Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

INGANEKWANE

Inganekwane yethu yalamhla bangane bakaGogo imayelana loNgulungundu, lokuthi yini eyenza waba lomlomo oyinhlikinhliki, inhlikibonda. Kuthiwa kudaladala, izinyamazana zisakhuluma, zaziphila zonke ngokuthandana egangeni, ezinkulu lezincane. UNgulungundu ngaleso sikhathi kuthiwa wayeyinyamazana encane, enhle, ebukekayo okwamagama. Wayethole umlindi owawutshiywe ngenye inyamazana, wasewulungilungisa ukuze azihlalele kuwo kuhle. Wayengadingi okudliwayo khatshana lomlindi wakhe. Uhlupho lukaNgulungundu lwaba yikuthi wayezazisa, ehlala egolomba ezinye izinyamazana ngokusuka azichothoze loba azigcone. Wayesithi angenzenjalo, nxa inyamazana ephoxakeleyo isimxotshanisa ifuna ukulwa laye, wayephanga abaleke athi ntshobeliyani emlindini wakhe. Ngakho, lanxa edinga ukudla wayedingela eduzane lomlindi wakhe lowo ukuze agijime masinyane athi ntshobe acatshe. Lebusuku wayezizwa evikelekile nxa esemlindini wakhe. Ngenxa yokuhlezi eqala ezinye izinyamazana, engahloniphi, eqholoza, zamzonda

Wayevuka-ke insuku zonke, aphume ukuyadinga okudliwayo. Izulu lalinile ngakho utshani babubunengi, lezihlahlana ezilamahlamvu lempande ezimnandi. Ngakho uNgulungundu wayehamba ekhetha okumnandi okuhlabusayo afuna ukukudla, okunye ekuyekele. Wayengavamanga ukuqala ezinye izinyamazana engakasuthi, funa zimhlasele zimlinde emlindini wakhe afe yindlala esesesaba ukuphuma. Ukuqala abanye bezithulele yinto ayevame ukuyenza nxa esesuthi nti, ukuze angaxotshwa yisitha antshobele emlindini wakhe ahle azitshayele isithongwana, calaceleni.

Kuthiwa kwathi ngelinye ilanga, kwangena isivakatshi emlindini wakhe engananzelele. Kuthiwa, uNungu wathi edinga ukudla wathubela esathubela wacina esediniwe kakhulu ekhatshana lekhaya lakhe. Wathi mehlo suka, wabona nanku umlindi omuhle, wabe engena phakathi ezigoqa. Ubuthongo bamthathela phezulu walala nya, wahoqa. Kanti, ngumlindi womnikazi. Wawungumlindi kaNgulungundu lowo. Umnikazi wayephumile laye edinga ukudla. Loba wayedlela eduzane lomlindi wakhe uNgulungundu, wayengazange amnanzelele uNungu engena emlindini wakhe. Kodwa bangane, liyayazi nje inungu ukuthi iyinyamazana enjani? Yinyamazana ephose ifane lenhloni, kodwa yona inkudlwana. Inungu ilensiba ezinkulu, ezilombala okugabana okumnyama lokumhlophe. Insiba lezo zinde njalo zilemicijo ehlabayo. Insiba lezo ziyiyona ndlela inungu ezivikela ngayo ezitheni zayo.

Kuthe uNgulungunde esedle wadla konke akufunayo, waya echibini elaliseduzane, wafika wawampompela amanzi wasutha nti. Njengoba lelanga lalikade livutha bhe, wangena emanzini aludaka wazigiqa lapho waphuma esebethwa ngomnandi umoya. Nango-ke ehamba elokhu enambitha lokhu lalokhuyana. Mehlo suka, wabona nanguyana uMdala uNdlovu enkunyayila ehamba esephula izingatsha zezihlahla esidla lapho afuna khona. Wazizwa esephumisela esithi, “Kuluboni olubabamkhulu, nkunya, nkunya ngengiga zemibala. Lomzimba ingani yisiduli sako …”

Kasaliqedanga lelo. UNdlovu wavusa ikhanda wamjonga wathi, “Uthini wena mfana?”

“Ngitheni Khulu, ah! Mina ngihlabela ingoma yami engayifundiswa nguMalume.”

“Umtshel’ umalumakho ukuthi angakufundisa ingoma zokuganga ngizakudobha ngomboko wami lo ngikujikele emayezini, uthi uphenduka khona uthi takla edwaleni leliyana uphelele lapho.”

“Xola Khulu, xola. Bengizihlabelela mina.”

