Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…


Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA

INGANEKWANE

Inganekwane yethu yalamhla bangane bakaGogo imayelana loSikhukhukazi loKhozi. Kuthiwa kudaladala izinyamazana lezinyoni kusakhuluma, izinyoni zonke zazilobuhlobo njalo zizwanana. Abanye abangane abakhulu kwakuyimuli kaQhude lemuli kaKhozi. Babenxusana bakholise bendawonye njalo bebolekana konke nje okubolekwanayo. Kwakusithi ngesikhathi sokutshisa izinsiba zibatshisele kakhulu. UKhozi wayelensingo ebukhali ayegunda ngayo lezozinsiba ezingaswelekiyo emulini. Kuthe abakoQhude labo sebefuna ukuphungula izinsiba unkosikazi kaQhude, uSikhukhukazi waya koKhozi wafika wathi,

“Mhlobo wami, livuka njani?”

“Siyavuka makhelwana. Linjani lina konkukhu?

“Siyaphila sinini sami. Ukutshisa kuphela. Abalali kuhle abantwana ngenxa yesikhudumezi. Bengithi kambe ungangisiza ngensingo yakho leyana engake ngayeboleka nyakenye kengibagundagunde?”

“Wo-o! Insingo ikhona makhelwana. Yana basiza abantwana. Litshisile lonyaka. Yekela ngikuphe.”

Lakanye wayiphiwa insingo kaKhozi, wafika wakungenela konke okuzinkukhwana lamatshiyane ephungula uboya lezinsiba. Uthe eseqedile wayibeka nje khonalapho esithi uzayibuyisela mhlalokho emini. Uthe ephumile, nanko okunye okulitshiyane osekuthe xaxa okwakungukhanda kalithathi kufika kuyithatha insingo. Nanko kuphuma layo lapho ebibekwe khona kusiyayenza isikela yotshani obabutshakazile izitshakala zilentanga ezimnandi kakhulu. Kweza lokunye okungabafowabo lakho kwafika kwazisiza. Yadojwa yilokhu, kwayijikela laphaya, yadojwa ngokunye okuyinkukhwana kwayisebenzisa kwabuye kwayijikela laphayana. Kuthe sekusuthi konke okungamatshiyane kwakhohlwa ngensingo kwayitshiya khonalapho etshaninini. Lalokhu okwakuyithethe kwakhohlwa nya ngensingo yemzini.

USikhukhukazi uthe esefuna ukubuyisela insingo kaKhozi wathola dwe, lapho abeyitshiye khona. Wadinga, wabhudula esabhudula, phinde ayithole. Wacina esedinga lalapho ayesazi ukuthi kavelanga wayibeka khona. Wabona ukuthi kukhona emulini oyithetheyo. USikhukhukazi wabiza konke okungamatshiyane kwakhe wathi,

“Gekeke! Gekeke! Bantwabami, ngubani othethe insingo kaKhozi ebengiyibeke lapha?”

“Tsiyo, tsiyo, ayisimi Ma!”

“Tsiyo tsiyo, ayisimi Mama! Vele angiyibonanga.”

Konke okungamatshiyana kwalandula. Okunye kwakuqinisile kwakungayibonanga. Kodwa uSikhukhukazi wananzelele ukuthi okunye okungamatshiyane kwakusithi qwayiqwayi kukhangelana ngamehlo atshengisa ukuba kulesazela. Wakujonga uSikhukhukazi ngamehlo afuna impendulo. Wabe ekukhetha lokho okukhanya kungazi lutho wathi kuye eceleni. Wasala lalokhu okwakulokhu kusithi qwayiqwayi kukhangelana sengathi kuyacebana. Wavuka ngolaka uSikhukhukazi wathi,

“Yeyi lina! Ake liphangise lingitshele ukuthi ngubani othethe insingo lapho ebengiyibeke khona. Khulumani ngingakalikatsi ngoswazi lwephane.”

Okunye okwasekuqhuqha kuseduze laye uSikhukhukazi kwathi, “Mina Mami angazi lutho. Ngibone usisi esika ngayo utshani.”

“Wo-o! Wena sisi, uyise ngaphi insingo yami? Ngitshela masinya!”  esitsho esevule amehlo abomvu uSikhukhukazi.

“Ah, mina Mami ngiyibone ibekwa phansi nguKuku, lami ngayithatha ngayisebenzisa, ngabuye ngayibuyisela lapho ebengiyidobhe khona.”

“Wena Kuku, uyise ngaphi insingo kaKhozi?”

“Lami Mami bengiyibone ikhonalapho. Angibonanga ukuthi ngubani ocine ukuyisebenzisa.”

Loba ilanga laselisiya kunina, uSikhukhukazi wathi, “Asihambeni liyengitshengisa lapho ebeliyisebenzisa khona. Babekelela, okungamatshiyane kugijima phambili, kodwa kungaselaqiniso lokuthi konje bekungaphi. Kwasekuphongusabalala.

