceda
ngani njalo njani.”

“Ngingakubonga kakhulu mngane wami,” uFudu esitsho
ezincengela, esexhakale izandla zakhe zombili engani uyakhuleka.
Njalo wayeseguqe ngedolo elilodwa ukubonisa ukubonga kwakhe.

“Ngizabuya sengikwazisa ukuthi izihlobo zami zithini ngesicelo
sakho.”

Wasuka waphapha unyoni wasobela ngale kwezihlahla ezinde.
UFudu wasala elokho elule umqala esethabile kakhulu ukuthi izinyoni zizamsiza. Inhliziyo yakhe yayisimanzi ngokuthaba, waze
waphumisela wathi,

“Ngcingci kaNdoyi! Ngcingci kaNdoyi!”

Kungela mizuzu emingaki, wabe esethelekile njalo uNyoni.
UFudu wahlekela ngaphakathi ebona ukuba sekuseduze ukuba
aphaphe.

“Bathini abafowenu Nyoni?”
“Bathe bangakucuthela sibili insiba zabo, bazinamathisele
kuwe.”

“Aah, ngiyabonga mngane wami,” uFudu sekungazani angaze
amgone amange athi mncwa, mncwa, mncwa!

“Hayi-bo, mana Fudu,” emfuqela khatshana. Wamangala uFudu
wathi khwmilili. “Angikaqedi!”

“Angithi uthi bangangisiza ngempiko ukuze lami ngiphaphe?”
“Yebo, batshonjalo. Kodwa uMalume uthe lobo bungaba
yibuthutha.”

“Njani Nyoni mngane wami?” uFudu esehlobile.
“Ngoba insiba besizazinamathisela ngengcino. Pho-ke,
uMalume uthi njengobana ilanga livutha bhe kulezi insuku, ingcino
izaphanga incibilike. Manje ingancibilika ingcino, uzakuwa ulimale.”

“O, bakithi!” uFudu esitsho esedanile esebambe isihlathi.
“Ungadani mngane wami Fudu” esitsho emduduza uNyoni.
Sizadinga elinye icebo.

UNyoni wathi dluku, dluku ikhanda lakhe engani uthintitha
ubutata. Wasesithi, “Uyazi mngane, ngilelinye icebo lapha.”

“Yebo mngane wami Nyoni! Ake ulitsho. Ngilalele!”

“Uyabona, nxa ufuna ukuphapha …”

“Ngiyafuna! Ngiyafuna mngane wami Nyoni!”

“Yebo, mana phela ngikuchazele Fudu. Nxa ufuna ukuphapha
lathi ukholise, kuzamele siphaphe lawe sibabili.”

“Ngilalele mngane.”

“Kuzamele sikuthwale ngesigojwana.”

“Njani Nyoni?”

“Thina sizabamba isigojwana ngapha langapha ngezinyawo
zethu. Wena uzaluma isigodo ngamazinyo usigagadlele ngomlomo.”

“Ya-a-a, ngiyakuzwa Nyoni.”

“Kulomlayo ozafanela uwulandele ngonanzelelo Fudu.”

“Yebo Nyoni.”

“Kuzamela ugagadlele isigojwana, ungaqali ukuwuvula
umlomo.”

“Ngizakwenza njalo mngane wami Nyoni.”
“Ungavele uphambanise uvule umlomo ukhuluma, nguwe
nguwe!”

“Hatshi, angisoze ngiqale mngane. Ngiyabe ngiyisithutha
sangaphi.”

“Kulungile, siyeza kusasa sizokuthata. Sizaphapha lawe emini
yekuseni.”

Wabonga wagomela uFudu, esethabe emanzi te. Wehluleka
lokulala ecabanga ngokuthi uzakholisa njani esephapha labonyoni.
Lokudla kwekuseni kakudlanga uFudu ngenxa yokuthaba. Wathaba
sengani uya ezulwini. Kwathi kuqala imini enkulu ngama 11 ekuseni,
wabona nampa onyoni ababili bephapha bethwele isigojwana bafika
bahlala duze laye.

“Sesifikile Fudu!”

“Yah, ngiyabonga kakhulu bangane bami. Kakhulu.”

“Abangane bavele bayasizana Fudu. Sondela ulume ugojwana
lolu ngamazinyo ulubambe uqinise.”

Wasondela ufudu waluthi nka, wagagadlela ngomlomo.
“Ukhumbule ukuthi ngitheni izolo Fudu. Ungaqali ukuvula
umlomo size siphenduke sikubeke phansi.”

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Wavuma ngesandla uFudu. Masinyane, inyoni zozimbili zasuka,
zabhula amaphiko, nanzo ziqonga laye uFudu yena egagadlele
isigojwana. Nampo, nampo! Phezulu! Phezulu! Kwaba mnandi
ephezulu emoyeni uFudu. Kwathi ahlabele ingoma yakhe ayithanda
kakhulu nxa ethabile. Kwathi katshaye umlozwi. Wabuye
wakhumbula ukuthi uNyoni umlaye wathini. Wagiya ngenhliziyo.
Nampo bephapha ebukela imihlambi yenkomo zisiya natha amanzi
echibini. Nampo bephapha phezu kwezihlahla, wabona onkawu
betshopoka belenga emagatsheni ezihlahla. Baphapha phezu komfula
wabona amanzi ecwazimula ecwebezela ngenxa yelanga. Wakholisa
uFudu ebethwa ngumoya omnandi. Bathe bephapha phezu kwedwala
elikhulu wabona uXamu ezichaye elangeni. Wabona sengathi uXamu
kamboni. Wafisa ukuthi amkhangele ahawukele uXamu. Wasevula
umlomo esithi,

Xamu, gwabigwabi!”

Mamo! Nango ephunyukwa yisigojwana lesiyana. Nango esiwa.

Nango, gengu! Qethu! Mlomo phansi? Phezulu! Wazisola ukuthi
kanti ubevele esengenwe yini yena elaywe kuhle.

Wi-i-i-i-i-i! esiwa.

Wawuhlaba wawulawula umkhosi. Nango ebona idwalakazi sengathi
lihlangabezana laye ngokuphangisa. Takla phezu kwedwala. Hlephu,
hlephu, hlephu! Ladabuka ijazi lakhe lisiba yizicucu
zengebhezi.Wagomela esithi,

“Ih-ih-h-! Mayibabo! Ngafa mina!”

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Onyoni bakubona ukuthi umngane seyenze iphutha
waphunyuka. Baphapha bemlandela esiwa kodwa behluleka
ukumgama. Bafika bancedisa ukudobha incezu ezasezihlakazekile
indawana yonke. Bayacela ebantwini eduzane lapho ingcino
engabamba incezu zejazi likafudu. Bathatha ilanga lonke
benamathisela lezoncezu bemduduza umngane wabo. Wahlala insuku
uFudu engayi ndawo ngoba ephola amanxeba.

Kusukela lapho ijazi likaFudu labamaxoloxolo. Baphela bonke
ubutshelezi. Wazimisela ukuba angahawukeli okwenziwa ngabanye
futhi, kodwa akholise khonalokho uMdali amuphe khona, njalo
avakatshe abhode ngezinyawo zakhe aziphiwa nguMdali.

Bokhekhe, bangane, lingaqali ukuhawukela okwabanye, njalo
lilandele imilayo eliyiphiwayo ukuze lingalimali.

Sizahlangana ngesikhathi esizayo BoKhekhe!

Yimi olithandayo, uGogo Barbara Nkala.