Uthe akugqiba waya kuJongizulu owayemangazekile ukuba lempahla isuka phi na.

“Mnt’omkhulu, ndithe nam makubekho endingena nazo emnyango. Oku kokuncinane endongeza ngako usapho lwakho, kaloku ngoku ungumzali wam. Ndizogoba phambi kwakho, ndisithi ndisaxhwarhile kulomzi,” watsho ehlala ecaleni kukaJongizulu.

“Khululeka ke mfo wam, kukowenu ekhaya apha. Uzungahambeli kude nam, mfo wam kuba kum kukufuphi ngaphambili. Yintoni ke leya ingathi yityesi mfo wam?” wabuza ekhomba isikhenkcezisi.

“Xa uthenga isiselo evenkileni mnt’omkhulu, ukuze ibande bayifaka kulento ke,” watsho ehleka buqhula umf’omkhulu. Waziva naye esekhaya ngoku apha uMandla.

“Mnt’omkhulu ndibona kulicebo ukuba ndakhe indlu kwelanxiwa lingaphesheya. Ukwenzela nje ukuba kubekho umahluko. Yimbono nje mnt’omkhulu,” watsho uMandla.

“Ngumbono omhle lowo mfo wam. Kodwa, sewunaye umfazi?” wabuza uJongizulu ejonge lentwana.

“Eh! Ndingathi ke mnt’omkhulu kuwe andazi okwangoku. Kodwa ngomso ndizakuza kuwe nempendulo yaloo mbuzo,” wathandabuza uMandla.

Into eyayimthandabuzisa yayikukuba uNokwanda engazanga alikhuphe litsole elokuba uyamshiya na nyani uNgwazi. Walungisa igumbi lakhe wakhupha izinto emagobhozeni azo. Uthe akugqiba wavula umabonakude wabukela ezamazwe ngamazwe iindaba. Wabiwa bubuthongo esalindele ukudibanisa isikhenkcezisi embameni.

Uthe esalele njalo wavuswa kukudlala kwabantwana phandle apha ngasefestileni. Wathatha umnxeba wakhe waphuma sebona ukuba kuxa lithi ndithenge. Wahamba-hamba ebona abantu apha ebumelwaneni. Wathi ngokumana ejonga ixesha, wabona ukuba kungene umyalezo ngoku ebelele. Wawuvula ke:

Sthandwa sam.

Othandwayo
Kwandi

Wancuma yedwa uMandla evuyela ukubanjwa kukaNgwazi. Waqonda nje ukuba lixesha lokuba athathe uNokwanda azohlala naye apha ezilalini. Wamthumelela umyalezo emxelela apho akhoyo nokuba usenokugqiba inyanga elapha.

Walala engowonwabileyo uMandla ngalemini. Kwathi kusisa wabe enomdla wokuya eMonti ukuyothenga iguru-guru ukuze aqale ishishini lezithuthi nele Internent edolophini. Kuthe xa agqiba ukuhlamba wafumana umnxeba ovela kuNokwanda esithi usesikhululweni sebhasi uzakuba eseMthatha ngengomso.

Yabangathi ayifiki lemini kuMandla, ngenxa yokungxama kwakhe.

Wabuya nayo iguru-guru icham’amanzi, wangenela umbutho wothutho kaNcedo. Wathi ephuma kwaNcedo labe ilanga lisiya kwaMxhosana. Wangena eguru-gurwini yakhe eqhutyelwa yintwana ayifumene koonoteksi eXhorha. Yaba kanti iyaphumelela into yakhe yokulungiselela uNokwanda ikhaya elifudumeleyo.

Wayenqwenela nje ukuba ebenexesha lokwakha umzi wabo phambi kokuba afike nomntwana engekazalwa. Wafika ekhayeni kothukwa lemoto athi uyithengile. Wasele ebaxelela nangoNokwanda ozayo ngomso, bavuya ekhaya bevuyela nemoto leyo. Wathi akufika uNokwanda wakhawuleza waqhelana nabantu bakuloMandla, wahlala ngokonwaba nabo.

Sidibana noNokwanda ethwele ipheyile lamanzi evela kukha amanzi emlanjeni eHlabatshana. Uthi xa adlula elabobo likhulu ngasentsimini yakuloSkeyi, adibane noNtombebomvu waseMaNtshilibeni kwaBakhulu.

“Uyintombi kabani na lento ndingakwaziyo?” wabuza uNtombebomvu.

“Ndiyintombi kaMdinana eVetlisi, phantsi kwentaba kaNdoda. Ndizalwa nguSaphetha noNikelwa Mdinana eMntakwendeni,” watsho uNokwanda ukuphendula.

“Ngamani ke amaNtakwenda lawo?”

“NgooLetha abo mama,” watsho uNokwanda encumile.

“Nguwe ntomb’am lo wakha phaya ngaphesheya?” wabuza kwakhona lo mama.

“Ewe ndim lowa. Nangoku ndishiye ingcibi iphezu lodonga,” waqhubeka uNokwanda nangona wayesindwa lelipheyile lamanzi. Kodwa wayeyazi ukuba esiXhoseni kukuqaqadeka okuphindaneyo ukushiya umntu omdala ethetha.
Kufuneka ume athethe agqibe ahambe, akujika ahambe nawe ungahamba kengoku.

