Bathe bakufika enkundleni yasemaQocweni bahlamba izandla ukubhebhetha amashwa. Bandula ke bangena endlwini, uMandla waphinda wavula umyalezo awufumeneyo.

“Mnt’omkhulu, kukho umcimbi ekufuneka ndiwuqabelise apha edolophini ngokukhawuleza,” watsho uMandla.

“Mfo wam kaloku ngoku kufuneka uhlale apha emasangweni de kudlule lomcimbi wasekuseni. Ungavukela ekuseni xa uhamba okanye uqale khona. Kodwa ke mna mfo wam, bendifuna uhlale phaya kulamzi kayihlo emanxiweni. Kaloku lo, ngumzi kayihlo nalawa aphaya ngaphesheya ngamasimi akho. Xa ewonke mahlanu mfo wam, mna ndiwajongile qha de uwafune,” satsho esisitshotho sakwaMazembe sijonge phantsi.

Wahlala phantsi uMandla nangona wayengxamele ukuphicotha okubikwa ngumyalezo. Bahlala ke latshona elangalomini kumnandi kuMandla.

Wayengayiqondi eyokuba yena noNokwanda bangavumelana ukuyohlala ezilalini. Kwade kwaba mnyama uMandla emana ukujonga phandle. Kodwa uthe xa ayochitha amanzi amadoda ngasebuhlanti wabona ukuba kumnyama kangakanani na ezilalini. Waqonda ke ukuba makalungise ukuhlala kuqala phambi kokuba ahambe apha.

Wanikwa indlu yakhe ukuba makalale kuyo lomfana. Wahamba ke waya kulendlu yenziwe ngodaka. Wayithanda lomfana lentlalo yalapha, abantu banobubele kwaye bafuna ukwazi ngomntu ngamnye. Kwezizindlu zodaka akukho butyebi bamali nagolide, kodwa kugcwele ububele, uvelwano, ukuhloniphana, ukuziphatha okuhle, ukuthobeka nembeko kusapho ngalunye.

Aba bantu adibene nabo yonke lemini yanamhlanje khange kubekho namnye okhe waxabana naye. Aba bantu bangumzekelo eluntwini ngokubanzi kumhlaba wonke jikelele. Ukuba kungaphilwa kanje kumhlaba wonke jikelele, akunakubakho kulwa nazimfazwe.

Walala uMandla ekwezongcinga, waphupha kamnandi kumzi kayisemkhulu. Wavuka esiva kunkqonkqozwa emnyango, wavula ke naye.

“Khaba ingubo mfo wam ushiye impahla endlwini uze ebuhlanti ngoku,” watsho ejika emnyango uJongizulu esiya ngasebuhlanti. Waqonda uMandla ukuba makayikhulule impahla yakhe yokulala alandele. Waqala ngokukroba ukuba akukho mntu ubhinqileyo na phandle apha. Wathi akubona ukuba akukho bhinqa, wakhawuleza etswayizela buchwechwa.

Wafika kuJongizulu emi esangweni lobuhlanti, wema ecaleni kwakhe.

“Ngena mfo wam uhlambe naliya iyeza lakowenu liphola phaya. Hlamba lamashwa uwashiye apha kooyihl’omkhulu bakusele wona kuQamata wookhokho bakho,” latsho madoda ixhego laseMaqocweni ngebhongo limkhombisa umgxawu owawume ebuhlanti ugcwele ngamanzi.

Wangena nokuthethwa naye wahlamba ukusuka elunweleni entloko ukuya eluzwaneni lwenyawo.

“Wakugqiba ke mfo wam uthathe langubo iphaya esangweni uyambathe uye kum endlwini enkulu. Umngqengqise wena ungxawu lowo xa uphuma apho. Ukugqiba kwakho uze ungajongi emva de uzongena apha endlwini eze kum,” laphinda lamshiya elixhego. Naye ke wathi akugqiba ukuhlamba wawulalisa ungxawu, wajonga esangweni engubeni. Wayithabatha nje wayithi jike eyombatha, akugqiba walandela uJongizulu enganyeke ngemva.

Wade wayongena endlwini enkulu, wafika uJongizulu echophe esihlalweni esingasemnyango. Wamolathisa indawo ephaya ngasentla kukasoze, isitulo sodaka ukuba ahlale ekukweni naye wenza njalo.

“Madoda akwaZikhali, nanku ke umzukulwana wenu ndimzisile kuni. Mna ndinguJongizulu unyana omncinci kwiqadi lendlu enkulu kuPawuli. Lo ke nguMandla inkulu kaNontungunyane yena ongunyana wesibini kuPawuli. Mna ke zinto zikaPawuli ndimzisile kuni njengoko nanisenza nangaphambili. Ndimile ke apho,” watsho uJongizulu esazisa uMandla kwizinyanya zaseMaQocweni.

