UNtundla LoKhanka
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
INGANEKWANE
Kuthiwa kudaladala amatshe esancwebeka lezinyamazana zeganga zisakhuluma, kwakulabangane ababili ababezwana kakhulu. Laba kwakunguNtundla loKhanka. Babevame ukuqeda isikhathi bexoxa, behleka, bedinga ukudla bendawonye. Babehlala phansi bazitike, batshaye amangqetshane bephumula. UNtundla loKhanka babesizana lapho omunye ephakathi kohlupho oluthile. Babekholisa bendawonye nxa kukhona okuletha intokozo. Kwaba kuhle kwaze kwafika isikhathi sendlala. Kwaphela ukudla ngapha komfula omkhulu uGwayi. Kodwa ngale kwawo, kwakukhanya kukuhle, kulamasimu ayemahle, kulehlobo lezifuyo ezinhle. Kwakulamazambane, umumbu, indlubu, indumba, amakhabe kanye lokunye okunjalo. Ngakho bahlala phansi bazama ukubona icebo lokuthi bangaphepha njani.
“Ndoda, kunganjani sichaphele ngaphetsheya siyedinga ukudla khona?” kusitsho uNtundla.
“Ngiyezwa malume! Ngiyezwa,” uKhanka ekhanya imicabango yakhe ikude.
“Pho-ke? Wakhanya sengathi uyathandabuza?”
“Ya, mngane, ngiyanakana nje. Phela ukudla kukhanya kukhona sibili emasimini, kunye lezifuyo. Kodwa abiyelwe amasimu, labelusi bayaziqaphela izimvu lembuzi. Njalo indumela zithi kulabalindi abahlala beqaphe amasela.”
“Lawe ndoda, uduba ngobugwala,” kusitsho uNtundla.
“Malume, kwabo kagwala akulasililo phela,” esitsho uKhanka elokhu ecabanga, esenwaya ikhanda lakhe. “Okunye futhi yikuthi, kimi inkinga yikuthi sizawuchapha njani umfula-lo uGwayi? Wena phela ungcono ulezinyawo ezinde lentamo ende. Uyindlulamithi impela,” esitsho ekhangela intamo kaNtundla uKhanka.“
Yinto encane leyo ndoda. Ngizaguqa unombele emhlane wami ube usukhwela ngentamo uze uphose uthinte ikhanda. Ungagalula njani?” ebuza uNtundla.
UKhanka waphulula umlomo wakhe wasesithi, “Ya malume, lelo licebo elihle kakhulu. Kungcono sichaphe kusasa emini yantambama sebesukile emasimini abantu.
Lakanye, ngelanga elilandelayo batshona bekhotha indebe sekubaphuzele ukuchaphela ngaphetsheya. Lithe lithambama seliqonda kunina ilanga, nampo bengena emfuleni, uKhanka ethandele izandla zakhe entanyeni kaNtundla.
“Yeyi, yeyi ndoda, ungangikhami phela,” kusitsho uNtundla.
“Hatshi, yikukugona nje kuphela lokhu malume,” ephendula ehleka uKhanka.
Wangena ngenyawo zakhe ezinde uNtundla, kwathi lapho otshona khona umfula, watshutsha ngentamo yakhe ende, uKhanka eyigagadlele. Waphanga wachaphela ngaphetsheya. Wakhothama examalaze ngezinyawo zaphambili, uKhanka weqela phansi ethokoza impela. Nampo beqonda ensimini yabantu. Kwakungesihlobo kuleyonsimu. Nampayana labafana bezimvu bethinta imihlambi yabo. UNtundla wathi engena ensimini, uKhanka yena wanyenyela okulizinyane okwakuseduze lothango sekulahlekile. Wahle wazitika ngakho wasutha nti. UNtundla yena wamofuza umumbu waze wezwa esomile. UKhanka wasenanzelela ukubana abanikazi bangababona bazavala isango babatshaye babalimaze. Wezwa esefikelwa yikuthi aphonguphoxa umngane wakhe. Nango ephanda umlindi ethangweni owawusiyaphutshela ngale. EyakoNtundla yona yayilokhu ilibele isisehlisa umumbu ngekhabe elibomvu gebhu eligcwele umhluzi omnandi. Uthe eseqedile ukuphanda uKhanka eyakoNtundla yona ilokhu imofuza, wabe ememeza. Wayekwazi ukuthi abantu bazabe sebedinga izinyane elilahlekileyo.