“Liyitshiye ngaphi insingo kaKhozi?”

Alikho itshiyane elalileqiniso. Basabalala bonke unina uSikhukhukazi lamatshiyane beqhwaya lapha, baqhwaye laphayana. Phinde bayibone insingo. USikhukhukazi wayesetshaywa likhanda njalo laselimathunzi, sekusiba mnyama.  Wathi,

“Asihambeni ngakhaya. Kusasa ekuseni, wonke umuntu avukele lapha lidinge lize liyibone insingo kaKhozi. Nxa lingayibonanga, “Hiya!”

Kwathembisa okungamatsiyane ukuthi kuzavuka ekuseniseni kudinga. Lakanye, lathi liphuma ilanga sokungani ngumncintiswano wokuqhwaya phansi, USikhukhukazi losapho lwakhe baqhwaya, etshanini, baqhwaya egumeni enhlabathini, baqhwaya ngaphansi kweziphala, baqhwaya esilotheni. Phinde ibonakale insingo. Baqhubeka beqhwaya bedinga insingo. Kuthe seliphakeme ilanga kwafika uKhozi  wathi,

“Hawu, Sikhukhukazi! Uboleke insingo yami wathembisa ukuyiletha, wena nya? Sengilinde ikuseni yonke, wenzani lamatshiyane akho lilokhu liqhwayaqhwaya?”

Wethuka uSikhukhukazi ngoba lokhu wayengakulindele. Wayevele esesaba ukuthi akumelanga uKhozi aze afike ezocela ulutho lwakhe. Wasephongugagasa esithi,

“Awu mhlobo wami, kube liphutha. Ngiyeza khathesi ngakwakho. Ngibekezelela. Usibona siqhwaya nje sidinga inalithi yokuthunga elahlekileyo.”

“O-0h, hayi kulungile. UPhangise phela makhelwana ngoba ngifuna ukuyisebenzisa lamhla emini.”

“Kulungile sinini sami, esitsho esehlisa iphika uSikhukhukazi.”

Baqhubeka bedinga kwaze kwahlwa. Bavukela njalo ngelanga elilandelayo.  Kuthe kutshaya izikhathi zokuvulela inkomo, uKhozi watheleka engasadlanga nkotshana.

“Wena Sikhukhukazi, ulimenemene. Ngilinde ngalinda kanti wena ungibambisa ilitshe. Kuthini ekhanda lakho? Ingaphi insingo yami?”

Wahemahema uSikhukhukazi esehluleka lokukhangela uKhozi emehlweni.

“Ngithi ingaphi insingo yami Sikhukhukazi? Bengikuthembile, kanti awuthembekanga. Usufuna insingo yami ibe ngeyakho njalo usulokhu ungitshela amanga! Uthembeni?”

“Ngi-ngiyaxolisa mhlobo wami. Insingo yakho yalahlwa ngabantwana. Yiyo esiyidingayo ubona silokhu siqhwaya nje.”

“Ini? Sowalahla insingo yami wena mfazi?”

UKhozi wasuka lapho wabe ehlwitha okulitshiyane okukodwa ephapha esithi, “Uzabhadala ngabantwabakho uze ulethe insingo yami.” Nango ephapha lakho esiyakupha abantwabakhe ukuthi badle.

USikhukhukazi wadana kakhulu ngokuthathelwa umntwana. Wakwazi ukuthi uKhozi useyisitha, kasomi nxa esithi insingo yakhe isizahlawulelwa yikube edobha abantwana bakaSikhukhukazi. Lakanye, ngelanga elalandelayo belokhu beqhwaya bedinga egumeni, uKhozi wabe ephapha ngamandla wafika wahlwitha elinye itshiyane waphapha lalo. Ebona ukuthi uzaphelelwa ngabantwana uSikhukhukazi wababiza wabalaya abantwana ukuthi, bangavela bezwe ehlaba umkhosi esithi, Gekeke! Kumele bathathele ngesiqubu bacatshe ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe. Yena wayemkhulu, elakho ukulwisana loKhozi. Kusukela lapho uKhozi uyahlala esihlahleni ethiye ithuba lapho angathi phaphiyani ahlwithe elinye lamatshiyane kasiKhukhukazi. Ikanti uSikhukhukazi lalamhlokhu ulokhu edinga insingo KaKhozi labantwabakhe. Angavele aluthi tshazi ukhozi uyamemeza athi “Gekeke! Gekeke!” kugijime okungamatshiyane kuzocatha ngaphansi kwamaphiko. Okuhlakaniphileyo kuvele akudleli khatshana kukaSikhukhukazi.

Hmmm, bangane, kumele sigcine kuhle izinto zabanye esizibolekileyo singaziphathi butshapha. Kumele sinakekele ubungane bethu bungachithwa yibutshapha bethu. Sizabonana ngesizayo isikhathi bangane. Yimi olithanda kakhulu uGogo Barbara Nkala.