[KungoMgqibelo umhla wesibhozo kweYomnga. Ityala likwasibonda: uZibambile into kaMolomane eFameni kumhlaba wento kaPewula emaTshaweni. Inkosi esesihlalweni nguBangithafa kwilali yakuloGwelani phesheya koXhama. Aaah Bangithafa! Apha kumangalelwe uNdoda Matyeni waseMabaleni emaKwayini, emangalelwa ngokumithisa intombi kaTshangisa into kaSankqoyi enguNomhle igama. Amadoda athe nqwadalala ngasebuhlanti atyiwa lilanga lasehlotyeni.]

Khwetshube: Yhe madoda masixoxe sigqibe lento sihambe, uyatshisa namhlanje.

Langa: Kaloku Khwetshube lamaGcaleka oyika ukuxelela lentwana ihlawule ngalendlela ibimithisa ngayo.

Jongihlanga: Yhe Bongikhaya. Ngawumamele lamaMfengu xa egeza. Wena Khwetshube, utshotshozelisa isifuba ngathi uhluth’isilaza samarhewu nje undivimbe umqombothi izolo kwaMnqayana. Wena Langa eneziqa ngathi uyaphiswa, hlala phantsi uyangxola (emkhombisa ecaleni kwakhe).

Langa: Ha ha ha! (ehleka bugeza) Andihleki kwedini ndiyanyubula. Utsho ngomnqwazi ngathi sisandlwane nje wena. Lentang’akho yona inesankwane ngathi zezintaka zitya iinyoka.

Bongikhaya: Yhe Langa, nje ngokuba utsho ngamanqagisa ngathi ngunonkxwe uzoyeka nini ukunyetyha ezintselweni?

[Kuhlekwe kube yiloonto ke entlanganisweni abafana beqhulana ngezobutsha babo. Kusemnandi kunjalo kufika uZibambile negqiza lakhe kusukwa kuhlinzwa impuku ngamakhwahla amakhulu. Bakuhlala phantsi kuphakama uNogobile into yasemaTshaweni edelela ngokwenene. UNgconde lo kuyabonakala ukuba ebekhe wazithi rhatsha kuMangumba.]

Nogobile: Aaaah Zibambile!

Inkundla: Aaaaah Zibambile!

Nogobile: Bendicinga ukuba lentwana uMbaliso ayizukhahlela, bendifuna ndiyifike kanobom ngomnqayi apha ezimbanjeni. Phindani nonke nithi Aaaa Zibambile!

Inkundla: Aaaa Zibambile!

Nogobile: Bantu bokuhlala! Namhlanje nimenywe kulembizo ngesizathu esibalulekileyo. UNdodenye lo uhleli phambi kwenu unesityholo sokumithisa uNomhle lowa uhleli ngasemaxhantini. Namhlanje lomfana sifuna asixelele ukuba utsho ngabuni ukuba akayimithisanga lentombi. Intlanganiso iyaqala ke ngoku mzi waseMabaleni nowakwaRhonose neNtshinga ukuyoma eQamata. Phakama ke kwedini sigqibe elityala lakho.

Mzongozi: Nogobile, sukuthi lendoda yikwedini kuba ingummangalelwa namhlanje.

Nogobile: Yikwedini le kum, nawe kwedini Mzongozi soze ulwe apha kum. Ndingakubetha ndikudibanise noyihlo. Nezintwana nihamba…

Sentuse: Nogobile! Apha size etyaleni lalomfana. Thetha into evakalayo liyatshisa elilanga notywala buyaphela kwaNorhafu.

Zibambile: Sbakeni! Uyasilibazisa. Abantu bayatsha lilanga.

Nogobile: Aaah Zibambile! Nomhle phakama usixelele ukuba lentwana ikwenze ntoni. Ukuba ufuna ndimfak’ingqalathi utsho.

Nomhle: UNdoda Matyeni undimithisile akugqiba wandikhanyela. Ngoku ndifuna inkundla indigwebele uNdoda andihlawule.

Nogobile: Uqonde xa kundawoni ukuba nguye okumithisileyo wena?

Nomhle: Nguye yedwa obendithandana naye.

Nogobile: Susa umbuzo kuwe ungakuqheli. Lithi kum kuwe, uqonde xakundawoni ukuba nguye okumithisileyo?