“Suka uyehlabelela le, ngemva kwentaba ngingakakucholi ngonyawo lwami.”

Athi uyalukhangela lolonyawo lukaNdlovu azizwe engenwa ngamakhaza ngesikhathi sehlobo uNgulungundu. Athi ebona uNdlovu edonsa ingatsha eziphezulu, anqwethe eceleni esithi avakatshele umzawakhe ezixukwini leziyana. Engakayi ngaphi, abone nansiyana iNkosi yegusu, uSilwane ehamba njengenkosi yegusu elubangise echibini. Simvukele isibungu sakhe sokuphoxa abanye, ezwe esephutsha nje esola uboya bukaSilwane esithi bungamadlakadlaka abukamekanga, bethusa ezinye izinyamazana. Hawu, umuntu esanda kukhuzwa nguNdlovu nje? 

“Uthini wena siqholondini, ehwabha uMdala Silwane?”

“Ngitshonjalo Silwane, mafukufuku ofukuzelayo!”

Lamcasula lelo uMdala Silwane. Wayengakujwayelanga ukudelelwa kanjalo ngokuyinyamazana. Wakusukela okuNgulungundu, wathi kakudobhe ngezinzipho zakhe, wakukhutha. Kwathathela kuqonda emlindini kuphefuzela uSilwane engemva kwakho. Kwafika kwaziphosela emlindini wakho sokuthaba ukuthi kusile manayinayi. Kodwa mamo, kwezwa kuhlatshwa emlonyeni lapha, kwahlatshwa lemzimbeni lapha, kwawuhlaba kwawulawula. UNungu owayezitshayela isithongwana wavuswa yinyamazana izithela phezu kwakhe wahle wathiya ngensiba zakhe. UNgulungundu waklabalala esebuhlungwini, wesaba lokuphuma funa uSilwane umlindile emnyango womlindi. Kwamcunula njalo ukuthi ngubani lo osefike wazakhela emlindini wakhe. Wazama ukulwa, kodwa ngapha ehlatshwa, wafisa ukubana ngabe ukhona ongamsiza asuphune lokho okugwazayo. USilwane uthe esizwa ukuxokozela emlindini, lokuklabalala kukaNgulungundu, wathi,

“Hetshwa! Kulayekile okuyisiqhodlwana lokhu!” Wasuka wazihambela waya lapho ayekade esiya khona. Kodwa wakusongela okuNgulungundu, ukuthi lapho azahlangana lakho khona, asazi. Kuzathunqa uthuli edwaleni.

UNgulungundu yena wathi loba esephumile emlindini, waswela umuntu ongamsiza ukungcothula insiba zikaNungu. Njengobana wayeyisiqholo, ehlala eqala abanye, akekho owayefisa ukumsiza. Bavuvuka ubuso bukaNgulungundu baba ngaka! Umlomo wona, yeka. Amehlo aphosa avaleka engasaboni. Kwathatha isikhathi ukuthi azuze ongamzwela amsize. Kwasala sekulezilondalonda ezingapheliyo, kwathi loba  esepholile lapho ayegwazwe khona zinsiba lezo, kwasala sekulemibundubundu lezinsumpa ezingapheliyo. Ubuhle bonke ayezazisa ngabo babungasekho. Umlomo lawo wawusuyinhlikinhliki. Bangane, ukuzigqaja kukaNgulungundu kwaphela du! Ukuzazisa kwahle kwacina mhlalokho, uNgulungundu waqala ukuhlonipha abanye abantu. Wayengaselalo uqhweba lokube eqala abanye. Wayesengumazithulela, ongaphoxi muntu.

Okunye njalo bangane bakaGogo, lalike libone nxa uNgulungundu engena emlindini wakhe? Uvele kasaqali ukuthubela ngomlomo lekhanda kuqala. Usengena nyovane, ikhanda lisalele emuva lingene ekucineni. Leyo yimizamo yokuthi avikele ubuso bakhe bungalimali ngamandla.

Bangane bakaGogo, ukuthi umuntu ahambe eqala abanye kubi. Kubi kakhulu. Tshiyana labangane abathanda ukuqala abanye. Baceze. Bangakungenisa kokubi kakhulu. Bana labangane abahlonipha abanye. Abathanda abanye. Abaphila kuhle labanye. Kuhle lokho kuyathokozisa labazali, lamatitshala esikolo. Okwalamhla kwanele bangane. Ovalelisayo nguGogo Barbara Nkala olithanda kakhulukazi.