Wayemi laphaya ensimini yabasebethule uHardlife, ebambelele uthango lwayo. Wawabuka amathuna amathathu ayematsha elokhe elamaluba phezulu, sengitsho lamahlamvu omlahlabantu ayengakathintitheki. Wasusa amehlo akhe wawabeka emathuneni amabili ayesemadala esevalwe butshani obabubude, qede wanikina ikhanda. Wawasusa njalo amehlo lapho wawahlabisa duze lalapho ayemi khona okwakulethuna elingalingani lamanye, kwazise lelo lalingelengane. Yafutha ngamandla inhliziyo yakhe, wazizwa zisehla ngezihlathi ezendoda abathi zehlela esifubeni.

Hatshi, kungani kumele amele into enjalo? Kungcono  abophe umoya kube kanye. Lokho kungcono kulalokhu aseyikho khona. Kambe useyini umuntu wabantu, senguyedwana nje ozaba yisibonelo sokuhlaba komhlaba lapho abantu bexoxa. Ithemba abathi kalibulali yena ngathi nje lithanda ukumusa kogoqwanyawo. Ubethembile ethi yena lemuli yakhe bazake baphile impilo engcono kulandela isikhathi eside asichitha engasebenzi, pho nanku elenyanga eziyisithupha ethole umsebenzi obhadalayo, kwavela impicabadala etholakala nzima embalini yomhlaba. Hatshi, yekela awuzibe lumcabango wakhe. Injalo impilo, mhlawumbe uyavivinywa njengoJobe, kuhle athembele ekuthini uSomandla uyazi, njalo nguye ohlele ikusasa lakhe.

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Laselibantubahle, konke sekubukeka kukuhle kwangathi kuconjwe ngombala oliganu. Laphayana entshonalanga ayendlele amayezi ayebomvu ngenxa yokuhlatshwa lilanga. Khonokho kwadlula indizamtshina leyana etshiya intuthu wathola sekulomzila obomvana esibhakabhakeni, osuka le khatshana usiyatshona phansi le. Yiso isikhathi uHardlife aphuma ngaso endlini yakhe ezidonsa eqonda ensimini yamathuna. Awu! endala yathi ifika lapho mhlalokho kayimanga embelweni waleyonsinyana, yangena yaqotshama phakathi laphakathi kwamathuna amabili qede yawabamba ngezandla, yakhothamisa ikhanda sakukhuleka. Zehla njalo izinyembezi. Lapho zazingasayehli kuphela kodwa wayesesiqhinqa isililo. Awu! nansi isimanga.

Wasukuma phakathi kwalawo amathuna amabili wasesondela kwelincinyane lakho wafika wenza esifanayo. Waphakama lapho ubuso buhlihla izinyembezi lelanga leli elalizama ukumenza abemuhle lehluleka, phela wayeseyinhlikibonda. Endala yahaluzela ifulathela insimu leyo, nansiyana iqonda uthango eyafika yalweqa qede yangena iganga. Ebusweni wayesephenduke inyamazana, usungamkhangela uphange uwasuse amehlo akho kuye.

“Noxolo mkami. uzuxole sithandwa sami. Lixole lani bantwabami. Kambe ngisaphilelani senginguyedwana odatshukelwa yisigaba sonke lesi. Ngizamile, kodwa kungehlule. Lesisilo esinguCorona singibulele….”

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Kwaba sengathi uyaphupha uHardlife. Wathula ekhangele umongikazi emehlweni elindele ukuthi amtshele ukuthi uyadlala nje. Wathula umongikazi ezama ukunika lumuntu ithuba lokwamukela lokho okwasekuvelile. Hatshi, lumuntu uphambanisile, mhlawumbe imitshina yabo le vele kayilaqiniso, yena uvimbene nje, luphepha njengalo lonke uphepha, uzasila.

“Kunjalo mnunzana Dube. Ngokusweleka kwenhlanhla kasilayo indawo eyenela ukugcina abantu asebebanjwe ligcikwane lekhorona, ngalokho uzabuyela ngekhaya uzame ukuzehlukanisa labanye.”

Usalukhumbula mhlophe usuku athi efika ngalo emzini wakhe wathola umkakhe labantwana ababili sebethethwe labo ukuze bayehlolwa leligcikwane. Ngokusweleka kwenhlanhla bonke babanjwa leligcikwane. Kibo kwabanzima ngoba emva kwensukwana ezimbalwa kwabaqinela bengasenelisi ukuphefumula, beginqa kwesabeke lengwabungwabu yokudla bengaselayo. Ngalesosizatho bathathwa bayajikelwa emtholampilo endaweni yasebegulela ukufa. Usayikhumbula intambama lapho emukela khona ucingo bemazisa ukuthi umkakhe kwasekwehlule. Awu, wahawula umuntu wakoDube, ngapha laye engakalulami okuyangaphi. Esathi ukubonile, kweqa insuku ezimbili izibulo lakhe lalandela. Lokho kwamdabula kakhulu nanko kwakuyintombi esikhulile eyayisiqalile izifundo zayo eNyuvesi yeLupane, isigqibe owodwa umnyaka. Wacaka ngamandla umuntu wabantu engelaye lowayengamduduza kumbe ahlale laye, lokho wayelalo umkhuhlane ongakufuniyo ukuhlangana kolawo longelawo.

Kwathi kulosuku olulodwa kwedlule umngcwabo womkakhe lezibulo lakhe, wemukela njalo olunye ucingo bemazisa ukuthi icinathunjana lakhe, okuyiyo yodwa indodana yakhe, wayesesesimeni esibi okokuthi loba nini laselingaduma ledlule. Wakhuleka kuMdali ecela ukuthi angenele asilise indodana yakhe. Akuzange kuse lungangenanga ucingo ukuthi laye kwasekwehlule.

Waphuma kulokho kucabanga uHardlife, wawavula amehlo ayesome qha zingasekho inyembezi. Simthola enjalo-ke lamhla. Nango ethandulula ucingo olwalulesihitshela, elubophela laphayana egatsheni. Wathwala amehlo ebona kulenkomo ezidlula duze lalapho ayekhona. Waluzwa belutshaya ukhwelo abafana kwazise babeziqhuba. Awu! kungcono enze masinya, funa abafana bamthole angabe esanelisa ukuzikhulula kulobubuhlungu.

“Uzungithethelele Somandla, ngehlulekile ukuphila ebuhlungwini obungaka. Akunani igama lami lizabalwa emadodeni ayehluleka ukuthwala ubunzima, lokho kungcono kulokuvuka ngibona amathuna abantu engangibathanda. Kambe ngansukwana bangitshiyile bonke. Phela angisatsho indlela ababekwe ngayo, ihlasimulisa umzimba. Babekwa njengezinja bevalwe bavalwa, lokubona imizimba yabo ukuze ngidelise inhliziyo ngalelwa. Phela angisatsho umsebenzi ngoba sengingumatshayinyoka. Hayi boMthembo ngethemba lani lizangixolela, ngingatholi liwavalile amasango.”

Ngqokiyani isihitshela entanyeni. Awu! wenzani lumuntu. Akula na oseduze asindise lindoda esifuna ukudala ihlazo esigabeni lesi seDoyana?

Philani Mathuthu

philanimathuthu89@gmail.com