Usuku 67
Kusemva kweenyanga ezimbini oko ndaqala ukwenza idotyhumentari KwaNoqabaka. UKhayone uhlala emaphandleni elali, ecaleni kwehlathi. UNgungunyana, utata wakhe, wacele ikumkani entsha ukuba ithumele umsila wengwe kunyana wakhe onguNofotyela, owathi wagxotha uKhayone elalini. Kunjalo, kule lali iyakwazi ukwenziwa into elolu hlobo.

UBantwini wagoba uphondo luxinzelelo lwamadod’ elali. Akanabudlelwane noKhayone, uchasele kuye, uxel’ ithamsanqa. Wabona ngamadoda okuhlala eqokelelene kokwabo, amoyikisa ngokumhlutha isidima sobudoda ukuba akohlukani nomhlobo wakhe onguNontwentywe. Kwathiwa uza kulandela uKhayone ukuba akawuthobeli lo mthetho. Naye ke wakhetha ukukokosa isidima sobudoda kunokuba akokose ubuhlobo bakhe.

Uphumile uhili ezingcongolweni, sibhaqiwe isisu sika-Onikwa ngunina ngeli xesha wayeze kwikhefu elifutshane. Uye wanyanzelwa ngunina ukuba asikhuphe. Wayebaleka ihlazo lokuba nomzukulwana ozalwa nguNofotyela. Wala ke u-Onikwa wakhetha ukubhacela kuKhayone. Uhlala noKhayone kwityotyombe alakhe ngamazinki agqolileyo ecaleni kwehlathi. Balenze yalikhaya labo.

Undixelele oku kulandelayo uKhayone kudliwano-ndlebe lwesibini.

UKhayone
Ndifuna ahambe apha  u-Onikwa, abuyele kokwabo. Ndiyambambezela. Phambi kokuba kwenzeke le nyuvadem ebenomnqweno wokufundela ubunjineli bombane. Ibiliphupha lethu sobabini eli kodwa andidanga ndaliphumelela ibanga lematriki. Ngesele esedyunivesithi ngoku, endaweni yoko ugadene nam ukuba ndiwatya ngokufanelekileyo na onke amayeza am. Nangona esazi ukuba andisenabudoda usabambelele kolu thando lwethu lufileyo. Sisaqhubelani ngothando ukuba andinakutshata naye? Ndingathini ukuba undizalel’ umntwan’ oyinkwenkwe? Loo ntwana iza kuba isisigculelo sokuhlekwa ngenxa yesiphoso sam esuthwini.

Ngomso kuza kubakho imbizo. Ndiza kucela inkosi ibuyisele isidima sam sobudoda.

Usuku 68
Ngale ntseni kukho imbizo komkhulu. USintu uvalelwe phakathi kwesangqa ligquba labantu bakhe. Uhleli phezu kwegaga lemofu, lwandlalwe phantsi kulwalwili lwesangqa. Ugaxele umnweba wenyamakazi emagxeni. Kuthiwe nzwanga ngabantu, kulindelwe ukukhankqazwa kwesikhahlelo sakhe. Isithsaba silenga-lenga entla kwentloko kaSintu, siphethwe nguGananda.

Kanye ngalo mzuzu kubumbeka amazwi okukhahlela emlonyeni wembongi, uKhayone uthubeleza phakatha kwabantu, kuqhawuka isangqa. Ujongene noSintu.

“Ndiyamangala!” utsho lizekelela ukuphuma. Ibandla livakala liduma ngumothuko emva kwakhe. “Ndimangalela utata noGinyilahle. Ndifuna ukwazisa le nkundla ukuba abandinikanga nkathalo esuthwini. Balutshikilele uxanduva lwabo lokundenza indoda.”

Ukhangeleka edanile uSintu. Lo msitho uphazanyiswa isihlandlo sesibini ngoku.

“Le nto uze nayo apha iswel’ isongo,” kutsho uGananda, othethela uSintu.

“Ndifuna isidima. Ndifuna ukuba yindoda.”

“Uthi makathini umntwan’ omhle? Akuphathele sona?” kubuza uGananda.

“Ewe mhlekazi. Ndicel’ inkosi yohluthe isidima kutata nakuGinyilahle size eso sidima sinikwe mna njengentonga yomnquma,” kuphendula uKhayone ngomoya wokuzithemba.

Lithi gquzu ibandla. Ikumkani ibathi jezu ijongole. Bathi zole kwangoko.

“Ukuba uyakwamkela ukuxoxwa kweli tyala uyakube uzifaka emgciphekweni,” kutsho uGananda.

“Onjani umngcipheko tamnci?” kubuza uSintu.

“Uza kungcoliseka kwesi siqalekiso sikaNontywentywe. Liza kubalela, konke okuhlwayelweyo kuza kufa. Nenzala yakho iya kuba ngooNofotyela,” kucacisa uGananda. “Uyazi phofu ukuba kuthethwa izinto ngawe phandl’ apha, izinto ezimanyumnyezi. Livume eli tyala ubabonise ukuba ziyinyani ezi zinto bakurhanela kuzo.”

Ngethuba uGananda athi ‘izint ezimanyumnyezi,’ ndintama ingqondo ephalayo kuSintu. Ndicinga ngokuya uSintu wayejongene noyise owayefuna ukumenza indoda. Ndiyayazi le nto ifihlwa nguSintu. Inokuba bangaphi abantu apha ekuhlaleni abakrokrayo? Nantsi ivela engqondweni yakhe le mfihlo. Uyazibuza ukuba ingaba seyisaziwa na ngabanye abantu. Uya erhwaqela ebusweni.

“Andinalo nofifi lwezi zinto zimanyumnyezi uthetha ngazo tamnci,” kutsho uSintu. Uguqukela kuKhayone. “Lo mfana kufanele avunyelwe athethe yaye amanyelwe kule nkundla. Kakade iinkundla zakwaNtu zikhololo ukunika ilizwi kwabangenalizwi.”

Uthiwa krwaqu nguyisemncinci ngamehlo athethayo. Kuqhambuka amahum-hum kwibandla likaSintu emva koko bathi shwaka ngokuduma kwemoto isonda ngomzi wakomkhulu.

Ifika imise kude kufuphi nekhaya lekumkani. Kuphuma umfo emotweni ongaziwayo ekuhlaleni, waziwa nguSintu kuphela.

Nanko uSintu esonda ngaye.

“Mothusi,” kutsho uSintu evakala elikhankqaza igama lalo mfo. Kwanga angawaginya loo mazwi akube ecacelwe ukuba ibandla selizibazile iindlebe namehlo akubo.

***

Sixelele: Ucinga ukuba kuza kwenzeka ntoni ngolu ndwendwelo lukaMothusi?