Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…


Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA

UMVUNDLA LOFUDU

Lamhla bangane inganekwane yethu imayelana loMvundla
loFudu. Kuthiwa kudaladala izinyamazana zisakhuluma, uFudu
wayeyinyamazana engumazithulela, engaxabani lamuntu.
Wayehlezi ezenzela okwakhe ezidingela ukudla engalacala
lamuntu. Ikanti, uMvundla yena wayesaziwa ngokuhlakaniphela
eceleni. Wayesile njengentethe yebusika. Wayengakutshayi
mkhuba ukuqala abazithuleleyo. Futhi wayengalutho ukuhleka
lokuphoxa abanye.
Kuthe kwelinye ilanga etshopoka egangeni wathola uFudu
ezidlela amahlamvu lamaluba. Waqala wamkhangela enanayila
kancane, wabobotheka ehleka ukuhamba ephuza kwakhe.
Wabe esithi,
“Yebo wena jaha lokunanayila, oze wedlulwe lunwabu!”
Kwamcaphula lokho uFudu ukufaniswa lonwabu. Kwathi
akuthuze ngekhanda okumahlakanipheni lokhu, kodwa wabona
ukuthi ikhanda lakhe lincane. Inhliziyo yakhe yathi akukhahlele
okumadletshana lokhu, kodwa wabona ukuthi izinyawo zakhe
zimfitshane. Wakhetha ukuzithulela sengani kezwa ukuthi
uthini uMvundla.
“Hawu, ngakhuluma lawe wazithulela maxolo!”
“Ake utshiyane lami wena madletshana!”
“Ngitshiyane lawe ngivele ngikubambile yini wena
maxoloxolo!” Lapho okuMvundla kwasekusondele kwagaxa
unyawo lwakho olulodwa phezu kukaFudu. Kwamcunula lokho
uFudu kodwa wabona kungcono ukungcina owakhe.
“Uyahawula njani mfokamaxoloxolo! Ngiyakuzwela ukube
ulokhu unanayila.”
“Ngiyabe ngivele ngijaheni Mvundla?”
“Fudu, empilweni umuntu kumele akwazi ukuthi nxa kuvela
ingozi angazivikela njani.”
“Mina ngilendlela enhle yokuzivikela. Kodwa lakho
ukugijima lokho oziqhenya ngakho, mina ngilejubane mfana.
Ngingakutshiya ngikucatshele.”Kwahleka okumadletshana kusizwa lokho. “Uthini
maxolose? Wena ungagijima ungicatshele? A, ha-ha-ha-ha!
Yekela ngiyexoxela abanye bezwe umbhedo kamaxolo.”
“Angisomi Mvundla. Ijubane yikufika hatshi ukweqayeqa
ungakwazi okwenzayo.”
Kwahleka njalo okumahlakanipheni kwaze kwaqethuka
lembambo sezibuhlungu. “Ha-a, wangibulala ngembambu
maxolo. Wena, ugijime ungitshiye? Ngivele angikaze ngikubone
utshitsha kodwa lokhu. A-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
“Wena madletshana, ungaboni thina oFudu sizithulele uthi
siyizilima. Thina sisebenzisa lapha!” uFudu ethinta ikhanda
lakhe ngegunya.
“Hatshi Fudu, kungcono sibe lomjaho. Ngiyanxusa ukuthi
sibe lomncintiswaoa sibone ozatshiywa. Asihlangane kusasa
emini laphayana esihlahleni esikhulu segonde. Ngizacela
umdala uNdlovu alinde lomvuzo kulesiyana isihlahla somqokolo
esiseduze lomfula lapho umncintiswano ozaphelela khona.
Yekela ngihle ngiyecela umalume uBhalabhala ameme bonke
abanye abangane eguswini abazalinda ukubona onguye
oncintayo.”
Kwasuka lapho kutshopoka kuthabile okumahlakanipheni
ukuthi sekuzamkhawulisa umananayila lo. UFudu yena kwathi
kadubuke ngokudelelwa okungaka ngokumadletshana lokhu.
Kodwa wasebenzisa ubuchopho, wahle wasuka wayamema
izihlobo zakhe. Wazitshela ngendaba yomncintiswano. Banengi
abakhuluma besola becatshulwa yikudelela kukaMvundla.
“Kufuna ukuqunywa umsila kuyangeke okumadletshana!”
kusitsho uyisekazi kaFudu. Uyise omncane yena wathi,
“Hatshi, kufuna ukuqunywa zona indlebe zakho lezi ezinde.”
“Lalelani lapha zihlobo zami. Sizamfundisa isifundo angasoze
asikhohlwe uMvundla. Umncinntiswano wethu usukela
esihlahleni segonde esiseduze loqaqa lwakoMpala. Uphelela
eduzane lomfula esihlahleni esikhulu somqokolo, lapho
izinyamazana zonke zeganga ezifika zinathe khona amanzi.”
“Silalele mfowethu. Khuluma,” besitsho abakoFudu.

