Umnumzana Mkhaliphi Ncube uzalwa koTamuhla indawo eyakhelene leyakoSipepa, useGoli eHillbrow ngokuhlala, uphila labangane bakhe akade ephila labo koBulawayo lapho athe ukuzama khona impilo kuqala engakezi eGoli. Aphume uNcube engovakatshela umngane wakhe uMqondisi Ndlovu, avele ahlangane laye uNdlovu engakayi kude.

”Gatsheni! boya benyathi,” uNcube ebingelela. 

”Hawu! Mzilankatha, siseyini nxa kunje emhlabeni, sesizulelwa ngamanqe, kuzajabula lezimpukane ngoba kukhanya ngeke sisakwazi ukulahlana.” 

”Hawu! kwaze kwahela kimi lokho Bab’ uNdlovu. Ubusuzwile ngoMpofu? Kodwa mina ngingeke ngimkhalele uMpofu, abadala bathi, ‘Utshani obulele buvuswa ngumlilo’. Kunini sikhuzana laye sengathi ngumntwana. Kodwa ngithemba uNkulunkulu uzamnikeza ithuba lesibili.” 

”Yeyi! uyaphi lapho, usungavele uthi, ‘Isala kutshelwa sibona ngomopho’. Selidume lamthatha uMpofu,” uNdlovu etsho ngelizwi elidabukisayo. 

”Akuthi uyadlala Ndlovu, okwanini? Bengilapho mina eBara esibhedlela izolo, ubesaphila uMpofu,” kumangala uNcube. 

”Khona lamhlanje ekuseni.” 

”Haaaaawu! ndodana kaDavida, sihawukele. Kambe singakamlahli loNdiweni.” 

”Yeyi! sekunjalo Ncube. Isitsha esihle asidleli, ngaphandle kwenkani yakhe uMpofu, engafuni ukufaka imaski njengathi. Kodwa ubeyindoda emadodeni, ubemazi umuntu.”

 

“Kunjalo Ndlovu. Baqinisile abadala nxa bethi, ‘Ubuhlungu besicathulo buzwiwa lunyawo’. Ngenxa yenkulumo yami eyakuqala, angeke usavuma ubuhlungu engibuzwayo kimi lapha,” uNcube ezitshaya esifubeni maqondana lenhliziyo. 

”Ngiyavuma Ncube, ngiyazi bewungaqondile. Inxeba lendoda alihlekwa. Mina ngimbone ngawami amehlo umphelela umoya, nxa uyazi inhlanzi ikhipha umlomo emanzini ukuthi ikhamisa kanjani, loba ngivele ngithi nxa usuyikhiphele ngaphandle kwamanzi. Ubesewudinga ngaleyondlela umoya uMpofu, ufe ewuvule wonke umlomo.” 

”Ibambe lapho Gatsheni, akusavumi, ngicela amanzi,” uNcube ehlala phansi ehambisa isandla. ”Akuwona amanzi lawa Ncube, zinyembezi zikaQueen, lami ngizama ukuqeda isifo senhliziyo.”

”Umhlaba lo!” uNcube etsho enyikinya ikhanda, abuye aqhubeke njalo ngenkulumo yakhe. ”Hawu! kodwa Jesu, siyaphephela kuphi, uze ungasitshiyi Baba.” Athule kancane uNcube abuye akhangele uNdlovu owayengasabunathi utshwala esebuthela okwamanzi. ”Ndlovu kubi! Kulamahemuhemu lapha, kuthiwa sekule ‘vaccine’ ezayo. Leyo ‘vaccine’ izogadla kithi abantu abamnyama. Amahlathi aphelile Ndlovu, sebeyazidlela amahlanga ngathi abamhlophe. Uyazibona izigigaba zeCovid-19?

”Uyabona lapho Ncube, usukhasela eziko. Kade uyibambe kahle ekuqaleni ugqoka imaski, usanithayiza, uhlamba lezandla imbali, nxa sikhuluma ngokuvikela udonsi lwayo. Lokuqhelelana, ngoba ingena ngokuphefumulelana, ukukhwehlelelana, lokuthinta lapho okuthinte khona umuntu olayo. Ivaccine layo ngeyokuvikela njalo, kodwa akutsho ukuthi sekumele siyeke amamaski, konke nje ebesikulaywa nguHulumende, kumele kuqhubeke kunjalo. Isicelo sami, ungalaleli okukhulunywa enkundleni zokuxhumana. Kungamanga, akulavaccine ezasibulala,” uNdlovu etsho edonsa umhlanga wogwayi ewulayitha. Abuye awudonse kabili kathathu, qede akhiphe omunye umhlanga ebhokisini ewuqhubela uNcube.

”Hawu! Ndlovu, sebuse khanda yini? Ubobuthela amanzi kakhulu. Ngiqale nini ukubhema mina? Uthi pho lento oqeda kungitshela yona ube uzizwa?” 

”Kulokho Ncube ngeke ngidlale ngakho. Uyazi Ncube ngisakudinga, ungalaleli abantu abadlala ngegeja kuziliwe, akuyona inganekwane leyi. Vuka emaqandeni Ncube, ungayibalekeli ivaccine, uhambe uyehlaba.”

”Ngiyabonga mfowethu. Eqinisweni lesisifo sikhona, njalo kumele sizivikele kuso, sikhumbule ukuthi lemandulo baphela ngesifo esifana lalesi esasibizwa nge ‘Swine flu’. Leso sifo sabakhona ngomnyaka ka1918 siqale eSpain. Lamhlanje sibona iKhorona eqale eChina.” 

“Ungatsho uliphile lelo Ncube,” uNdlovu evuma. Ngalesosikhathi kwasekuvela uMagagula.

”Bafowethu! Hayi khona, hayi ngeke, engikubonile khathesi nje phambi kweShoprite. Kodwa ngingakayi lapho, selizwile ngoMpofu?” uMagagula etshaya izandla okwamakazana emfuleni. Akhokhe umoya uNdlovu andubana akhulume. 

”Usibona nje silapha sikhuluma ngakho, mina bengikhona lapho evalelisa.” 

”Uyazi, ngisazibuza ukuthi usuyagoqwa yini lumhlaba,” uNdlovu etsho ebabuka bobabili uMagagula loNcube. 

”Bafowethu, ngingakakhohlwa. Uyazi nxa ngithi ngiyangena eShoprite, umuntu avele athi vutshalala phansi okwesaka lempuphu. Awuzange ubone wena, abantu babaleka sengathi kukhithike inyoka esihlahleni. Akekho ngitsho loyedwa ofise ukumsisa lowababa, kuze kwafika inqolamlilo yokuphepha begqoke sengathi bayathapha inyosi, bezivale yonke indawo. Engikubone lapho, ngigeza izandla njengoPhilatho, ngiyavuma uSathane ulezigigaba zakhe zeCovid-19. Uyazi, sivelelwe. Usale usubuya Jesu,” uMagagula ehlanganisa izandla okomuntu ekhuleka.

Besakhuluma kuvele kume inqolamlilo yamapholisa buqamama labo. “Nanko-ke madoda, sesingabotshwa ngokuhlangana kwethu lapha, babuye bafune kithi amaphepha esingalawo. Ayichitheke madoda!” kusitsho uMagagula. Wathi lothu uNcube owayelokhu ehlezi phansi, wavele wabamba eyakhe indlela esebuyela kwakhe. UMagagula loNdlovu babambisana indlela ngoba babesiya phose endaweni yinye.

 

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