Ngoku basaleleyo mandibe ndikuxelela ngoZithulele kaGwebani waseMnyameni. Yindoda engaseliyo utywala, engatshayi nokutshaya. Ayikuko nokuba zange asele, qha watshintsha mhla waqala ukusebenza eDe Beers. Ukuba uyabuzwa eyamyekisa ukusela, akaniki mpendulo yanelisayo.
Umf’omkhulu wayengulewu futhi edyola kuyo yonke indawo akuyo. Nalapho waguquka ngathi zange aqale. Kwezintsuku akayifuni into ebheke ecaleni, okanye ebhekisele ekudyoleni. Wayengayifuni into yonyana wakhe oway’engungantweni olala apho ahlwelwe khona. UZithulele ebeyindoda engumzekelo omhle kwilali yaseMnyameni.
Unina kaNomonde, uNosintu, ngumfazi wasemaTshaweni kwaye wendela kumzi wakwaGwebani. Lomfazi wayewuqokolela umzi kaGwebani ngendlela yonke. Ububele uyindlezana kwaye uyabathanda abantwana bakhe nomzi wakhe.
Masiphindele edolophini xa kuvuka uNomonde ngecala emva kweyesixhenxe. Uthe akubona ukuba ixesha lifikile wayidumisa imoto ukuze bahambe. Uthe akuthi ntla kuMava wafika ekobude ubuthongo obu. Waqonda ukuba makangamvusi de bafike apho kuyiwa khona.
Wayicenga ke ukuya kungena elalini yakhe ethe chu okolovane emngeni. Wajikela entla kwemizi ukuya ngqo kwaZithulele enkundleni ngasesibayeni seegusha. Wathi emisa wabe uyise, unina namakhwenkwana elali bethe bhence. Wavusa uMava behla emotweni, baxhawula izandla kwabakufutshane nabo. Lasondela nexhego uZithulele, laxhawula intombi yalo limana ukujonga kuMava.
“Yhe Ntondo, ngubani lentwana uhamba nayo ingathi ifana ekhay’apha?” wabuza uZithulele esondela kuMava.
“Silinde kalokuTshawe singene endlwini kuqala phambi kokuba siqhubeke nezincoko,” wayixhawula lentwana eyijonge emehlweni.
“Ungubani igama lakho kwedini?”
“NdinguMava tat’omkhulu,” watsho umfana ebothuka yilentetho ingqalileyo. Waphakamisa ingalo ewanga-wangisa uNomonde, owayekhupha iimpahla emotweni.
“Tata! Yeka umntwana azokothula izinto zakhe emotweni. Asimqhelanga umntu onentshebe emhlophe apho sihlala khona. Yiza Mava ukhuphe impahla yakho,” watsho uNomonde.
Weza uMava wamncedisa ukukhupha izinto zabo emotweni, bencediswa ngunina kaNomonde. Bazingenisa endlwini bebanjiswa nangamakhwenkwana asekuhlaleni abone imoto.
Kwafikwa kwahlalwa phantsi ngumntu wonke kwancokolwa.
“Tata! Khaniphile ke,” watsho uNomonde echopha esihlalweni esingasetafileni.
“Ntondo wam, asiboniswa nto. Noko nesivuno salonyaka sibe sihle. Kodwa ngoku sisatyiwa yilembalela yoKwindla. Kunjani kuni eKapa?”
“Nathi sibulela ukugcinwa,” aphethukele kunina. “Kunjani ntombi yasemaQomeni?”
“Kuhle noko wena. Nangona sixhalatyiswe kukubona wena ugaxeleka ungatshongo nokuba uyeza,” yatsho intombi yasemaQomeni imjonge emehlweni.
“Ntondo! Ngokabani lomntwana uhamba naye?” labuza ixhego lithe ntsho ngamehlo kuMava.
“Tata! Khawuyeke ukoyikisa umntwana. Khona? Uphi ubhuti?” wabuza uNomonde.
“Ulala kulandlu ingemva uMava. Angangena nangoku ngesekukudala elapha, qha ebesemgidini izolo wabuya ekuseni,” waphendula unina. Uthe esatsho wangena uMava ehambela phezulu.
