Ezinsukwini ezine ezedlule
“Ngiyanicela, yishoni konke enikufunayo,” kusho uSipho, ebancenga eguqe ngamadolo phansi egumbini lakhe lokulala. “Imoto yami ingaphandle, ningayithatha. Ngicela ningangibulali, ngisakuthanda ukuphila,” kuqhubeka uSipho ebuka intambo emnyama ifaswa phezulu eplangweni. “Ngiyazi nawe ungubaba, ngicela ungilalele,” esho ebuka uBaba uMbatha angamazi nhlobo. “Ungabaphuci abantwana bami isinkwa sabo sokuphila. Ngiyakucela, asixazulule konke okungahambanga kahle phakathi kwethu. Singaxoxa ngikuzwe ukukhala kwenu!”
“Awuyeke ukungicasula wena!” kuthetha uBaba uMbatha, amsikaze ngenhlanekela. “Asiyifuni imoto yakho, kodwa ukube besiyifuna akukho obekuzosivimba ukuthi siyithathe!” esho emphusha ngomunwe esiphongweni. “Konke engikufunayo kuwe ngizokuthatha vele!” akhiphe ummese ephaketheni lebhulukwe. “Ngeshwa, konke engikufunayo, kungaphakathi kuwe, sigora!”
“Kungaphakathi kimi?” kubuza uSipho ebuka uBaba uMbatha emehlweni.
“Uzwe kahle nje!”
“Hhayi bo, kanti kuyini okufuna kimi!?” kubuza uSipho, emangele. “Kanti ngenzeni Nkosi yamakhosi?” kucabanga uSipho ebuka ummese esandleni sikaBaba uMbatha. “Nakhu ngizofela into engingayazi! Ngawenzani lamadoda kanti?” agwinye amathe, ababuke. “Bafwethu, uma nake naxoshwa emsebenzini ngiyaxolisa. Kwakungasiso isinqumo sami. Singaxoxa ngizokwazi ukuthi kwakwenzenjani mhla nixoshwa.”
Amngene emlonyeni uDlokwakhe, “Hawu, ziyashintsha izinto. Sesingabafwenu manje?” kubuza uDlokwakhe, ahleke kancane ebe efasa intambo eplangweni. “Sekulungile, Mkhulu. Intambo nekabha kuqine kahle. Imbuzi yethu, sesingayihlinza.”
Amthuse kakhulu lamazwi uSipho. Akakaze awabone lamadoda. Usabathe uyawabukisisa – akazi noyedwa wabo. Mathathu alapha endlini, omunye ume emnyango.
“Mkhulu, ngiyakucela, buyisa unembeza wakho,” kusho uSipho ephefumulela phezulu, amehlo egcwele izinyembezi. “Ofuna ukukwenza njengamanje, akulungile neze, imisebenzi kasathane. Asinxuse uMdali, kudede lomoya omubi okuhlasele.”
“Hhayi bo, uyazizwa uthini!” kubabaza uPhakamani esondela kuSipho. “Iyadelela lengulube! Uthi umkhulu unamadimoni?”
UBaba uMbatha ashaye uSipho ngesibhakela, awe ngecele. UPhakamani amkhumule isikibha.
“Ngicela ungangishiyi, Nkosi yamakhosi. Zibonakalise kubo, ngena ezinhliziyweni zabo, uziguqule. Buyisa unembeza, bakusabe,” kudlinza uSipho, abuke uBaba uMbatha. “Ngiyakucela… Ngicela ungangibulali, ngisakuthanda ukuphila, mkhulu.”
“Hhayi bo, imihlola le!” kubhavumula uDlokwakhe, ehle esihlalweni abeme kuso efasa intambo. “Ukudabukisa kwakho angeke kukusize nhlobo! Mawucabanga yini engasenza sishintshe umqondo? Esize ngakho lapha, sizokufeza!”
Kuvuleke umnyango kancane, kungene uMaKhumalo ebheke phansi. Ekhanda uzimboze ngeduku njengabesifazane abangamasulumane. Uphethe indishi emnyama enemimese nezikero, kanye nethawula eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ayibeke phansi indishi, maduze noDlokwakhe.
