“Bambana, Yehova, nababambana nam. Yilwa nabalwa nam. Qubula ikhakha nengweletshetshe, usuk’ume undincede. Rhola umkhonto, uvingce indlela yabandisukelayo; Yithi kumphefumlo wam, ndilusindiso lwakho. Mabadane, bahlazeke, abazungula umphefumlo wam; Mababuye umva babe neentlomi abacinga ububi ngam. Mababe njengomququ phambi komoya, sibatyhale isithunywa sikaYehova. Ngokuba basigqumele mna isabatha sabo ngelize, bawumbela isihogo umphefumlo wam ngelize. Mayimfikele intshabalalo engazi, sibambise yena isabatha sakhe awasigqumayo; Eyele kuso ngesithonga. Wogcoba ke umphefumlo wam ku-Yehova, Ube nemihlali ngosindiso lwakhe. Onke amathambo am aya kuthi, Yehova, ngubani na onjengawe.

“Yehova Kuthi mandingene kuwo amahlathi kuba amatyholo aphelile, kuthi mandibaleke ndiye kwantliziyo ndise ntonje ndinqandwa zezindonga ingqondo yam ziyenza ithathe ibeka. Khawundibeleke nyawo zam kuba kukude eBhakubha, kuba lithi lakutshona ilanga kunge ndingaphindela kumama esizalweni, mandizalwe ngokutsha kaloku kuba obu bomi buzele iintshutshiso, lomhlaba ndikuwo awufanele bavumi bokholo oofana nam nawe. Ndithi ndakuthwa mba zingcinga kunge ndingabheka eNtshona ndibuye ndisinge eMpuma, hayi kekhona umntu endinguye, hayi kekhona ukuzenza! Kaloku namhlanje ndilala ngenzondo, kaloku namhla ndivuka ngeziqalekiso, yiyo lonto ndisithi dilikani ndonga zalomzi ungasikelelekanga, ewe mandimke ngoku kwelenyama, mandizalwe ngokutsha nam ndidle iziqhamo ezincumisayo. Ndiyathembisa andufana naye uAdam ku-Efa esona ndizale nkosi ngokutsha. Ewe emva kwezivubeko zobetheka, emva koxhatshazwa zizilingo, emva kontlokothiswa ziinkxwaleko, ndidadele esizikithini sesono ndema nde-gabhu kwichibi lwabangento. Ilonyo-lonyo ibindim, inyoka nayo ibikwandim, ngenxa yokuqiqa ukucinga nangenxa yokuzivuma izono, ndizinikela kuwe bawo mandizalwe ngokutsha.”

Lowo ngumthandazo endaziva, ndiwuthandaza ndiqamelele ngengqindi, ndilele oku kukaNonzolo kwesimnyama isisele kwintolongo yaseDrakenstein. Ibifudula isaziwa ngele-Victor Vester kweliPhondo leNtshona Koloni kwiCape Winelands.

Intliziyo yam kaloku ngolusuku yayibethela ukuma. Kaloku ndandingazange ke ndingene ngaphakathi kwengcango zentolongo ngaphambili nam ndatsho ndabubona ubugwenxa bam ndakubangaphakathi.

Kwathi kanti ngexesha ndandifudula ndizibiza umzalwane kwathi kanti ndisangxabalazile enkonzweni yomPostile, ndisenezinto ezizezam. Ukwazi bhetele ndiyinkosi ukuzazi, ndindwendwela esangqeni sabazalwane kanti akundwendwelwa esangqeni sabazalwane, kuyahlalwa.

Ngendlela ekwakuyiyo kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndiziqhelanise nayo impilo yokuba libanjwa nangona kwakunzima. Kwakunceda ntoni ukukhalaza kuba iDrakenstein Prison yayizakuba likhaya lam elitsha isithuba seminyaka elishumi elinesibini.

