Kuthe ngenye imini kwafika iingcinga zokuba umama kaAmahle makahambe ayokutheza iinkuni abe sakha namanzi okuphekela yena nentombi yakhe eminyaka mihlanu. Wathatha isigqibo sokuba ahambe yedwa ashiye umntwana wakhe kuba yayiseyibethile intsimbi yesine. Kwaye nentombi lena yakhe yayilele obude ubuthongo. Wathabatha i-emele yakhe yamanzi, isarha ne zembe lakhe wahamba.
Phambi kokuba ahambe wajonga intombi yakhe wafika isalele, wasuka wathatha ucingo waphuma, wabopha emnyango kuba wayesokola engenaye nomntu ongashiyeka nomntwana wakhe.
Apha endleleni wayehamba eziculela ingoma ayithandayo yecawe ethi, “Indlela yam iyenyuka, yonk’imihla iyenyuka. Ndithandaza wonke amaxa Nkosi ndityale phezulu, Ndiphakamise ndime Nkosi ngokholo ndibephezulu, kunako ndakhala njalo Nkosi ndityale phezulu.”
Lena kwakuyingoma yakhe awayethi xa eyicula azive esomelela. Wahamba ke lo mama wayokufika kwihlathana kusitheleni nendlu yakhe. Wafika waqala ngokusarha iinkuni wabuye wazibopha wakugqiba wazithatha wayokuzibeka kwindawo engaphandle kwehlathi.
Wabuya wathatha ipheyile yakhe wakha amanzi. Wathi wakugqiba wayiphatha ngesandla waphumela ngaphandle kwahlathi. Wathatha ipheyile yakhe waqala ukuhamba wenyuka iqhina ebhekise umbombo wakhe ngasekhaya kuba intliziyo yakhe yayis’emntwaneni wakhe.
Uthe engekaphumeli wabe ebona umsi oqhuma ngakwelicala aya kulo. Waphakamisa iinyawo zakhe ethukile kuba umntwana wakhe wayemshiye yedwa. Uthe xa ephumela iqhina wabe ebona ukuba nguronta wakhe lo utshayo, kwaye abantu sebethontelana ngobuninzi bezama ukucima umlilo.
Walahla iinkuni ezo wayezithwele, kanti akabonanga ukuba uzilahle phambi kwakhe, wakhwela kuzo wayokuwa ekhala. Wavuka ezama ukubaleka waphinda wayokuwa, wavuka wasitsho esofelweyo. Bambona abantu bazama ukuba bambambe, inqaba abazi kengoku ukuba uphi umntwana wakhe kuba akamthethanga.
Bathi bengagqibanga ukucika yakrazuka into ebeyinxibile kuba wayezixhuthalaza engafuni kubanjwa. Waphuncuka wayokuzijula emnyango, lwavuleka kuba lalubotshwe ngocingo oluncinane. Wangena phakathi wafika engamboni umntwana wakhe.
Wakhwaza, “Amahle! Amahle!”
Weva ngelizwi elicinci seliphela ilizwi lakhe ekhohlela ngasentla apho. Wasondela khona umama wakhe wayokufika kuye, wamthatha wambamba wamsondeza kuye esifubeni wazama ukuya ngasemnyango. Uthe engaphumanga, labuya uphahla lamwela engaphakathi.
Laphela ithemba ebantwini ngaphandle kuba babemnqndile ukuba angangeni ngaphakathi.
Satsho isithonga esikhulu kakhulu.
Zafika iimoto zoncedo zabathatha zabaleqisa esibhedlele, abantu bashiyeka becima umlilo ukuba ungayi kwezinye izindlu.
Bafika ngokukhawuleza banikezelwa koogqirha ngokukhawuleza okukhulu. Bafakwa kubuxhakaxhaka basesibhedlele apho balaliswa iintsuku ezintlanu.
Kwakungekho namntu owokubajonga kodwa ngalomhla bephuma ngawo badibana notata obaziyo kwidolophana ekufutshana, wabathatha ngemoto yakhe wabasa kwindawo yokutya apho wafika wabaxelela ngento yonke eyenzekayo.
Bakugqiba bahamba bagoduka bayokuhlala emzini walo Tata apho bafika bamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu, banikwa ukutya kunye nendawo abazahlala kuyo okwexeshana.
Kwakukubi kakhulu kumama ka Amahle kuba wayetshile apha ebusweni nasezandleni zakhe. Bahlalile apho kulomzi wade walulama, ehonywe ngabantu abanothando, yona intombi yakhe entle yaqala ukuba isiwe esikolweni.
Waye wafumana indawo yokuhlala umama ka Amahle apho wahlala khona iminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo de yapasa ibanga layo leshumi intombi yakhe.