Nomhle: Nguye yedwa obewela iziko kum.

Nogobile: Ndikuvile mna ntombi. Kwelixesha ndiphakamisa uNdoda azosixelela ukuba uyayazi na lentombi. Ndodenye! Phakama kwedini, kunjalo nje awudeleli uqhuba intwala ngebhunguza. Ungathi unengqondo xa unxiba isikhindi nenkumpayethe enkundleni? Uyayazi lentombi imi phaya?

Ndoda: Ngaphandle kokuyibona apha endleleni andiyazi mna lentombi.

Nogobile: Ntombazana, ingaba lo umphetheyo ngumntwana walentwana lo sixoxa ngaye?

Nomhle: Ewe bhuti.

Nogobile: Hlala phantsi ke ntombazana. (ejikela kuMadoda). Wena mfo wam uthi awuyazi lentombi. Phuhlisa amazwi akho kwedini simamele.

Madoda: UNomhle lo ukungamazi kwam kuloluhlobo, sasibana naye enomntu wakhe. Wandala ngenye imini ndisuka eXhorha emdlalweni weembaleki. Ngalomini wayolala kuFikile kwaMdabuka kuloMnguni. Ndinamangqina awayekhona ngaloomini. UTutu wayekhona, uNonzo, uKomko noNomakayi sasihleli ngakwaTat’uNgquzwana sonke.

Nogobile: Uyatyhuluba kwedini ingathi utya amabolosa. Unabungqina buni obuthi akamithiswanga nguwe?

Madoda: Bazisa intombi enomntwana oneveki ezelwe, yona ithi imithiswe ndim. Bebehleli phi ixesha eli lonke? Ukuba bebezise isisu ngebeshiye usana ngemva bandixelele ukuba bebelinde ntoni iinyanga ezingaka. Kanti ukuba bazise usana ngebelishiye kumama ndide ndibuye ezinkabini.

Nogobile: Hlala phantsi ke mfana umde ebhasini. Ngoku ke ntomb’am yiza kum ndikubuze. (uNdoda uhlala phantsi kuze kuphakame uNomhle) Ntombi, kanye kanye wena umithiswe ngubani? Kuba ukuxelela isiponono uNdodenye uthi akazange akubone nasemdudweni woononkala.

Nomhle: Lithi kum ndimithiswe nguNdoda lo undikhanyelayo.

Nogobile: Benilala ndawoni nosingaye lo ke ntomb’am?

Nomhle: Besilala exandeni kwigumbi elingemva. Bendisiya phaya phantse iintsuku zonke.

Nogobile: Ukumithisele phaya kwelaxande? Uqinisekile ngalonto?

Nomhle: Kunjalo kanye.

Nogobile: Ukusiwa kwakho kulomfana ubuneenyanga ezingaphi ukhulelwe?

Nomhle: Umntwana ebeseneveki enye ezelwe.

Nogobile: Benilinde ntoni elixesha lonke ude uzale. Ubusasiwe kwabanye oomakhwapheni kuqala?

Nomhle: Hayi akunjalo.

Nogobile: Makubuze enye indoda ngoku, nizojika nithi ndimncwasile lomdlezana ngoku.

Nxephelele: Umncwasile lomntwana Sbakeni. Kunini umbuza ngokulalana?

Nogobile: Uphambene Nxephelele. Ungaphambaneli kum yilentsangu uyitshayayo. Buza ngokwakho ke nkqayi yakho. Undilandele ukuba uyathanda masimb’akho.

Nxephelele: Ulitshaba leenkukhu!

Nogobile: Utsho kunyoko Nxephelele kwedini.

[Kuphakama uBongikhaya aphakamise uNdoda. Ukuze abuze imibuzo kuye.]

Bongikhaya: Kwedini, uyayikhanyela lentombi okanye uyayiphika?

Ndoda: Ndiyayikhanyela Bongikhaya.

Bongikhaya: Ukutsho oko wawulele nalentombi.

Ndoda: Kwakabini qha. Zange aphinde aye ekhaya.

Bongikhaya: Zange amithe ngalomini?

Ndoda: Eh… eh.. eh… um. Zange asizise kum isisu.

Bongikhaya: Intombi imithiswa ngemini enye, lentombi ize kabini kuwe. Bekutheni ukuze ungayimithisi ngezomini zombini?

