UPHAPHI LOKUNGALALELI
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
INGANEKWANE
Bangane bakaGogo, inganekwane yethu yalamhla ilesifundo esiyinqaba. UKhulu uGatsheni wayebathanda kakhulu abazukulu bakhe bonke, ehlala ebafundisa okuqakathekileyo empilweni, ebafundisa ukuba ngabantu abalobuntu, njalo ebalaya. Wayebafundisa amalibho ukuze babe lezingqondo ezibukhali ezicabanga masinyane. Abanye abazukulu bakaKhulu Gatsheni, babehlala eduze balalele, babe sebesenza njengokutsho kukaKhulu. Abanye njalo izifundo zazingena kule indlebe ziyephuma kuleya. Labo ngabanjengoPhaphi, owayevame ukuqholoza, njalo eziqhenya ngokuba yinsomi. UKhulu Gatsheni, wayengabaqwaqwazi ngomqwayi wakhe abangezwayo. Wayebalaya ngothando. Ngolunye usuku wathi kubo,
“Bazukulu bami, enye into eqakathekileyo yikulalela izixwayiso zabazali.”
UPhaphi wabe emgama uKhulu esithi, “Kodwa Khulu, ususitshele kanengi ngokulalela. Sokuyindinabadli Khulu, aah.”
“Hatshi, mfana wami. Hatshi, Phaphi. Akukho okuyindinabadli ezifundweni. Ngiyaphinda njalonjalo ukuze lingalibali. Ngenzela ukuba lihlakaniphe likwazi ukulimuka izinto eziyingozi. Liyabona bazukulu, ukungalaleli kubi. Umuntu olalelayo uvika izinto ezimbi ezinengi kakhulu. Kambe lisakhumbula nje bazukulu konke engalifundisa ngakho ukuba likwenze nxa lelusile egangeni, loba lithunywe ukwenza okuthile? Kengibone abalalelayo.”
Zaphakama izandla. “Khulu, wathi kumele singajumeki egangeni, loba ukulibala ngokudlala, izifuyo zicine zitshotsha zisiyangena emasimini abantu, loba zilahleke.”
Yikho sibili mzukulu. Yikho. Kuhle lokho. Wena-ke Zuze uthini?”
“Khulu, wathi wena nxa selusile, izifuyo zingadla, zidle, zidle, kufanele siyezinathisa amanzi ukuze zingagubelani.”
Wathaba uKhulu esizwa ukuhlakanipha okungaka, wathi, “Awuboni-ke jaha elihlakaniphileyo. Yikho sibili. Wena uthini Fuzwayo?”
“Mina Khulu ngikhumbula usithi, kumele sihlale sithwele induku lemiqwayi ukuze sivikele izifuyo zethu ezitheni. Njalo wathi, singabona impisi loba amakhanka ezama ukudobha amazinyane, kumele sihlabe umkhosi omkhulu ukuze sithole usizo masinyane loba silwisana lazo izinyamazana ezimbi lezi.”
“Awu, ngiyabonga bafana bami ngoba liyalalela isibili. Ngiyazi kunengi elakufundayo, kodwa hambani liyelala ukuze livuke ekuseni lisenza imisebenzi yenu.” Bavalelisa bayalala abazukulu bakaGatsheni.
Ekuseni, babevuka kule babe sebetshelwa imisebenzi yabo yalelolanga. Kuleloviki, uPhaphi nguye owayelezopa lokwelusa izimvu lembuzi. Wayephuma lazo ephethe umphako wakhe, induku lomqwayi, ayetshona ezalusile. Zingadla wayesiyazinathisa amazi abe esezithinta zisiya ekhaya. Mhlalokho esekwaluseni, wacabanga amazwi kaKhulu, wasebobotheka eyedwa. Wayeceba ukwenza okuthile esoma nje, ukuze abone okwakuzakwenzakala. Kuthe ilanga selibekelela esezakuya ekhaya, wama phezu kwelitshe elikhulu, wamemeza wathi,
Mayeee! Impisi! Nanz’ impisi. Ncedani! Ncedani bo-o-o-o!”
