USintu – Usaqhuba
Sise kulo ndlu, eyona ndlu iphucukileyo nenamagumbi alithoba – ekukuphela kwayo apha KwaNoqabaka – kwangenelele uMkhul’ uManjingqi ngentetho yakhe eyatshintsha ubomi bam.
“Akusekho mfuneko yokuba uphindele edolophini, Sintu.”
“Ngoba kutheni Mkhulu?” ndabuza ndingalindelanga nto yothusayo.
“Kaloku uza kungena ezihlangwini zikatata wakho ukhokele usapho nomzi kaPhalo.”
Ndabona ngotamnci eshukuma esihlalweni sakhe ndaqonda ngenkangeleko yakhe ukuba nentliziyo yakhe isukile esihlalweni sayo. Wemka engawuvulanga owakhe. Ndandingatyhilekelwanga yinto acatshukiswe yiyo.
“Hayi Mkhulu,” nditsho ndikhabela kude. “Andinaku kwazi ukuba yikumkani. Utata wayekholwa nguNoqabaka, wayefuna ibe nguye ongena ezihlangwini zakhe xa yena ebhubhile.”
Yinyani le ndiyitshoyo. Utata watsho ngomlomo wakhe ukuba eyona ndlalifa yakhe nguNoqabaka. La mfo wayendizonda ngaphezu kokuba ezonde utshaba lwakhe, inkosi yasemaZizini. Emehlweni akhe, uNoqabaka ‘wayeyindoda’, endodlula nam lo.
Kulo mhlangano wosapho, uMkhulu uManjingqi wayengayekanga ukundinunusa ngento endingayifuniyo. Wayeba ngacenga, ndizalel’ endle qho.
“Esekhukweni lokufa, utat’ akho uyolele wathi maze ibe nguwe ikumkani,” kutsho uMkhulu endikhombe ngomnwe. “Sintu, uthe uyakuthanda. Ngamazw’ akhe okugqibela la mzukulwana wam.”
“Uyahlekisa Mkhulu,” nditsho ndicubhukile. Ingqondo yam yabethabethana ingakholelwa ukuba wawathetha ngokwenene la mazwi utata. Kodwa ndandiyilangazelela ukuyiva into enje. “Kutheni ningayekeleli kutamnc’ uGananda asele eqhube nolawulo. Yena uyayifuna le nto. Ndikhe ndeva ukuba ebebambele utata ngexesha aqalwa yingulo.”
Ndandithethile kodwa ndandingade ndivelwe ntweni. Kuvele uMabhozo, iphakathi likatata nelithi loo tamnci ndimisa ngaye unorhwaphilizo yaye unguhlohl’ esakhe. Wacwayiza ukonda ngam uMabhoza, wandithi jize ngesikhumba senyamakazi, esiluphawu lobukhosi. Wandikhankqaza ngokuba ‘ndiyikumkani’.
“Andifuni bukhosi mna,” nditsho ndisilahlela phantsi eso sikhumba. “Kutheni ngath’ andivakali nje?”
Babethe manga, bekhwankqisiwe sesi simbo, ngaphandle kukaNoqabaka owayebeke oluxwesileyo uncumo, ecinga ukuba sebuwele kuye ubukhosi.
Ndabashiy’ apho bengawuvali, ndazitshixela kwindlu endilala kuyo. Ezinzulwini zobusuku ndiphaphame uMkhul’ uManjingqi noMabhozo sebengaphakathi, besenza into engaqhelekanga. Ndiqabuke ndidada phakathi kwegazi lenkuku emnyama, ithiwe qhiwu nguMkhulu ngentamo. Wayephethe ibhozo, lichiphiza ligazi, ngesinye isandla. UMabhozo wayendiqhumisela ngempeph’ emehlweni. Bathetha izinto ezingavakaliyo, ezawutsho wandindisholo umzimba wam. Ngelingeni ndadanduluka ngesikhalokazi, ndangathi ndiphethwe ngamafufunyana. Emva koko ndathi qwaka ndalalai ndathurha ubuthongo.
