UNomonde Gwebani yintombi yaseMaKwayini eQobo-qobo kwilali yaseMnyameni kwaNtozaphukayo. Wayeyintombi yesithathu nephelo, untondo kaZithulele, umfo kaGwebani. UZithulele wayenabantwana abane: amantombazana amathathu nendodana eyinkulu, uMava. Le ntombi kaZithulele yayiziphethe kakuhle kakhulu.
Wayefunde wayityekeza kwicala lomthetho wezoshishino.
Kwathi ngokutshintsha kwezoqoqosho neemfuno zomsebenzi, wathenga indlu eKapa phantsi kweNtab’etafile. Ngoku sidibana naye sele eneminyaka emihlanu ehlala kweli leNtshona-Koloni. Uthe xa aneminyaka emibini ehlala eKapa waswelekelwa ngudade wabo omdala, uNobuntu. UNobuntu waswelekela ezilalini efika esuka eGoli empangelweni.
Wafika kunzima nokuthetha oku ziintlungu nokudumba komqala. Ukususela ngoko akuzanga kubemnandi kuNomonde, kuba wayemthanda udade wabo. Yena zange atshate okanye abenamntwana nangona wayemfuna. Wayengemdala kuyaphi ukuba anganaye owakhe umntwana. Kodwa wathi esafika kweli leNtshonakoloni wabangumphathi weshishini lamagqwetha wokuqala ontsundu, obhinqileyo kwaye omncinane ukufumana esisikhundla.
Oko kwamenza ukuba ahlale ekucelo mngeni noogxa bakhe ababehlala bemjongela phantsi ngenxa yemvelaphi yakhe. UMamTshawe lo wena wayechutyiwe entloko apha futhi enembeko kumntu wonke. Nangona wayenomntu oncedisayo endlwini yakhe, wawungenomazi oyena mnini mzi xa ufika behleli. Wayekholwa kukuphakama azenzele into ayifunayo okanye ancedise ukucoca indlu nempahla.
Wayengundaba-mlonyeni kuphuhliso lwemfundo yabahlelelekileyo. Ngobubele uyindlezane kwaye uyabathanda abantwana. Namhlanje uchophe phambi kwendlu emthunzini ujonge incwadi zakhe zomsebenzi. Kuvakala ukukhala kwentsimbi exela ukuba kukho umntu esangweni lomzi. Aphakamise amehlo abone ukuba yinkwenkwana ekucaca ukuba ihlala ezindleleni.
Aphakame angene endlini aphume ephethe ukutya okunenyama ukuze ayinike lenkwenkwe. Athi akuqwalasela abone ukuba lenkwenkwe anomahluko kumakhwenkwe amane efika apha. Iinwele ezi zayo kucaca ukuba kudala zayekwa ukuchazwa kodwa ziyahlanjwa.
“Molo mntwan’am. Kunjani?” wabulisa uNomonde emjongile njalo, watsho edlulisa nesitya eso.
Ingqondo yakhe yayithatha ibeka ecinga ukuba ingangumzali onjani lo uyeka umntwana wakhe ahlale ezindleleni ekhona? Khona lomzali ulala njani engamazi umntwana ukuba uphi?
“Ndiphilile, Sisi. Enkosi,” watsho kalusizi lomntwana esamkela ukutya.
“Ungubani igama lakho ke bhuti?” wabuza uNomonde ezama ukuncokolisa lenkwenkwana.
Yahlala phantsi lentwana phambi kwesango yalila inesingqala, kucaca ukuba intliziyo yayo ikhathazekile. Waphuma ngaphandle uNomonde, wachopha ecaleni layo wayibamba egxalabeni eyithuthuzela.
“Thetha nam kaloku, Toto, ndive ukuba kuhle ntoni,” watsho uMamTshawe eyicenga lentwana.
“Igama lam ndinguMava Dube. Bendihlala eSoweto, eRhawutini, nomama ondizalayo. Yena wagula wasiwa esibhedlele ngumakhulu wam, mna bendisesikolweni. Kodwa zange ndiphinde ndimbone, akaziwa nakwesosibhedlele ngoku. Apha eKapa ndize ndihamba ngololiwe wamalahle osuka ePitoli, apho ndiye ngemali ebekufanele ndiyothenga incwadi zesikolo,” wakhe wathula lomntwana kucaca ukuba ubindekile bubuhlungu bentliziyo.
“Ngubani igama likamama wakho?” wabuza uNomonde sele ezibambe ngeenkophe naye ngoku.
“NguNobuntu Dube. Wayeqhamuka eTranskei, kodwa andazi kuphi apho. Ngoku ndidinga umsebenzi ukuze ndibenemali yokumfuna,”
“Mingaphi iminyaka yakho?”
“Izobalishumi elinesihlanu kulenyanga izayo,”
“Unawo umfanekiso wakhe wena apha kuwe? Nokuba yincwadi yesazisi?”
“Hayi, andinayo kwanto apha kum, ngaphandle kwezi zinto ndizinxibileyo. Umakhulu undigxothe ndingaphethanga nencwadi ebhalwe elam igama. Uvele nje wathi mandiphume endlwini yomntwana wakhe ndingafeli phaya ndixelise umama. Esithi ndilintshontsho legqwirha, lento izofa yingculaza. Ndamka kemna ndakhangela umama.
“Kwaphela iinyanga ezintathu ndisendleleni ndilala phantsi kwebhulorho emini, ebusuku ndizule indawo le yonke. Ndingakuphangelela de ndigqibe ukukubhatala ukuba ungandifunela umama wam. Ndikusebenzele esitiyeni sakho yonke imihla ngaphandle kwentlawulo, de waneliseke,”
Waphakama uNomonde wagxanya ukuya kungena endlwini engathi uyatyhalwa ngemva apha. Wafika waziphosa kumandlalo wakhe wacuntsula kanobom kule yabantwana. Akugqiba waphakama wahlamba ubuso waphuma kwakhona ukuze athethe nalenkwenkwana ngonina wayo.
Wathi xa avelayo wafika ingekho lentwana esangweni, kodwa isitya sona sikhona. Wanqika ngaphakathi kwesisitya wafika kutyiwe ukutya kona. Wakhathazeka akubona ukuba lentwana akakhange abenako ukuyinceda.
Wathatha isitya eso wabuyela emthunzini wachopha apho ejonge esiqithini eRobben Island. Wamana elila ejonga esangweni, ngokungathi uzoyibona lentwana iphinda ivela.
Lade latshona elalomini kungakhange kubekho lutshintsho kulemeko yakhe noMava. Ngobo busuku walala obungehliyo ecinga ngalentwana ilala apho ihlwelwe khona ngenxa yokuswela ikhaya, nokugxothwa ngumakhulu onguyena mntu bekufanele amkhusele.