Iminyaka yokuqala

Ndatshata ngo1975.

Phambi koko ndandisendihlala nomyeni wam, esection M KwaMashu. Sasihlala kunye ukusukela ngelaxesha ndandinomntwana omnye, uDumisani, ongumntwana wamazibulo. Ngoko ke kwakungo1968. Sasihlala kakuhle. Kwakumnandi. Yonke into yayihamba kakuhle.

Kodwa emva kweminyaka emithathu umyeni wam waqala ukwenza izinto ezimbi endandingazithandi. Waqala ukuba namantombazana nokungalali endlwini. Wayengafiki ngethuba ekhaya kwaye ngamanye amaxesha ebengabuyi tu. Ukusukela ngoko ke ndaqala ukuhlupheka.

Ndafumana uThami ngo1969, ndaphinda ndafumana uZandile ngo1972, ndaza ndafumana uSipho, lo ugulayo ngo1976. Kwakukubi kodwa kungekubanga kakhulu. Kaloku ngelixesha ndifumana aba bantwana wayezama ukundinceda ngeendlela ezininzi. Xa ndivela esibhedlele ebencedisa ngokupheka nangokwenza ezinye izinto. Kodwa ebedla ngokuhamba akugqiba ukuncedisa.

Kwaye kwabakubi kakhulu emva kokuba ndifumene uSipho, lo wazalwa ngo1976. Umyeni wam waqhubeka nokuba namantombazana amatsha futhi waqala ukusela utywala.

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Ukubuya esibhedlele

Ngo1979 ndafumana intombi yesibini, uNono, esibhedlele iKing Edward. Umyeni wam zange aye kundibona okanye anditsalele umnxeba tu. Wazithulela nje.

Ndakhutshwa kwangaloo mini kuba bathi baninzi abantu esibhedlele. Ndandingena ndawo.

Ndandingenayo nesenti esipajini sam. Ndathabatha umntwana wam ndaya esangweni ndabiza inqwelo yezigulana. Ndaxelelwa ukuba ayikho inqwelo yezigulana eya KwaMashu. Ndandicinga ukuba ndizakwenza njani ke ngoku. Bathi, “Ayikho into esingakwenzela yona.”

Ngoko ke ndaphuma emasangweni esibhedlele. Kwakukho indoda emi ngaphaya kwesango lesibhedlele. Ndaya kuyo, ndacela imali kuba ndandifuna ukukhwela uloliwe. Kodwa wayengenayo imali. Wathi, “Eyi, ndiyakuvela kodwa andinanto etasini.”

Ngoko ke ndaqalisa ukuhamba ngeenyawo, indlela ende ukusuka eKing Edward ukuya esitishini saseDalbridge.

Ndithe xa ndikufutshane esitishini saseDalbridge, kweza inenekazi. Eli nenekazi lalithengisa iJuba nezinye izinto esitishini. Wakhawuleza weza kum wathi, “Owu uvela esibhedlele. Kutheni uhamba ngenyawo nje? Kuba ndiyakubona usandula ukubeleka.” Ndathi, “Ewe, andinamali, ngoko ke ndiye ndanyanzeleka ukuba ndihambe ngeenyawo.” Wathi, “Sapha umntwana.”

Emva koko eli nenekazi labiza enye intombazana. Layinika iirandi ezintlanu lathi mayiyo kundithengela ipayinti yobisi kunye nezikonsi, saze sahamba kunye saya esitishini.

Wathi kumnqomfi wamatikiti, “Ungalibizi itikiti kweli nenekazi, le ntombazana ndiyithume evenkileni izakubuya netshintshi.”

Sithe sakungena esitishini laa ntombazana yabuya evenkileni iphethe ubisi nezikonsi. Wandinika iirandi ezimbini wathi, “Ndizakuthengela itikiti. Xa ufika esitishini KwaMashu ucele umqhubi weteksi ayo kukubeka esangweni ekhayeni lakho ngezi randi zimbini.” Wayesazi ukuba iteksi ibiza imali eninzi.

Ndathi, “Enkosi kakhulu.”

Ndafika ekhaya umyeni wam engekho.

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Itshatini yentlanzi

Emva kokuba ndifumene uNono, umntwana wam wesihlanu, izinto zaye zisibambi kakhulu. Umyeni wam zange andithengele izishubelo, zange andithengele nto. Saqala ke ukulwa. Salwa rhoqo.

Ngenye imini ndiphakathi endlwini, wangena wavela nje wathi, “Heyi, ndenzele itshatini yentlanzi. Ungayipheki. Kunye nezilayi ezibini zesonka.”

Ndithe ndisenza loo ntlanzi, kwankqonkqoza inenekazi emnyango. Yayingumhlobokazi wakhe. Bahlala bobabini gumbini lokutyela, basela utywala.

Ndithe ndakugqiba ndayizisa itshatini egumbini lokutyela. Umyeni wam wathabatha icephe wayiva. Emva koko wathi, “Nonsense, ngubani ongatya le nto? Ndakuxelela ukuba uyenze njani ichutney, ngoku wena uyenza ngendlela yakho.”

Wavela nje wayichitha phantsi.

Ndathula. Unyana wam omdala uDumisani wakubutha ukutya phantsi, wosula kwacoceka.

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Utywala kunye namantombi

Ngokuya ixesha lihamba, umyeni wam waye esela kakhulu. Wayedla ngokuvuka sekusemini, athi, “Namhlanje andiyi emsebenzini, ndidiniwe.” Ngokuya ixesha lihamba, “Andifuni ukusebenza namhlanje.”

