“Wena mfowam, unomkrwelo olapha engqinibeni othungiweyo. Unebalana elimnyama elilapha entla kombhono kancinane,” wavula ngalamazwi uMava. Lentwana yaphakamisa amehlo yamjonga inyembezi zisihla, yanqwala.

“Eminyakeni elishumi elinesixhenxe, ndandisebenza emgodini njengonogada. Utata lo, wayesebenza phantsi komhlaba yena. Sasihlala kwaMadlamini, eSoweto sobabini. Kwathi ngeveki utata awayegoduka ngayo unomphelo, ndeva ukuba uMadlamini ebebana notata. Kodwa andayiselaso lonto, kuba ndaqonda ukuba bubuxoki obo. Kuthe kwinyanga elandelayo, ndadibana nenye inzule, saya eThabong siyoba imoto eyayiqhutywa ngumlungu owakhayo.

“Le nzule yamdubula lomlungu, nto leyo ibingekho kwizicwangciso zethu. Sabaleka ngalomoto sayotshona eSoweto. UMadlamini wasicebisa ukuba angayifihla lemoto emva kwendlu de kudlule uthuli. Savuma ke nathi kuba sasitshelwe zizicheku ngoku. Kwakwezontsuku yaveka into yokuba uMadlamini umithi. Wayifihla ke, ehlala endlwini imini yonke.

“Ngenye imini kwafika intombi engumntwana kadade wabo eLesotho, uTsholofelo. Kaloku uMadlamini lo ungumSuthukazi waseLesotho, uNaledi igama lakhe. Wandicenga ukuba ndihlale noTsholofelo ze athi akuzala yena, uTsholo amke nomntwana aphindele eLesotho. Ndathi ndakuveza eyokuba andinokwazi, wathi uzondizamela umsebenzi emkhosini.

“Ndavuma ke nam kuba ndandingayiboni ingxaki xa bezohamba ukuzala kwakhe. Lafika ixesha lakhe lokuzala wandityikityisa amaphepha asemkhosini. Kwathi xa kufika ixesha lokugoduka kuTsholofelo, yaguquka into ngoku. Wathi manditshate noTsholofelo, sikhulise lomntwana, okanye uzoxelela abakwantsasana ngebhulu esalidubula eThabong.

“Ndahlala ke noTsholofelo kungekho kuphuma kulonto. Kwathi ngenye imini uTsholofelo etshintsha lomntwana ndabona elibala lisesiswini, ndalazi. Ukusukela lomini ndasebenza nzima ndizama ukukhulisa lomntwana. Kwathingenye imini sele enenyanga ezintathu lomntwana ezelwe, ndenzelwa iyelenqe ngempela nyanga ndivela emsebenzini. Wathi uTsholofelo ndimdlwengule.

“Kwabizwa abahlali, ndabethwa apho ndalala ngendlu, bandinika isohlwayo sokuhlawula amakhulu amahlanu eeponti. Ndathi ndizoyizisa ukuphela kweveki leyo. Yathi yakuphela ndakhwela ezigodukayo. Ndamshiya uTsholofelo ephangela esibhedlele engumongikazi.

“Zange ndiphinde ndiye eGoli, kuba ndiyazi ukuba basandifuna apho ndikhoyo. UMadlamini waxoka wafaka isicelo esithi ndatsiba umda ndaya elubhacweni eZimbabwe. Wandibhuncula igama lam lamfazi womSuthu. Ukuba ndingadityaniswa nendawo enempangelo ngoku ndingabanjelwa ubuqhetseba.

“Kaloku umthetho wazi ndiselubhacweni. Apha engqinibeni wena kwedini wawa ecebeni legilasi usafunda ukuchopha,” wathi akugqiba ukuthetha uMava waphulula lentwana entloko wachopha ecaleni kwayo.

“Lonto ithethe ukuba ngubani utata ke?” yabuza lentwana.

“Wena ungumntakwethu kum. Nankuya utata wethu ehleli phaya ngasemnyango,”

Kwathi cwaka endlwini abantu bethe nkebe. Wawunokuva nesipeliti xa sisiwa yindlela ekwakuthuleke ngayo. Ixhego laseMaTshaweni nentombi yalo uNomonde babomelwe ngumqa ephinini.

“Mntwan’am, masike sibethwe ngumoya, sibashiye nomqa wabo,” watsho umaMqoma kuMava Jr.

UNosintu noMava Jr. baphumile beshiya endlwini kuthulekile. Bakhwezile besinge ngasevenkileni bethe chu kuhle.

“Mama, ndicela uxolo ukuba ndibangele ingxabano emzini wakho. Ibingezo njongo zam ukuba ndibange udushe ndingena. Bendizama nje ukwazi ukuba utata wandilahlelani ntoni? Ukufumana kwam lompendulo ndizokunipha umtyhi, ndihambe. Okwesibini, ndifuna ukusiwa engcwabeni likamama,” watsho uMava engayazi amakayithethe noNosintu.

“Make siyiyeke leyo okwangoku. Awenzanga nyala ngokufuna uyihlo apho akhoyo mntwan’am. Make sibanike ithuba beze enyanini ngemvelaphi yakho. Thina nokuba bafike kwesiphi na isisombululo, asichaphazeleki,”

“Ukutsho oko awundicaphukeli ngento endiyiyo emzini wakho?” wabuza uMava.

