Kwilokishi yaseGugulethu eKapa kumatyombe aseNew Rest, le ndawo nangona abantu bakhona bengathathi ntweni nje, kodwa ubundlobongela ayiyonto ifane ivakale apha. Lendawo ixhagwe ngasempumalanga yindlela eya eGugulethu phakathi.

Kwicala elijonge emntla welizwe nguhola wendlela oya edolophini eKapa. Ngasentshona ngumzila kaloliwe osingisele ngaseKhayelitsha. Lendawo yayiyindawo yokulahla inkukuma naye wonke uvobe weendawo ngendawo. Kwafika abantu abadikwe kukuhlawulela intlalo elokishini eGugulethu.

Ngoku sikwityotyombana likaMandla Sobhuza uSukwini waseFameni eXhorha. UChwama lo wena wagqibela mhlamnene ukugoduka atsibe kwelokuzalwa. Apha kweliKapa ufike eneminyaka elishumi elinanye ubudala. Ngoku umf’omkhulu uleqa amathathu amanye ubudala.

Wayefike ehlala noyise owayesebenza koololiwe ngeloxesha. Uyise wasweleka kukugula, wangcwatyelwa ezilalini zakhe. UMandla washiyeka yedwa ejongene nendawo eyayishiywe nguyise.

Wayefundiswe ukunyaniseka nokungamsengeliphantsi omnye umntu. Wayeyithanda incwadi emlom’ubomvu, kwaye eyilesa ngokuyazi.

Kwekhu! Lazithathela iKapa, limbonisa izinto ebengazenzi ngexesha uyise esaphila. UChwama lo wena intombi ebekade eyiba xa enayo. Ngoku afika azomhlalisa emini lihlab’umhlaba ilanga. Wayengenayo eyeyakhe kulamantombazana, wayevuna esitheni.

Nayiphina eziva ifuna ukulala endlwini yakhe ngobobusuku wayeyithatha. Ukuba ayinamntu wayeyibaleka ngenyawo kuba wayesithi izakumoyama. Kuthe kwakuxabana iintombi ezingabahlobo wayiyeka loonto. Washiyeka ehamba yedwa ngoku engenamntu.

“Bhut’Mandla!” waphethuka uMandla akuva elilizwi limbiza ngokumazi.

“Ndim ke lowo sisi. Ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo,” watsho ehleka kukubona lentokazi intle imazi negama.

“Ndicela uzundilungisele umabonakude wam torho. Ndidibene noNomsa wathi zenditsho kuwe. Akabonakalisi bantu, kodwa uyakhanya yena,” watsho owasetyhini.

“Ungamzisa okanye ndimyele? Uzondithatha imizuzu emihlanu nangaphezulwana,” watsho engumhlehlo ukuncuma oku uMandla.

“Uzuye phaya endlwini, ndizobe ndikhona imini yonke ngomso,”

“Sisi wam, mandazi igama lakho nendlu ofumaneka kuyo ke,” watsho uMandla ingqondo yakhe ithatha ibeka ngoku.

“Nantsiya indlu yam. Ukuba ufike wathi ufuna uNokwanda ndim lowo,” watsho uNokwanda.

UMandla weva nje igama wathi tshe emnweni umsesane wabona ukuba lityala.

“Undilindele ngomso ke ndiyeza,” watsho ngeliphantsi kodwa amehlo esihla enyuka.

Wahamba uNokwanda eshiya uMandla emile esamjongile.

UNokwanda wayengumfazi welixesha, engathwali entloko. Wayenxiba impahla zelixesha kwaye eneliso kwisinxibo. Wawumbona ngomsesane ukuba utshatile. Amadoda ayesoyika ukuzibika kuye kuba indoda yakhe yayisaziwa ngokubulala.

Oonqevu abaziwayo wayebaleqa ngompu ukuba ubhidene nabo. Kodwa ke uMandla lo yena akamazanga ukuba lo ngumfazi kaNgwazi. Kwaye wayengawazi nomzi kaNgwazi ukuba uphi na, kodwa emazi uNgwazi yena.

Wafika ungomso, wahamba uMandla waya kwaNokwanda. Wafika uNokwanda ehleli esihlalweni ngasetafileni. Apha kukho ezimfuma-mfuma izihlalo, zingqonge eyophukayo itafilana, entla kukho igxamesi lalemihla elibonisa ngaphakathi.

Umabonakude mkhulu wade wangathi eligxamesi lakhiwe ebekwe kulandawo akuyo. Kukho amagumbi amabini aneminyango emeleneyo, elokulala nelabantwana. Ngasekhohlo kukho amabini kwakhona, elokuphekela nelangasese. Yayilizulwana eli kumntu oyaziyo intlupheko yasematyotyombeni.

Waphakama uNokwanda enxibe umbhinqwana wokulala, nangona laliseliphakamile ilanga.

“Ungaqala ke bhuti. Nantsi ne-remote yayo,” watsho emdlulisela yona. Wayithatha uMandla ingqondo yakhe ingekho kuyo yonke lonto.

“Mhle umzi wakho sisi wam. Kodwa awufiki kuwe ngobuhle,” watsho ezama ukuqhuba incoko.

“Enkosi,” watsho encuma engena kwigumbi elingemva lokulala.

Wayithi qhwi nje uMandla into ebeyizele wagqiba. Walinda kude kuphume uNokwanda egumbini angene kulo. Uphumile uNokwanda enxibe ilokhwe engathi ibundana noko ngoku.