“Ndim lo. Ntondo, molo dade wethu,” watsho emphakamisa emjonga, aze amange.
“Molo bhut’Mava. Kunjani Tshawe?” wabuza uNomonde.
“Akukho zingako mntase. Kunjani kuwe?”
“Kuhle nakuthi Tshawe. Ngawuhlale phantsi ke Madange kaTshiwo. Kukho endifuna sikhe sifuthelane ngako silusapho lakwaGwebani. Kukho umba osinda otshisa ibunzi apha,” watsho uNomonde ebujiya ngoku kucaca ukuba ufuna ukuthezela emnxebeni yena.
Zange aphendule uMava koko wachopha ecaleni kukayise esela irhewu, kwaze ngaphaya kwakhe yanguMava omncinane. Waguquka uNomonde wajonga kuyise nakunina.
“Tata noMama, apha ndize ukuze nindincede nindubuzele kubhuti ukuba iphi inzala yakhe?”
“Yinzala ebitheni leyo?” wabuza uZithulele.
“Ubhuti unentombazana awayishiya eGoli inosana olubomvu lwakhe. Mbuzeni ngoku ukuba iphina loontombi naloomntwana wayo,”
“Nomonde! Nomonde! Uzugawule ujonga. Kukho izizathu ezibangela ukuba ezinye izinto zingathethwa,” watsho uMava omdala ejonga kunina.
“Kwedini, uyayazi lento ithethwa nguNtondo?” labuza ixhego lifinge íintshiya.
“Tata, masithethe ecaleni ngalento. Andifuni ukuba uNtondo nomama bayazi loonto. Kubalulekile ukuba ndikuxelele wedwa ukuba kwenzeka ntoni,” watsho uMava ebhekisa kuyise.
“Uxolweni ukuniphazamisa. Kodwa andiqondi ukuba ingaba safihlwa loonto ngoku. Wena Nomonde, uyazelaphi loonto xa iyonke?” wabuza unina kaNomonde.
“Mama, lomntwana ndihamba naye nguMava umzukulwana wakho. Wakhuliswa nguNobuntu, akulahlwa ngunina noyise elusana. Apha uzobeka ilitye kunina amaziyo, uNobuntu, udade wethu. Wathiywa ngegama likayise, uMava, owambaleka esemncinci. Ebengamazi ukuba uNobuntu wasweleka, yena ebecinga ukuba usesibhedlele. Mava, nanku uyihlo ecaleni kwakho,” watsho uNomonde ebubilarha ngumsindo.
Wothuka uMava wawisa naloomarhewu, ebona iimpawu azaziyo. Waphakama wema phambi kwalentwana wayijonga ebusweni. Walila ephuma phandle, kubonakala ukuba uyamazi lomntwana. Waphakama unozala waya kulentwana, wamanga.
“Mntwan’am. Ndiyakwamkela apha kukowenu. UMava lo uphuma apha, ngunyana wam. Lonto ikwenza wena ubengumzukulwana wam,” watsho unozala emwolile uMava.
Ngeloxesha lonke uMava uyalila, uyinto ziinyembezi zokudana yindlela uyise amamkele ngayo. Kusenjalo kungena uMava omdala.
“Nonke nicinga ukuba niyazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni apha? Akukho nomnye kuni oyaziyo ukuba kwenzekani apha, ndim ndodwa qha.”
“Kwedini ukuba ubunengqondo, ngewucela uxolo kulontwana ngendlela akhule ngayo ungekho!” lakhalima ixhego.
“Tata, lona ayingonyana wam. Ndivumele xa ndisithi kuwe masidibane ecaleni ndikuxelele ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni,” watsho uMava emana ejonga lentwana.
“Kwedini, andibhungi namakhwenkwe mna. Thetha wena lento ikungqungisayo qha,” watsho uZithulele ehlwile ebusweni.
Waphakama uMava wema ngasentla wasela amanzi. Akugqiba wajonga kubo bonke abasendlwini waginya kaninzi.