“Mna ndisangqengqa kancinci. Kwakuthuleka phandle undivuse ndikuvulele,” watsho ekhwela ebhedini uMandla. Umf’omkhulu wayenxuse ukunyuka nengalo ngathi lukhwekhwe. Wangqengqa ngomqolo wangxongxa ejonge ephahleni.

“Awunondivalela apha wakugqiba upholelwe ngamalanga. Ndihlale mna ngathi ndigcwalelwe ngumlambo?” wabuza uNokwanda emjonge esibukweni esiseludongeni.

“Yib’ungqengqa apha emva kwam ke, sihambise ixesha,” watsho uMandla.

“Tyhini! Ukuba ndibonwe ndingqengqe ecaleni kwakho?” wabuza uNokwanda.

“Nokuba ungafunyanwa uvalelene nam apha kungafana. Masingene engxakini ngento esiyenzileyo, kunokufela ityala lenkomo etyiwe ngummelwane,” watsho uMandla embamba ngengalo emphakamisa.

Baphakama bobabini bema ngeenyawo, bejongene ngamehlo anemibuzo. Waqonda uMandla ukuba makangabi sayitsala ekuqaleni, makayibambe apho ininzi khona. Wabamba uNokwanda esinqeni emjonge ebusweni.

Wamsondeza kuye wamphuza ebunzi, wamphuza empumlweni. Uthe xa avula umlomo uNokwanda wavalwa nguMandla ngomnwe. Wamphakamisa, wamncamisa emile naye embindini wegumbi. Wathi chu kuhle naye ebheka ngasebhedini esamphethe okweqanda uNokwanda.

Wafika mambeka ngomqolo emandlalweni engayekanga ukumncamisa. Wanyusa ilokhwe emphulula esithweni, waya enyukela phezulu. Wade wafika ethangeni enyuka ngokungangxami, ethatha ixesha lakhe.

Wathi akufika esinqeni wabamba isinxibo sangaphantsi waphindela ezantsi esihla naso ethe chu kuhle. Wafika eqatheni wasikhupha wasibeka phantsi komqamelo engayekanga ukuncamisa.

Wawela iziko umfo wakwaSukwini engangxamanga ethatha ixesha lakhe. Wawela kathathu uChwama ngeentsimbi nje ezine. Bathe bakugqiba ukuwela oku kwesithathu, wafuna ukuhamba uNokwanda.

“Masiwele okokugqibela Kwanda. Umyeni wakho soze abone mahluko, uzuthi uqaqanjelwa yintloko okanye usexesheni,” watsho uMandla ngelicebisayo.

“Mhhh! Uyayenza into yakho mfo wasemzini. Kodwa ke, lento ayiphindi yenzeke kuba ndingumfazi womntu. Ukuba indoda yam ingakubona ingakubulala ngezandla,” watsho uNokwanda enxiba iimpahla zakhe.

“Kodwa ndikufuna egazini ngoku ungekaphumi nasemnyango. Wenzani kanye lomfo wakho ixesha eli?” wabuza uMandla.

“Uyageza kengokuMandla. Vula ndihambe,” watsho uNokwanda ejala ngoku. Waphakama uMandla waphuma ngefestile waya ngaphambili ukuyovula emnyango.

Waphuma ke uNokwanda ephindela emzini wakhe. Akazange ambone noNontobeko owayesiza ekupheleni kwendlela ethe chu. Washiyeka uMandla ephindela kwaphezu kwebhedi, wangxongxa engumhlehlo luncumo.

Wangena uNontobeko wachopha ecaleni kukaMandla eqamela kuye esiswini.

“Uthe nethe ngokuMindloz mfo kabawo? Uqonda ukuba mawuphise ngoku nakwabatoliweyo?” watsho ehleka uNontobeko.

“Ndinceda ummelwane wam kaloku, ukuba ebekhona ebezakuzenzela ngokwakhe. NdinguMsamariya olungileyo mna,” watsho ehleka lomfo.

Baqhubeka nencoko kuhlekwa, yade incoko yadlula kulomba. Bancokola zimbi ke ngoku kuqhulwana kumnandi kuphulaphulwe nonomathotholo.