“Hawu, wenzani ndoda uzasibizela abantu basitshaye lapha? Phela mina ngisakholisa ikhabe,” kusitsho uNtundla.
“Malume, ngilunywe yimpolompolo,” wabe eklabalala njalo uKhanka.
Mamo, kanti sebezwile abafana bezifuyo ababezivalela esibayeni. Beza begijima bajikijela ngamatshe lezigodo bethetha ngenyamazana eseziqede amabele abo. OkuKhanka khona kwavele kwagijima kwathi ntshobe esikhaleni sakho, eyakoNtundla yathathela ibaleka abafane bengemva kwayo beyixotsha njalo beyithuka. Yabhoda lensimu beyijikijela eyiNtundla beyithuka kubi, yaze yayathola isango elalivulwe yibo abafana yaphuma yabaleka iqonda emfuleni. Kulapho eyahlangana khona loKhanka yena esefike kudala ebukele umngane exotshwa ngabantu. Kwakungani uyagigitheka kodwa engafuni uNtundla ananzelele lokho. “Wo-o-o, uhle uyangihleka ndoda? Uyabona nje ukuba sengimatshothotshotho njani, lokuhluzuka, lezibavu ngenxa yakho? Ungumngane onjani?”“Hawu, malume, ngenzeni kanti?” ebuza uKhanka kulokhu kusithi agigitheke.
“Wenzeni? Nxa ungikhangele benginje singakezi ngapha?”
“Uxolo mngane.”
“Mngane, mngane ukuthini?”
“Angithi uvele uyakwazi malume ukuthi ngingadla ngisuthe sokusithi ngihlabele.”
UNtundla wakukhangele ngelihlo elibi, kwathi kakukhahlele kuyewela le. Kodwa wayengalawo umoya omubi. Wabona ukuthi umngane wakhe lo wenze ngamabomo ukuklabalala. Wayemazi ukuthi wayake afikelwe yisibungu esimthuma ukuthi enze ubuphoxo. Wazithulela umuntu omdala. Wamgadisa umgane wakhe uKhanka njengokuza kwabo, wangena umfula ukuba bachaphe. Uthe esesenzikini, wabe esithi, “Mfo, uyazi mina sengifuna ukugeza. Mahle kakhulu amanzi lapha,” esitsho uNtundla.
UKhanka wathi, “A, njani malume? Usukhohliwe ukuthi mina angikwazi ukuntsheza? Ngizagalula phela.”
UNtundla wathi, “Usukhohliwe ukuthi mina nxa sengitshayiwe ngangithande ukuthi ngigeze ngiphozise amanxeba?”
Wabe ecwilisa intamo yakhe emanzini. Nango uKhanka ecwila, eginya amanzi. Wazama ukutshaya ibhamu wabuye wacwila eklabalala esesaba ukufa.
“Ngiyafa-bo! Ntundla, nginceda mngane wami!”Wabona umngane wakhe esehawula uNtundla ebindana lamanzi egalula.
Wamzwela isihawu. Wayengafuni buphele ubungane babo. Wabe ecwilisa ikhanda njalo wamkhupha umngane emanzini.
UKhanka wakhwehlela esehitshwe ngamanzi wagagadlela intamo kaNtundla. Watsheza uNtundla wayakhuphuka ngale komfula.
Uthe eseke wakhupha amanzi ngomlomo lamakhala uKhanka, ebonga ukuthi usile engozini yokugalula wathi kuNtundla,“Ngiyabonga mngane wami ngoba bengizafela emanzini.”
“Ube ufunde isifundo ndoda. Ufunde ukuphatha kuhle abangane. Bengifuna ukukufundisa isifundo,” esitsho ehleka uNtundla, uKhanka elokhu eqhuqha ethonta amakhovula emakhaleni.
“Ngixolela mngane. Angiphindi futhi ukudlala kubi!” kusitsho uKhanka.
“Ungumngane wami Khanka. Asihambe siyophumula,” kusitsho uNtundla.
“Asihambe malume. Ngizafika ngikuthobe amanxeba la.”
Bahamba bonke sekuphelile ukucaphukelana.Hm, bangane bakaGogo, lingakujwayeli ukuphatha kubi abangane. Fundani ukwenza kwabanye lokho elifisa bakwenze kini. Sizabonana njalo. Yimi olithandayo, uGogo Barbara Nkala.
