Ufikile uMgqibelo ebekuthethwa ngawo. Wafika uThamsanqa kwaMadevu kusashiyeke intsimbi enye phambi kwelixa lomdlalo kamabonakude. Wahlala phantsi phambi komabonakude emana ukujonga kuMadevu owayengena ephuma elungiselela ukuqala komdlalo.
“Sewukhona mfo wam? Bendicinga uzohla nomcinga wakuqonda ukuba uzingangile,” watsho uMadevu ebheka ngasemnyango.
“Ndiphoswe kukubona ubuso bakho xa ndikuvuthululela ebaleni lakho?” watsho ehleka umfana.
“Uthetha kakhulu wena mfo wam ungekaphumi ehlathini,” watsho uMadevu.
“Mnt’omkhulu ndicela kubekho umntu ozojonga ukuba andikuqhathanga xa ndiphumelela apha. Andifuni sithi sekuphele umdlalo wena undileqe undikhupha ngegongqa. Kaloku uliKhosi, mna ke njengeBhaka-Bhaka kumele ndikulumkele,” watsho lomfana ezimele eqhingeni.
Kaloku wayesazi ukuba apha kulomzi uMadevu wayeyithanda intombi yakhe uSindiswa. Kwaye ke namhlanje kwakuthe nkcwe, uSindiswa emana ukungena ephuma.
“Sindiswa! Sindiswa!” wakhwaza uMadevu.
“Tata!” wasabela uSindiswa kwigumbi lokuphekela.
“Ngawuvele ntomb’am,” watsho uMadevu ejika ejonga kwicala ekuvele ngakulo ilizwi. Wavela uSindiswa esiza kuyise owayehleli phambi komabona kude.
“Wenzani ngaphaya ntomb’am? Ndifuna wazi ukuba lentwana izakusebenza apha ukuba ndiyabethwa kulomdlalo. Kodwa ukuba ndiyaphumelela izakuphangela apha ingenamrholo. Akandithembanga ukuba ndingasigcina isigqibo sam naye,” watsho ehleka uMadevu.
“Ayikuko ukuba andithembanga wena kuba inguwe. Qha mna ndafunda ukuba abalandeli beKhosi ndingabathembi ncam,” watsho umfana ngelizikhuselayo.
Oyena mntu wayefuna ukumbona apha nguSindiswa. Wavuya kakhulu xa ezakubakhona naye apha.
“Kengoku nam ndizobukela lebhola yozelisayo?” wabuza uSindiswa.
“Hayi sisana. Wena uzoqinisekisa ukuba akukho ujikayo kwisigqibo sakhe. Kuzofuneka kodwa uwazi amanqaku ukuba angene kanjani na ukuze singaphikisani ngawo,” watsho uThamsanqa ezama ukuba lentombi ihlale nabo.
“Ukutsho oko ke ndingabuya xa kuphela umdlalo ndijonge amanqaku ngoko?” wabuza uSindiswa.
“Ewe ungayenza lonto. Kodwa intetha yakho ayizuba nasihlahla xa unika uluvo lwakho kuba khange ubone,” watsho uThamsanqa ejonga kuMadevu ukungqinisisa intetho. Wanqwala uMadevu ejonge kuThamsanqa.
“Mfo wam, masenze kanje ke xa uqinisekile. Yiza nenkabi yegusha nam ndikhuphe eyam, sizibeke apha phandle ukuze xa uphumelela udlule ngazo zombini,” watsho uMadevu.
“Hayi mnt’omkhulu. Singayenza lonto xa ingumdlalo wamagqibela kaNkqoyi. Ndize sendiphethe nentambo yokurhuqa igutsha yam ukuphela komdlalo,” watsho uThamsanqa edukisa eyegutsha. Kaloku icebo lakhe ibikukuba kufuphi apha kuSindiswa lo.
“Uyaphupha kwedini. Ntomb’am, hamba wenze lento uyenzayo. Wakugqiba uzohlala apha ecaleni kwam sibukele lomdlalo,” watsho uMadevu.
“Uxolo mnt’omkhulu. Andiboni inolunga ukuba ahlale ecaleni kwakho. Ungamhlebela ukuba anditshonise kulombhejo. Makahlale kwesasihlalo sijongene nathi ukuze singamphazamisi kwimbono yakhe ngomdlalo,” watsho uThamsanqa egudla udonga lwebhodlo.
Oyena nobangela wokuhlala kukaSindiswa kwesisihlalo yayikukuba ambuke kakuhle.
“Hamba ke mntwan’am, wakugqiba ubuye,” watsho uMadevu.
Wahamba uSindiswa ixesha elivisayo wabuya ephethe into ephungwayo. Wanika uyise akugqiba wanika uThamsanqa, yena wayala ngelithi uphuma kuyo endlwini.
“Thatha mfo wam uphunge, sukudlala ngeswekile yam apha. Mnike Sindiswa aphunge,” watsho uMadevu eqobisela uThamsanqa. Wathatha ke uThamsanqa waphunga.
Bathi begqiba ukuphunga kwabe kuqala umdlalo. Wahlala uThamsanqa kwisihlalo esibungemva apha kuMadevu kuba wayefuna ukumana ejonga uSindiswa engabonwa nguMadevu. Waqhuba kakuhle umdlalo emana ukukhuza uThamsanqa ngokungathi unolwazi oluninzi. Wayesithi akudibanisa amehlo akhe nakaSindiswa afike lentombi incumile imana ukumgxelesha.
“Uyabona ke? Uzothi ebengalalelanga lamntu? Umbonile ebephi?” wothuswe yilomibuzo uThamsanqa esajonge lenzwakazi. “Uyijongile lanto yenzeka phaya?” wabuza uMadevu ejonga kuThamsanqa.
Yena wayengazi nokuba kwenzeke ntoni na, kuba amehlo akhe ayekuSindiswa. Kodwa kuzofuneka azame iqhinga lokuphuma kulombuzo.
“Hayi mnt’omkhulu khange senze kwanto thina. Ngabantu benu abayikhupha kade ibhola. Ningakhalazeli usompempe engenzanga nto,” watsho uThamsanqa eshwankathela konke.
“Lamntu uphume yedwa ingekakhatywa ibhola,”
“Ndimangaliswa kukucotha kwabantu benu mna, bazonityisa ngathi qha.”
Kulomdlalo kwaphumelela iziporho ngenqaku elinye kwimbande yesikhova. Waba kanti uThamsanqa uyangena kwaMadevu ezoncedisa intombi ayithanda kunene. Kwaye uyise wentombi ezakumhlawula ukwenza lonto. Indlela awayevuya ngayo wawunokuthi ulithanda egazini eliqela. Kanti uvuyela ukuvunyelwa asebenze nesithandwa sakhe.
“Tata, uqala nini uThamsanqa ukuncedisa evenkileni?” wabuza uSindiswa.
“Ngomso kusasa kusile. Ubuziswa yintoni?” wabuza uMadevu.
“Kaloku kufuneka ndiye kuloMncedisi ndiyodibana nabazali bakhe kulempela-nyanga. Ulibele na tata kodwa wayetsalele wena umnxeba esithi ndilindiwe kowabo eMpame?”
***
Xoxa: Chith’utyiwe Thamsanqa! Ucinga kuzakwenzeka ntoni emva koku?