Yaqhubeka lento kaMandla noNokwanda intsuku zazala iiveki, iiveki zazala iinyanga. Umfazi engathi yibhokhwe eleqa itakane xa ilixesha lokudibana nomtsha wakhe. Yatyiwa imali kaNgwazi yindoda enxuse nasemfazini.

Wasebenza yena ebila esoma imini yonke kanti uzotyelwa ngumfo ongakhathaliyo. Yahamba yakrokreleka lento apha ekuhlaleni, kodwa kungekho ukwazi ukukhomba ngomnwe kukoyika umnikazi wayo uNgwazi.

Kangangoba babeyonwabele lento aba babini, babenga qondi ukuba bayakrokrelwa ngoku. UNokwanda waba nento entsha ngoku yokukhweletela abahlobokazi bakaMandla ukuba bangalali phaya kwaMandla.

Wayikhalimela wancama uMandla lento esithi izakubatsalela ihlahla lento ayenzayo uNokwanda. Wayengasakwazi ukuzibamba ngoku uNokwanda efika nokuba indoda yakhe isaye edolophini eKapa.

Kuthe xa bangena kwinyanga yesihlanu beqhuba, yehla intlekele. Wafika uNokwanda izibilini ziphezulu, walindela nje indoda yakhe ukuba iphangele.

“Mandla! Kufuneka sithethile kukho okungahambi kakuhle,” watsho uNokwanda ephefumlela phezulu.

“Thetha ndizindlebe ndonke mna,” watsho uMandla embamba ngesandla emtsalela ngasebhedini.

“Yima kaloku sukundibamba. Apha ndizokuxelela ukuba ngomso umyeni wam uya emngcwabeni eMthatha. Loonto ithethe ukuba ukususela ukumka kwakhe kude kube lamini abuya ngayo, ndim nawe qha kulamzi,”

“Uthini? Mna emzini wakho? Unotshe impundu zelawu. Ndizise emgibeni ndiwubona,” watsho uChwama ezama ukubeka umthetho ngoku.

“Utheni? Ufuna ukulala nezingqeqe zakho xa mna ndigodola ndindodwa? Uzolala kwam ukumka kwendoda yam ngomso,” watsho uNokwanda emkhomba ngoku. Waqonda uMandla ukuba akukho ndlelambini ngoku, makavume.

Wahamba ke uNgwazi njengoko ebetshilo ephuma nomfihlo waseMthatha. Wathi engekaweli nasembobeni le ukuze azibone ukuba uphumile kweli leeNtlanzi, wabe umkakhe elele esifubeni senye indoda.

UMandla wayelala ebhedini yalendoda, esitya ukutya kwayo, edyola nomkayo.

Uthe xa ingenayo eJoji wahleba nto apha kumkhokeli lo webandla. Yemiswa inqwelo yomzimba, wehla uNgwazi wothula umthwalwana wakhe wema phantsi.

Yaphinda yatsala ebheka eMthatha ikhokelwe ziinkumbulo zobom nonoyana phezulu. Wajonga-jonga macala onke umfo wasemzini, ekhangela ezibuyayo iinqwelo.

Wathathwa apho ngumqubi wesigadla, owamthatha wayakumbeka ngaphandle kwesikhululo sikaloliwe. Wayemana ukujonga kunomyayi wakhe uNgwazi akugqiba ahlunguzele intloko. Wafikela kumhlobo wakhe uThembile, apho wachitha ubusuku khona uNgwazi engatsho ukuba yintoni isizathu.

Emzini kaNgwazi ufikile uMandla wajonga nje endlwini yangasese, egumbini lokulala likaNgwazi, emva kwendlu, emotweni naphantsi kwemoto. Wafika kuNokwanda ebungxama

“Uboya bam abulali yilento yalomfo wakho. Kukho into ethi akahambanga lomntu ukuya eMtata. Wawusithi uyithanda kakhulu lomntu imoto yakhe. Kutheni kengoku azoshiya izitshixo zayo phambi komabona kude? Izinto zenu zokuhlamba zikhona zonke ngendawo zazo, kuba kutheni? Uzosebenzisa eziphi eluhambeni?” watsho ephuma uMandla.

Wahamba eshiya uNokwanda emi emnyango ebambelele esinqeni.

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Yitsho: Inoba uNgwazi uyabethelwa okanye uyazi?