Kwiveki zam zokuqala, yayingathi ndingumntana esikolweni esitsha. Kodwa ngolusuku ndathi ndisathwetyulwe nguloliwe wengcinga ndime efestileni encinci yesisele, wonke umntu ngaphakathi apho wayesenza ingxolo esiseleni. Ingxolo eyayilapho yayingathi sisandi samanzi ezingxangxasini. Ndathi ndisemi efestileni njalo, kaloku ngolusuku izulu lalithande ukukhumezela, ndeva isandla sindikrweca. Ndaguquka ndajonga lomntu wayendikrweca.

Ndathi ntla ngendoda emnyama, esukile egadeni umf’omkhulu ebhonte yimibhalo. Kwakungekho ndawo ingena mvamba emzimbeni waloxholovane, ukusuka ezingalweni uyakutsho ebusweni. Yabuza ke lenkintsela ngelolizwi layo lirhwexayo.

“Mfondini, ubekwa yintoni apha? Abantu abafana nawe akufanelanga ukuba balapha.”

Nam ke lo mbuzo-ngumbuzo endandizibuza wona. Kaloku ndandingu mzalwane kwinkonzo yabaPostile abalishumi elinambini kuKristu. Ndandifudula ndivusa ooLazaro balemihla emangcwabeni. Yayihlale indothuse into yokuba kwa eli ngcwaba ndandivusa kulo ooLazaro nam leli ndiyakweyela kulo.

Lombuzo ndaqale ndawetyisa ngaphambi kokuba ndiwuphendule. Kodwa andizange ndingene nzulu kwintsusa yebali lam.

“Undibona ndilapha, kungenxa yabahlobo ababentyiloza okwamasomi benditsalela embarheni okomntu ongqondo zisemaqatheni.”

Kwathi kanti impendulo yam ixhokonkxe nto kuba yaphendula lenkosi icaphula esiBhulwini, ingelo Bhulu ke phofu yona ingumdaka omnyama ongeva sepha, yatshintsha ebusweni yathi.

“Die mens is verantwoordelik vir sy dade, en as jy blameer ander man vir jou shortmings, dan beteken dit dat net jy is nie ‘n man. Ek praat nie alliterations hier, maar ek prober om net bloot ‘n eerlike punt. Wanneer ‘n mens praat van toordery en slegte invloed, veral die neiging om weg van sy of haar verantwoordelikhede loop dit maak my siek en nauseate. Laat ek jou vertel my vriend, ek in ‘n slegte invloed glo nie, want almal het ‘n keuse nie, het ekook in duiwels glo nie. Elke demon het ‘n gesig en ’n nam, wat is die mens dat God geskep het. Dit is die laaste wat dra uit die werk van die onsigbare demoon.”

Yandothusa into yokuva lomfo ethetha isiBhulu ngoluhlobo. Kodwa ke nanjengomntu okhulele edolophini isiBhulu ndandisiva nangona ndandisibamba apha naphaya. Ndafana ndaphendula.

“Ungandivi kakubi bendingababeki ityala ngokubalapha kwam. Ntonje yinto yokugwetywa kwam le ibingekazinzi kakuhle, kweyam ingqondo ingathi kuzothiwa kuyadlalwa.”

“Leyo ke yingxaki yabaninzi abalapha yihlo. Bazibona ukuba bagwetyiwe bobalapha sezijulwe kude nezitshixo, ngeloxesha umntu wagwetywa engekangeni nasezinkundleni zamatyala. Ikwanjalo ke nenkululeko yalapha; uthi ukuze azibone umntu ukuba ukhululekile abe kanti ungaphandle, kanti inkululeko iqala apha.”

Emveni kwalomazwi, umf’omkhulu wanditsho ndacacelwa andabinayo engaphaya imibuzo. Nanjenge ndod’omXhosa ndavele ndazazisa.

