Kwakukho ixhego elifuna ukunikezela ngezinto zalo kubantwana balo, kwaye lifuna isiduko salo singapheli, nomzi wakhe ungaveli amahashe ezifesitileni. Waye wathatha ixesha elide ukucinga ngalento kuba wayenoonyana abathathu, bengadalwanga ngokufanayo.
Ababini abadala babevana, lona omncinane yena esisithulu kwaye ejongeka nje ngomntu ongazinto. Wayethanda ukuhlala ekhaya yedwa lonke ixesha, wayefuna ukuba ngumntu ohlukileyo kwaye oyaziyo into ayifunayo ebomini.
Lafika ixesha lolwaluko, uyise wabolusa bobathathu ngonyaka omnye.
Eli xhego laye lababiza labaxelela ukuba ufuna ukubanika izinto zakhe; imfuyo, iimoto, umzi, kunye nayo yonke into ebizwa ngegama lakhe.
Baye bajongana kuba beyazi ukuba umzi kweminye imizi ufunyanwa ngunyana omdala.
“Tata, utsho ukuthini ukuba omnye wethu kufuneka efumene umzi kodwa ubhuti ukhona?” wabuza umfana ophakathi.
“Mamela nyana wam, mingaphi imizi evele amahashe ezifesitileni apha elalini kodwa zikhona iinkulu, zilibele bubumnandi namantombazana?”
“Mininzi Tata,” waphendula u Abongile ethethela phantsi. “Kuba nakwamakhelwane umzi wakhona wawungaka ngalo wakho, kodwa namhlanje sowubona ngeendonga ukuba kwakunendlu phaya. Naxa bebuyayo sebebuyela kweminye imizi, kodwa ikhaya babenalo ntonje kwaba kukungakhathali balibala bubomi nezehlabathi.”
“Uyenza buhlungu intliziyo yam yilento uyithethayo. Kuba nam ndiba ndakucinga ndiphelele phakathi kuba uTata wabo wabasebenzela, njengam ndinisebenzele, kodwa jonga umzi wakhe unjani namhlanje?” latsho ixhego.
Watsho umntu omdala ejonga phantsi, kuba uyabona oonyana bakhe aba bini badala abaphoswanto, kwaye lo omncinane yena uthule ngathi akazinto. Laye labakhulula ukuba mabahambe, lizakuphinde libabize lithethe nabo xa ixesha lifikile.
“Ndikuvile Rhadebe, Mthimkhulu, kodwa ke masikunike ixesha lakho lokuba ukhe ucinge ukuba uzakwenza njani ke kuba ndikhona mna nyana wakho omdala. Kwaye ndikulungele ukuba ndiphathe kwelikhaya, kube ngumzi wam lo. Sala ke mafuza ulale njengelifu lemvula. Masihambe kethina siyokwenza imisebenzi yethu.” Watsho uZamile.
Baye bahamba, wasala keyena utata wabo ehleli phantsi komthi ngasebuhlanti, apho waye wacinga ngalento yoonyana bakhe ukuba uzayenza njani. Kuthe kusenjalo wazunywa bubuthongo walala ehleli esitulweni sakhe.
Uthe esalele weva ngoonyana bakhe, lona omdala nalona oza emveni kwakhe, besithi “Tata siyabuya, kodwa u Lukhanyo yena ukhona, sizakubuya ebusuku. Sala kakuhle xhego lethu.”
Baphuma ngesango besiya kwantliziyo ndise, apho kunolonwabo khona, bamshiya apho ehleli yedwa ngasebuhlanti,
Into eyayisengqondweni katata wabo kukuba elikhaya elihle kangaka alizukuba namntu ozakulinakekela kuba ngoku ebesandu’kuthetha nabo kodwa baphuma ngosango bamshiya apho.
“Yazi, ukuba ngumzali ngamanye amaxesha kubuhlungu kuba yonke into eyenzeka phambi kwakho kubangathi awunangqeqesho, ube ubaqeqeshile ke phofu abantwana bakho. Nto nje umntu xa ezilawula angekhe umthini kuba awusenamandla akhe,” watsho ekhathazekile umntu omdala.
Waye wathatha isitulo sakhe wahamba wabuyela endlini apho wafika wahlala waphekelwa ukutya ngumfana wakhe uLukhanyo.
Xa egqiba umnika ukutya waye wambuza ukuba ingabe yonke into ilungule na.
Waphendulela phantsi umntu omdala intlizoyo yakhe ibuhlungu.
“Nyana wam, uyabona into ebuhlungu yilena uthi uthetha nabantu ube ubona ukuba ingena ngapha iyophuma ngaphaya into oyithethayo.”
“Yazi Tata, mna into endingakucebisa yona inye, yenze idlule emveni koko uhlale ujonge ukuba ngabe imfanele na umntu lento ozakumnika yona. Emveni koko wena xhego lam uzipholele kulendawo yokucinga.”
Wagqiba ukutya isidlo sakhe sangokuhlwa wabulela kunyana wakhe waphuma wamba wayo lala umntu omdala.
Washiyeka eqoqa izitya, wazihlamba, wakugqiba wahamba wayokulala kweyakhe indlu yakulala.
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Sixelele: Ucinga ukuba umzi uzakunikwa bani?