Ndive izinja zikhonkotha phandle. Ndiva amazwi. Imilozi. Izinja ziqalise ukuncwina. Xhashi xhashi, izingqi. Suke kuthule kuthi tu. Izinja azisakhonkothi. Kuthe cwaka.
Ndingqengqe ngomqolo emandlalweni. Andikwazi ukulala ngelinye icala. Isisu sam siba buhlungu. Ndihleli, ubuthongo abuhli. Ndifuna nokugabha. Indlala iyandikhama. Kuthe rhetshe ingcinga endivuyisayo engqondweni yam. Mhlawumbi ubhuti uyokuzingela. Kodwa lona ixhala ngomama alipheli. Lixhentsa phezu kovalo. Ingaba undowoni ngeli xesha? Kungabangcono ukuba ulele kwaDikidikana. Umntu ongumama akufunekanga ahambe yedwa ebusuku. Akukhuselekanga.
Ndibona ukutya okuninzi, okumnandi, okunemibala emihle. Kwekhu, liyandicaphukisa eli lindifikelayo iphupha ndakufikelwa bubuthongo. Lindenza ndilambe ngakumbi.
Lukhalile ucango kunkqonkqozwa. Ndiziva ndifuna ukubuza, “ungubani?” Kodwa ndikhumbule ukuba akukho nto yokukhanyisa. Ndithe cwaka. Khotsho, phantsi kwengubo. Akuphumi negama emlonyeni wam.
Livakele ilizwi eliqhelekileyo lisithi, “kowu, inokuba baphi abantwana bam?”
Ndixhume emandlalweni ndilahla ezo ngubo phantsi. Yeka ke ukubaleka ebumnyameni ukuya emnyango. Andikwazanga ukuluvula ucango ngaphakathi. Umama ulutyhale ngaphandle akundiva ndisokola. Kobo bumnyama ndizame ukumqwalasela ezandleni. Kubonakala ngathi uyaphaca. Iinyembezi ndizibambe ngeenkophe. Wakrazuka umcinga kuye esandleni usenza umbala otyheli, “yiza nesibane Mphum.”
“Akukho mafutha mama.”
“Yiza naso mntanam. Kobu busuku siza kukwazi ukukhanyisa. Ukhona umzi osincedileyo.”
Ndiphuthaphuthe indlela uyokulanda isibane ebumnyameni. Ndibuya umama esithi mandithathe amafutha esitupini ndigcwalise isibane. Uqhwithe umcinga ewubambela phezulu ukwenzela ndibone xa ndisetha la mafutha.
“Yiza neza pasile ziphandle Mphum.”
Khwasu, ngomdla ezi pasile ndizifaka endlwini. Phantsi kwesibane etafileni ndikhuphele oko kungaphakathi.
Ah! Amaqanda! Ivatala, ifish oil egalelwe kwigobhoza lesiselo esibandayo, umili-mili kwigobhoza le-ayisikhrim, amasi.
Nditsho ndisika izixwexwe zevatala. Esikamama nesam. Ngapha ndenza shushu i-oyile yamaqanda.
Ekamama ivata ndiyibeke kwisosala ndatsho ndimsela kwigumbi lakhe lokulala. Khinxi uvalo xa ndingena umama ebuphethe ngezandla ubuso bakhe. Uguqukile wajonga eludongeni. “Mama, bamba ivatala.”
Uheshe ngesandla, ebonaklisa ukuba akazukutya ngoku. Xa ndijika ndibuya umva ndimve ekhwiniza efixiza. “Mama, yintoni?” Ndimbuzile.
“Akhonto mntanam, yitya ukutya kwakho.”
Folokotyo phantsi ecaleni kwakhe. Umlomo wam uvuza izinkcwe yile vatala ikwisosala. Kodwa intlungu yokubona umama enje indiphethe.
“Yintoni mama?” Ndibuzile kwakhona.
“U … u … hlasele, Mphumeleli.”
“Intoni? Ubani mama? Phi?”
“Kufutshane nomfula weSheshegu mntanam. Ubeke ibhozo kum entanyeni esithi mandihlale phantsi.”
“Uye wathini wena mama? Uyamazi lo mntu?”
“Hayi mntanam, besekumnyama kakhulu. Andimbonanga ebusweni.”
“Kwenzeke ntoni mama? Ndixelele.”
“Ukhabe iipasile zam endibuza ukuba kukhontoni ngaphakathi. Ndimphendule ndathi ‘ndiphethe ukutya kwabantwana bam’. Uhlekile esithi, ‘abazokwazi kona okumnandi ukutya okulapha ngaphakathi. Ndiza kutya xa ndigqibile ngawe.’ Ndimcengile ukuba andiyeke mna, atye ke ukutya oko akafunayo kwezi pasile.”
“Ewe, wathini ke ngoku mama?” Ndiginye amathe.
“Uthe … u …u ‘ndityhalile ndayokuwa ngomqolo. Uthe ndithule ndithi tu okanye uya kundibulala. Ukhuphe isiqingatha senkukhu ebendiyojelwe kwaDikidikana kwenye yezi pasile waluma. Uthe, “ndiyayithatha yonke le.” Andimphendulanga mntanam, ndithule ndathi cwaka.”
Utsho engcangcazela umama, ngelizwi elophukayo sisingqala.