UMandla uthe akungena endlwini waqokelela okulingene umthwalo wakhe. Waqokelela ubugcwabalalana ebebulapha naphaya, edibanise nebiseluvalelweni. Yathi yakuphuma eyokugoduka wayiqala egodukayo esinge kwelokuzalwa.
Kwathi kubetha iintsimbi zokuthi chapha kwelanga wabe eseMthatha elinde eziya eXhorha. Wayifumana kade ephumayo eMthatha, ngako oko wafika ngeyeshumi eXhorha. Imali eyayikuye ngoku yayikumakhulu amathathu eeponti anomvo. Wasebenzisa umvo ukuya eXhuba engavuli mlomo kakhulu apha enqwelweni.
Yatyatyadula naye inqwelo ukunyuka iyojika kuMatshamba, yayogqitha ePoliseni, yangathi ayiyiboni iNcihana isiyogqitha eFameni, yade yajika ngakwaNketshu ijonge eXhuba. Ngelingeni, yagaleleka eMthini ngakwaThandiwe apho ebesiya khona lomfo.
Wathi chu kuhle lomfo wayongena eDakeni kumzi kaJongizulu kwaPawuli.
“Molweni ngaphakathi! Nanku umhambi enkqonkqoza,” wakhwaza emile phambi kwendlu. Kwaphuma umzukulwana kaJongizulu.
“Ngena bhuti akukho zinja apha,” watsho ejika engena endlwini, elandelwa nguMandla. Bangena endlwini wachopha esihlalweni esingasemnyango uMandla. Wajonga-jonga akalibona ixhego aze kulo apha.
“Mntwan’am, uphi uTat’omkhulu walapha?”
“Usemasimini ngaphesheya uzobuya ngoku. UMakhulu yena usemgidini eTsholorha. Ndiyombiza uTat’omkhulu?”
“Ewe mbize mntwan’am ndiqhawulise endize ngayo kuye,” watsho uMandla.
Waphuma umntwana wabaleka ukuyobiza uyisemkhulu. Washiyeka esiwa emnxebeni uMandla etshalela uNokwanda.
“Hello! Ndithetha nabani?” wabuza uMandla.
“Ubufuna bani wena?” labuza ilizwi lendoda kwelinye icala.
“Igama lam ndinguThamsanqa. Ndisebenza kwaMTN eKapa. Ndicela umnikazi walenombolo asitsalele umnxeba kwakulenombolo kuba uphumelele unomyayi wakwaNokia. Igama lakhe nguNokwanda,”
“Ndizowudlulisa lomyalezo. Usaphumile okwangoku,” watsho uNgwazi.
Wawubeka naye uMandla eqonda ukub’iqhinga aliphekwa kwaXhosa. Akugqiba wafaka umnxeba wakhe esingxobeni sebhulukhwe walindela ukudluliswa komyalezo nguNgwazi. Waphuma phandle ukuze abone nalendawo yaseXhuba.
Wayibukela lendawo ngomdla omkhulu ejikeleza yonke indawo kulomzi. Wade waya nasechibini phantsi kwegadi yakwaTazanana ebuka ubuhle bendalo.
Ulindile ngomonde umfo kaSobhuza lingade lifike ixhego laseMaqocweni. Wachopha ngasesibayeni kwisiqobo somthathi esixhase idladla lombona.
Kulendawo kwakukho umthunzi omnandi kwaye engaphazanyiswa nto, ngaphandle nje komdla owawubonaka la ebantwaneni wokwazi lobhuti. Yena wayemana ebajonga ancume nje engathethi.
Uthe xa ozelayo ngoku, lagaleleka ixhego libekele phantsi.
“Tyhini! Molo kwedini,” wabulisa uJongizulu.
“Molo mnt’omkhul,” watsho ephakama uMandla ebamba isandla.
“Injani imvuko ke mfo wam?” labuza ixhego.
“Asiboniswa nto kwaphela thina. Singaziva ngani ke xhego xa zikhona,” waphendula umfana eliqwalasela elixhego likaZikhali.
“Hayi, akukho nto kwaphela mfo wam. Ufika simaxhaphetshu mfo wam kuba kulonyaka silime ixesha selimkile. UKwindla sesijongene naye ngoku mfo wam, Ewe,”
Bancokole apho ixeshana kungekho ude aye emxholweni. Bathetha ngezolimo nemigidi bonwabile behleka kuyilonto.
“Mfo wam andibanga sabuza nemvelaphi, liphi ikhaya mfo wam?” wabuza uJongizulu kwakunqamka ebabezithetha.
“Mna ndinguMandla Sobhuza kwaSukwini eFameni. Kodwa wathi utata xa izinto zam zingahambi kakuhle zendize apha kuwe undilandele umkhondo. Wathi xa ndiza apha zendifikele apha ndingekayi ekhaya, kwaye ndilale. Kungoko ndilapha nje namhlanje,” watsho umfana.
“Wakuxelela unobangela wokuba akuzise apha kum?” wabuza uJongizulu.
“Hayi mnt’omkhulu akazange asiphathe isizathu,” waphendula ke umfana. Kwathi kusenjalo kwangena uTazanana intombi kaRhasmani kwaDlomo eTsholorha. Wabulisa naye kolundwendwe angalaziyo, wabuza nempilo.