“Ndicela uzokundixuma ngomso sincokolise langcibi. Eziselwayo zizovela phantsi kwezitena. Ingandinceda ukuba ndibe nomntu endizobuza kuye izinto xa ndilahleka,” watsho uNokwanda eqonda ukuba apha kwezilali kuzofuneka eqhele abantu abanamava ngokukhawuleza.

“Hee! Ndihlakule nini kemna xa ndizohlala nani imini yonke?” waqhwaba izandla lomama encumile noko.

“Ukuba ndikuthembisa ngelima kuleveki izayo ngolwesithathu entsimini yakho?”

“Ndiyeza mntwan’am kwakusasa,” waphinda waqhwaba ejika ehamba ehleka onwabile. Wahamba naye uNokwanda intamo le sele ingathi itshona emagxeni.

Ngokuhlwa bahleli kwelinye igumbi ebelilungiselelwe ukuba babe behlala. Akugqiba ukubalisela uMandla ngeziganeko zasemini bayangqengqa.

“S’thandwa sam, awukayazi nangoku ukuba lemali isukaphi?” wabuza uNokwazi ephulula indevu zikaMandla.

“Hayi. Zinyanga zimbini ngoku ndilindele ukuba kuzobakho imibuzo esuka kumzi wovalelo-mali,” watsho uMandla.

“Uyiphiwe ngoZikhali ke s’thandwa sam. Yiyeke kanjeya ungabuzisi ngayo ke,” watsho uNokwanda emcebisa.

“Ndayeka kudala ukubuzisa ngayo mna. Qha ndithi ukuba imali ilahlekelela kwelicala yinto entle ke kum leyo. Futhi kukho nalo mcimbi wokuzilela utata sizowenza. Kusafuneka ndithenge inkomo neegusha ezintlanu nenyembezi zikaVitoliya. Ubacelile abafazi ukuba bakuncedise ukusila umqombothi?”

“Yho! S’thandwa sam! Ndizofundiswa ngubani ukusila ke mna? Zange ndabubona xa busilwa utywala, bendiqala ngoku bebuselwa ngootata kuleveki iphelileyo,” watsho uNokwanda echopha ecaleni kukaMandla enoloyiko.

“Ungabinavalo wena s’thandwa sam, umam’omdala uza kuxelela ukuba yithini na. Ukuba awuqinisekanga yinto ethile, buza kuye,” watsho uMandla emngqengqisa uNokwanda ecaleni kwakhe.

“Zikhali wam, uyathandwa wena ndim. Ndizinikela kuwe ngobom bam bonke,” watsho uNokwanda ebeka intloko yakhe esifubeni sikaMandla. Yena wambamba wamwolela kuye, wamncamisa entloko.

“Kwandi wam, amazulu anika ubungqina bokuba wena uyiyo yonke into entliziyweni yam. Indalo uThixo wayenza ukuze ibukele ubuncwane bokuthandwa nguwe. Ndiva nomoya undihlebela ngobuhle bakho. Uthi uncumo kwakho lufudumeza lunyibilikise umbethe kwindawo ngendawo,” watsho uMandla egcwele luncumo.

“S’thandwa sam! Undiqinise kakhulu wena,” wakhalaza uNokwanda.

“Uxolo s’thandwa sam. Ndenziwa luvuyo lokuthandwa nguwe,” watsho uMandla emyekelela.

“Ndiyakuthanda nam Jojo wam. Undibonise ubom bolonwabo olupheleleyo,” watsho kuphuma inyembezi emehlweni.

“Kwandi wam. Ingathi kanti ndikukhathazile,” watsho uMandla.

“Awenzanga nto tu, ngaphandle kokundikhulula ebugxwayibeni wandenza umntu nam. Namhlanje ndinegugu lokuthi ndiyathandwa ngumyeni wam, kwaye sizoba nomntwana kwinyangana ezizayo,” watsho ephatha isisu akugqiba ancamise uMandla emlonyeni.

“Ndinithanda nonke s’thandwa sam,” watsho uMandla naye ephulula. Bonwaba benkonyene bencokola kumnandi.

Ishishini labo lesithuthi sikawonke-wonke laliqhuba kakuhle. Imali eyayize noNokwanda yayingamawaka alikhulu linamakhulu mahlanu awevisayo eeponti. Yonke bayifaka kuvimba ukuze iqokelele inzala iminyaka emihlanu. Le ishiyeke kuMandla yavalelwa komnye uvimba ukuze bayifumane xa umntwana eqala isikolo.

Bona bobabini baphila kukusebenza kweguru-guru qha. Indlu kushiyeke izintlu eziphezu kwefestile nophahla.

UNokwanda uthe lakufika ixesha wazala umntwana oyintombazana. Bamthiya igama lokuba nguNamhla (kuba loomini bayichonga ngokuba yimini yokuzalwa kwenkosazana). Lentombazana izazise ngesikhalo ukuba ifikile, yatsho ngesivala indlebe.

Uyise wayibona isaphethwe ngumongikazi ukuba ifana naye nangeendlebe ezi. Wamthatha umntwana wakhe wamphefumlela ebusweni kathathu ukuze angalibali ivumba likayise ekukhuleni. Wabona nebala eliphakathi kwamagxa ukuba nguMamQoco lo.

Waphuza unina womntwana akugqiba wema yena nomntwana efuna ukumthuthuzela ngokwakhe.

[Isiphelo]

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Nceda umabhali akhule: Ulonwabele eli balana? Xhasa impendulo.