“Ndilinde Ntini!” Ndandifunzelise kwibala leqakamba nabahlobo bam endidlala nabo xa uZanoxolo wathi gqi emva kwethu esileqa.

Sasinomdlalo omkhulu ngaloo mini. Kwakusentwasahlobo ngoko kungeshushu kuyaphi- imozulu entle xa kudlalwa iqakamba. Sasidlala nesikolo esasisizonda kakhulu. UZanoxolo wayekhe wanqaba ukuza kundibukela xa ndizilolonga  ixeshana elide. Wayesoloko exakekile efundela iimviwo zokulingwa ezazizakuqala kwinyanga elandelayo.

“Heyi Zanoxolo, bekungamele ukuba uyafunda okanye ke wenza enye into?” Ndambuza.

“Hayi namhlanje, namhlanje ndibukela umninawa wam xa edlala. Hamba ke ngoku uyekubonisa la makhwenkwe ukuba kutheni kusithiwa unguNtini nje.” Wandibetha emagxeni wabe ebonisa ukuba ndilandele  abahlobo bam endidlala nabo ukuya ebaleni.

Lo mdlalo wawunzima njengokuba iqela lam belilindele, kodwa ke sasizi lolonge kakhulu nathi siwulungiselela. Ndandingumqhokri wokugqibela kwiqela lam, kwaye ndisalelwe  yibhola enye. Eli qela lalidinga nje umtsi omnye ukuze lilingane nathi. Uxinzelelo lwaluphezu kwam, kwaye isikolo sam sasixhomekeke kum ukugcina la mtsi mnye uphambili ukuze siwuphumelele umdlalo. Yakhwaza indimbane yabantu, “Ntini! Ntini! Ntini!” Ndayisula ibhola ebhulukhweni yam, ndayiqengqela kwiwikethi, ndiwatshabalalisa amathuba elinye iqela eli.

UZanoxolo waphephetheka ukungena ebaleni wafika wandifunqulela phezulu! Kwakuxhelwe eXhukwane kuye.

“Udlale kakuhle, Ntini! Umama uza kuba nebhongo ngakumbi ngawe,” watsho xa sikwindlela egodukayo. Abahlobo bethu babehamba apha emva kwethu.

“Andicingi ngolo hlobo,” Ndatsho. “Ingathi ndisisiphoxo kuye. Eyona nto ayifunayo kukuba ndibe krele krele njengawe esikolweni. Kodwa ke iqakamba kuphela kwento endibalaseleyo kuyo.”

Ngequbuliso abahlobo bethu bagqitha kuthi begqotsile. “Balekani! Balekani!” bakhwaza.

Ndajonga ngasemva ndaza ndabona amakhwenkwe ephethe iizinkempe, iimela ezigotywayo kwakunye namabhathi egalufa beleqa emva kwethu. Ndaqonda kwangoko ukuba le nto iqinisekile. Mna noZanoxolo salahla phantsi ibhegi zethu zesikolo sabaleka sizama ukusindisa ubomi bethu. Kodwa uZanoxolo waye ngomelelanga njengam waza wasokola ukuqinisela ekubalekeni.

“Yiza Zanoxolo! Baleka! Baleka kakhulu!” Ndakhwaza.

Amfumana la makhwenkwe, yaze enye yawo yagalela entloko ngentonga yegalufa. Wagxadazela kwangoko, wahebuka waya kuwa phantsi.

“Zanoxolo! Zanoxolo!” Ndagxwala. Ndazama ukubaleka ndisiya kumntakwethu kodwa umhlobo wam uThulani, wanditsala ngekhola yehempe. Ndazama ukumtshova kodwa wandibamba.

Ngokungathi ndisephupheni, ndababukela bemxabela ngezixhobo zabo ezinobungozi. Yaba ngulowo wazifikisela kuye njengokuba ethe tywa emgaqweni wemoto, enganakuzinceda.

“Akukho nto unokumnceda ngayo ngoku uZanoxolo. Sindisa isiqu sakho qha. Masihambe siyekufuna uncedo-yiya ngqo ekhaya uye kubiza umama wakho,” Wandingxolisa uThulani.

“Nqandani! Nqandani! Bayambulala!”  Ndakhala ndicela uncedo nakubantu abadlula ngendlela nababukeleyo kodwa basuka bajonga kwelinye icala.

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Le ndledlana imfutshane ukuya ekhaya yaba ngathi ngunyaka wonke. Ndandilila ndigxwala xa ndifika ekhaya. Umama waye engaphangelanga ngolu suku, wandiva ndikhwaza ndisesemnyango.

“Kwenzeke ntoni, Phumlani? Kutheni ulila nje?”wabuza umama engcangcazela.

“Ngu…nguZanoxolo, mama.”

“UZanoxolo? Uthini kanye, Phumlani? Uphi umntakwenu?” Umama wajonga kumhlobo wam ngamehlo afuna impendulo engxamileyo. “Ndixelele, uphi uZanoxolo?”

“Siye …siye saleqwa liqela lemiguludu xa besibuya ekudlaleni. Siye sabaleka,  thina kodwa uZanoxolo akakhange akwazi ukubaleka ngamandla. Ndi…ndicinga ukuba uswelekile,” Wathintiliza uThulani.

“Hayi! Hayi! Unyana wam! Unyana wam! Oh! Yhini umntwan’am, Bawo. Thixo onofefe.” Waphuma phandle umama wasitsho isikhalo esikrakra.

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Khawusixelele: Abantu basoloko “beziphila kwakhona” iziganeko ezibi. Yiyiphi imibuzo ngolu hlaselo eyakusoloko imjikeleza uPhumlani, oyicingayo?