Wakube undixelele ngomntwana wakho kwathi qabu kum ndasazi isizathu sokuba kutheni wawungandifuni ecaleni kwakho. Ndayazi ndingayixelelwanga imbangi yokuba utshintshe isikolo uze apha kwindawo ongayiqhelanga. Wawufuna isiqalo esitsha.
Ndiqinisekile ukuba waqhathwa ngumfo othile owakuthembisa izulu nomhlaba waza wathi wakukhulelwa wakushiya kwesinomhlwa, awabi sabulibala obo buhlungu owakuvisa bona.
Ukuba kwakunjalo ndandingenathemba lokukwenza ongowam. Izithembiso zam zaziya kuwela kumhlaba welitye, zingahlumi. Kodwa ndazixelela kwelokuba ndiqhubeke ndilinge.
“Unomntu ohambisana naye Nozi, iboyfriend ukutsho?” Ndibuze intliziyo yam isenza umthandazo ongenasiphelo ukuba uthi hayi.
Lakhula ithemba kum wakuphendula ngokunikina intloko.
“Then, kwenzeka njani ukuba ube nomntwana?” Ndibuzile ngelithambileyo.
“Xa athi umama wakho ekujonga aboniswe ngeenkomo nangobutyebi, umtshato wakho uqulunkqwa ngesaquphe,” watsho uyihlekela le nto.
Le mpendulo yakho yayingandonezi. Ndandifuna ukwazi banzi, waqhabalaka wandinika into eyanditshiya ndibambe ongezantsi.
“Ndandineminyaka eli-15. Umama wayengawuvali umlomo ngobuhle bam, emadodeni ke phofu, amadala nasaze ngobuso ezweni. Ukuba ndandiyinto bendinokuthi wayendithengisa. Wayekhetha amadoda athile, afumileyo, la awaziyo ukuba aya kukhupha ikhipha lemali ngam. Ngathi ndiyamva xa athi, ‘Mhle kwaye ukhuthele. Ubutsha bakhe sisiqinisekiso soonyana kuwe’.”
Ndazibona iinyembezi zingcwenga emehlweni akho. Amehlo akho ayendibalisela ibali elibuhlungu ngawe. Wawonakele ngala mazwi akhe. “Wade watshata ke?” ndabuza nangona ndiyazi impendulo kulo mbuzo.
“Ngokukhawuleze okuquke ukungxama ndingakhethiswanga futhi,” watsho ukuphendula ilizwi lakho liphalaza inkumbulo ebuhlungu. “UDlamini wandenza umfazi wakhe wesithathu. UDlamini wayemdala kakhulu. Ndacinga ukuba umama uyakubuya atshintshe iingqondo andibuyisele ekhaya. Ndahlala kwelo themba ‘de ndalibala. Ngokucacileyo iinkomo awazifumana ngam zasivala isikhewu akwacaca nokuba ndakhe ndakho.”
Kwakungekho nto ndinokuyithetha ukucima le ntlungu kwiingcinga zakho.
“Ngelo xesha ndandithandana noAndile,” waqhuba watsho. “Intliziyo yam yayisentendeni yesandla sakhe. Kodwa zang’ enze mendu ukuthintela loo mtshato. Wabukela ndithwala akenza nento le.”
Wala ukundijonga, ubuso bakho ubufihlile kum. Ndandinqwenela ukukubamba ngesilevu ndosule iinyembezi emehlweni akho ndikuxelele ukuba ndiyakuthanda, kodwa awuzange undinike thuba.
“Ndandicinga ukuba umtshato wam uya kuba mbenje-mbenje kube ziintyatyambo ndawo yonke. Akhange kube njalo.” Watsho ngelizwi endantama kulo isikhalo siphuma ngaphakathi kwakho. “Ngobo busuku ndohluthwa ubuntombi bam. Kwaba njalo ukukhulelwa kwam.”
Ndavela ndimcaphukela loo Dlamini ndamzonda kuba ekudlandlathekisile. Waphuncuka kweso sikhohlakali sendoda ngoncedo lwabafazi bakhe abakuthumela eSindlo. Baba buthathaka ngeentliziyo zabo ngenxa yolo sizana lwentwazana ikhulayo ingumfazi exhegweni.
Weza wahlala apha eSindlo no-anti wakho owayengena bantwana. Waninika uthando olulwaneleyo kuwe nakunyana wakho.
“Ngubani igama lakhe?” Ndibuzile.