Kwasa ngengomso ndahlamba igazi emzimbeni wam. Abazange babonakale beneentloni ngento eyehle ngokuhlwa, kwakungathi akwenzekanga nto kubo. Ndayibetha yancinci kwangoko ephindela edolophini ndingevanga mntu undinqandayo.
Yayizintsuku ezine ndisedolophini ukwenzeka kwayo le nto – lo mlingo bendithetha ngawo. KwakungoLwesihlani ebusuku ndibuya emsebenzini, ndiqhuba imoto. Ndikholwa kakhulu kukusebenza kude kube ngorhatya. Ndathatha la ndlela ingenaziphithi-phithi, i-Thomson Street. Chu kuhle ukudlula ngakwisibane sendlela esixhonywe ibhodi yombutho wezopolitiko iEFF yokugay’ ivoti. Kulapho ndathi mandla ngesithunz’ eside esikhangeleka ngathi sesomntu, ecaleni kwendlela, phambi kwesinye isibane sendlela. Sasikhanya kakuhle isibane sendlela, sindivumela ukuba ndimbone kakuhle umntu ecaleni kwaso, kodwa ndabona isithunzi sodwa, singenasiqu. Undive kakuhle – isithunzi sodwa, kungekho siqu samntu ecaleni kwendlela. Ndiyayazi into endayibonayo.
Ndandicinga ukuba yonke le nto iya kuphela ndakube ndifike endlwini yam. Kodwa yaman’ isithi thaa imibono yesithunzi engqondweni yam. Ndandingakwazi ukuval’ amahlo ndingaboni sithunzi. Ndabhenela kwipilisi zokulala, ndicinga ukuba ziza kundenza ndilale. Amehlo am ahlala ethe nta eludongeni engadinwa. Phi-phi-phi, xa kanye amehlo am efuna ukuba ndicimele, sathi gqi qhaphu isithunzi eludongeni. Kwesi isihlandlo sasivaleleke ekheyijini esisithunzi. Sasikhwaza sisithi, ‘avingciwe amazibuko,’ ngeli lixa sigixizisa ikheyiji, sikhangela indawo yokuthubeleza. Kwathi thaa ilitha lemoto idlula ngendlela, saphel’ emoyeni nesithunzi.
Bendingaboni mibono. Oko ndakungqinisisa xa siphinda sibuya okwesibini, sikhatshwa zezinye izithunzi endaxakwa kukuzibala. Zazinempondo namehlo alephuza amadangatye abomvu.
“Sizokulanda wena,” zavuma ngazwi-nye izithunzi, zisuka eludongeni zisonda ngam.
Ndawavala ngci amehlo, ndakhwaza ndicel’ uncedo. Zavela zahleka intsini yobumnyama izithunzi. Ndandinomfanekiso-ngqondweni zolule izandla nemizimba yazo zingxamele ukundithatha, zindithuthumbise. Ndathi ndivula amehlo kwabe sekuse gede phandle, zinyamalele nezithunzi.
Imini yonke ndandingcangcazela luloyiko. Ndabona kufanelekile ukuba ndimke kule ndlu, ndimke nasedolophini, ndizifihle apho ndingena kutshutshiswa nakuporhelwa khona sisithunzi. Phi na kodwa? Kwathi qatha ukuba ndinekhaya. Ndaqabuka ndipakishile, ndilungele ukubuyela kwaNoqabaka.
Zange avuye ngako umama xa ndifika ekhaya. UMkhul’ uManjingqi wahamba ebalisela wonke umntu ukuba ndibuye umphelo. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba ndenziwe ikumkani buphuthu-phuthu. Ngoku ndilindele umsitho wokubekwa esikhundleni, ndilindele kutshiwo isikhahlelo sam.
Isiganeko sase Thomson Street bubugqwirha, yiva ndikuxelela.
Ndiyathemba ayishicilelwanga le ncoko.
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Sixelele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Imilingo nentakatho nemibono neziporho, zizinto ezikhoyo ezo?