Lalela Inganekwane Lapha

Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO NKALA

Kudaladala amatshe esancwebeka, abantu babekhuluma lezinyamazana. UMajaha wathi eseqede imisebenzi yakhe yangekhaya wathi,
     “Kahle kengiyevakatshela abangane bami ngaphetsheya komfula.”
     Nango-ke ephuma echelesile etshaya umlozwi equma egangeni ngokuyindledlana okwakuzamfikisa masinyane. Wathi esedlula isithiyo esasenziwe ngezigodo, wezwa,
     “Majaha, mngane wami, akusondele ungivulele lapha ngiphume. Sengifile liphango lokoma.”
     KwakunguSilwane encenga ngelizwi elihawulisayo. UMajaha lalilijaha elilesihawu njalo elilomusa. Kodwa wayeke wezwa ngendumela ezimbi zikaSilwane. Ngakho wathi,
     “Ngiyafuna ukukusiza. Kodwa, bayakutsho wena ukuthi ulomoya omubi. Ngizakusiza lapha ucine usungidla.”
     “Hatshi mngane wami Majaha. Ngiyabe ngililema langaphi elingabongiyo?”
     “Mmh, Silwane? Uqinisile?”
     “Ngiqinisile sibili, mngane wami. Ake ungizwele. Sengiyatha ngendlala.”
     UMajaha waphambuka, wafika waphakamisa izigodo lezo ezazivale umjibila lowo owawuvalele uSilwane. Waphuma uSilwane welula imikhono le eyayisilenkantsho. Amathambo athi, qha-qha-qha!Wabe esithi,
     “Ya-a! Ngisake ngiyenatha amanzi ngicitshe umhawu.Ngizabuya sengikudla ngikuqhobe ngisuthe.” Wamangala uMajaha
wathuthumela wathi,
     “Hawu! Njani mngane? Angithi uthembisile ukuthi awusoze
ungidle?”
     “Uyinyama yami wena,” esitsho uSilwane esekhohliwe ukuthi ubehawula encenga engakakhutshwa emjibileni.
     “Ungiqeda amathe Silwane. Kodwa kungcono kesibuze kwabanye lapha eguswini ukuthi lokho ofuna ukungenza khona mina ngikusizile kuqondile na. Kulungile yini ukwephula izithembiso?”
     “Kulungile, Asibambisane indlela ngisiyanatha amanzi!”
Khonalokho nje, ngqwa loNkomo. UMajaha wabuza wathi, “Nkomo mngane, akusilamule lapha. Ngifice uSilwane evalelwe phakathi kwesithiyo, wacela ngomusa ukuba ngimkhuphe. Bengisala ngisesaba ukuthi uzangidla. Kodwa uthembisile ukuthi angeke enze into yokuganga enjalo. Ngithe sengimkhuphile, nango sefuna ukungidla. Kulungile na ukwephula izithembiso?”
     UNkomo wanwaya ikhanda wasesithi, “Mooo! Ya-a, lina abantu alilazwelo. Ngisesemutsha lalingithanda ngilipha uchago. Njalo izihlobo zami zazidonsa ikhuba kulinywa zisenza leminye imisebenzi eminengi. Kodwa sengigugile nginje, ngiyakwazi ukuthi sengizabulawa, kudliwe inyama, isigogo sami senziwe izambatho zenu. Ngivumelana loSilwane. Uyinyama yakhe wena!”
     “Angithi uyezwa-ke?” uSilwane eveza ingavula zamazinyo ezesabekayo ekhotha ulimi.
     Wadana uMajaha wathi, “Hatshi, angisuthiseki. Ake sibuze enye inyamazana njalo. Bahlangana lobabhemi osegugile, wabika indaba uMajaha. UBabhemi wathi,
     “O-hi, ohi, ohi, ohi! Yebo, kuhle udliwe wena. Uyinyama kaSilwane. Lilochuku lina abantu. Ngangisebenzela izihlobo zakho gadalala. Khathesi sengigugile angiselamandla, sengilahlelwa egangeni. Kuhle khonalokho na?”
     UMajaha kasuthisekanga, wacela ukuthi abuze kwenye njalo inyamazana. USilwane wayengasela sineke, sokumphuzele ukuthi ayenatha amanzi abe esemudle uMajaha. Khonokho nje, nango uKhanka eqolotsha esedlula lapho. UMajaha wammisa wamlandisela indaba. UKhanka wasondela eduzane wathi,
     “Uthini Majaha, kangikuzwisis? Silwane, uqinisile yini ujaha lo ngalokho akutshoyo?”
     USilwane wathi, “Ye-e! Yikholokho sibili akutshoyo.”
     UKhanka wema wanwaya ikhanda ekhangele phansi wathi, “Wo-o! Kodwa, angizwisisi kahle. Kungono sihambe siye khonalapho okulesithiyo Silwane, ukuze ungitshengise lapho obukade ukhona ukuze ngibone kahle. Angikuboni elikutshoyo.”
     Wacaphuka uSilwane ngoba sekumphuzela ukuthi amqhobe uMajaha lo. Kodwa watshitsha phambili wathi,
     “Kulungile. Woza ngikutshengise!”
     Bahaluzela bebuyela emuva. Bafika uSilwane wathi,
     “Bengivalelwe lapha!”
     “Wo-o! Ngena sibone ukuthi bekuvalwe njani kuze ngisuthiseke. UMajaha yena wayesehawula esengumhlanga emfuleni ohubayo emi lapho. “Wena Majaha, vala sibone ukuthi bekuvalwe njani.” Waphakamisa icele lesithiyo eqhuqha uMajaha. USilwane ngeniyani. UMajaha valiyani. Uthe eqeda, uKhanka wakhangela ngelihlo elihlekayo, wathi,
     “Yetshwa-a-a! Hlala lapho uze ufe yindlala mthakathi wezigodo! Wakubona ngaphi ukuthi umuntu okusizileyo uyadliwa? Izithembiso azetshulwa. Ha-a! Ugangile mun’ omdala! Sala lobubi bakho siwulandini! Wena Majaha, hamba lapho obe usiya khona. Ungaphindi ukusiza abantu abanjengoSilwane.”
     Nampo besuka betshiya umdala Silwane esebhonga ngolaka esezibona ubuwula.
      Bangane, bokhekhe, lingaqali ukuqilwa ngabantu abangalamusa,njalo abephula izithembiso.
     Asihlanganeni njalo bokhekhe ngesikhathi esizayo.
      Gogo Barbara Nkala