Ndabona ubuso bakho buqhekeka luncumo. Ndaqonda kwa-oko ukuba unyana wakho kukuphela kwesithandwa sobomi bakho, wayengumonwabisi wakho.
“Igama lakhe nguNkululeko,” uphendule watsho. “U-anti wamthiya eli gama ngovuyo ndikhululekile kubukhoboka bukaDlamini. U-anti umthanda okungathi ngumntwana wakhe.”
Ndandingafuni kulinda kwakhona, kwakunyanzelekile ndikuxelele indlela endiziva ngayo.
Ndisayikhumbula injezu owandinika yona ndikuxelela ukuba ndiyakuthanda. Wandihesha ngokomshologu. Ndatsho ndomelwa ngamathe. Yintliziyo yam eyabangela oku kutyhuluba kwam kwaye ndandingena kuwaginya la mazwi.
Wagxanyela phambili ungalindi nokuba ndiqhubele phambili ngentetho yam, ucaphukile. Kwakungekho kwenza ngakumbi ngaphandle kokuba ndikulandela ndicela undinike ithuba elaneleyo ndikuchazela ngokuphangaleleyo uthando lwam kuwe.
“Yini Nozi ndiyakucela torho,” ndatsho ndikubamba ngengalo ndiphakamise ilizwe.
Wawujale ebusweni, ndalithoba ilizwi ndathi chu ngentetho yam.
“Ndiyakuthanda, ndicela uyikholelwe loo nto. Ndicela undibone ukuba ndahlukile, andifani nabanye. Andinakuphupha nokuphupha ngokwaphula intliziyo yakho ndikulilise ndikuvise ubuhlungu. Olu thando ndinalo lelokukhusela lukunik’ imviko kude kube sekupheleni kwephakade. Ndiyakuba ngowakho nawe ube ngowam.”
“Wakhe wazibuza ngaphambili ukuba luyini na uthando?”
Ndathi ndisazama ukuphendula wandingxamela.
“Uthando alunazigqibo. Uthando asilo thando de kubekho into exhamlekayo kulo. Umama wayendithanda kuba ndibubutyebi obuzihambelayo. U-Andile noDlamini babethanda ukumila kwam, bethanda nobu butsha bam. Wena ufuna ni Sidima?”
Watsho ndamatha ndave ndinqunyulwe amanqindi.
Uyakhumbula ndathi cwaka ixesha elide wacinga ukuba ndiqweba amaqhinga?
“Ndifuna ulonwabo olungenasiphelo kunye nawe,” ndatsho. “Ndifuna ukufa ndikuthanda ze sithi sakufika kwelemimoya sithandan’ unaphakade.”
Ndathi cwaka ndalinda impendulo kuwe.
“Kusemaphupheni ethu apho iya kwenzeka khona loo nto. Abantu kule mihla bathandana ukuze bonzakalisane.”
Ukuba sasichithe ixesha elide sithetha, ndandiya kukubonisa ukuba ngamaphunge ukwenzakalisana kwabathandanayo. Iinyembezi emehlweni akho zandiqinisekisa ukuba uchukumisekile. Ndakholelwa kwelokuba akuntsuku zatywala uzityande igila uvume ukuba uyandithanda nawe. Saphazanyiswa kukufika kukaPhaphama umhlobo wakho.
Andisakhumbuli kakuhle ukuba uPhaphama wayefuna ntoni. O-o-o, wayeze kuthi ebeke olungayiwayo uncumo zindaba ezimnandi. Wayeze kukuxelela ukuba uchongiwe kukhuphiswano lonobuhle. Wakuxelela ukuba udinga ilokhwe efanele loo mnyhadala. Wala usithi akunanto ifanelekileyo. Ndalithabatha elo thuba ndifuna ukubonakalisa ukuthamba kwentliziyo yam kuwe, ndifuna undithembe.
“Ungaxhali Phaphama, ndizakuthetha nomama akuthungele ilokhwe ngendlela ofuna ngayo.”
Wayekukuphela komhlobo onaye uPhaphama esikolweni. Wakhuthazwa nguwe ukuba angenela olo khuphiswano lonobuhle.
Ndabona uncumo lwakho ndaqonda ukuba ivulekile indlela eya entliziyweni yakho. Ndanishiya niwolana ngochulumanco.
Ndaqiniseka ukuba ndiza kuphinda ndikubone kwakhona.
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Sixelele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Uyangqinelana nentetho kaSD ethi uthando lokwenene yinto yasentsomini?