Woza Uzokuzwa Mngane…

Indaba yethu iyethiwa ngu GOGO uBARBARA NKALA

UNOSISA LENKOSANA YASEMHLABAKAZI

Salibonani, salibonani bangane bami abahle, bokhekhe! Lamhla ngiliphathele inganekwane kaNosisa, leNkosana yelizwe lakudaladala elalithiwa yiMhlabakazi. Kuthiwa iNkosi yaseMhlabakazi yayisigugile, isigula. Yayilendodana eyodwa eyayilijaha elihle kakhulu eligcwele ukuhlakanipha, kodwa lalilokhu ingakathathi.
          “Wendodana,” ibiza iNkosi ilele ecansini layo lobukhosi. “Angisaphilanga mfana wami.” INkosana yahlala phansi eduze kukayise, yalalela. “Uyabona ndodana, bengingathokoza ukuthi ngithi ngivalelisa lapha eMhlabakazi ngisuke sengikubeke esihlalweni sobukhosi njalo usuthethe. Uzathatha nini?”
          Lakhangela phansi ijaha lathi, “O Nkosi, bengingakayiboni intombi elenhliziyo enhle njalo elothando emuntwini wonke.”
          “Ngiyezwa ndodana. Kusasa ngizathumela isimemezelo ezweni lonke laseMhlabakazi ukuthi izintombi ezifuna ukwendela kuwe, iNkosi yakusasa, zize lapha ukuze sikhethe kuzo indlovukazi ekufaneleyo.”
          “Ngingabonga kakhulu, O Nkosi!” ikhothamisa ikhanda phambi kukayise iNkosana.
          Lakanye saphuma isimemezelo sazwakala kuzwekazi lonke leMhlabakazi. Zathokoza izntombi zonke ezasezisebangeni lokwenda. Zalungiselela ukuya emzini weNkosi yaseMhlabakazi. Phakathi kwalezo kwakuloDade, loSazini, izintombi ezazizithanda kakhulu. Bobabili babevame ukukhangelela abanye abantu phansi. Bezwa ukuthi loNosisa laye ulungiselela ukuya emzini weNkosi. Bahleka, bachothoza ukuthi uqhuge laye uzimisele ukuqhugeza esiya khonale emzini weNkosi? UDade wathi, “Asazi ntombi. UNosisa uzakufikelwa ngubani khonale ngonyawo olwatshaywa yipholiyo? Uhamba esithi qhuge, qhuge, futhi kalazigqoko ezinhle. Heee, asazi!”
          Ngakusisa zabekelela izintombi zisiya emzini omkhulu weNkosi. ODade loSazini babegaxe imixhaka yabo ilamafutha okugcoba, lamakha ukuze banuke mnandi. Babelomphako. Batshitsha badlula uNosisa bengambingeleli lokumbingelela loba ebakhulumisa. Bamkhangela sengathi yinto eyenyanyekayo. Yena walandela endleleni loba esenguye osemuva. Wazitshela ukuba laye uzaze ayefika emzini weNkosi.
          Endleleni kwakulesalukazi esihawulayo esasihlezi ngaphansi kwesihlala, kuleqhaga elingaselamanzi eduze laso. Sathi sibona oDade loSazini besiza betshitsha sathi kubo,
          “Salibonani zintombi ezinhle!” Basithi jeqe, kwangani babona into enukayo. UDade wathi,
          “Uyasibingelela uyasazi wena salukazi?”
          Isalukazi sathi, “Ngicela uncedo bazukulu. Angiselamanzi. Ngicela liyengikhelela emfuleni laphaya.”
          “Sizaphuza lapho esiyakhona salukazi,” kusitsho uSazini.
          “Ngicela lingicuphele inkobe zenu, linginathise awenu amanzi. Ngomile.”

