IZINYEMBEZI EZINGELAMKHAWULO – Ilotshwe nguMeluleki Sibanda
IZIGIGABA ZECOVID-19 KANYE LODONSI LWAYO
IZINYEMBEZI EZINGELAMKHAWULO
Ilotshwe nguMeluleki Sibanda
Imbokodo ebomvu kaMvelinqangi isibikizela empumalanga kanti lezinyoni sezizwakala ngobutshwilitshwili, ziklaza kamnanjana zihlangabeza usuku olutsha. Zizithabele belo zona kodwa uluntu alulazinzo ngitsho. Kuqubuke isifo esifike ngendluzula emhlabeni jikelele, njalo sihangula okwamalangabi.
Intombi yakoMlangeni ithi ngokuthi phunyukiyani embanjeni zomhlaba, insaba zayo zithi phatsha phezu kwechibi elithi bekebeke ngale eceleni komuzi kaNkiwane, owakhele koNhlupho, eKhezi. Ngentshonalanga yomuzi wakhe, kuzwakala insingizi ezimbili zibubula kabuhlungwana ngaphansi kwesihlahla somganunkomo, esiseceleni kwezibaya. Zikhala zisondela zizengena ekhaya. Bayisa! Kambe zihlolani? Ubusika sebukhulekile ebantwini, bulande ukuzabakhafulela ngentshongolo, buphuce uhlaza lwezihlahla, zihatshuke!
“Wewu, nkosikazi! Yasenza liKholona eyaqubuka eChina. Sesingamahlalandawonye emizini yethu,” kususa uNkiwane ekhangele nta kumkakhe agwaba ngaye. Bahlezi emkulwini bothe umlilo. UThixo wababusisa ngamadodakazi amabili lendodana eyodwa. Buthathu babo baseGoli. Amadodakazi angababalisikazi kanti indodana iphila ngokuthengisa amatamatisi lombhida. Yibo ababhadala izisebenzi ezimbili eziqhatshiweyo; isidandane kanye lejaha elelusa izifuyo.
“Bela, baba! Sizayibona inkala icwayiza lonyaka. Kuthiwa omunye lomunye ahlale ekhaya, ukuze isifo lesi singamemetheki. Sesahlala sichibiyele imilomo ngezayeka zamalembu, sihlanza izandla ngamanzi alomlola sengathi zizasubuka,” ephendule uMaDlamini. Kusenjalo, azwe ilihlo lakhe lakwesokhohlo lisithi vu-vu ngaphansi! Kube sengathi lizakuthi siphu engoxweni, lithi khithi phansi!
“Inzima imithetho le kaHulumende. Kambe thina emaphandleni singakwenelisa yini ukuhlala ezindlini? Izifuyo zethu-ke? Amasimu singawathini? Nampa abazukulu kabasafundi, zivaliwe izikolo ngenxa yesifo lesi esivuke umqholoha. Obabamkhulu bahamba bengasibonanga isiyidayida lesi.”
“Imithetho inceda thina ngoba iyingozi linto okuthiwa ihlasela amaphaphu. Imingcele ivaliwe, kunzima lokuthi abantwabethu basivakatshele. Ngiyazibuza ukuthi kungani bengasatshayi locingo. Siyayobayoba nxa singazi lokuthi basawadla anhlamvana. Angithi kunje-nje, uJabulani akasasebenzi ngoba kuthiwa kusebenza abalemisebenzi eqakathekileyo. Baphile ngani abantu?” Eqeda ukutsho njalo, lukhale ucingo. Luphendulwe nguye uMaDlamini kodwa kucelwe ukukhuluma loNkiwane. Iluphendule ingqavithi ingagqize qhakala. Azwakale ngebhonga esithi,
“Kwenzeke nini? Jabulani, uthini ngomlomo wakho?” Luqamuke kanjalo ucingo, uNkiwane asale eyisithutha okwethendele libindwe yisidwa. Akhexe ongezansi umuntu omdala.
