UNKAWU NENE LONGWENYA
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
INGANEKWANE
UNkawu Nene LoNgwenya
Inganekwane yethu lamhla bangane imayelana loNkawu Nene. Kuthiwa kudaladala, izinyamazana zisakhuluma, kwakulokuphilisana lokuhlalisana kuhle eguswini legangeni. UMama Nkawu wayehlala efundisa njalo elaya abantwabakhe oNkawu Dade, Nkawu Nana, Nkawu Bhudi loNkawu Nene ukuthi kumele bahlakaniphe, bangaqileki lapho eguswini. Wayesithi nxa omunye wabo angazithola esephakathi kohlupho, kufanele asebenzise ubuchopho ukuthi kuyini angakwenza ukuba aphunyuke engozini angabe ephakathi kwayo. UMama Nkawu wayekhuza, akhwaze nxa angabona omunye wabantwabakhe etshengisa ubugwala loba ukwesaba. Wawungamuzwa esithi,
“Yeyi wena Nkawu Nene, Ukhalelani? Suka lapha! Vus’ inkophe usebenzise ubuchopho ungabe ulokhu ubovula lapha. Ngizakutswapula ungabe ulokhu usithi mfi-mfi khonalapha.”
Lokhu kwenza okungoNkawu kukhule kuhlakaniphile. Loba kukhangelane lenkinga, kwakungaqali ukuthi kugijimele kunina. Kwakuzama amacebo onke ukuba kuphunyuke engozini kungazange kukhale kunina. Ngakho kwakhula kuhlakaniphile okungonkabi, kuvikana lezingozi zaseguswini, njalo kungaqileki lula. Kuphela nje, lokhu okuncane kwakhona, okuNkawu Nene, kwakungezwa. Kwakulihlongandlebe. UMama Nkawu angathi kuyedinga izithelo labanye, khona kwakubabalekela kuyedlala kodwa loba kuhambe kubukela izidalwa zeganga. Kungathiwa kuyekukha amanzi, khona kudenya kuyebhodabhoda kukodwa loba kuvakatshela abangane bakho.
Kwelinye ilanga uMama Ngwenya wathuma uNkawu Bhudi loNkawu Nene ukuthi bayemcelela imbiza enkulu eyokupheka amagwadla komzawabo koNdwangu. Kwakumele bachaphe isifula ukuyafika komzawabo. Unina wamemeza besithela ezihlahleni wathi,
“Liqaphele isigangi senyamazana le okuthiwa nguNgwenya. Igangile kakhulu. Ayikutshayi mkhuba ukuthi ilibambe ilingxavuze ngamazinyo ayo anukayo. Lingasondeli kuNgwenya.”
“Yebo Mama,” kuvuma uBhudi Nkawu, uNkawu Nene yena evele esekhatshana exotshanisa amavevane amahle ayaphapha. Wasala esememeza umnawakhe uBhudi Nkawu, khona okuNkawu Nene sokusithele phakathi kwezihlahla. Kwacina sokungene kakhulu ematshwaheni kungasaboni lokuthi kanti kuvelele ngaphi. Lamavevane ayesephaphe akutshiya. Kwaqala ukumemeza uBhudi Nkawu, kodwa kwezwa insingizi zihlabela. Kwema kwalalela. Kwezwa zihlabela ziphendulana; enduna lensikazi zisithi:
“Umntanomntanam’ ulahlekile!”
“Hamba, hamba uyemdinga!”
“Udobh’ ufudu lwakhe!”
“Letha lapha, letha lapha ngikwamlele!”
“Hayi, hayi, uzamdlela!”
“Hayi, hayi angimdleli!”
OkuNkawu Nene kwahleka kwathi,
“Ah, uliqili uKhulu Nsingizi. Vele uzamdlela sibili. Ungavumi Makhulu!” kumemeza kulokhu kutshopoka ezihlahleni, kudinga indlela yokubuyela ekhaya.
UNkawu Nene, weqa kugatsha ngogatsha waze wayakuthi jiti, okhunjini lomfula. Wakhangwa lixolo elalingani liluthuli oluluhlazana lindenda emanzini. Kodwa uNkawu Nene wabona lilamehlo abomvu ayengacwayizi. Wayengakaze alibone ixolo elilamehlo. Wasondela, wasondela ephulula okungamadevana kwakhe esilevini. Wabona ixolo lithutsha ngamandla selilikhulu. Weqela phezu kwalo efuna ukuyabona kuhle ngamehlo awabone kulo ixolo. Habe, nanto ixolo lintsheza laye lisiya enzikini lapho ayengeke eqe aphume khona. Wayikhona enanzelela ukuthi, Habe! Ayisilo xolo. Yinyamazana embi enukayo. Wayikhona ebona ukuthi ilomlomo omude, lengavula zamazinyo, lomsila omude. UNkawu Nene wayengakaze ayibone iNgwenya. Wayehlezi nje esizwa unina ebalimukisa ukuthi nxa besiyakukha amanzi, baqaphele bangabanjwa yingwenya eyayihlala ibonakala okhunjini lomfula.
