“Aaargh!!! Aaargh!!!” wakhohlela uMandla esitsholo phantsi nzima.

Zihambile iintsuku uMandla elele esibhedlele eGroete Schur. Oogqirha nabongikazi bengamazi igama lakhe ukuba ngubani. Yena wayephefumla nje kodwa kungekho ntshukumo iyenye. Amanesi amnika igama lokuba nguThamsanqa ngenxa yendlela awasinda ngayo ekufeni.

Ade aphila namanxeba emzimbeni, entloko, nasezingalweni, kodwa yena akazanga avuke. Ngoku seyiziveki zintlanu zinosuku lunye enje lomfo. Bazamile oogqirha ukufumana izihlobo zakhe, kodwa kuba engaziwa kwayena azafumaneka ke.

Kuthe ngenye imini ugqirha esagqibezela ukubhala kwincwadi emva kokumtsala igazi, wagxuma wayokuwa phantsi ekhala esithi

“Uxolo! Uxolo! Oh yhini mfondini!” Walaqaza akubona ukuba akukho kulendawo acinga ukuba ukuyo.

“Ndiphi apha?” wabuza ekhulula ezontambo ziyimibhobho imtha amanzi anongiweyo ezingalweni.

“Sir! Don’t do that. That drip is gonna give you strength. Nurse! Please tell him not to do that,” watsho ugqirha.

“Bhuti, uthi ugqirha sukuyikhupha loDRIP ikongeza amandla,” watsho umongikazi emhlalisa phezu kwebhedi. “Bhuti, apha usesibhedlele, ucholwe ngabantu abebezihambela elwandle kweziveki ziphelayo. Usakhumbula ukuba kwenzeke ntoni?” watyatyadula wenjenjalo umongikazi.

“Ndihlaselwe ngumntu endimaziyo,” watsho uMandla ejonge phandle ingqondo ikude.

“Ndicela ke bhuti wam undigcwalisele apha lamaphepha ngeenkcukacha zakho,” watsho umongikazi emnika amaphepha. NoMandla wawatyikitya wawabeka phezu komondlalo akugqiba wangqengqa ngomqolo. Kwabe sekufika umongikazi ewalanda emka nawo.

Emva koko kwangena ugqirha wamxilonga embuza nemibuzo ukumqonda ukuba akachaphazelekanga engqondweni na. Wathi akufumana ukuba konke kumi ngendlela, wamkhulula ukuba ahambe agoduke. Wanxiba ke impahla yakhe walungisa namayeza akhe, waba kanti kukugoduka oku.

Wathi ukuphuma kwakhe esibhedlele waya ngqo endlwini yakhe. Wafika wavula wangena, wachola nencwadana elapha phambi komnyango ebhalwe igama lakhe ngesandla. Wayilahla emgqomeni wenkunkuma engakhange ayivule nokuyivula oku.

Wazijula phezu kwebhedi, walala yoyi obentlombe ubuthongo.

Wothuka ebusuku elambile, wakhumbula ukuba kanene kange apheke okanye athenge nto ityiwayo. Waqaphela ukuba nomnyango kange awuvale, wawuthe genge edongeni.

Waphakama wawuvala etshixa nangetyathanga lakhe. Zabuya ingcinga zokuba, ukuba uNgwazi ebenofika apha esalele agqibezele awayiqala mhlamnene?

Wafikelwa kukoyika okungathethekiyo, waphindela ebhedini ithumbu likhalaza linjalo walala. Ubusuku bonke wamana ephaphama enamaphupha amabi ebulawa nguNgwazi kuwo onke. Kwade kwasa emana ukuphaphama njalo.

Wavuka ngenj’ixukuxa waya eNyanga ebantwini baseXhorha eyobona amagoduka phaya emaholweni. Wachitha imini yonke encokola nabafana baseXhora kumnandi. Lafika ixesha lokuba agoduke kuba ilanga limka nalo, wenza njalo naye.

Uthe akwehla epheleni, waya endlwini yakhe. Uthe xa angenayo esangweni, wabona uNokwanda ephuma kwakhe ebheka ngasendleleni. Yabangathi indlu iya ibhekela kuye ngangendlela awayegxanya ngayo ukuya ecangweni. Wafika wazivalela ngaphakathi, ezula esihla enyuka.

Wabilisa amanzi wahlamba izitya neembiza zakhe. Uthe akugqiba wakhupha umboniso bhanya-bhanya wabukela wade walala. Uvuke ebusuku esitsha ngumchamo, watsiba owenkawu ukuya phandle. Uqonde ukuba makasele echitha umgqomo wenkunkuma ukuze kucoceke endlwini.

Wathi xa awuchithayo wabona lancwadi ebeyilahla. Wayithatha wayiphosa phezu kwebhedi wayochitha inkunkuma. Akugqiba wavala emnyango wangqengqa ngesisu. Wayiqhaqha ke incwadi umfana wafunda.