Wayewafumana inkxaso-mali esuka kurhulumente kuba wayekrelekrele kakhulu. Apho afunda khona waye wafumana inkwenkwe wathandana nayo wabe engazi ukuba oomama babo abavani tuu. Kwabamnandi ethandweni lakhe kakhulu wade wagqiba ukufunda sele engafuni nokumbona owakhe umama kuba waye waxelelwa ngulomama ubuxoki. Wayesithi ukuba umamakhe wayelinxila futhi wayengamkhathalelanga, yiyo nalento batsha nendlu.
“Ngentlahla wena wakwazi ukuba uhambe uyophuma emnyango, lona ke inxila elingumama wakho watsha nendlu. Kodwa sakwazi ukumkhupha endlini, samsa esibhedlele. Yabona mna bendazi ukuba uzakukwazi ukuba ufunde ugqibe ubengugqirha.” Wagqabazela watsho.
Emva kwexesha UAmahle waye waya kulendlu kwakuhlala umama wakhe kuyo kuba kwakungekho bumnandi ngoku kulendawo wayehlala kuyo nalendoda yakhe. Wayesithi ukuba wenza impazamo athukwe afaniswe nomama wakhe.
Wafika kulusizi umama wakhe egula engenamntu omongayo.
“Haybo, buyakubulala obutywala ubuselayo,” watsho uAmahle.
“Andiseli mna mntwana wam, khona watshona phi?”
“Mhhh ndatshona phi? Ungabuzi kulendlu wawufuna ukunditshisa nayo njena?”
“Uthetha ngantoni ngoku Amahle?” wabuza umamakhe.
“Xa ungazi yeka, into endiyibulelayo kukuba zange nditshe nendlu kemna ke ongaseliyo.”
Umamkhe wamnika isibhalo sakhe emxelela ukuba makakhuphe ikhadi ezilapho amxelele ukuba ubona bani apho. Ngaphakathi wafumana imifanekiso yentombi ezintle kulomhlaba ezinxibele ukuya enkonzweni, futhi bemi ecaleni kwe ronta yakowabo.
“Ndim nawe aba abahle kanje?” wabuza uAmahle.
“Ewe ndim nawe. Sithi ke abo, zange ndasela nobesenti.”
Uyegula ngesiquphe umama wakhe, uAmahle wambalekisa wamsa esibhedlele ngemoto yakhe. Wabuya waya kuladlu babehlala kuyo emva kokuba baphuma esibhedlele.
Wapipiza egeyithini ebuhlungu, kweza utata oselemdala wafika wamvulela igeyithi, wangena wamisa imoto phambi kwendlu.
“Molo ntombi yam, ingaba yonke into intle? Khona usihambele ngantoni?” wabuza uTat’Khabazela.
“Ndinihambele ngempilo engentle tuu kamama wam, kungoku akekho yena usesibhedlele ndisuka ukuyombeka kungoku undibona ndingena apha kwakho,” uAmahle watsho.
“Yazi ntombi yam, emveni kokuba uphantse watsha nendlu umama wakho zange kuphinde kube kuhle kuye tuu. Futhi yena ebekukhulisa eyedwa engenamntu azoncedisana naye kuba notata wakho wabaleka.”
“Kanti kwakutheni ukuze ndiphantse ukutsha nedlu?”
“Unyoko wakushiya ulele endlini yakowenu uneminyaka emihlanu, wabopha emnyango ngocingo waleqa emfumleni apho wena caba wasale uvaka wasebenzisa umetshisi kuba nina kaloku bantwana balemihla nikrelekrele nsebancinci. Wabuya ke yena kusitsha, waza ebaleka, sazama ukumbamba waphuncuka wayokungena endlini evuthayo. Wathi engaphumanga nawe lwangena ngaphakathi uphahla olivuthayo nabe nisengaphakathi nobabini. Wazama waphuma nawe ekusondeze esifubeni sakhe wabe yena etshe eyinyama, zange ndayibona into ebuhlungu kanjeyana,” etsho ekhala umntu omdala.
UTat’Khabazela wasela egqiba wabuza yintoni afuna amenzele yona.
“Masileqe esibhedlele phambi kokuba kubethe intsimbi yesine,” waphendula uAmahle.
Baphuma baleqa khona apho kulaliswe khona umama wakhe, bafika ebambeke kakhulu.
UAmahle wayekhala kakhulu, kweza oonesi bafika bazama noba kwakungekho nto ebabengayenza. Intlungu yokushiywa ngumzali phambi kwakho ekuphela kwakhe unaye. Baye bakhutshelwa phandle wagqunywa umama wakhe wathathwa wasiwa kwindawo ekubekwa khona abasishiyileyo.
***
Khawutsho: Uziva njani ngelibali?