UNdlovu loMvundla
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
INGANEKWANE
Inganekwane yethu yalamhla bangane imayelana loNdlovu lezigigaba zakhe loMvundla. Kuthiwa kudaladala izinyamazana zeganga zisakhuluma, zonke ezeguswini zazizwanana kakhulu. Zazihlala zisizana zizwelana kulokuthula phakathi kwazo. Kodwa kwakusenzeka enye iphongwehluka kwezinye yenze izinto ezimbi ezingamukelekiyo kuzinyamazana ezinengi. Lokho yikho okwenziwa nguMdala uNdlovu. Wasuka wazibona ubukhulu, waziqhenya ngabo. Ezinye izinyamazana wasuka wazikhangelela phansi nje ukuthi loba kungaze kuthini, zingamenzani? Ezinkulu zazike zilwisane laye, ngakho wayengafuni ukwenza okungasuke kuzicaphule. Kodwa lezi ezinengi ezincane wayengelandaba lazo ngoba engaziklifiza nje ngenyawo zakhe ezinkulu. Ngakho, zazihle zithi zingambona zibaleke, zisuke endleleni yakhe. Ezinye zazimsongela kodwa zisehluleka ukuthi zingathini ngaye.
UMvundla owayesaziwa ngokuhlakanipha, wadinga icebo lokuthi ake amkhawulise uMdala uNdlovu. Wayesekhathele ngesihluku sakhe. Wayethi angafica inyamazana ayidelelayo izidingele ukudla labantwabayo, afike ayikhahlelele le, aqale ukumofuza lokho kudla. Wake wafica unteletsha elezithelo zakhe ezimnandi ayezikhele abantwabakhe. Wafika wamsunduzela le wathi,
“Wenzile mfana wakhela uKhulu izithelo lezi. Ake uxeke ngidle!”
“Hayi Khulu, angikhelanga wena. Kumele ngiphathele abantwana.”
“Hamba uyedinga ezinye.”
“Hawu Khulu, thatha ingxenye kuphela lami ngiphathele abantwana.”
“Hawu, hawu, usufuna ukungicunula-ke khathesi. Suka lapha Nteletshandini! Uyahlanya yini?” esitsho ekulabhulela le okunteletsha ngomboko wakhe. Kwayatshayeka esihlahleni kwagomela ngobuhlungu. Wayeligovu elibi uNdlovu. Wayethi nxa esemofuza, wawuzathola umsila wakhe usutshikiza ngokujabula. Wawuletshoba elibukekayo, uthole seliyabuzela. Wenza njalo nje kanti uMvundla obevakatshela umzawakhe uNteletsha umi ngemva kwesihlahla ubona konke okwenzakalayo. Waphanga wayavusa umzawakhe owayeke wathi qalekiyani. Wamhlikihla lapho ayetshayeke khona wamtotobisa emusa emzini wakhe. UNdlovu yena wadla watshaya waqeda izithelo zikaNteletsha.
Ngelanga elilandelayo uMvundla wamdinga uMdala Ndlovu wamthola enkunyayila ekhanya elambile. Yayingaphuzi ukumluma indlala. UMvundla wazitshaya olomusa wathi,
“Sabona Khulu!”
“Uthini Mvundla?” esitsho engakukhangeli lokukukhangela okungumvundla njengobana kwakungaphethe lutho.
“Angitsho lutho Khulu. Bengibhoda nje ngibona engingakuzuzela usapho. Ngidlule uGogo wakoNcube ephuma ensimini yakhe. Yeyi, mahle njani amazambane akhe? Ngiphande amalutshwana. Ayisibunandi bawo.”
“Wo-o-o! Uwabone ngaphi Mvundla?”
“Asihambe Khulu ngiyekutshengisa.”
Ubani? Esezwe lapho okulokudla okumnandi? Yayabuzela eyakoNdlovu isigxoza lendenda zomhawu wamazambane. UMvundla wathi,
“Woza ngapha Khulu eduzane lesihlahla lesi segonde. Uzagebha kuhle usemthunzini waso ungakhanzingwa lilanga.”
Wahle waphanda ngezinyawo langomboko ebobela uNdlovu. Ingqondo yayisekudleni kananzelelanga uMvundla ebopha umsila wakhe mfi ngenxoza ayeyebule khonalapho ezihlahleni. Wabuye wabophela igoda esihlahleni segonde. UNdlovu wayeke wezwa kungani kukhona okuthinta umsila wathi,
“Uwenzani umsila wami wena mfana?”
“Hatshi Khulu, bengibone kulentwala. Ngichoba zona intwala.”
“Wo-o-o!” esitsho elokhu ephethe ngobugovu enganyemukuli.