Mandla

Andiyazi ukuba wakwenza ntoni na uNgwazi. Kodwa ndithe mandikuxelele okwenzekayo ngoku wawungekho. Mandla, ndikhulelwe umntwana wakho. Loonto ndiyayazi kuba ukulala kwakho nam ndandimgqibele kudala uNgwazi. Kwaye ndifuna uyazi ukuba lommtwana ndimkhulelweyo ngowakho.

Love
Nokwanda

Wathi akugqiba ukuyifunda lencwadi waqonda ukuba uNgwazi akakagqibi ngaye. Ukuba angayazi ukuba uMandla umithise uNokwanda angababulala bobabini. Nento ebeyicinga yokuba yena noNgwazi bangazintshaba ezithuleyo, waqonda ukuba akukho ndlela mbini ngoku, makakhe umgama phakathi kwabo.

Yaphinda intliziyo yakhe yayofika kuNokwanda. Waziva efuna ukuxelela uNokwanda ukuba mababaleke bobabini bakhulise umntwana wabo bendawonye.

Kuthe esekwezo ngcinga wothuswa sisandi sokunkqoza emnyango. Waphakama wavula, gqi ngoNokwanda emibucala. Wothuka waphantsa ukuwa ecinga nangento enokwenziwa nguNgwazi xa enobabona ngoku. Watyhudisa wangena uNokwanda encume engumhlehlo.

“Ndimithi umntwana wakho Mandla,” watsho uNokwanda.

“Hayi! Unendoda yakho. Hamba uzondibulalisa ngayo. Ndicela undiphe igumbi ngoku andikafuni kufa,” watsho uMandla.

“Unotshe Mandla, andiyindawo mna,” watsho uNokwanda. Waqonda uMandla ukuba akukho kufa kutheni makafele endimeni ukuba uyafa.

Wabamba ngengalo uNokwanda wamzisa ebhedini, wamngqengqisa khona. Bankonyana ke apho kungumbhodamo wento, uMandla encama ubom bakhe. UNokwanda wayemnandelwe sisitiya esiphantsi kwefestile, apho avuna khona nanini na.

“Nokwanda, uyandithanda na?” wabuza uChwama ngelizwi elicengayo.

“Ndikuthanda ngobom bam bonke Sukwini wam,” watsho uNokwanda.

“Nam ndikuthanda ngempilo yam yonke. Ndicela wenze into enye ukuba uyandithanda keKwandi wam. Ungaphindi uze apha endlwini yam. Loonto iza kundibulalisa ngomyeni wakho. Kukho ekufuneka ndikulungisile kuqala,” watsho uMandla ebeka intloko enkabeni kaNokwanda.

“Uyandilahla ngoku Mandla?” wabuza uNokwanda elila ngoku.

“Akunjalo Kwandi wam. Kuqala ndifuna ukuthenga emithiyo ngenethole,” watsho uMandla encamisa isisu sikaNokwanda. Waphakamisa intloko yena wamjonga emehlweni esangqengqe ngomqolo.

“Ukuba ukubambile kwakhona uNgwazi uzothini?” wabuza uNokwanda.

“Ebendibulele okokuqala andafa. Okwesibini mhlawumbe ndingamsizela ake enze into ebonakalayo, ndife,” watsho uMandla ecimele mba.

Weva ngempama enqentsu ivela kuNokwanda.

“Xa uzofa uthi umntwana uzokhuliswa ngubani? Ukuba ungafa ndingakubulala ngezandla ungaboni nalomntwana,” watsho uNokwanda ejika ejonga edongeni ukuze angaziboni iinyembezi uMandla.

“S’thandwa sam, akukho nto inoze indinqande ndinganiboni. Kodwa singalibali ukuba wena usatshatile okwangoku,” watsho emncamisa ebunzi nasempumlweni.

“Bendifuna ukuba ndikubone qha. Bendicinga ukuba uzondicaphukela emva kwento akwenze yona uNgwazi. Nangoku akakwazi ukuba ukhona apha okanye usaphila. Wafika kum wathi ukubulele wakungcwaba ehlathini ngaseKhayelitsha,” watsho elila uNokwanda.

“Kwandi, sukulila kaloku s’thandwa sam. Hamba wena uye emzini wakho de ndiyilungise yonke lento,” watsho emphakamisa emchophisa ebhedini.

Waphakama wema ngenyawo uNokwanda esosula iinyembezi emehlweni akhe. Akugqiba wazilungisa ukuze kungabikho nto ithi ebelapha. Wahamba eshiya uMandla emile emnyango ejonge lentokazi isiya emzini wayo.

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Ncokola: Ungenza njani ukuba ubunguMandla?