KUNGANI UNGWENYA ELOLIMI OLUNAMATHELEYO
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA
KUNGANI UNGWENYA ELOLIMI OLUNAMATHELEYO
Bangane bakaGogo, inganekwane yethu yalamhla imayelana lokuthi kungani uNgwenya elolimi olunamathele, nama! Ake unabulule olwakho mngane ulubhodise emlonyeni. Ehe! OlukaNgwenya lona luthe nama ngaphansi komlomo.
Kuthiwa kudaladala izinyamazana zazilenkosi yazo yegangeni okuthiwa nguSilwane. Kwaba lomnyaka wendlala enkulu. Zahlupheka izinyamazana zihamba imimmango emide ukudinga ukudla lamanzi. Zithe sezibona abantwana besifa ngenxa yephango zayakhala enkosini uSilwane, yena wasemema umhlangano. Zonke izinyamazana zatotobela emzini wenkosi.
“Bantu bami, sengizwile njalo ngazibonela uhlupho olukhona phakathi kwethu. Ngilibizile lapha ukuthi sizobonisana ukuthi pho senzeni?”
Kwathulisa cwaka. ONyathi baqhwaya phansi becabanga. ONdwangu banwaya amakhanda, oBhalabhala banikina amakhanda, ONdlovu bamane balengisa imiboko bekhangele phansi. Yileyo nyamazana yayithemba ukuthi ukhona ozakuza lecebo elihle.
“Hawu, khulumani phela bantu bami. ngilalele,” isitsho inkosi ibhodisa amehlo ayo kuzo zonke izinyamazana. Zakhangelana izinyamazana, zakhangela phansi zingazi ukuthi zithini. Kwathi ngemva kwemizuzwana umpala wezwakala ethinta isikwehlela. Wonke amehlo akhangela kuye, kodwa ezinkulu zamkhangela ngokweyisa zimangala ukuthi kambe kuyini okungaphuma kuMpalandini.
“O, nkosi Silwane (ethinta isikhwehlela njalo), lapho engihlala khona kulechibi elingomiyo. Kuhlala kulamanzi, njalo izihlahla lotshani kuhlala kuluhlaza tshoko.”
“Silalele Mpala. Qhubeka.”
“Eeh, Nkosi, bengisithi kunganjani sizame ukulima amabele njengabantu, sithelele ngamanzi awechibi elingomiyo, mhlawumbe singasizakala sonke.”
USilwane wanqekuza ikhanda, izinyamazana zonke zaqakeza izandla zivumelana lomcabango kaMpala omuhle. Zasezigcwele amadlabuzane izinyamazana. Kwahle kwamiswa ukuba zonke ziyehlangana echibini likaMpala. Zisuka lapho izinyamazana ezinye zayadinga amakhuba, ezinye zayacela inhlanyelo ebantwini. Ngelanga elilandelayo zonke zabekelela zisiya echibini lakoMpala. Aah, kwatshona kuluthuli, kucentwa, kuhlakulwa, kuhlanyelwa, kuthelelwa. Zanatha amanzi echibini zezwa ziqinaqina.
Zamila izilimo, zakhula. Ahlanza amathanga lamakhabe, wakhahlela umumbu lamabele. Izinyamazana zazilamazopa okugadela amasimu ukuze kungabi lesela. Zathokoza izinyamazana. Zasezikubona ukuphela kwendlala. Dukuduku, kwezwakala ukuthi umpunzi obesezopeni lokugadela kaphendukanga. Kwalandela uDube, laye kaphendukanga. UNgulungundu laye wahamba-wahamba. Zakhathazeka kakhulu zonke izinyamazana. UBhalabhala waphenduka ehudula umlenze owawudlithizwe yisilo angasaziyo, waphunyuka manayinayi. Inkosi yegusu uSilwane yabiza umhlangano njalo.
“Bantu bami, ngithi asibonisaneni njalo. Amasimu ethu abesenza kuhle kakhulu. Besesizaqala ukuvuna. Kodwa sokunyamalale abathathu abebegadela amasimu. Badliwe yini? UBhalabhala uphose wabulawa. Kwenzakalani?”
Ayikho inyamazana eyaba lempendulo ezwakalayo. Ngelikade, kwezwakala ilizwi elikhulumela phansi lisithi,
“O, Nkosi, mina ngihlala eduze lechibi. Ngiyazi abanye bazahleka, kodwa nxa sekuhlwile ngangibone amehlo abomvu echibini elunguza.”
“Hawu, hawu! Suka-bo Mpalandini! Amehlo abomvu ayabe esenzani echibini? Kungasibugwala bakho nje?”