Uthe ebona sekuqine nko ukubopha kwakhe uMvundla, wabe egijima, nango esiyalimukisa uGogo labomuzi wakhe ukuthi amazambane du ngoNdlovu. Baphuma abomuzi bephethe zonke izikhali ababengazithwala. Abanye babethwele imikhonto, abanye induku lezigodo, abanye amatshe. Bafika phezu kwakhe uNdlovu bemdukluza ngamatshe, abanye bembhula ngezigodo, abanye bembenga ngemikhonto. Wazama ukubaleka uNdlovu umsila wathi uzangitshiya lobani? Nki, esihlahleni. Uthe Umkhonto usumgwaze emuva kwaba buhlungu kakhulu wadonsa edlubulunda unsila waze wathi qumekiyani eduza letshoba. Wabaleka wangena ezihlahleni, ubumnandi bamazambane engasabuzwa, esesizwa ubuhlungu bokutshaywa lokudutshuzwa ngamatshe. Abantu babemlandela bemjikijela. UMvundla yena wahleka waze waqethuka. UNdlovu wakwazi ukuthi uphoxwe ngokumahlakanipheni. Wazimisela ukukuzingela aze akuthole akukhawulise nxa amanxeka lokufutha sekuthe khothololo.
UMvundla yena wasala ethatha isijinti somsila kaNdlovu, waya laso ekhaya lakhe. Ngelanga elilandelayo wathiya ithendele, walibamba, walicutha walipheka. Wahlanganisa lezinye izihlahla ezinukelelayo. Wabuye wathatha isijinti somsila kaNdlovu wasiqobela esitshebeni leso. Wakhanzinga kwanukelela yeka. Wasuka lapho wayadinga uNdlovu. Uthe embona uNdlovu esiza uNdlovu wathi,
“Ya-a-a! Uzangibona lamhla Mvundla. Ungibophele esihlahleni ngatshaywa ngabantu umsila wami wajuquka…” Kwabe kumquma umlomo uMdala Ndlovu okumahlakanipheni, kwathi,
“Mdala Ndlovu, ngingayenza kanjani into enjalo mina ngikuthanda kangaka? Ayisimi nje engakunxusela amazambane? Mina ngikutshiye uzitika. Engxenye ngomunye umvundla owenza lokho njengobana nje sifanana thina abakomvundla. UMdlala Ndlovu wathi khwimilili wathi,
“Yebo?”
“Ngiqinisile Khulu. Ukuthi ubone ukuthi ngikuthanda njani mina, asihambe sonke ngakwami uyekudla ukudla engikuphekele khona.”
“Wo-o-o! Asihambe Mvundla!”
Bathe sebebanga koMvundla kwahle kwezwakala ukunukelela kwalokho uMvundla ayekade ekukhanzinga. EyakoNdlovu yahle yakhangwa yikunukelela mnandi yagxoza indenda. UMvundla wahle wathi qithi phambi kwayo udiwo lonke. Yaqalisa ukudla ngobugovu. Okumvundla kwagigitheka kuhlabela kusithi,
“Ake libone, akelibone, yeha! UKhul’ uNdlov’ udl’ umsila wakhe! Yeha, ye!”
“Uthini Mvundla? Ngikuzwa kahle nje usithi ngidl’ umsila wami?”
“Hatshi Khulu. Ngithe, O, ya, umsila wakho wawumuhle kudala. Khathesi sokuphonguba yisijinti sogodo.”
UNdlovu wayehlafuna umlomo ukhamisile ebanga umsindo oxhaphazelayo. Wacabanga ukuthi kezwanga kahle.”
Wayiphinda njalo uMvundla ingoma yakhe, egigitheka uMvundla. “Ake libone, akelibone, yeha! UKhul’ uNdlov’ udl’ umsila wakhe! Yeha, ye!”
Khonokho nje uNdlovu ediweni wananzelela ukuthi kuletshoba elifana lelakhe. Wahle wakuthi hlasi okuMvundla ngelihlo elibi, wakusukela. Kwabaleka kwayakuthi ntshobe emlindini. Wangenisa umboko wathe wakuthi xhaka unyawo. Kwezwakala kugigitheka kusithi,
“Ha-ha-ha! Ukhulu uthi ubambe mina yena ebambe impande yesihlahla! Ha-ha-ha!”
Esizwa lelo uNdlovu wakuyekela, umboko wadinga, waxhakala impande yesihlahla. Kwazikhalisa okuMvundla kwathi,
“Ah! Ngiyekela Khulu! Khulu ngiyekela bo!”
UNdlovu esizwa lelo wadonsa ngamandla waze wayithi quphu impande, watsutsuruka wayawela le watshayeka kabuhlungu ngemuva. Wezwa kugigitheka njalo okumahlakanipheni. Kwasekumkhawulisile. Wasuka lapho wahamba enxapha uNdlovu khona sekuhoqa emlindini. Kusukela lapho, uNdlovu wayengasabonani loMvundla, sebeyizitha, efisa ukukuthola akugxobagxobe.
Hayi-ke bangane bakaGogo, abanye abangane abasizi ngalutho. Bahlezi bezifunela okukholisisa bona zwi. Hmmm, asibatshiyeni abanjalo singejwayelani labo, funa basihlukuluze. Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi esizayo. Yimi olithandayo, uGogo Barbara Nkala.
