UKhanka LoNja
Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…
Indaba yethu yethiwa nguGOGO uBARBARA NKALA
Bangane bakaGogo, inganekwane yethu yalamhlanje imayelana loKhanka lomzawakhe uNja. Kambe bokhekhe liyakwazi nje ukuthi izinyamazana lezi zozimbili zikumuli yinye? Ziyahambelana ukubunjwa kwazo. Kodwa amakhanka ahlala egangeni lezinye izinyamazana, ikanti izinja zona zihlala labantu emizini yabo.
Kuthiwa-ke kudaladala izinyamazana zisakhuluma, uNja wasuka wayavakatshela umzawakhe egangeni lapho ayehlala khona. Wafika bengamkhangelele, bekhohliwe.
“Ekuhle Khanka!”
“Hawu, hawu, engani ngumzawami uNja bantu! Uze wasikhumbula mzala wami bantu?”
“Ngilikhumbule mntakamalumami Khanka. Sekunsuku sacinana.”
“Akulamuhla nyanisi mzala Nja! Fika mzala wami. Yebantu! Ubatshiya benjani abantwana Nja?”
“Baziphilele mntakamalumami. Bathe ngilibingelele kakhulu.”
“Benzile mzala wami. Yebantu! Yikuzimuka bani lokhu Nja! Ha-a, ukhomba ngophakathi mzala wami.”
Yahleka eyakoNja yathi, “Kade nganxusa ukuba utshiye okwalapha eguswini uze uzophila kahle njangathi.”
“Ngiyakuzwa mzala wami Nja, kodwa impilo yenu leyo emizini yabantu ayisimpilo. Angikuboni ukukhululeka kwenu. Mina ngifuna ukuthi ngibe lenkululeko yami egcweleyo, ngiphile ngendlela engisuthisayo. Ufikele phezu kwendlala mzala Nja. Ungifice ngiphuma ukuyazingela. Asihambe sonke mzala wami.”
“Asihambe Khanka mntakamalumami.”
Lakanye baphuma bonke sekuhlwile. Bahamba, bahamba uNja wabona sebefika emizini yabantu, uKhanka wathi baye esibayeni sezimvu.
“Hawu, Khanka, yikho ukuzingela khonalokhu? Yikuntshontsha lokhu ezibayeni zabantu. Kithi ngangikhonkothe ngibhuqukeze nxa osowenu bezokweba amazinyane esibayeni. Kubi lokho!”
“Hatshi, mzala wami. Sasizingele sibili egangeni. Sasikubambe okuyimivundla lokungabomayelane. Kodwa mhla ngifuna ukujimba lula ngangize ezibayeni zabantu loba nje kumele siqaphele izifu ezithiywa ngabantu.”
Babhoda lesibaya ukubona ukuba kambe kulentuba abangangena ngayo. Asazi ukuba zazizwe njani izinja zalapho ekhaya, zaqala ukukhonkotha ngolaka olwaluzavusa abaninimuzi. UKhanka wathi,
“Asisuke lapha mzala bengakafiki basisusele amanqe.”
Baya komunye umuzi lapho okungabafana okwakuvale ngobutshapha, imigoqo yasala inganxitshwanga kuhle. Wafika uKhanka wadobha izinyane lemvu wathi unja kadobhe elinye. Wala uNja wathi,
“Hatshi mntakamalumami. Angikujwayelanga lokho.”
Unja wayeyisa impilo ephilwa ngumzawakhe. Wamtshela ukuba yena lapho ahlala khona uyaphiwa ukudla insuku zonke. Konke lamanzi kawasweli.
“Kungcono sihambe sonke mntakamalumami Khanka kulokuba uhlupheka lapha.”
Wavuma uKhanka, kodwa ekhonona ukuba yena impilo yokufuywa kayikhwabithi. Ufisa ukukhululeka azenzele akufisayo. Ngakho ngakusasa, babuyela bonke kibo kaNja. Bafika sekuhlwile sibili, uNja wafika wamethula umzawakhe kwabekhaya. Wabingelelwa kuhle uKhanka. Kwakuphekwa eziginyisa amathe. Kodwa wamangala uKhanka ebona ukudla kuthuthelwa kwenye indlu lapho abantu abadla khona bancinda, uNja lomzawakhe bona belokhu begxoza amathe phandle. Kwasekuphuma abafana ababili baphosela phansi imvuthuluka zesitshwala lokuseleyo, lamathambo ayesekhukhuzwe yonke inyama.
Ngemva kwesikhatshana weza omunye wabafana wabophela uNja intambo thile entanyeni kwathi elinye icele labotshelwa esihlahleni esasisegumeni. Yena njengomuntu wemzini uKhanka kabotshelwanga. Wadana ekubona lokho wathi,
“Kodwa mzala, Lokhu kunzima. Yikho engingakukhwabithi lakancane. Mina ngifuna ukuhlala ngikhululekile hatshi ukuhitshelwa ngemichilo.”
UNja wamane wathi qwayiqwayi! Waqhubeka uKhanka wathi, “Manje nxa ufuna ukunatha amanzi wenzani ubotshelwe kanje?” UNja waswela ukuthi angathini.
Ngakusisa, wathukululwa sekuyiwa zingela ekuseniseni ilanga lingakaphumi. Kwazingelwa uNja loKhanka baginqa tshitshi bexotshanisa imvundla lamanqina ayesiyanatha amanzi echibini. Kwabanjwa izinyamazana ezintathu. Zafike zaphekwa ekhaya. Sokuphakululiwe, uKhanka wabona kuthwalwa izitsha, abantu bengena endlini. Okunye okungumfana kwadlula kukhahlela uNja kumthuka ngenhlamba.
“Suka lapha wena! Uduba ngokuba bukhali. Hamba khatshana!” umfana esitsho esethwele isigodo sokutshaya uNja. Babaleka bobabili bayangena ngaphansi kwesiphala. UKhanka kakuthandanga lokho ngoba kwakungelasizatho sokwenza lokho. Sebedlile abantu wabona abafana bezolo bephuma bephethe imiganu elokuseleyo, lamathambo. Kwajikelwa kubo enhlabathini. Waqhoba amathambo ukuthi abambe ithumbu uKhanka. Wahonona kuNja wathi,
“Hatshi mzala wami, impilo yakho le iyalumela. Sijimbe izinyamazana ezintathu, kodwa siphiwa amathe lamathambo zwi. Hatshi, impilo lapha inzima. Kungani ungazithathelanga eyodwa inyamazana Nja?”
“Akwenziwa lokho mntakamalumami. Lihlazo elibi.”
“Hatshi, mzala Nja! Mina angikwenelisi lokhu. Imithetho yabantu iyagqilaza. Khathesi utshona uzingela emini, ebusuku uyalala ugadele ukuze ukhonkothe ubavuse nxa kukhona okukhona. Yikho okukunonisayo lokho? Hatshi, sala lokugqilazwa kwakho mzala.”
Wasuka lapho ngokweyisa okukhulu uKhanka. UNja wasala erudule amehlo ecabanga ngalokhu okutshiwo ngumntakamalumakhe.
Bangane bakaGogo, asazi ukuthi lina likubona njani. Ophila ngcono nguphi, uNja loKhanka? Utsho ngani mngane? Ake ucabange ngakho ungazise. Sesiyahlangana ngesikhathi esizayo bangane. Lamhla sehlukana lapha. Yimi olithanda kakhulukazi uGogo Barbara Nkala.