Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA

Akulalutho oluduma njengokudla okungelatshwayi, ukudla okungelasawudo. Wu-u-u, akudleki, akunambitheki! Kudaladala amatshe esancwebeka, emzini kaFudu lalingasekho isawudo. Laseliphele du-du-du! Unkosikazi kaFudu wathi,
               “Hmm, Baba, kungcono uzame amacebo. Ukudla akusemnandi ngitsho!”
              “Kungcono ngiyecela komnewethu, ngemva koqaqa lolu.”
              “Hamba sibili Baba,” ekhuthaza unkosikazi kaFudu.
UFudu waphuma wabalenhlanhla wafica bekhona koFudu omdala. Wayeseginqile esesula izithukuthuku.
               “Litshisa bhe ilanga!”
               “Liyavutha. Yikho sihlezi emthunzini,” esitsho uFudu omdala.
Wayibika indaba yakhe uFudu, umnewabo wathi, “Ulenhlanhla nanku kulomgodlana wesawudo ebesingakawuvuli. Muphe nkosikazi!”
              “Awu, langisiza bakithi. Ukudla besekuduma kungasadleki!”
              “Kodwa Fudu, uzalithwala njani isawudo leli?”
              “Nxa lilentambo, ngicela libophe umgodlana lo ngentambo beselibophela njalo entanyeni yami ukuze ngidonse intambo ngentamo.”
            Lakanye benzenjalo waphuma-ke enanayila edonsa umgodla wesawudo etshaya umlozwi ngokuthaba. Mhlalokho babezakudla ukudla okunambithekayo ngekhaya. Uyananayila udonsa umgodlana wakhe uFudu, nango ebonwa nguMbankwa. Umbankwa wayelokhu ephathekile egola izibungu, wasehawukela umgodla kaFudu. Nango entantalaza wafika wathi kho, phezu komgodla lowo. UFudu wezwa ukuthi sokukhona okungayisikho. Umgodla wawungasadonseki. Wasenyemukula emuva.
               “Hawu, wena Mbankwa! Wenzani? Suka phezu komgodla wami wesawudo!”
               “Awusiwo wakho. Ngowami,” esitsho ngenkani uMbankwa. “Ngiwufice endleleni ngazidobhela.”
               “Uyabheda wena. Umgodla ngowami. Awuboni nje ngiwubophele entanyeni yami” lapho wayesemi ngenyawo uFudu.
Baphikisana, baphikisana uFudu esithi umgodla wesawudo ngowakhe, lombankwa esithi ngowakhe uzidobhele endleleni. UMbankwa wasesithi kungcono indaba iyelanyulwa ngabadala benkundla. Wayekwazi ukuthi kugcwele izihlobo zakhe enkundleni. Lakanye bahle baqonda enkundleni ukuthi abadala balalele indaba balamule. UFudu wabika kuqala elandisa indaba. Wathi,
               “Khangelani lentambo ebengidonsa ngayo ilokhu isentanyeni yami.” 
UMbankwa weqela indaba wathi,
              “Nkundla ehloniphekayo, angikuvumi okutshiwo nguFudu. Umgodla ngiwuthole endleleni ngazidobhela. Phela konke okufunyanwa endleleni kuba ngokwalowo okutholileyo.”
               Abadala bayixoxa indaba kabanzi. Kodwa abanengi babeyizihlobo zika Mbankwa. Ngakho bahle bagweba indaba yaba ngesiza uMbankwa besenzela ukuthi khona ezabachathekela labo isawudo. Loba babelibona iqiniso bathi,
              “Okungcono yikuthi umgodla lo uqunywe phakathi, uFudu athathe ingxenye, loMbankwa athathe ingxenye.” Umbankwa wathaba wafa, wathatha ingxenye enkulu yomgodla. UFudu wadana kakhulukazi. UMbankwa wabelana lezihlobo zakhe eyakhe ingxenye yesawudo. UFudu wabuyela emzini wakhe ebunile. Isawudo lahamba lichitheka ngoba umgodla udatshuliwe, lafika sekuluhetshezana. Bonke abemuli kaFudu bezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu ngendaba engaphathwangwa kuhle emthethweni. UFudu wayekhathele kakhulu, wathatha insuku ephumula. Waba lethuba elihle lokukhanda indlela ayezaphindisela ngayo okubi okwakwenziwe nguMbankwa.
                Kuthe kwelinye ilanga uFudu waphuma waqonda koMbankwa. Kafikanga emzini kaMbankwa. Wacathama eduze nje. Wasebona  uMbankwa ephuma esiyazingela izibungu. Amavimbandlebe ayephuma esidulini eduze lendlela. Wagola wadla uMbankwa isisu saze saba bomvu. Uthe esesuthi wazichaya endleleni ukuthi ukudla kekwehle. Kamuzwanga uFudu enyenya esondela. Waphonguzwa sekulento emhlezi emhlane. Yayiphosa ukumpantshaza into leyo. Wasebona kunguFudu.
                “Hawu, kanti wenzani wena Fudu? Awuboni ukuthi uyangilimaza?”
                UFudu wabe esithi, “Ake ubone into yami esengizidobhele yona!”
               “Uyahlanya Fudu. Umzimba wami lomsila wami kungaba ngokwakho njani? Uyabheda wena! Suka phezu kwami!”
               “Ngcingci kaNdoyi. Ngizidobhele, ungangibangeli umsindo. Lawe wazidobhela umgodla wesawudo kuleya iviki.”
               Wakubona uMbankwa ukuthi usenkingeni. Wagomela ezama ukuphuma ngaphansi kukaFudu, Watshukuza, wasadalala, uFudu kho phezu kwakhe. Wasencenga esithi,
              “Fudu ngicela siye ebadaleni bayelamula indaba le.”
             “Kulungile,” uFudu esitsho egagadlele umsila kaMbankwa.
Enkundleni yabadala uMbankwa wayiphanyeka indaba. UFudu wangenela esithi, “Umthetho uthi, ‘Konke okufunyanwa endleleni kuba ngokwalowo okutholileyo. Omunye wabadala wasesithi, “Nxa sigweba kuhle, kumele siphe isigwebo esifanayo lalesiyana esesawudo.” Abanye abadala labo bakuvumela lokho. UFudu laye wathaba kakhulu. Wahle wadinga ingqamu ukuba uMbankwa aqunywe phakathi. UMbankwa wayevele esegedezela ngokuqhuqha. Umsila wakhe uFudu wayewubophele. Weqayeqa uMbankwa ezama ukuphunyuka. Ufudu wathi kahle ngikuqume, ingqamu yasika umsila. UMbankwa wathi nyawo ngibeletha. UFudu wasala ebambe umsila indoda yakoMbankwa isibalekile. Yacatsha okwensuku ezinengi eyiMbankwa. UFudu wasuthiseka ukuthi uyifundise isifundo indoda yakoMbankwa.

               Ulenhlanhla uMbankwa ngoba angaze abe sengozini umsila uthi juqu, uyamila ukhule futhi lobanje ungaze waba muhle njengowakuqala.
                Mmmh, bangane, bokhekhe, kumele singabi ngamaqili afuna ukuthathela abanye izinto zabo. Njalo, ukuphindisela kubuhlungu kabi. Bokhekhe, asithandaneni, sisizane. 
Yimi olithandayo, uGogo Barbara Nkala.