“Siyabonga MaKhumalo, usungaphuma, sisebenze,” kusho uBaba uMbatha ebuka uMaKhumalo eya emnyango. “Ngaphandle-ke uma ufuna ukusilekelela sihlinze indodana yakho.”
“Hawu, MaKhumalo!” kubabaza uSipho, emangele. “Kanti kwenzekani?” ambuze ngomoya ophansi. “Kanti nawe umdibi munye nabo? Uyangikhaphela Mntungwa. Kanti kunjani emhlabeni?” ahlengezele izinyembezi. “Ngikuthembe kangaka pho!”
Kungene amadoda amabili. Kumethuse kakhulu uSipho ukungena kwalamadoda njengoba ebuka ubukhulu bemzimba yabo. Abuke uMaKhumalo njengoba eyophuma emnyango.
“MaKhumalo, ngicela ungazise ukuthi kwenzekani! Kungani ungithumele ngababulali?” kubuza uSipho ngezwi elikhulu, ewaphimisa ngokushesha amagama. “MaKhumalo, ngakwenzani uze ungizwise ubuhlungu obungaka? Ngicela uphenduke ungibuke! Ngikwenzeni uze udayise ngami kanje pho? Ungumtwana kaBaba uNkulunkulu, ungamphoxi uNkulunkulu wakho! Wazi kahle ukuthi konke esikwenzayo sisasemzimbeni kuyolotshwa emabhukwini ethu okuphila. Ngosuku lokwahlulelwa siyakulandiswa ngakho konke esikwenze sisasemzimbeni! Londa umphefumulo wakho ukuze uwubone umbuso kaBaba uNkulunkulu!”
“Washo sengathi uzowubona lowo mbuso wena mfundisi mbumbulu!” kubhavumula uDlokwakhe ebe ethatha intambo emnyama.
“Kodwa ungayivumela kanjani into enjena, MaKhumalo? Kanti elakho ibhayibheli alikuyalanga yini ukuthi ungafaki isandla sakho kubo ababi, ungalandeli umbimbi ukuyokwenza okubi,” kuqhubeka uSipho ngomoya ophansi ebe esikhihla isililo sikaNandi. “Waze wangiphoxa, MaKhumalo. Konke osukwenzile, ngiyathemba usuyazi ukuthi isiphetho sakho sisesihogweni. Ingabe ubusuyephi unembeza wakho ngenkathi uhlela konke lokhu?”
“Hamba MaKhumalo, uyeke lesidwedwe,” kusho uBaba uMbatha, akhahlele uSipho esifubeni ngedolo. “Angeke aqede ukukhuluma lomuntu uselana. Wena hamba ulungise amanzi okuhlamba leligumbi!”
Athule uMaKhumalo, esaba nokumbuka uSipho edabukisa phansi njengoba bemfasa ngentambo ezinyaweni.
“Nakho-ke madoda, seningamkhuphula,” kusho uBaba uMbatha, kuzwakala ukuthi sekufike lapho ethanda khona. “Sekuze kwalunga! Ekugcineni, sizophumula umsindo wendoda endala,” esho ebuka uDlokwakhe efasa uSipho ngentambo ezandleni. “Mkhuphuleni madoda!”
Bayidonse intambo, ahuduleke phansi ngezifuba uSipho aze alenge – ikhanda lakhe libheke phansi.
“Nakho-ke bafana bami, yalenga kamnandi indoda,” kusho uBaba uMbatha, ashaye uSipho ngesibhakela esifubeni. “Uyajima, inyama iqoqene!” esho emgwaza ngommense ohlangothini, akhale uSipho – epaquza. “Mm, laze lagobhoza kamnandi igazi lakho,” kuqhubeka uBaba uMbatha elikhongozela ngesandla igazi likaSipho. “Fantastic! Sebenzani madoda, unomsindo nalomuntu, mvaleni umlomo,” esho elikhotha igazi likaSipho.
Akhale uSipho, “MaKhumalo…” esho ngezwi eliphansi. “Inkosi ize ikubusise ngezenzo zakho!”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Indlela uBaba uMbatha nezinswelaboya zakhe ababulala ngayo uSipho ayijwayelekile. Ubona ukuthi kwenziwa yini bambulale ngelendlela?