“Uyingozi uNgwenya. Uhlala ebamba izifuyo zabantu kunye labantu ngokwabo, abadlithidlithize ngengavula zamazinyo akhe. Kumele limlimuke! Mubi! Ugangile!”
Nango-ke uNkawu Nene esebelethwe nguNgwenya entsheza laye esiya enzikini. Waphanga wadla ingqondo.
“Hawu, sabona Khulu? Nguwe uMdala uNgwenya engihlala ngisizwa ngaye ngendumela?”
UNgwenya wabobotheka esizwa ukuba kulendumela ngaye. Wathi,
“Yimi kanye uNgwenya Nkawundini!”
“Angisuye uNkawundini Khulu. Mina nginguNkawu Nene!”
“Nkawundini loba Nkawu Nene, angilandaba. Lamhla sengikutholile engikufunayo.”
“Kuyini okufunayo Khulu?”
“Ngifuna inhliziyo yakho lesibindi sakho. Ngumuthi omkhulu ozakwenza ukuba ngingagugi masinyane.”
Amazwi kaMama Nkawu ancencetha engqondweni kaNkawu Nene –“Vus’ inkophe usebenzise ubuchopho!”
“Wo-o!” kusitsho okuNkawu Nene engani kuyamzwela uNgwenya. “Inhliziyo yami lesibindi sami ngumuthi omkhulu Khulu? Pho yini ndaba ungavelanga watsho Khulu singakayi khatshana?”
“Uthi ngiyisithutha Nkawundini, nxa sengikubambile ngikubambile.” Haa! Ngaze ngakuzuza!”
“Yebo Khulu, kodwa into ongayaziyo, yikuthi thina koNkawu, kanye ngenyanga, siyakhupha izitho zethu zangaphakathi sizigezise, besesizichaya phezu kwesihlahla esikhulu eselala.”
“Wo-o-oh!” kumangala uNgwenya. “Uqinisile Nkawundini?”
“Ngiqinisile Khulu Ngwenya. UMama angangibhambabula ngingaqamba amanga. Ezangakaphathi oziqambayo zichayiwe emuva le esihlahleni selala. Kungcono siphenduke ngiyekuthathela.”
“Yebo?” uNgwenya esithi khwimilili, ephenduka ebheka emuva. Loba wayeyinyamazana enkulu kuloNkawu, kodwa ebuchotsheni kwakujiye njengelaja lesijeza. Wakubona kulicebo elizwakalayo ukuthi babuyele emuva uNkawundini lo ayemupha izitho lezo azilambeleyo. Hawu, ntsheziyani, ntsheziyani bebuyela lapho ayebone khona uNkawu Nene.
“Uphangise phela Nkawundini, ngingakumeleli isikhathi eside,” eqonqosela. Laye uNkawu Nene wathi esithi tshopo, wamemeza egijima esithi,
“Ngiyabuya khathesi Khulu Ngwenya!” Wabe esithi nombe, nombe esihlahleni eside selala esasisekhunjini lomfula. Wafika phezulu wakha isithelo esikhulu esiqinileyo esasingakavuthwa, wamemeza wathi;
“Khulu Ngwenya, khamisa umlomo. Nanso inhliziyo yami lesibindi. Lakanye eyakoNgwenya yawuvula wangaka umlomo, sekukhanya lesilakalaka. Wabe ephosa ngamandla uNkawu Nene, isithelo lesiyana safika sathi ntshobe emlonyeni kaNgwenya, sayakuthi nki emphinjeni. Samkhama uNgwenya. Seyathe uzama ukusikhwehlela lokusikhupha, nkani ukuphuma. Kwahleka kakhulu okuNkawu Nene kwamemeza kusithi,
“Yetshwa! Ugangile Ngwenyandini. Ube ufuna ukungidla wena! Ha-a! Ubovus’ inkophe usebenzise ubuchopho!”
Ukumemeza kukaNkawu Nene, kwezwiwa ngumfowabo labo bonke abakoNkawu ababemdinga. Bafika lapho bazibonela eyakoNgwenya ilokhu igonyuluka ifisa ukukhupha isithelo esasithe ngxi emphinjeni siyivala umoya. Bathaba ukubona isitha sezinyamazana ezinengi sibhinqika sicwila emanzini.
UMama Nkawu wabamba iqolo wamemeza uNkawu Nene esithi;
“Wena Nkawu Nene, ufuna ukungibonisani kanti!” UNkawu Nene yena wehla eseqa ngokuphangisa esithi,
“Mana ngikuxoxele Mami. Lamhla ngivuse inkophe ngasebenzisa ubuchopho.”
Sizayitshiya lapho indaba kaNkawu Nene eselandisela unina indaba yakhe. Awu, bangane bakaGogo, fundani lani ukusebenzisa ubuchopho. Kumele licabange ngamaqhinga angalisiza liphunyuke lapho lisengozini njengoNkawu Nene. Sizahlangana njalo kuviki elizayo bangane sengiliphathele enye inganekwane. Yimi olithanda kakhulu uGogo Barbara Nkala.