Lakanye bamuzwa abanye besemasimini, abanye besekukheni amanzi, abanye bengekhaya bebaza okuthile. Aphuma amajaha labobaba bethwele izikhali bagijima belubangise khonale okwakuzwakala khona umkhosi. Bathi befika bathi khwimilili. Izifuyo zazilokhu zizidlephunela utshani lamahlamvu ezihlahlana. Bafika bephefuzela bebuza ukuba zingaphi impisi. Babona unkalakatha ethe qotshotsho phezu kwelitshe egigitheka. Umfowabo omdala wathi,
“Wena Phaphi, zingaphi impisi osinqolongele umkhosi ngazo? Hii?”
UPhaphi yena wazihlekela wathi, “Bengizisomela mina. Akulampisi lapha.”
Bacaphuka kakhulu abanye banxapha, abanye njalo bancifa. UMfowabo yena waphose wamhlankala ngempama etshisayo, wavika unkabi wasibathela elokhu ezihlekela. Uyisemkhulu uGatsheni wamkhuza ngalesosenzo sakhe, kodwa lona olunkabi lwalulokhu lumoyizela kusithi kaluhleke selukhumbula ukuthi amadoda agijime aginqa kanjani ethwele izikhali zokucobodisa impisi. Abanye babeze lezinja zabo ezibukhali.
Kwedlula insuku ezimbili, uPhaphi wayiphinda into yakhe. Kuye kwakungumdlalo okholisisayo. Wayesedakekile ngokutshona ephendula izifuyo zakhe esefuna njalo ukubukela amadoda amadala ekhusuzela engani angaze ephuke loba athi tshoko ezihlahleni. Mhlalokho wakhwela phezu kwesihlahla wamemeza ngezwi eligcwele ukwesaba wathi,
“Nanka amakhanka ehlasela izifuyo. Amakhanka bo! Ncedani bo! Mama lo-o-o! Zaphela izifuyo! Ncedani bo-o-o!”
Abanye bahle basukumela phezulu lapho ababekhona badobha izikhali zabo babasela ukuyalamulela izifuyo zabo. Abanye abalutshwane baqala bathi thika, bekhumbula isenzo sikaPhaphi sakuthangithangi. Kodwa bacabanga ukuba, okuzinyamazana lokhu kwakugangile. Kusamele baphange bayelamula. Wakholisa ukubukela abantu abadala begijima uPhaphi. Wayethe nama phezu kogatsha lwesihlahla. Wababukela befika besithi khwimilili, bebona izifuyo zizidlela zingethukanga. Wesaba
ukwehla esihlahleni ngoba omunye umfowabo wayevele esememeza ngezwi eligcwele ukucasuka esithi,
“Phaphi! Wena Phaphi! Uyiphindile into yakho? Wena mfana, udlala kubi! Lapho engizakuthola khona ngizakutshuka okuzindletshana kwakho lokhu okungalaleliyo.”
Babuyela njalo bonke emisebenzini yabo becunukile kakhulu. Mhlalokho uPhaphi wavalela izifuyo sokunqunda amehlo, wahle wanyenya wayazithukuza engutsheni. Abazidubanga ngaye abanye ngoba besazi ukuthi uyesaba ukukatswa.
Ngelanga elilandelayo, elibele egebha isadenda, wezwa imbuzi sebuyibu Me-e-e! Me-e-e! Konke lezimvu sezibaleka, izifuyo zitsahazeka. Kanti, nanko umhlambi wamakhanka usuphezu kwezifuyo. Okungamazinyane khona amakhanka akuthathela phezulu. Wethuka unkabi wakhohlwa lapho ajikele khona umqwayi wakhe lenduku. Waphaphatheka laye ememeza esithi,
“Amakhanka! Nanka amakhanka! Lamulani bo! Ncedani bo-o! Zaphela izifuyo bo-o! Maye-e! Amakhanka!” Wakhwela phezu kwelitshe. Wayamemeze, wayamemeze, phinde abone umuntu. Okungamaganyane lokhu kwazingenela izifuyo, kwatshaya kwalalisa. Okunye kwasekuphongu dlithiza kutshiye kunjalo. Wamemeza egijima esiya ekhaya edletshwa zingatsha zezihlahla. Wamemeza waze wayafika ekhaya ehlahle amehlo. Ababesekhaya bembona bananzelela ukuba mhlalokho uqinisile uPhaphi. Baya emmangweni bathola umonakalo umkhulu kuzifuyo.
Hmmm, bangane bakaGogo, likubona njani lokhu okwenziwa nguPhaphi? Akelixoxisane ngakho libonisana. Ovalelisayo nguGogo Barbara Nkala olithanda kakhulu.