Walaqaza uMandla emana ukujonga ukuba ngobani aba kuthethwa nabo, kuba apha endlwini yayingabo bobabini qha. Waqonda nje ukuba le akanakuyigqiba ukuyibuza, okungcono makamamele imithetho kaJongizulu.

“Mfo wam, hamba uyokwenza izinto zakho, ndikugqibile ngoku mna kwelam icala,” watsho uJongizulu efakela inqawe yakhe.

“Mnt’omkhulu, andikhange ndiyazi ukuba uyatshaya. Kusasa uzuthume umntwana athathe imali phaya kulandlu ayokuthengela elikhulu,” watsho uMandla naye eziva esekhaya. Eyona nto yayimchwayitisile emphefumlweni ngulamyalezo wayizolo.

“Hayi mfo wam, bendingatshayi wena leminyaka ide yamithandathu. Kodwa ngoku nokuba lingandibulala ukhona umnikazi mzi, wena ke. Futhi andilitshayi elasevenkileni mna mfo wam, ndilima elam apha emva kwezindlu,” atsho esalatha ngengcaphe emva kwegxalaba lakhe. Waphuma ke uMandla walungiselela ukuya edolophini abuyele eFameni kumzi kayise.

Wafika edolophini xa kurhwaqelana iqabaka. Waqala kumzi wogcino mali wacela ukudibana nomphathi wesebe.

“Ndingakunceda bhuti? Ndim owongamele eli isebe,” yatsho lentokazi ibuqina noko.

“Ndicela ukwazi ngezoshishino. Ndifikelwe ngumyalezo osuka kuni othi ndifakelwe amawaka angamakhulu amathathu eeponti izolo. Ingaba ndingalifumana ikhasi elinobungqina balonto?” wabuza uMandla.

“Yiza kwelicala ke bhuti,” wamngenisa ngemva, wenzelwa nento ephungwayo. Waziselwa elokhasi liyithetha nalo kanjalo loo nto. Wayiyeka phakathi lonto iphungwayo uMandla wacela indlela etsale nje amawaka asibhozo eeponti.

Uthe akuphuma apho kwelogumbi umfo waseMaqocweni wabiza intwazana echwetheza koomatshini bemali ukuba imncede.

“Ndifuna s’thandwa sam ukhe undixelele ukuba ngubani ofake imali yokugqibela kuvimba wam,”

Yachwetheza lentwazana imana ukujonga kwesisazisi sakhe.

“Hayi bhuti, imali yokugqibela ingene kulenyanga iphelileyo ingamakhulu amabini eerandi” watsho lomntwana.

“Enye iyatsho ukuba ivela phi imali?” wabuza uMandla enexhala lokukhulula inkukhu sekubila namanzi.

“Hayi bhuti, enye le imali ayiveli ukuba ivela phi. Apha ibonakala ngathi yimali le kukudala ilapha kulovimba wakho. Kodwa ayitsho ukuba ifakwe ngoluphi usuku apha. Ufuna ndiphande ngayo?” labuza eliqhajikazi.

“Hayi, ndanelisekile okwangoku, enye nenye ndizoyilungisa eMthatha ngoMvulo,” watsho uMandla.

Lentombazana yamnika isazisi sakhe nephepha lenkcaza yemali yakhe. Waphakama wahamba ke uJojo eqonda ukuba akazuyijonga amazinyo inkomo yesiko. Wangqola kwivenkile yempahla, wathengela yena, abantwana bekhaya lakhe elitsha, uJongizulu noMaRhasmani.

Wathenga iingubo zane, ezimbini zakhe nezimbini zikaJongizulu, omabonakude ababini, owakhe nokaJongizulu, ukutya kwenyanga, izihlangu zakhe nezikaJongizulu. Waya kwivenkile yempahla yendlu, wathenga isikhenkcezisi, izihlalo ezitofotofo akugqiba wabiza iguru-guru yamgodusa.

Ehamba ezibuza ukuba kakade lemali isuka kweliphi icala. Ndimtsalele uNokwanda ngalento, okanye ndimlinde azofika apha? wazibuza lomibuzo uMandla.

Wade wayokufika ekhayeni efika uJongizulu ehleli nabantwana kuba uMaRhasmani wayeye elimeni lotywala eTabasa. Wacela ezintwana zingabakhaphi beguru-guru ukuba bamncedise ukuthutha ezimpahla zingene endlwini.

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