“Ngiqinisile ngifunga ngodadewethu unqina. Angiqambi manga. Kuyethusa. Ayesabisa amehlo abomvu echibini.”
Ezinye izinyamazana zaqhunsuka zihleka, ezinye zathi uMpalandini uyawumana, ezinye njalo zangani ziyethuka. USilwane wathi,
“Ake lime ukuxokozela. Yekelani mina ngihambe loMpala ngiyezibonela lokho akutshoyo. Lakanye uSilwane wahamba loMpala bacathama esixukwini eduze lechibi. Kwaqala kwathi nyaaa! Dukuduku, uSilwane wabona nankayana sibili amehlo abomvu echibini. Ngaphakathi waqhuqha waba ngumhlanga, kodwa njengenkosi yegusu waziqinisa waphuma esixhukwini waqonda eduze kwechibi wathi,
“Wena mehlo abomvu, mehlo avutha njengomlilo, phuma lapho emanzini sikubone. LoMpala owayeqhuqha wayesesondele laye ethembe ukuvikelwa nguSilwane. Babona amanzi enyakaza, amehlo aphuma. USilwane loMpala babona haa, yinkalakatha yenyamazana ababengakaze bayibone. USilwane wabuza ngelizwi elivevezelayo wathi,
“Nguwe bani wena ophuma phakathi kwechibi lethu?”
Kwaba lohleko olubi. Inyamazana leyo yathi, “Mina nginguNgwenya, inkosi ehlala emanzini kunye lemasimini (uhleko olubi). Lihle liyabuza? Mina ngiyagamujela ngiqhobaqhobe oMpunzi, laboDube, laboNgulungundu, labobhalabhala. Ngiyadlithiza ngiqhobe amathambo konke lempondo.”
Khonokho uNgwenya wakhamisa umlomo babona ingavula zamazinyo lolimi olude olwatshwaphuluka lwanabuluka lusiza kubo. Kakho owatshela omunye ukuba indaba zimbi. Bathathela ngesiqubu bebaleka. Ngakusisa inkosi uSilwane yabiza umhlangano njalo. Yathi,
“Bantu bami, indaba zimbi echibini. Kulenkalakatha yesilo esilengavula zamazinyo lolimi olutshwaphuluka lube ngaka! Sizaphela sonke du, du, du. Ngubani ongabulala isilo lesi?”
Zahle sesaba zonke izinyamazana. Zakhangelana njalo zigcwele ukwesaba. Zisadidene zonke, kwezwakala uFudu esithi,
“O, Nkosi, yekelani ngiyesizama isilo leso. Ngicela lingiphe ihloka elilingeneyo.”
Abanye bahleka bathi, “Kelizwe-ke umaxolo laye ewumana bayisa!”
Kodwa waqinisela waya echibini efihle ihlokana lakhe. Aah, wahle wafica isilo sizichayile sothamele ilanga. Wasondela uFudu, UNgwenya wavula amehlo amabi wamkhangela uFudu wathi,
“Udingani lapha wena maxolose ungiphazamisa ngiziphumulela? Suka lapha ngingakakuthi nqontsheliyani!”
UFudu wahleka esondela wathi, “Nqontshela manqontshela sibone,” UNgwenya wacunuka wakhupha ulimi lwakhe olude wakudobha okufudu. Kodwa wezwa kungamnandi ngamaxolo akho wazama ukukukhafula. Phinde kukhafuleke. UFudu wahwatsha ihlokana lakhe waqala ukugeca ulimi lukaNgwenya. Geci! Geci! Geci! Yabhinqika isizwa ubuhlungu eyakoNgwenya. Yagomela. Yabovula. UFudu yena wageca igazi limpompoza, ulimi lolo lwaze lwathi qumekiyani! UFudu laye wabe esithi jiti phansi. Izinyamazana zasezikhona lapho, zaqakeza izandla zibona uNgwenya esebuhlungwini. USilwane wabhonga ngelizwi elikhulu wathi,
“Suka lapha Ngwenyandini ubuyele esizibeni uyehlale khona. Ungangena emasimini ethu yiya mthakathi!”
Lakanye uNgwenya wananayila esiyabhudlukela echibini. Aziphindanga zawabona amehlo abomvu izinyamazana. Wayesehlala ecatshile emanzini uNgwenya. Ulimi lwakhe lwakhula futhi ngemva kwesikhathi kodwa lwacina selunamathele emlonyeni. Kwaba yisijeziso sakhe uNgwenya losapho lwakhe.
Izinyamazana zavuna zadla zasutha kwaze kwana izulu. Bangane bakaGogo, sesizahlangana kuviki elizayo. Ovalelisayo nguGogo Barbara Nkala olithandayo.
Barbara Nkala