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UMVUNDLA LONDWANGU – Inganekwane

INGANEKWANE

UMVUNDLA LONDWANGU

Bangane bakaGogo, bokhekhe, lamhla ngizalethela inganekwane kaMvundla loNdwangu.  Babezwana kakhulu laba bevakatshelana phose izinsuku zonke. UMvundla wayesithi uNdwangu nguMalumakhe. Wawuzamuzwa efika koNdwangu esithi,

“Zikhiphani lamhla Malume?” UNdwangu laye aphendule athi, “Iphango kuphela mzukulu wami. Zindlala zodwa Malumami. Yeyi bantu. Ngiyakunxusa phambi kwakusasa ngakwami mzukulu. Unkosikazi ugoqozile okuyimithombo akuphiwe ngunina omncane.”

“Awu, ngiyabonga Malumami. Kakhulu,” esitsho esekhotha imilomo uMvundla esebona elakusasa seliphuzile ukuthi ayenatha utshwala koMalumakhe. UNdwangu yena wahlekela esikhewini wathi,

“Ya-a, ngizakukhawulisa okumadletshana lokhu. Kuhlala kungiphoxa kungenza isithutha loba nje kuzitshaya umzukulu olothando.”

 Wafika waxoxela unakabantwana uNdwangu ukuthi unxuse UMvundla ukuthi bake bazonatha bonke utshwala. Watshinga ethetha umkaNdwangu, wathi,

“Baba! Kambe uyazizwa nje? Uthi unxuse okumadletsnana lokhuyana okuhlala kukuphoxa kukwenza inhlekisa kukuqila? Mina angikuvumi lokho. Ngumbhedo, hawu!”

“Yehlisa umoya Mama. Ngifuna ukukukhawulisa okumadletshana.”

Wathaba esizwa lelo unakabantwana waze wambambatha uNdwangu emahlombe. 

Lafika elingaliyo eleNkosi. Zathi zitshaya izikhathi uMvundla esethe qotshotsho ngaphansi kwesihlahla sakoNdwangu. Wayecabanga ukuthi uMalumakhe uzakwehla esihlahleni leqhaga lotshwala. Wayemkhangele umkaNdwangu elithwele elithi qithi phambi kukaNdwangu liphihlika igwebu elimhlophe. Wezwa esegobhoza amathe uMvundla.

“Usufikile mzukulu Mvundla.”

“Sengifikile Malume!” ehlikihla izandla uMvundla njengomuntu ogcwele ukubonga. Waphakamisa iqhaga uNdwangu, wathi mothu.

“Hayi, ubuphekile nkosikazi. Bubukhali sibili. Sizakholisa lomzukulu wami uMvundla,” esitsho esesula umlomo owawusumhlophe ngegwebu uNdwangu. UMvundla wagoqa izandla walinda. Wabona uNdwangu eliqukula njalo iqhaga emothuza. 

“Yehla phela esihlahleni Malumami sinathe sonke,” encenga uMvundla.

“Hatshi kuyazila Mvundla. Utshwala bakoNdwangu abunathelwa phansi. Khwela mzukulu uze sizonatha.”

“Hawu, malumami, uyakwazi ukuthi thina abakoMvundla asikwazi ukukhwela izihlahla.”

“Hayi mzukulu, zama hawu. Lizilo ukuthi iqhaga leli lize phansi lapho. Khwela mzukulu,” esitsho ebudonsa njalo uNdwangu, esesula imilomo ngengalo zozimbili. UMvundla wabona ukuthi uqinisile sibili kasoze ehle leqhaga. Wasondela wazama ukukhwela uMvundla kwala. Wazama ukuthi atshedele nyovane abeseseqela esihlahleni. Watshayeka kabuhlungu wathi bhu phansi waze wathi qhuzu emlenzeni wenyela.

“Aah, ha-ha-ha! Akelibone imihlola,” egegetheka uNdwangu. “Kambe indoda ehlakaniphe kangaka eyehluleka ukukhwela isihlahla!” ephakamisa iqhaga ukuba amothuze njalo. UNkosikazi kaNdwangu laye wayesefile zinsini. Wahleka waze waphumisela laye, wathi kuNdwangu,

“Hawu Baba! Kanti kukhona okwakuke kwehlule umzukulu wakho lo ohlakaniphele eceleni?”