“Kutheni?” Kubuza uMaDlamini esephula utshanyana emthanyelweni ukuze alufake ngaphansi kwelihlo elilokhu lidikiza!
“UJabulani ungitshela okunye,” esitsho esejuluka okomuntu obefutha. Uzayethula kanjani isibili indidangwevu yendaba enje?
“Ngithiye indlebe baba.”
“Qina, mkami. Bathi uNomusa akasekho khonale eGoli. Uthethwe yiyo iCov…” Angabe esaliqeda lelo uNkiwane. Umkakhe athi dindilili phansi. Ziyime emthumeni kuNkiwane. Asukume ngobutatata obukhulu, azame ukuqukula umkakhe esemkhipha emkulwini, esiyambeka egumeni. Nango emqunga ngamanzi aqandayo. Aphaphame uMaDlamini esekhefuzela, emdambiyana. Aphinde abuze njalo ukuthi liqiniso na ukuthi indodakazi yakhe kayisekho, umyeni wakhe akuqinisekise.
“Maye mina! Umntanami bantu! Sengizakuba yini?” KunguMaDlamini esedinda isililo kuze kwenanele izintaba. Howu! Ilihlo lakhe belihlola imfa? Izinsingizi ebezibubula zisabelana lazo bezibika ukufa. Umkhosi usiphuke emzini wakhe uyekuthi ji komakhelwane. Njengabantu abalesimilo lobuntu, bazikhathaze beze koNkiwane lanxa kuthiwa kungavakatshelwana. Bafike babelaphe ngamazwi enduduzo. Labo badlela egilweni, bayesaba ukuthelelana. Umuntu angake athimule, abanye bamuthi klulu ngamehlo axoxa indaba.
Lithi ngokuthambama, liphinde lithi gubu ifu elimnyama koNkiwane. Amatshwa aza ebelethene oqotho! Kuzwakale ukuthi uNothemba obeselama uNomusa akasekho. Yize kuthiwa ezendoda ziwela esifubeni, uNkiwane aludedele ulwandle lwezinyembezi luthi mi-mi! Abantwabakhe bebewuthwele umuzi. Abantwana asebentandanekile sebezaphephela ngaphi? Inhliziyo zinjunjuthe ngamandla lapho kuthiwa izidumbu zabo zizaphathiswa umtshayeli, ngeke ziphelekezelwe yizihlobo. Lapho sezifikile ekhaya, ngeke zivulwe hlezi bathelelwe isifo. Pho-ke, ngeke bangcwabe abantu abangayisibo?
Lufike usuku, umtshayeli wakoKings and Queens atheleke lezidumbu. UMaDlamini usephonguba liphepha. Kungcwatshwa nje, labanye omakhelwane babeka ababo abadliwe yisifo lesi. Kuvunyelwa abantu abangamatshumi amathathu qha esililweni.
Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu, uMaDlamini ahlaselwe luhlangothi, agxoze indenda. Ahanjiswe ngenqola esibhedlela, babatshele ukuthi uphatheke kubi kakhulu. Labo abongikazi basebenza betwetwezela, kuqhuqha lamadokotela.
Ziginyane izinyanga, umangoye aqale ukulala eziko aze ephukele khona koNkiwane nanko akasekho obanakekelayo. Abaqhatshiweyo labo baphelelwe yimisebenzi. UNkiwane akubone okwabonwa yingidi ithwele ilahle ngapha ilunywa. Ayizwe imitshotshozelo yodonsi lweCovid-19 eqede intokozo ebisemzini wakhe.
“Wewu, ngizibonile izigigaba zeCovid- 19 kanye lodonsi lwayo!” NguNkiwane ethe mbe kuMaDlamini oseyisithulu sengathi ulomnqantula; isibungu esigulisa umdlwane. Ubonakala ngezinyembezi ezingelamkhawulo.
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