“Yebo. Bengicela abafowethu abalitshumi. Omunye uzakuba
sekuqaleni, lapho okuyaqalwa khona umjaho. Mina ngizakuba
seduze lalapho umjaho ophelela khona. Laba abanye bazakuba
sendlelni yomjaho. Sonke sizacatsha, sibe sivumbuluka
singabona okumadletshana kusiza. Sikugqabhazele. Akekho
ozananzelela umahluko ngoba thina siyafanana xathu sonke.
Lami ngingabona kuthela ngesiqubu sokuseduze, ngizahle
nginanayile masinyane ngikufikele kuqala okunkalakatha.”
Batshaya izandla abakoFudu bebonga icebo elihle kangaka.
Abanye bahle basonga besithi,
“Ya-a! Hetshwa! Sizakulaya okumadletshana. Kuzasubela
umsila sibili.”
Abanye bammbambatha emahlombe uFudu ngecebo lakhe
lelo. Ngelanga elilandelayo, basuka-ke labo abakhethwayo
abakoFudu ukuthi babe semjahweni. Oyedwa waba sekuqaleni
komjaho. Abanengi bacatsha eduze lendlela betshiyelane
izibanga ezilinganayo. UFudu wacatsha eduze lalapho
okuphelela khona umncintiswano.
Wayekhona uBhalabhala ohloniphekayo ukuqalisisa umjaho.
Wabadwebela umzila. Balunga uMvundla loFudu.
Wayelempembe yakhe. Wayivuthela yathi mpe-e! Basuka!
Okumahlakanipheni kwahle kwathunquza kwasithela. Kwathi
sokuphambili kwabona vele uFudu kungamboni. Kwathi
kungcono kekuphumule emthunzini kulale. Kungakajumeki,
kwezwa umaxolo esememeza phambili esithi,
“Wasala, wasala ndoda! Sengiphambi kwakho!”
Kwamethusa uMvundla lokho ukuthi uFudu ufike nini
wadlula. Wabe ethathela njalo ngesiqubu esikhulu, wadlula
ehwitha ethela umaxolo ngothuli. Wathalaza emuva wabona
engamboni umaxolo. Wayesefile ngomhawu wamanzi
uMvundla. Waphambuka ukuba azuze amanzi. Kwathi
esephenduka wezwa phambi kwakhe njalo,
“Wasala wasala Mvundla! Awusoze unqobe kulo umjaho.”
Kwasekungomunye njalo uFudu esephambi kwakhe. Hawu,
kwamkhathaza lokho uMvundla wabona ukuthi wenze iphutha

ngokuphambuka edinga amanzi. Walifakazela njalo ijubane
ephefuzela; phew–phew!. Wathi uzama ukukhokha umoya
wezwa uFudu esephambi kwakhe esithi,
“Wasala, wasala madletshana! Lamhla nguwe nguwe!”
Wacaphuka uMvundla ukuthi kambe angatshiywa
ngumaxolo ohamba enanayila. Kwaba yisoleso indlela yonke.
Kuthe esebabona oNtundla ngobude, laboNdlovu ngobukhulu,
lokungonkawu kuseqayeqa wagijima okulingeneyo ecabanga
ukuthi umaxolo umtshiye emuva. Wabona zonke inyamazana
seziqakeza izandla zisithi,
“Fudu-Fudu! Fudu-Fudu! Nguwe intshantshu! Fudu!”
Wabona nanguya umaxolose esiyafika lapho okuphelela
khona umjaho. Wahle waphelelwa ngumphako
umahlakanipheni. Ondwangu labompala labobhejani labompisi
bamphakamisa uFudu, bemqakezela. UMvundla bamhoza
bathi,
“Ha-a-a! Nhloni! Ha-a-a! Utshiywa nguFudu wena.”
Bathaba bonke abakoFudu ukuthi bamkhawulisile
uMvundla, ake ayekele ukuzigqaja lokuhlupha abanye.
He-e, bangane, bokhekhe, asifundeni ukuthi sihloniphe
abanye abantu, singabadeleli. Akumelanga sizibone singcono
kulabanye. Kumele sizithobe, sizehlise siphile kuhle labanye.
Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi esizayo. Yimi olithanda
kakhulu, uGogo Barbara Nkala.