Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

INGANEKWANE

UNgcitshi yindoda eyayiyingcitshi njengebizo layo. Yayisenza yonke into eyenzayo ngobungcitshi obukhulu. Kulesosigaba, kwakulendoda yamabhizimusi okwakuthiwa nguNgamula. UNgamula wananzelela ubuciko buka Ngcitshi wasemqhatsha ukuba amsebenzele.  Njengoba babehlala ezindaweni zemakhaya, wambonisa umhlobo wezinto ayefuna ukuzithengisa esitolo sakhe. UNgcitshi wayethathela phezulu konke akufundiswayo. Yena nxa esesenza wayehwatsha okuhle okwedlula lokho akufundisiweyo. Wayengumuntu othobekileyo kakhulu njalo osebenza ngobuqotho. Wayethembekile kakhulu.

Esigabeni, zaduma kakhulu izinto ezithengwa ezitolo zikaNgamula. Zonke zazizinhle zenziwe ngobuciko obukhulu. Kwakungakhathalekile kumbe zimpini lempehlo zokupheka, ingiga, indiwo, izitsha, lokukhulu okunjengenqola lezilugu leziphala zokugcina okuthile. UNgcitshi yiso isisebenzi esasithenjiwe, kodwa kulezinye ezincedisayo. Waduma uNgamula, angena amawoda afuna izinto ezithile ezenziwa esitolo sakhe. Ngokuya kwesikhathi, kwacina ezinye izinto nxa umuntu angafaka iwoda, atshelwe ukuba kuzathatha inyanga ukubana ulutho lolo luphele ukwenziwa.

Wayesebenza ngokukhuthala uNgcitshi athi etshayisa emsebenzini esekhathele. Kodwa wayephiwa iholo elihle kakhulu. Lokho kwenza laye waze wakha owakhe umuzi omuhle kakhulu khonalapho eduzane. Wacina ethatha laye esiba labantwana bakhe. Banengi abasebemhlawukela. Abanye bambuka kodwa abanye baba lomhawu lalokho ayeselakho, bafisa ukuthi kumphelele okuhle. Omunye walabo wayenguSomhawuse. Wamvakatshela ngenye imini ephumula, ehlezi phandle ngaphansi kwesihlahla. Baxoxa, baxoxa. Wasebhoboka uSomhawuse esithi,

“Ngcitshi, hayi ndoda uyawazi umsebenzi wakho bo!”

“Ngiyazama mfowethu,” esitsho uNgcitshi.

“Usumnothisile uNgamula, yeyi!” eqhubeka uSomhawuse.

“Hatshi, lami ungenzela kuhle kakhulu uNgamula. Ngabe kasuye, ngabe angilawo umuzi omuhle kangaka,” esitsho   ebonisa langesandla sikhomba umuzi wakhe.

USomhawuse esizwa lelo wathi, “Wena uduba ngokuthi awunanzeleli ukuthi unothisa enye indoda Ngcitshi. Ngabe nginguwe, ngabe ngiyatshiya ngiqalise okwami ukuze yonke imali ingene kimi.” 

UNgcitshi wayengakaze akucabange lokho. Wayekwazi ukuthi nxa umuntu efuna ukuqala elakhe ibhizimusi, akulula. Kunengi okuswelakalayo. Esathule ecabanga, uSomhawuse waqhubeka wathi,

“Ucabanga ukuthi yena uNgamula eqalisa wayebhukutsha phakathi kwemali njengalokhu ayikhokhona lamhlanje? Waqala, ibhizimusi yakhula kancane kancane,” esitsho engani ngumuntu ozwela umngane wakhe omfisela okuhle lokuthi akhuphuke.

“Yebo mfowethu, yonke into iza kancane kancane. Ngifuna ukuqala ngifunde okunengi kuye uNgamula. Nxa sengibona ukuthi lami sokungimele kuhle, besengiqalisa-ke okwami.”

“Kuyadanisa ukuthi indoda ehlakaniphe njengawe yale inotho. Nginguwe, ngabe ngihle ngitshiyane loNgamula ngiqale okwami lami ngicine sengiyisikhulu esimangalisayo esigabeni,” esitsho uSomhawuse evalelisa. 

UNgcitshi wasala ehlezi lapho ekhumbula amazwi kaSomhawuse owathi uyisithutha. Kakuthandanga ukuthiwa uyisithutha. Wawacabanga amazwi kaSomhawuse Wabona sengathi ngumngane obemxwayisa kuhle kakhulu. Waqalisa ukucabanga ngabantu abafika ezitolo zikaNgamula insuku zonke bezothenga. Abanye babetshiya befake amawoda ezinto ezithile abazifunayo. Wakhumbula ngezinto zonke ezinhle ayezibaza layezilungisa ezazifunwa ngabantu abanengi. Wacina ekubona ukuthi impela unothisa eyinye indoda. Kwaqala ukumudla lokho ukuthi kungani enothisa enye indoda.

Kwathi kuqalisa iviki elitsha, laye waqala ukuzidonsa, kungasekho ukukhuthala ngalokho akwenzayo. Kuleyo viki kaqedanga konke okwakumele ukuthi ngabe wakuqeda kusese phakathi kweviki. LoNgamula wakunanzelela ukuthi isisebenzi sakhe esithenjiweyo asiqhubanga kuhle. Kuthe iphela iviki wambizela ewofisini yakhe. Wambuza esithi,

“Ngcitshi, kwenzenjani? Ngiyabona ukuthi kuleli iviki awuqhubi kuhle. Ungabe ukahle na?”