“Mntwan’am, awuzizalanga. Kwaye ukuba lapha kwakho kungumvuzo wesigqibo esenziwe nguyihlo. Wena uliphelo likaZithulele ngoko kutsho kwentetha kaMava. Masihambe ke sikhawuleze sibuye besathetha. Kwelam icala wamkelekile kowenu,”

Waziva ebukhululeka uMava kukwamkelwa ngulomzalikazi kolusapho. Bahamba lomhanyana bencokola ngooni nooni basezidolophini. UMava wamxelela uNosintu ngempatho awayifumana kuMadlamini, nendlela awakhula ngayo elahlwe ngabazali. Wada wayokufika ekukhulisweni kwakhe nguNobuntu Dube. Ukuzothi ga ekudibaneni kwakhe noNomonde eseKapa.

Wamamela uNosintu, iinyembezi zingumqukuqela ukuhla ngezidlele. Wayeqala ukuva inkcukacha ngobom obuphilwe yintombi yakhe uNobuntu. Kuye yayingathi uyaphupha ,okanye lomntwana uthetha ngomnye umntu. Bathi chu njalo uMava nonina bada bayofika evenkileni.

Kuthe ukuphuma kukaNosintu etsala umntana ngesandla, washiya kuthe cwaka. Kwahamba ixeshana kungekho uthethayo kwesisithathu. UNomonde wayengathi uwelwe lizulu kukumatha oku. UMava ejonge phantsi ingqondo ikude kukucinga. UZithulele wayethe ngqa amehlo kuMava ngathi akekho kwalapha ngengqondo.

“Mava, ubutheni ungandixeleli xa ukrokrela ukuba lomntwana uyamazi?” wabuza lombuzo uZithulele engathi unesingqala.

“Ndandibuzile tata ukuba leyakho noMadlamini iyinyani na, wathi wena akukho kwanto injalo apha. Ndathi ndakubona ilifa elifana nelam esiswini salenkwenkwe, ndadibanisa nalamarhe. Kwathi kuba naningathi nithiyene noNaledi, andaqiniseka. Wathi akundibamba ngobobo lwakhe lwamaqhetseba, andakwazi ukuthini ndingangenanga ejele”

Watsho uMava ejonge kutata wakhe, ebeka imbilini yakhe kuye. UNomonde lonke elixesha wayelila iinyembezi, kukufumanisa ukuba uyise unamahlahla avisa ubuhlungu. Yena wayefike ezimisele ukulungisa umnakwabo awayecinga ukuba nguye owashiya umntwana olusana. Kanti lengxaki inyukile yaya kumzali lo uzala yena.

Kwaphinda kwathuleka apha endlwini kungekho ufuna ukude aphume egusheni. Kuthe kusathuleke njalo kwangena uNosintu, ekhokelelwe nguMava Jr. Wangena uJunior wayohlala ngakuMava. UNosintu yena wangena wema ezantsi kweziko ebambelele esinqeni.

“Tata kaMava, masidibane apha phandle mna, nawe noMava,” wajika waphuma emva koko.

Balandela abamenyiweyo, belandelelana okwamantshontsho edada. Bajikela nje entla kothango ngasemotweni kaNomonde bema.

“Nimamkela nini umntwana, nilibele kukuxoxa umsinandozele nje kulandlu? Eyokuba ngubani ongunobangela ayizuguqula okwenzekileyo. Wena Mava, biza umntakwenu phaya endlwini akuncedise nixhele lankabi yegutsha ibithenwe kulonyaka uphelileyo. Nixhelele umntwana wam atye inyama yakowabo. Nakugqiba nidibane noyihlo lo, nisixelele ukuba uzolenzelwa nini isiko lomntwana. Wena Tshawe, zisondeze kulamntwana, uziswe zizinyanya zakho, mamkele. Ndigqibile ke apho,” watsho uNosintu.

“Itheni ingathi uyasixelela nje MamQoma?” wabuza uZithulele ebuxakwa ngoku.

“Tshawe! Ufuna sime apha sixoxe ngokuba ngubani owonileyo, okanye silungise okonakeleyo?”

“Masilungiseni nkosikazi,” watsho uZithulele evalela amanzi angangeni endlwini.

“Niyandilibazisa ke, mayiwe lagusha ngoku,” watsho ehamba uNosintu.

“Kwedini umvile unyoko, musan’ukurhuqa iinyawo,” walandela emva kwenkosikazi yakhe uZithulele ukuya kwindlu ephakathi.

*****

Endlwini engathambili nenkulu kushiyeke uJunior noNomonde behleli bobabini.

“Sisi, bendicela ukubuza into apha kuwe,” watsho uJunior bucenga.

“Buza mntwan’am,” watsho uNomonde emjongile.

“Awunokhathazeka xa ndinocela ukuba ndihlale nomama apha ezilalini?” watsho umntwana. Wothuka uNomonde akakwazi nokuzibamba.

“Kutheni? Umama ukutshintshe ingqondo ngoku ungekalali usafika?” watsho uNomonde engasaziqapheli nokuba sele emi ngeenyawo ngoku.

“Hayi, akayazi yena loonto. Ndithe mandiqale ndive kuwe ukuba ucinga ntoni,” wahlala phantsi uNomonde akuqonda ukuba ebemi ngeenyawo.

“Mxelele ke, kodwa ukuba akavumi siyahamba kwangoko,” watsho uNomonde ngelokuncamela. Wathi akungena uNosintu wahlala ekhukweni.

“Mama, uthi uMava ufuna ukushiyeka angabisahamba xa ndihamba,”

“Ebengazuhamba kakade. Andinamntwana unoyohlala eKapa ndilapha mna. OoTshawe bandizisele unyana wesibini ebudaleni. UMava uzondikhapha xa ndiya enkam-nkamini,” kwaba ke kuqala utshintso kwaGwebani.

UNomonde kwafika ixesha lokuphindela eKapa, eshiya uJunior onwabile noNosintu.

[Isiphelo]