          “Wena salukazi, awuselandlebe na? Asihambe Sazini. Sizaphuza,” uDade
etshitsha esedlula.
USazini laye wadlula esithi, “Asilamphako wokudlalisa salukazana.”
Wasala enikina ikhanda usalukazi. Zinengi izintombi ezingasimelanga
isalukazi. Ngelikade kwafika uNosisa, esejuluka yikudinwa kodwa ezimisele ukuyafika
emzini weNkosi. Wathi ebona isalukazi, wasibingelela ngenhlonipho ebobotheka.
“Sabona Gogo! Uze uhlale endleleni kwenzenjani Gogo?”
Sabobotheka ngamabende isalukazi sathi, “Bengisiyakukha amanzi
mntanomntanami. Sengikhathele. Kambe ungangisiza?”
“Kulungile Gogo. Yekela ngiyekukhela.”
Imilomo kagogo yayimhlophe nke itshengisa indlala. UNosisa wakhupha
umphako wakhe owawususele wawunika uGogo owabonga wagomela. Waqhula
esiya emfuleni, wakha amanzi waphenduka.
“Ngiyabonga ntombi yami. Wooo-he, sengikuphuzisile lapho oya khona
mntanomntanami.”
“Ngitsho Gogo. Ngizakuyafika. Awufuni ngikuthwalele ngiyekufikisa ngekhaya
Gogo?”
“Hatshi mzukulu wami. Zihambele. INkosi ikubusise, ikuphe konke okufisayo
ntombi. Ulomusa omangalisayo. Ngikupha izibusiso.”
“Ngiyabonga Gogo,” ebobotheka uNosisa eqhubeka ngendlela yakhe.
Khonokho nje wabona esefikile laye emzini weNkosi. Wemukelwa. ODade
loSazini bambona efika baqhwebana bagigitheka. Bona basebegeze bagcoba
amafutha lamakha. Abafika kuqala babezikhethele amacansi lapho ababezalala
khona. UNosisa yena waswela icansi wazigoqa laye ekucineni kwendlu leyo. Ilanga
elikhulu lalikusasa.
Zonke izintombi zazingakwazi ukuthi isalukazi sendleleni sasinguGogo
weNkosana. Kwakuvunyelwene ukuthi sizihlole izintombi zidlula endleleni zisiya
emzini weNkosi ukuze sibone elobuntu. Zilele izintombi uNosisa wathathwa
ebusuku, wayageza waphiwa izimpahla ezintsha, ezinhle, ezebukhosini. Aaah,
bangane, wawusungamkhohlwa ukuthi nguNosisa loyana obezihawulela.
Wabamuhle waba yiNkosazana. INkosana yayingasawasusi amehlo ayo kuye.
Kazange ananzelele lokuthi uGogo walapha ekhaya yisalukazi lesiyana ayesibone
endleleni.
Sekudliwe okwekuseni, zonke izintombi kwathiwa ziphume zihlale
enkundleni. Kwakunxusiwe labanye abantu abanengi kakhulu. Izimbiza zazixhwatha
eziko kuzakuba lidili elikhulu. Indawo eyayizahlala iNkosazana ekhethiweyo
yayicecisiwe, inhle ihawulekela. ODade loSazini labo babehlezi kwabanengi.
Wanyenyeza uDade wathi, “Sazini, uke wambona nje uQhugeza kulokhu kusile?”
“Ngitsho fethu, lami bengilokhu ngimthalaza. Engxenye uyangekile wahle
wabuyela ekhaya,” bagigitheka, abanye abantu baze babakhangela ngobulema babo.
INkosi yaphuma kuhlatshelelwa yayahlala esihlalweni sayo. INkosana yona
yahlala lapho okuceciswe khona. Kwasala indawo yeNkosazana. INkosi yaphakamisa
isandla, kwathi cwaka.
“Bantu bami, bantu beMhlabakazi, leli lilanga elikhulu ebesililindile. INkosana
yalapha ekhaya isizakuba yinkosi ezwayo elenkosikazi, iNdlovukazi yalapha
eMhlabakazi. Ngethula kini iNkosazana ekhethiweyo,” yatsho iNkosi ikhombela
lapho okwathutsha khona intombi enhle icece ithonta ihamba kancane iphahlwe

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yizanyongwana, zigida zitshaya umpululu. Ubuso bakhe babuvaliwe. Yatsha ingoma.
Yakhala yahawula ingungu. Abantu bonke basukuma bema ngezinyawo beqakeza.
INkosana yahlangabeza iNkosazana ibobotheka, yayihlalisa phansi. Yasivula ubuhlalo
obabembese ubuso. Yabobotheka iNkosazana ikhangela abantu.
UDade waphosa wadilikela phansi. USazini wakhamisa umlomo wathi, “A, A,
uQhug…” wabe eqaleka.
Heee, bangane! Lingaqali ukuhleka lichothoza abanye. Akuqalwa! Yenzani
okuhle ngezikhathi zonke, libe lomusa lothando. Kuzalilungela lani. Awu, bangane,
ngithemba liyikholisile inganekwane kaNosisa. Sizahlangana njalo ngesikhathi
esizayo. Yimi olithandayo, uGogo Barbara Nkala.