UNgcitshi wahle wabambelela kulelo wathi, “Yebo, angizwa kuhle mhlonitshwa. Kukhona okunginyenyelayo. Umzimba wonke nje ube ungani uyaqaqamba.”

Wamzwela kakhulu uNgamula waze wathi,

“Ngithemba uzaphumula kuhle jaha lakithi. Sikubika kuMphilisi omkhulu.”

Impelaviki yonke uNgcitshi wayesebona eselelakhe ibhizinesi elikhulu. Kazange acabange ngeyakhe indawo yokusebenzela. Kazange acabange ngabantu bokumsiza. Kazange acabange ngokuthi uzababhadala ngani. Kazange acabange ngokuthi izinto eziswelakalayo ukwakha okutsha loba ukuthenga konke okuswelakalayo okuyathengiswa uzayithatha ngaphi. Ingqondo yakhe yasuka yaba mfitshane, kwakhula emoyeni wakhe ukuthi kumele enze okwakhe.

Uthe efika emsebenzini kuviki elitsha wahle wayafaka incwadi yokuthi usetshiya umsebenzi. Kathandanga lokuchaza ukubana usewutshiyelani umsebenzi. Kazange afune lokuba asebenzele insuku zokuvalelisa. Loba uNgamula esemcela ukubana aqede inyanga eyodwa ukuze athole omunye ozathatha indawo yakhe, kwakhanya konke nje sokumphuzela. UNgamula wasesithi kuye,

“Ngcitshi, ngisebenze kuhle kakhulu lawe. Kakhulu. Ngakho ngiyacela ungenzele lokhu okokucina ungakatshiyi umsebenzi. Ngicela ungilungisele isilugu senkukhu esihle kakhulu, ungilungisele njalo inqola edonswa zinkabi. Wenze ubungcitshi bakho bonke ngalokho kokubili. Ngizabe ngingekho. Kulemihlangano engiyilanda edolobheni. Ngithemba ngizafica usuqedile sibe sesivalelisana.” 

Kwakuzamthatha iviki ukukwenza lokho uNgcitshi. Ngakho wavuma nzima eselokhu encengwa. Wawuqala lowo msebenzi. Kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yayingekho kulokho ayekwenza.  Kazange asebenzise konke okuhle ukuthi enze umsebenzi olobuciko. Kazange abe lendaba lokuthi alandele abamncedisayo ukubona ukuthi benza kuhle. Konke nje kwenziwa ngobutshapha lokungabi lendaba. Njengoba uNgamula wayengekho ukubana ajike ilihlo, ayevele engakuvamanga ngoba wayelesisebenzi esithembekileyo kakhulu kuNgcitshi. Waphela-ke umsebenzi wesilugu lowenqola, kodwa ungeyisiwo owenjwayelo. Wawungabukeki. Wayengelandaba lakho lokho uNgcitshi.

Ithe iqala iviki entsha, waphuza lemsebenzini, ngabomo. Uthe efika wezwa kuthiwa uNgamula uke wamdinga. Wabizwa njalo eduze lenqola ayeyakhile. UNgamula kazihluphanga ngokukhangelisisa izinto lezo ayethe uNgcitshi azenze. Wayemthemba kakhulu ukuthi wenze bonke ubungcitshi bakhe. UNgcitshi waya kuye ehamba ehweda. Wabona uNgamula ephethe isiphathelo esikhulu. Phakathi kwakulomsindo othi, tsiyo! tsiyo! tsiyo! Kwakugcwele okungamatsiyane okuhle okuloboya begolide. UNgcitshi wabona uNgamula ebobotheka, wamqhubela leso siphathelo esithi,

“Ngiyabonga kakhulu Ngcitshi ukungisebenzela kwakho ngokwethembeka iminyaka yonke le. Bengicabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe ngomnyaka ozayo ngizakuphathisa ukuqala elakho ibhizinesi. Nanzi izipho zakho: Isilugu osakhileyo ngesakho lapho ozafuya khona amatsiyane la. Inqola layo ngeyakho. Sengathi ungaqhubeka usenza umsebenzi omuhle olobungcitshi!”

UNgcitshi wamukela isipho kodwa ubuso bakhe bubonisa ukudana okukhulu. Wayesezisola ukuthi kenzanga ubungcitshi bakhe bonke kanti izipho ngezakhe. Ngaphakathi kwakhe wayesephonguthi,

“O, Owo! Alubana bengisazi!” Wasephongubobotheka okungayi ngaphi esamukela isipho samatsiyane. UNgamula wamangala ukuthi kungani engatshengisi ukuthaba okukhulu yena emenzele kuhle.

Bangane, kuqakathekile ukuthi singalaleli abakhohlisi. Banengi. Bacina besifaka enkathazweni. Ikanti njalo kuhle ukuthembeka kokuphela empilweni. Abathembekileyo bayenzelwa okuhle kakhulu njalonje. 

Ngiyabonga kakhulu bangane ngivalelisa ngisithi, size sibe sonke njalo. Ngolithandayo uGogo Barbara Nkala.