Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA

Ngiyabingelela bangane, bokhekhe! Lamhla ngiliphathele inganekwane kaMvundla loQhude. Kudaladala inyamazana zisakhuluma, kuthiwa uMvundla loQhude babengabangane abakhulu. Babekuthanda ukuyazingela bebonke. Babevakatshelana, bekholisa ukudla lokuxoxa ndawonye. Inye into eyayisuka yone ubungane babo ibenze bube duma. UMvundla wayekuthanda ukuzikhukhumeza. Wayekuthanda ukuzitshaya umuntu owazi konke. Wayekuthanda ukukhangelela abanye phansi. Wayesenza sengathi yena akukho okungamehlula. Wayesenza sengathi yena konke angakunqoba. UQhude wayengaphatheki kuhle nxa umngane wakhe esezitshaya isifuba eseyisa abanye.
     Kwathi ngelinye ilanga esenengekile ngokuzikhukhumeza komngane wakhe, wadinga icebo ayengamkhawulisa ngalo uMvundla. Uthe elokhu ecabanga wabona nanguyana uMvundla esiza ezovakatsha. Wayengafisi ukube egqabhazelwa, eseyiswa. Waphanga watshela unkosikazi wakhe ukuthi amtshele ukuba kakho uyezingela. Waphanga wema ngonyawo olulodwa olunye lwaphakama lwacatsha ngaphansi kwamaphiko. Wafihla ikhanda lakhe emaphikweni akhe. Wayevele ejwayele ukukwenza lokho nxa ephumula, elala loba efuna ukukhudumala. Kodwa uMvundla wayengakaze ambone enjalo.
     “Ekuhle koQhude bakithi!” kusitsho uMvundla.
     “Fika makhelwane wethu!” kuphendula umkaQhude.
     “Awu, liyatshisa bantu!” esitsho esesula izithukuthuku uMvundla.
     “Liyavutha sibili Mvundla makhelwana! Umtshiya enjani unkosikazi?”
UMvundla wasekhona enanzelela ukuthi kulokhu kuphendula unkosikazi kaQhude. Wasekhona enanzelela njalo ukuthi uQhude nangu kodwa umi ngonyawo olulodwa. Wamangala njalo ukuthi kalakhanda.
     “Hawu, nkosikazi, kuyini lokhu engikubonayo? Wenzenjani kanti umngane wami!”
     “Wo-o-o, uQhude …”
     “Lingaphi ikhanda lakhe?” ebuza ekhathazekile uMvundla.
     “Wo-o-o, uQhude uyezingela makhelwana.”
     “Hayi-bo nkosikazi! Uthini? Lungaphi olunye unyawo?”