Ndoda: Bendingafuni ukumithisa kuba ndisafunda.

(Gquzu kwahlekwa enkundleni ngumntu wonke.)

[Kwesisithuba kuphakame into kaRhethe uLetha isiduko. URhethe lo wena yindoda ekuthandayo ukuba konwatywe apho ikhoyo.]

Rhethe: Mandithi kaloku mfo wam awugezi uphethe isimilo ngesandla, naso esosimilwana sakho sidlaka-dlaka. Uyala ukuba lentombi uyimithisile uphinde kwawena uvume ngeentetha zakho. Sikubuza ngobungqina obuthi umsulwa wena usinika obuthi umithisile. Kwedini sudlala ngathi apha, thetha into evakalayo. Ugqibele nini ukulala nalentombazana?

Ndoda: Ndigqibele kudala, kangangoba sekuzawuphela unyaka ngoku.

Rhethe: Hlala phantsi kwedini ndigqibile ngawe ngoku. Phakama Nomhle uzohlala apha kwesasiqobo sihleli uMbududu, wena Mbududu hlala phaya emva kobuhlanti. Utsho ngeedyasi ngathi liphela nje.

(gquzu intsini enkundleni konwatyiwe)

Mbududu: Usile kwedini Mkrotswana, utsho ngentshetyana ngathi yinja ebaleka nesiziba nje. Awuzanga kum apha kulembizo.

Rhethe: Ye Tshawe (ethetha noBongikhaya intang’akhe). Ezintwana ooMbududu, ooNonzo nezintwana ooSibakeni zizinto zokolulwa imiqolo ngengqalathi zitshone esapha. Le inguMbududu khange ifune ukuvala kudlalwa emgidini eKhasa ngoMgqibelo. Nantsi ngoku itsal’imixhadi apha kum.

(atsho ejika ukuze ajongane noNomhle obesehleli yena esiqobeni)

Rhethe: Ntombi wena uthe kulenkundla umfana ukumithisile, ekumithisela kokwabo exandeni. Phika watyholwa.

Nomhle: Bendisitsho bhuti.

Rhethe: Ngoku uthini?

Nomhle: Ndisatsho bhuti.

Rhethe: Uyandiphikisa xa ndisithi kuwe wena usuke emzini kayihlo kuVelelo, waya eMabaleni injongo yakho ikukumithisa uNdoda lo. Qha kumithe wena engekamithi yena, ubungqina bobokuba uthi elele kowabo wena unyuke indlela uyolala naye kowabo.

(kuhlekwe enkundleni noNdoda encumile kuba ebona lentetha imvumela)

Rhethe: Kwedini uyancumeza ngathi wojelwa intshontsho ngofinyafuthi. Utsho ngamehlo ngathi zizikroba zedyasi nje, hlawula lentombi. Masinikele kuZibambile ngoku elityala aligwebe. Aaaa Zibambile!

Inkundla: Aaaa Zibambile!

Matotswana: Bendizawucela ku…

Bongikhaya: Matotswana kwedini unguLikrwitshiwe, awunayo nenja le. Thula mfana wam, ayingo ndize lona. Ukuba ufuna ukudlala icekwa yiya esidadweni kuQangane. Phantsi kwentsimi kaMabhelandile.

Nogobile: Inzwi madoda! Uyathetha uZibambile.

(kuthuleke enkundleni kujongwe kuZibambile. UZibambile njengokuba emile uxhagwe nguNtontomana noTshovu-tshovu amadoda amcebisayo kwizigqibo zakhe)

Zibambile: MaRhonose, Gwejela, Mabala, Qamata nani Fama kaFaku ngokubanzi. Silivile elityala xa lithethwa nini. Silihle emahlongwana phezulu siliqononondisa. Safikelela ekubeni uNdoda Matyeni makahlawule lentombi ayimithisileyo. Iziphumo zalonto zizovakala apha kulenkundla. Ndigqibile ke kuloodawo. Ukuba usapho lwakwaMatyeni luyabhena, lungaya kuloBhonga komkhulu. Ndimile.

(laba kanti liyaphela ityala, limshiya umadoda ematshekile ngathi uzalelwe yinkomo endlwini)

***

strong>Ulonwabele eli balana?