“Sele ugqibile ngoku? Hayi, uyayenza into yakho bhuti,” atsho emjonge ngamehlo ancumileyo.

“Ndinjalo ke mna. Andikushiyi unganelisekanga yinto endiyenzayo. Ufuna ndikuvezele ngoku, ubone ukuba uzoyithanda na?” watsho uguluva omdala ezimele ngelenkawu.

“Intoni?” wabuza uNokwanda ebuntlonirha.

“Umabonakude. Ndikubonise ukuba uyasebenza na,” watsho uMandla enqoboza iliso encumile.

“Kulungile ke. Wakugqiba ndifuna ukukuhlawula imalana xa ndibuya evenkileni. Uzuphinde ubuye ke,” watsho umfazana.

“Uxolo. Ndizobukela umfanekiso bhanya-bhanya imini yonke ukumka kwam apha. Ngomso?” watsho udyakalashe omkhulu ethezela emnxebeni.

“Ngomso uzobe ekhona umyeni wam. Andifuni ayazi ukuba ubulungisa into endlwini engekho. Ndizoyizisa ngokwam ke,” watsho ngoku uNokwanda.

“Okokugqibela nje. Lelokhwe uyinxibileyo ngoku ibugqumile ubuhle bakho. Uxolo ngokungena endingamenywanga kuzo. Usale kakuhle sisi wam, kodwa wena…” waphosa ulobo lwakhe akugqiba wajika. Lentokazi yamthi nqaku ngengalo

“Mna nditheni?”

“Sisi wam. Kodwa wena uyayenza lento uyenzayo entliziyweni yam. Nam ndiyonwabele kakhulu,”

Kwajongwana sesisibini kungathethwa nto ngamlomo. UNokwanda wayithetha yonke ngamehlo kuMandla owayeyimamele ngawakhe. Kuncunyiwe nje kwahlukwana, uMandla ephuma ebheka ngasetyotyombeni lakhe. Washiya uNokwanda emile emnyango ejonge emva koMandla. Wade wayosithela uMandla emana ukujijitheka ejonga uNokwanda.

Wathi akufika endlwini uMandla wangqengqa ebhedini ejonga imiyalezo kunomyayi wakhe. Wafika kukho umyalezo omnye ovela kuNontobeko umhlobo wakhe omkhulu.

hi hon. I’m on my way to you.

Waxhuma wema ngenyawo akufunda lomyalezo. Wacofa unomyayi wakhe engxamele ukunqanda amanzi angangeni endlwini. Wakhala yedwa kwelinye icala unomyayi wangena kwimiyalezo. Wehla enyuka apha endlwini lomfo kucaca ukuba utya amathambo entloko. Kuthe kusenjalo kwavakala kunkqonkqozwa emnyango.

Uphakamile wafika wavula umnyango ecinga ukuba nguNontobeko. Wathi gqi ngoNokwanda emibucala emnyango ethandabuza.

“Ndicela ungene sisi wam. Noko awunokude uthethe ume ngaphandle emnyango,” wangena uNokwanda engathethanga nelimdaka. Wafika wema ngaphakathi elaqaza indawo yonke. Kuthe kusenjalo weva ingxolwana evakala ngaphandle. Watsiba evala umnyango ekrwempa ibunzi.

“Hayibo! Wandivalela ngaphakathi mfondini?” wabuza uNokwanda ejonge uMandla.

“Andifuni ubonwe uphuma endlwini yomfana ongatshatanga. Ndizovula xa kuthe cwaka kancinci,” watsho uMandla ezinza onexhala.

“Uzawudliwa wena ukuba ufunyenwe uvalele umfazi womntu endlwini yakho,” watsho uNokwanda.

“Ndakubaxelela ukuba kange ndiwele neziko eli mna,” watsho uMandla encumile.

“Kwazi bani? Ubungazutsho xa uliwelile iziko elo,” waqhula ngelitshoyo uNokwanda.

“Kengoku, ndingahlawula iziko endingaliwelanga? Unotshe ke kulondawo,” watsho efunga unqevu omkhulu.

“Naku ke uzodliwa ngokuvalela mna endlwini yakho,” watsho ejonga emnyango uNokwanda.

“Uyayiva nalengxolo ayide idlule? Yima kanjalo, ndinecebo” watsho esiya kwenye yeefestile ezinkulu ezingasemva kwendlu. Wafika wayivula

“Andizuphuma ngafestile kemna mfokabawo,” watsho uNokwanda echopha esihlalweni ngasebhedini.

“Kuzophuma mna. Ndiyabuya ngoku,” watsho ke uMandla ephuma emnyango. Watshala ikhonkco lokutshixa watshixa ngaphandle uMandla. Wathi esaxakwe kokwenzekayo uNokwanda weva kuvuleka lafestile ingemva. Kwavela uMandla engena ngayo engxamile.

“Wenzani Mandla? Kutheni utshixa ngaphandle nje? Kwaye utheni ungena ngefestile?” wabuza uNokwanda.

“Ukuba kufika nabani na oza kum, uzocinga ukuba andikho xa ebona iqhaga emnyango. Ngako oko, wena nam kumele sizame ukuthethela phantsi ngathi akukho mntu. Ndizodlalela phantsi unomathotholo ukuze abantu bacinge ukuba ndimshiye edlala,” watsho uMandla ezingomba igila.

***

Yitsho: Lithini iqhinga likaMandla ngoNokwanda?