Waphendula ebobotheka umkaQhude wathi, “Ikhanda lonyawo
kuyezingela makhelwana.”
     “Ini? Suka lapha nkosikazi. Wakubona ngaphi lokho?” esefile yikumangala uMvundla.
     “Ah, ujwayele ukukwenza lokho ubaba walapha ekhaya.”
     “Ngumbhedo lowo nkosikazi!”
     “Ngiqinisile makhelwana. Kanti wena awukaze ukuzame lokho?”
     Wanwaya ikhanda uMvundla engafuni ukubonakala engani ngumuntu owehlulekayo. Wathi, “Ya, ya, ya. Hayi, lami ngangike ngikwenze lokho.”
     “Hatshi kuhle. Sizakuzafika ngakwakho makhelwana angafika umngane  wakho,” kusitsho unkosikazi kaQhude ebobotheka.
     Wavalelisa uMvundla elokhu enwaya ikhanda engazwisisi. Into yokuthi edlulwe nguQhude ayizange imhlale kuhle. Wahamba esetshitsha efisa ukuthi umkakhe afike amqume ikhanda lonyawo ukuze kuyezingela. Wayengeke edlulwe yisithuthandini esinguQhude. Yena wayenguMvundla omduna, ongehlulwa lutho. Wayenguphunyuka bemphethe. Uthe efika nje ngekhaya wabe edobha ihloka eqonda kunkosikazi yakhe uMvundla. Wafika wathi,
     “Nabantwana woza lapha!”
     “Sekutheni kanti sekabantwana uthwele ihloka leli elibukhali? Bengisithi awuyi lamhla ekugamuleni izigodo. Awusamficanga kanti umngane wakho uQhude?”
     “Nakabantwana, ngifice uQhude eyezingela ngonyawo olulodwa lekhanda.”
     “Ini sekabantwana? Yimihlolo leyo!”
     “Liqiniso nakabantwana. Angingeke ngedlulwe nguQhude mina. Hayi- ah! Ngedlulwe ngukikirigorigo mina! Hayi, hayi!”
     “Kodwa sekabantwana, wakuzwa ngaphi ukuthi unyawo luyaphuma luyezingela lulodwa? Lekhanda?”
     “Yikho engikuficileyo nakabantwana. Angingeke ngedlulwe yinkukhu enguQhude mina. Uyezwa?”
     “Pho-ke, sekabantwana … uthi kuthiweni?”
     “Sondeza isigodo leso ngeyamise intamo. Ungiqume intamo ubuye uqume lonyawo, kuyezingela.”
     “Hawu, hawu, sekabantwana! Uyazizwa nje ukuthi uthini Ngingakwenza njani lokho?”
     “Wena mfazi, nxa ungalaleli uzabuyela kini! Ake uphangise!”
     “Kodwa sekabantwana … !”

     “Yey’ wena! Umotsha isikhathi mani! Ake uphangise wenze lokho engikutshela khona! Phangisa nxa ungafuni ukubuyela kini!” evuka ngolaka usekabantwana.
     Walidobha ihloka eqhaqhazela unakabantwana. Waliphakamisa. Wabuye walehlisa wathi,
     “Hatshi baba Mvundla. Kungcono ngiqale ngonyawo sibone.”
     Kwaphikiswana-ke lapho UMvundla efisa ukuthi unkosikazi aqale ngekhanda. Laye unkosikazi wala ukunyikinyeka. Wasecina esefaka unyawo phezu kogodo ukuba luqunywe luyezingela. Geciyani unyawo lukaMvundla. Yabovula indoda yakoMvundla yathi,
     “Maye-e-e! Wangilimaza mfazi!” esebambe isilonda ukuthi avale igazi elaselintshaza. Unyawo lukaMvundla lwaluthe laxa laphayana. Balukhangela babona lungathi nyiki. Yabovula indoda isithi,
     “Ih-ih! Yooooo! Ngalimala boooo!”
     “Manje kuyini lokhu sekabantwana!” esitsho elahla ihloka ephakamisa izandla eqhinqa isililo unkosikazi kaMvundla. OQhude lowakwakhe ababesiza komakhelwana bezwa isililo bagijima bazafika koMvundla sokonakele.
     “Hawu, nkosikazi mkaMvundla, kuyini lokhu osukwenzile?” kubuza uMvundla.
     “U-u-seka bantwa-ntwana uthe ngi-ngimgece ikhanda liyezi-zi-ngela, manje, manje, …” esinqolonga isislilo. Beza abanye omakhelwana bababaza umhlolo lowo abawuthola koMvundla. Yena uMvundla wayebovula esizwa ubuhlungu. Badinga izihlahla zeganga omakhelwana lenxoza babopha inxeba. Kwathatha isikhathi ukuba siphole isilonda uMvundla wacina ehamba esithi, khwenye! Khwenye! Khwenye!
     Mmh, bangane, bokhekhe! Lokhu okwenzakala koMvundla kunzima kakhulu. Lingaqali ukwenza izinto ezingelangqondo ngenxa yokufisa ukuthi lingedlulwa. Lingaqali ukulingisela izinto elingazaziyo. Njalo, fundani ukuthi lingazikhukhumezi njalo lingaziphakamisi lizenza abazi konke. Kuhle ukuzithoba lokuphila kuhle labanye.
     Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi esizayo bangane bami. Yimi olithanda
kakhulu, uGogo Barbara Nkala.