Esizwa lokho uMvundla wahle wazibonela ukuthi lapha ubeqilwa, ekhawuliswa. Wasukuma, wathintitha uthuli wathi khwenye, khwenye esiya kwabo. Wathi, 

“Nx! Ngizakubonela icebo Ndwangundini. Angenziwa njalo mina.”

Wathatha insuku egaya icebo lakhe laze laba sobala. Kuthe mhlana ebonana loMalumakhe emfuleni benatha amanzi katshengiselanga ukuthi wayekade ecaphukile. Wenza sengathi konke kulungile. Baxoxa, baxoxa loNdwangu. Bathe sebevalelisana uMvundla wathi, 

“Siledili kwami Malume phambi kwakusasa. Lotshwala buyabe bukhona. Uthi wena unkosikazi wakho uyakwazi ukubugaya kodwa angeke edlule owangakwami.”

“Awu ngiyabonga mzukulu. Kuhle ukunxusa izihlobo. Liqala ngazikhathi bani idili?”

“Fika khonapho ngezikhathi zokudla malumami. Uze lonkosikazi.”

“Ah, uzathaba kakhulu ukunxuswa unakabantwana.”

UMvundla yena wahlekela ngaphakathi. Ngelanga elilandelayo uMvundla watshisa utshani bonke obabomile akwaze kwabakho indawo engatshiswanga kuzungeze umuzi wakhe wonke. Kwagcwala uthuthu kwacina sokumnyama  indawana yonke.” 

Ngelanga ledili kwaphekwa koMvundla uqhatshi lokudla okumnandi lwezwakala kude. Zabekwa egumeni laphayana izimbiza zokudla leqhaga lotshwala.

Watheleka uNdwangu lowakwakhe. Babehle bayekela ukudla ngekhaya ukuze bakholise koMvundla. Bathe bengena egumeni uMvundla wathi,

“Hawu, hawu Malume. Wakubona ngaphi ukuthi ungafika uthi uzokudla ungagezanga izandla? Kunye loMalumekazi.”

Bathi bayazikhangela izandla zabo abakoNdwangu babona zimnyama tshu njengamalahle. Babenyathele lapho okwakutshiswe khona.

“Hawu Malume, Buyelani liyegeza emfuleni.”

Bahamba betshitsha kakhulu njalo begijima ukuze bayekudla ukudla okumnandi ababekubonile koMvundla. Kodwa, bathe bayafika, uMvundla wathi, 

“Hayi-bo malumami! Hawu! Yikugeza bani lokho izandla zilokhu zimnyama kangaka!”

Bamangala uNdwangu lonakabantwana bebona izandla zilokhu zimnyama. UMvundla lemuli yakhe basebeqalisile ukudla. Babuyela njalo emfuleni bageza kakhulu baze baguxuza. Kodwa bafikab egumeni izandla sezimnyama njalo. Unakabantwana wathalaza ezungeza umuzi wonke, wabona ukuba ayikho indawo engamnyama. Kwakutshiswe indawo yonke. UNdwangu wayesediniwe yikube egijima esiya emfuleni abuye aphenduke. Wazincengela kuMvundla esithi, 

“Awu mzukulu, ake usondeze iqhaga ngithi mothu. Sengifile yikoma. Ngiyacela mzukulu.”

“A, A, A Malume! Lizilo lelo. Akuqalwa lokho. Kumele ugeze izandla, ufike egumeni, uziphakamisele iqhaga.”

Unakabantwana wayesehle wakubona ukuthi akulakudla abazakuthola lapha koMvundla. Wakubona ukuthi uMvundla uyaphindisela abamenza khona. Wadonsa owangakwakhe wathi, 

“Woza sihambe Baba. Siqiliwe lapha.”

UNdwangu waphuma elokhu enyemukula ukudla okumnandi okwakoMvundla esezisola ukuthi waphatha kubi umzukulu wakhe aze athi kakhwele isihlahla. Wahamba ezisola kakhulu.

Bangane, bokhekhe; awu kubi ukuqila abanye.  Akulunganga. Ungaqila abanye kuba buhlungu kakhulu lawe sebekuqila. Hlalani kuhle labanye, lidlale kuhle, lithandane okweqiniso. Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi esizayo. Yimi olithanda kakhulu uGogo Barbara Nkala.