“Yhe Bhuti kaNomayakuyaku, ngubani lo ufana nobhuti wangaphesheya kamgaka?” wabuza uMadlomo.
“Ngunyana kaDumalisile lo,” watsho uJongizulu.
“Ngubani na uDumalisile,” wabuza uMadlomo.
“UDumalisile ngunyana kaNontungunyana umntakwethu inkulu le yakwaZikhali,” watsho uJongizulu.
“Mnt’omkhulu, kaloku bendithe ndinguSukwini eFameni kwaSobhuza, ndingunyana kaBambilanga mna,” watsho uMandla ecacisa kuJongizulu.
“Ndikuvile ke mfo wam. Kodwa ke ndikuxelela endikwaziyo mna, nendikuxelelwe nguyihlo mhla wafika apha kuleminyaka iphelayo. Akunjalo Madlomo?” watsho ejonga kuMadlomo.
“Kunjalo,” waphendula ke uMadlomo owayeguqe ngamadolo ngasemnyango ejonge lentwana.
“Wena wazalelwa phaya emanxiweni ngaphesheya, uzalwa nguyihlo uDumalisile nomfazi wakhe uMasukwini. Kwathi kuba wawugula batshintsha indawo bayohlala eMiller. Apho bagqiba ekubeni wena ukhuliswe ngumalume wakho uZolile. Isizathu ikukuba, babengalungelwa ngabantwana. Babekubalekisela ukuba wena ube yindlalifa nengotya kulomzi kaPawuli. Kodwa bathi xa ubuya uzoxelelwa yonke into. Unyoko usweleke kunyaka wesinje (emisa ubhontsi ukuxela isithandathu) wena ukhuliswa ngunyokolume.
“Mna ndandingakwazi ukuba ukhuliswa ngubani phi. Ngako oko andikwazanga ukufunisa xa kwakusweleka uDumalisile. UZolile ndizomazi ngoku ukuba wayotshona nawe eKapa. Uthe xa eza apha wandixelela lento, mna ndayothuka kuba bendicinga ukuba umzi womkhuluwa wam waphela. Nangoku, kuthiwe kusakuthiwa kukho umfana otyethe imithwalo esithi ufuna mna ndacinga ukuba ngalamadoda angaphaya kocingo athengisa impahla,”
Wathula uMandla engazi nokuba makathethe athini na. Ilanga lalingathi liyaqala ukutshona namhlanje. Iminyaka le yonke uzibiza ngesiduko engeso sakhe. Inokuba yiyo lento emgidini wam kwakuthetha amaxhego endingawaziyo eme notata? Yayingubani elaxhego lalindinika umkhonto khona? wazibuza lemibuzo ingaphendulekiyo engqondweni.
“Mfo wam, ngawufake into emagxeni kesiwelele phaya kooyihl’omkhulu emanxiweni. Emva koko ndizokukhelela iyeza lakowenu uhlambe ngalo ekuseni ukuvuka kwakho, phambi kokuba uhambe. Okwangoku masiwelele phaya ngaphetsheya emanxiweni,” watsho uJongizulu.
Baphuma ke bahamba nangona kuMandla yayingekangeni kakuhle le ayivayo. Bayofika emanxiweni bethe chu kuhle ingekho kakhulu ethethwayo.
“Yothula umnqwazi ke mfo wam sisondele kooyihlo nabantu bakowenu,” watsho uJongizulu esothula owakhe umnqwazi. Bangqala emafihlweni enkulu zalomzi wakwaPawuli. “Uyabona ke mfo wam, phaya ngokhokho bakho bonke ukusuka kuTyebileyo ukuza kuyihlo uDumalisile,” watsho ekhomba ngentloko kuba ingcwaba alikhonjwa ngomnwe.
“Hlala apha ecaleni kukayihlo mfo wam,” watsho embonisa indawo engceni.
“Dumalisile, nyana kaNontungunyane, mzukulwana kaPawuli. Nanku uNyana wakho uMandlenkosi ekunene kwakho. Wawumkhulisele ezizweni, mbuyise kengoku akwazi ukulungisa ezimxakayo. Yinkulu yakho le, mamkele ke ukuze abesisiseko somnombo wakho. Mlungisele indlela xa efuna isitya emnyameni ukuze naye alibone ikhaya lakhe.
“Namhlanje ke ukwelikhaya ukuze ingxaki zakhe azishiye ngaphandle angene emsulwa. Ndiyahamba naye ngoku ukuze ndimamkele ngokwesiko lakhe.” Wajika wabhekisa emfaneni, “masihambe mfo wam siyophunga ngoku, ixhomekeke kuyihlo ngoku eyokuba kuzoqhubeka ntoni,” watsho uJongizulu ehamba.
Bathe xa bathi qelele emangcwabeni uMandla wafumana umyalezo emnxebeni. Wawufunda kuba ecinga ukuba usuka kuNokwanda wakhe. Wancuma wangathi umka nomsinga akugqiba ukuwufunda lomyalezo.
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Khawutsho: Inoba uvela phi lo myalezo, usithini?