UMage wayehlala exwayisa umngane wakhe owayenguthathekile, eduma lalaba, adume lalabaya. Kwelinye ilanga wangena endlini yabo yokulala esikolo engumtshoko ehlahle amehlo, wafika wazijika phezu kombheda wakhe ephefuzela. Wamangala umngane wakhe uMage wathi,

“Sekutheni ungena njengomvundla okhuthwe luhlamvu lombhobho Geze?”

“Mage, besengiziphosele emalahleni. Bengizafela amafufu njengegundwane.”

“Kwenzenjani? Hluba indlubu ekhasini bo.”

“Wena!” ehlalela phambuli embhedeni wakhe. “Ngizwe oDoli besithi bayakukha umbumbulu ngemva kwedwala elikhulu!”

“Wena! Ube usukhohliwe ukuthi akuvunyelwa ukweqa amasango esikolo,” esitsho emangala uMage.

“Mage, bengikhanuka umbumbulu. Kanti, bathi hutshu amanga aluhlaza, balanda ukuyahlangana labafana bakoMaphala abavame ukubaphathela isibhijo. UDoli loPhetheni yibo abebehaluzela bephambili. Kanti ababuzanga elangeni. UTitsha Nkomo loSicholo kukhanya bebevele bathola udletshana bacathama ngemva kwesihlahla esikhulu belindile phambi kwesango.”

“Geze, ngihlala ngikukhuza ngokuba nguthathekile.”

“Kulabanye abebephambi kwethu. Sivele sabona sebephaphatheka bephenduka, asisabuzanga, lathi sahle sathi nyawo ngibeletha sisiza emadomu.”

“Qotho Geze! Yikho okufisayo lawe ukubanjwa abazali bacine bebizwa bezekuthatha usuxotshiwe?”

“Mage, lamhla ngizakhafulela egodini ngithi mphthu! Ngigqibele.”

“Geze, isalakutshelwa sibona ngomopho!”

Ubuntu yikungathathwa ludumo umuntu aphongujuluka lamanzi lanxa esiyakhalakathela emaweni. Abantu abatsha ikakhulu bayavama ukuphonguthathwa ludumo bengayiboni ingozi ephambili. Bayathanda ukulandela okwenziwa ngosowabo, kanti okunye kukhokhelela ekuxhwaleni. Kulapho abanye abaqala khona ukunatha utshwala lokusebenzisa izidakamizwa bephiwa ngabangane. Abanye basuka bahawukele lokho ngoba abaphakathi kwakho benza kube sengathi yibungamula. Bayalandele babone sengathi yikukholisa bacine bengena kokubi baphuthelwe layimfundo. Izinto ezimbi lezi ziba yimijibila abathiyeka kuyo.

Musa ukuba nguthathekile. Kulengozi. Umuntu olobuntu kaphonguthathwa ludumo.

Barbara Nkala