USilwane LoGundwane
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
Inganekwane yethu yalamhla imayelana loSilwane loGundwane. USilwane phela yiyo iNkosi yeguswini. Lapho uSilwane abhonga khona kundindima umhlaba kuthithibale izinyamazana kunye labantu emakhaya abo. UGundwane wakhula kwabo evele engezwa engalaleli izixwayiso zabazali. Wayekuthanda ukwenza khonalokho okungavunyelwayo. Wayephuma esiyavakatsha khatshana lomlindi wakwabo, kwesinye isikhathi alahleke, adingwe esadingwa. Angazuzakala adonswe indlebe akhuzwe esakhuzwa. Kodwa, kwakungena kule indlebe kuphume kuleyana. Uyise waze wathi kuye kwelinye ilanga,
“Wena mfana Gundwanyana, awulaleli. Ulihlongandlebe. Isala kutshelwa sibona ngomopho. Uyangizwa na? Isala kutshelwa sibona ngomopho Gundwanyana!”
Amethusa amazwi kayise uGundwane, kodwa kayekelanga ukwenza intando yakhe. Wayezibona ehlakaniphile. Wayezibona yena enguphunyuka bemphethe. Kwelinye ilanga wathatheka edlala elokhu engena igusu. Engananzelele wazibona eselapho anganjwayelanga ukuba khona. Masinyane, wabona nansiyana inkosi yegusu. Wafisa ukusondela. Wakhohlwa ukuthi selahlekile. Wezwa uSilwane ehoqa. Wanyenya, wasondela. Wayibuka inkosi yegusu. Wayezwile kanenginengi ukubana uSilwane ufana xathu lomangoye omkhulu oyinkalakatha. Wasondela. Wabona sibili ukuthi uMdala silwane unjengomakiti omkhulu kakhulu. Ikhanda lakhe leli eliyimbokodo enkulu, amakhala akhe, umlomo wakhe, indlebe zakhe, inyawo zakhe, ha-a-a-be, inzipho zakhe bakithi? Isisu sonke lesi bakithi? Udlani uSilwani ukuthi asuthe nti? Ujamile ebuka umakiti omkhulu lo okuthiwa nguSilwane, kanti indlebe lamakhala kaSilwane sephembele ukuthi kukhona okuyinyamazana eduze lapho. USilwane wavula ilihlo lakhe elilodwa kancane. Wabona, hawu, ngokuGundwanyana. Kufunani? Kwenzani kumphambanisa eziphumulela? Ngokuphazima kwelihlo wabe esekudobhile ngesisodwa isandla. UGundwane wayengananzelelanga ukuba usengozini. Zamhlaba inzipho zikasilwane. Wakubona ukupatshaka esandleni senkosi yegusu uSilwane. Wawezwa amazwi kayise esithi, “Isala kutshelwa sibona ngomopho Gundwanyana!” Wazisola ngokungalaleli. Wafisa ukuba ngabe walalela abazali bakhe bemxwayisa. Wafisa ukuba ngabe uyathola ithuba aguquke. Ecabanga enjalo wayebhinquka ezama ukuzikhulula esandleni lesi esasimbambe sengathi yisifu esibi.
Ukutshukuza kukaGundwane kwambobothekisa uSilwane. Wakhupha ingavula zakhe zamazinyo ethikaza ukukunqontshela okuGundwane. Kwatshukuza ngamandla kuklabalala okuGundwane kwamemeza kusithi,
“O, nkosi! Ngixolela nkosi. Ungangidli nkosi, ngiyacela!”
Wabobotheka uSilwane wathi, “Kumele ngikunqontshele wena Gundwane. Ube usenzani ungiphambanisa ngiphumula?”
“Ngiyaxolisa nkosi! Angisoze ngiphinde ukuphazamisa inkosi iphumula. Ngixolela, lami ngizakusiza kwelinye ilanga.”
Kwamqumbaqumba uSilwane ukuzwa lokho, wasesithi,
“He-he! Uyawumana wena Gundwanyana! Wena usiza mina? Njani?”
“Ngixolela nkosi yami Silwane. Abadala bathi izandla ziyagezana. Ungangidla nkosi ngizakusiza njani?”
Wayesephongutsho laye uGundwane ezincengela. USilwane wakhamisa umlomo wakhe njalo engani ufuna ukukudla okuGundwane, kwaklabalala kwazithambisela. USilwane wakujikela phansi wathi,
“Usuzangivusa ulaka ungcolisa isandla sami. Hamba! Baleka ngingakakulimazi!”
Kwabaleka okuGundwane, kwathi sokubucwala kubona uSilwane engakulandeli, kwema kwamemeza kwathi,
“Ngiyabonga nkosi yegusu. Ngiyabonga kakhulu O nkosi!” USilwane yena wangani ukuxotsha ngesandla ukuthi akuhambe, kumbangela umsindo. UGundwane kwamthatha isikhathi ukuthi aze ayivumbulule indlela eya emlindini wakwabo. Wafika abazali bakhe sebehlahle amehlo sebedinge badela. Kakho owabuzayo ukuthi bekuye ngaphi okuGundwanyana. Bazithulela. Kodwa laye uGundwane mhlalokho waba ngumntwana olungileyo njalo othumekayo ngoba ephume emlonyeno wengonyama.
Kwathi ngemva kweviki, uGundwane elokhu exotshana lamavevane edlala, wabona esekhatshana lomlindi wakwabo njalo. Wethuka waqhuqha esizwa ukubhonga kwesilwane. Wathi mehlo suka, wabona, hawu, yinkosi yegusu uSilwane. Wayebanjwe yisifu esasithiywe ngabantu. USilwane wayesegutshuzelwe yinethi eqine njengombulo isimvalele yambiyela. Wayelokhu ezama ukuzikhulula aphume kodwa umbule wamgubuzela waba sejele. Wayesengozini yokuficwa ngabantu ababethiyile ababezamgwaza ngemikhonto yabo bambulale. UGundwane wantantalaza wafika lapho waqala ukungqathuza umbule lowo owawuyisithiyo ngamazinyo akhe. Wangqathuza, wangqathuza kwaze kwaba lesikhala esanela ukuba uSilwane aphume. Kwaba yinkosi yegusu eyabonga yagomela ngalesi isikhathi.
Hmmm, bangane bakaGogo, akumelanga sidelele loba seyise abancane kulathi ngoba balakho ukusisiza. Ngempela izandla ziyagezana. Ngithemba liyikholisile inganekwane kaSilwane loGundwane. Sesizahlangana njalo kuviki elizayo.
Yimi olithandayo kakhulukhulu uGogo Barbara Nkala.