“Ndiyakuva ke xa usitsho. NguSkhumbuzo kaNgubenkomo ke lo impelo ka Zanemvula no Nozibele eMabheleni. Ikhaya lise Lady Frere eNgqoko, kwilali ka Gxubane. Kodwa ngoku sendabalapha eNtshona Koloni, kwilokishana nje encinci elapha ePere, eyaziwa ngeMbekweni.”

Ndatsho ke ukuzazisa, naye wenjenjalo wazixela omf’omkhulu.

“Ndiyavuya ukukwazi Khuboni.” Watsho endibamba isandla endithe ntsho emehlweni. “Mna ke ndinguBongani kaSokwaliwa, ikhaya liseCala. Ndingu-Jwarha isiduko. Ndineminyaka noko ndilapha ndingekho phakathi kwekhaya, kodwa lo ngunyaka wam wokugqibela kwisigwebo sam. Ndandize ngemfundo kweli Kapa into eyandibeka apha ibali layo lide, Langalokulunga, lingatshona ilanga ndilibalisa.”

Yayingaske ibe ndim lowo ukunyaka wakhe wokugqibela kwisigwebo sakhe. Into yokubaphakathi kwendonga zentolongo yase Drakenstein yayisele indiza entloko. Kaloku nezalapha indonga zazifana nqwa nezase Atene, zazinyhuku-nyhuku yimibhalo zibhalwe amagama eziThixwana ooNongeleketyane, ooNongoloza nooSphohlongo, ndibala ntoni!

Nawalapha amadoda ayencamisile ukuhlonela iziThixo, kodwa kweyam ingqondo kwakusankenteza imfundiso ethi ‘Sukumlindela uThixo ophila ngapha kwengqimba zamafu, ngu Nongqawuse lowo ngamampunge. Uba nje uyamazi umshumayeli wesibingelelo umbonile uThixo ephil’enyameni.’

Kodwa nangona kunjalo awasejele amadoda ayengamehluli uThixo ophila enyameni ayesithi zonke ziyafana. Nangona ndandingena xesha lide ndigwetyiwe, ndandisele ndizibona ndingaphandle ndigqadaza kwezo zitrato zaseMbekweni, ndibophe iqhina lam ndingena indlu nendlwana ndishumayela ivangeli lokusindiswa kwemiphefumlo.

Kodwa lomaphupha nalomibono yayivele iphanze iphelele emoyeni xa ndimane ndisiva kuthethwa ngegama lam komabonakude kusithwa:
“Umrhanelwa ophambili kuphango lweebhanki, noqhushumbiso loomatshini bemali eNtshona Koloni, uSkhumbuzo Ngubenkomo, ugwetywe iminyaka elishumi elinesibini ethothoza kwesimnyama.’

Kwakusithi kwakuvakala ezondaba intliziyo yam ivele ibethele ukuma, ndingazazi nokuba mandithini. Ingqondo ithathe ibeka indikhumbuze emva ekhaya, ndicinge ngemfundiso abazali ababendinika zona. Kaloku lalikhe litsho ixhego elindizalayo lithi, “Izinto zesitalato nabahlobo zibanawe xa kumnandi, kodwa mhla izika inqanawe azibinako ukuhlangula, ntonayo zisuke zichasele , zikushiye ucula ingoma endala yasekhaya ePostile ethi ‘Baphi na endandihamba nabo lendlela?’”

Lo mazwi ke ayendenza ndikhumbule abazali bam.

Ngaphandle kokukhumbula abazali eyona nto eyayindenza ndibe ngathi ndileliya linyuka ngendonga igeza, yayikukukhumbula isthandwa sam, uBabalwa intombi yaseMampondomiseni kwa Booi.

Uyabona kwakungekho mzuzu ugqithayo ndingacinganga ngaye. Wayehlala esizingcingeni zam imini nobusuku bayo. Ibali lakhe lelinye lezinto ezakhokelela ekubanjweni kwam, kulapho ibali lam liqala khona.

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Khawutsho: Ucinga uSkhumbuzo uzakumelana nobomi ejele?