Ndabuza, “Kutheni?” Wathi, “Hayi, kudala ndisebenza kula ndawo iminyaka emininzi, kwaye abandibhatali mali eyaneleyo. Ndisebenza nzima, futhi ndenza umsebenzi omkhulu obufanele ukuba undibhatala imali eninzi, kodwa abandibhatali ngokwaneleyo.”

Ke, ndavala umlomo wam.

Ngoku ke sele ehlala ekhaya waqhubeka ukusela kunye nokuba namantombazana. Waqala ukuzisebenzela, epeyinta iimoto apha eyadini. Xa efumene imali eninzi ebethabatha intombi yakhe amke.

Kodwa uyakumbona ebuyela ekhaya yakuphela imali.

Kwakusoloko kufana.

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Ulugxa

Umyeni wam ebendinika imali encinane. Ngoko ke, ngenye imini ndathi, “Kufanele ndizame ukufuna umsebenzi.” Kodwa wathi, “Owu hayi, andifuni usebenze kuba ndisebenza nzima apha kwaye ndiyakondla. Ndikunika yonke into.” Kodwa ngokwenyani ebengandiniki nto. Ndathi ke, “Kufanele ndisebenze.” Ndafumana umsebenzi, ndaqala ukusebenza.

Kodwa emva kokufumana uSithe, unyana wam omncinane, kwafuneka ndihlale ekhaya kwakhona.

Ngenye imini xa ndandisekhaya salwa kakhulu. Ndandingenzanga nto. Ndandizibuza nje, “Ndenzeni?” Wangena endlwini, wathabatha ulugxa, wandibetha entloko. Ndathi, “Undibethelani kangaka?” Wathi, “Ungathethi.” Owu, yayingumlo omkhulu. Wazama ukundibamba, nam ndazama ukumtyhalela phaya kude ukuze ndibaleke. Kodwa wandilandela kuyo yonke indawo. Ekugqibeleni kwafika umzala wam wamtyhalela kude wambamba.

Ndabaleka ndaphuma ndaya kuMhlalingaphambili wesection yethu, ndamxelela konke.

Umhlalingaphambili weza endlwini yethu wathetha nomyeni wam. Emva koko umyeni wam wathi, “ Ndiyabona ngoku ukuba ndenze impazamo, kwaye andisoze ndiphinde ndiyenze le nto kwakhona.”

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Ukubaleka

Ngobunye ubusuku umyeni wam waphinda wandibetha kwakhona. Uthe esaye kwelinye igumbi lokulala ndavula ifestile, kuba yayingenazo iiburglar guards. Ndaphuma ndabaleka. Ndabaleka ndaya kwesinye isitalato kumakazi wam, ndankqonkqoza efestileni yendlu yakhe. Wavula umnyango wandingenisa.

Msinyane nje emva koko seva abantu bendikhangela. Ndeva ilizwi lomyeni wam, “Ndim, uThemba.” Kodwa savela nje sabajonga singaphakathi endlwini, asabavulela. Ndathi, “Andiphindeli phaya tu. Ndidiniwe bobu bubhanxa.”

Emva kokuhlala nomakazi iintsuku ezimbini ndaya esection D emzini kabhuti wam, ndamxelela yonke into. Ubhuti wam waya emzini womyeni wam waya kuthatha abantwana. Wathi kuye, “Ndiyabathatha aba bantwana ngoku. Ndidiniwe nguwe. Ngalo lonke ixesha udlala ngodade wethu. Ndikruqukile nguwe.”

Umyeni wam wathi, “Kulungile, kodwa sizakubona ukuba ngubani na ozakwenza into ekugqibeleni.

Ungenza into oyithandayo kodwa uzakubona into endizakuyenza.”

Ke ndahlala emzini kabhuti nabantwana bam, umyeni wam wazihlalela kwakhe.

Kodwa ebedla ngokuza kundikhangela, “Uphi? Ndifuna ukuthetha naye.” Kodwa xa sithethayo besisilwa.

Kwakusoloko kufana. Ngoko ke ndathi, “Heyi, libala ngam.”

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Oomamomncinci

Ngenye imini ndathi ndingekho ekhaya umyeni wam wafika endlwini kabhuti wabathatha bonke abantwana bam. Ubhuti wathi kum, “Kulungile, myeke abathathe abantwana ukuze asokole ngokubondla nokubenzela iimfanelo zabo, kunye nokubhatala iimali zesikolo.”

Ke abantwana bahlala nomyeni wam. Ekuqaleni xa babemana bendityelela babendixelela ukuba konke kulungile. Bathi yonke into ihamba kakuhle.

Kodwa ke umyeni wam waqala ukutshintsha amantombazana. Okokuqala yaba ngomnye umfazi owayehlala nabantwana bam. Emva kweenyanga ezintathu, yaba ngomnye, futhi yaphinda yaba ngomnye.

Ngenye imini to mfazi asahlala naye ngoku, wathi “Hayi, andibadingi aba bantwana bakho, andibafuni.” Xa benento emnandi bebengabaphi abantwana. Ke abantwana baqala ukuxela, “Mama siyasokola ngoku. Izinto azihambi kakuhle.”

Ndandingazi ukuba nderize ntoni. Kodwa abantwana baqala ukumshiya umyeni wam ngokulandelelana.

Bamshiya ngamnye ngamnye.