Ama-Inuit nama Aleut ngabantu abahlala enkcochoyini ye Artic phezulu phaya, bayaziwa jikelele ngokuba namagama amaninzi athetha ‘ikhephu.’ Noxa ke elona nani lililo-lala magama liyaxoxisa. Esinye sezizathu sesokuba akukho lwimi lwesi Inuit okanye isi-Aleut elizimeleyo. Ngaphezu koko, kwezo lwimi ezo, zininzi iilwinyana ezincinci phakathi kuzo.
Noxa kunjalo, maninzi kakhulu amagama achaza ikhephu kwinkcubeko yabo. Umzekelo, “aqilokoq” elo lithetha ikhephu eliwayo elithambileyo; “muruaneg” likhephu elo elinzulu kodwa lisathambile: kunye neli lithi “pukka,” lifana nqwa netyuwa eqinileyo engamaqhekezana.
Nantsi ke into eyakhe yenzeka ngobunye ubusuku. Sonke sasihleli etafileni sisitya: YayinguMama, uTata kwakunye nodadewethu omkhulu uNomfundo, endingatsho nje phandle ukuba ebenobuso obumbolo-mbini, ungade uthi ulungile engalunganga ( kodwa ke kuba ilibali lam eli, mandikuqinisekise, unjalo nqo ) Nako ke ndilapho, ndizama ukuba ngunyana olungileyo, ndisenza iincokwana ezingephi ngezopolitiko, nalo igama lesiNgesi livela lisithi gqi lingalindelekanga.
UNomfundo wabuhleka kancinci, uncumo olunenkqatho. Lolo ncumo lwenkqatho olwenza ndazi ukuba uyavuya xa ndingema emgibeni, kodwa konke oko kufihliwe kuMama noTata, ngoko ke aqhubeke noloncumo lwakhe lobuxoki lubungelosirha.
Ngelo xesha kanye uTata wabeka phantsi amacephe akhe. Sasilapho kanye, sisifa kukubawa ngenxa yevumba lenkukhu kaMama eqhotsiweyo, ndavuza izinkcwe, ndisazi kakuhle ukuba ukuphinda ndilume kwakhona kungazenza izinto zibe mbi.
“Khawundixelele, nyana, wazi ntoni ngo Malcom X?”
Ndaqhwanyaza ndothukile, ndixakiwe nokuba mandiphendule na. Mhlawumbi uTata wayezama ukundibambisa. Kaloku ndandikhe ndabonisa umdla kwinkqubo yokulwela amalungelo abantu ase-US. Kodwa wonke umdla wam wamenza uTata wathetha akayeka ngendlela ulutsha laseMzantsi Afrika olwasoloko lugxile kwimbali yaseNtshona ndaweni yokugqala kwimbali yabo ebaleka emithanjeni yabo.
“Mavi, ziyasebenza indlebe zakho?”
“Ewe, Tata.”
“Ke ngoku, uyamazi ukuba ngubani uMalcom X, okanye hayi?”
Ndanqwala.
UTata wahlala wangqiyama, wanencwina ende esezantsi. Yayiyincwina eyaziwa ngumntu wonke leyo, nditsho nkqu nabantu abamsebenzelayo. Oku kwakuchaza nje phandle ukuba ikho le mbali wayeza kuyishumayela. Iilwimi kwakunye nezembali zizinto zakhe ezo, kakhulu kunjalonje, de wonke umntu- ukuqala kubasebenzi bakhe, abamelwane bethu, abantu benkonzo- bonke bambiza “Profesa”
UMama wam wabeka amacephe akhe phantsi. Saxuxuzela isisu sam. Oku kwakuthetha ukuba uMama ulindele incoko ende.
UMalcom X wayeyingqondi,” aqalise uTata aze aqhubekeke ethetha imizuzu elishumi yonke. Xa egqibezela umve esithi, “Wayezixabisile iinkcukacha, kwaye nokuthi zithetha ntoni iinkcukacha ezo. Wayengachith’ixesha. Uyabona ke nyan’am, ndigqibe kwelokuba ukuba uyaqinisela ukuthetha esi siNgesi sakho ngoku seyingathi lulwimi lwakho lweenkobe, kuza kufuneka uzibhakaxe kulo ngokupheleleyo, kanye njengokuba wayesenza uMalcom X.
Ucingwana oluncinci engqondweni yam lwaqalisa ukudidizela, ngoku ngathi kukho into elindixelela yona. Kwangoko yathi qatha. “Tata, hayi, ndincede, andinalo ixesha lokubhala gama ngalinye mna elikwisichazi magama esiNgesi.”
UTata wajonga kumama. Wehlisa amagxa exakiwe. “Intolongo yamnika yena ixesha lokujongana nezi zinto.”
“Kulungile nyana wam, ndiyakuva wena nomama wakho. Mhlawumbi, ukubhala onke amagama akhoyo kwisichazi magama njengoko enza njalo uMalcom X kunganzinyana. Kaloku wazifundisa ngokwakhe ukufunda ngexesha asentolongweni ekhuphela igama ngalinye alibona kwisichazi magama! Kodwa mhlawumbi ingaba yiprojekthi enkulu kuwe leyo njengokuba usajongene nezifundo zakho kwakunye nezemidlalo. Ndingavuma ndiyekelele kwelinye icala.”
Waphakama etafileni waya kwelinye igumbi, apho ithala lakhe leencwadi lalayame eludongeni, kwaye ezinye iincwadi ezininzi zazicwalile ngaphezulu kwikhabhinethi kamabona kude. Ngelixesha esaxakeke apho, uNomfundo wathi qhuzu kancinci waza waqalisa ukutya ukutya kwakhe.
Mna ke, ndalinda umgwebo wam.
Wabuya uTata, wabe sele ebeka incwadi ecaleni kwengqiniba yam. Ndayithi krwaqu. Isihloko sasibhalwe ngolu hlobo: The Graveyard: a collection of English words that are nearly forgotten.
“Le ncwadi,” watsho, eyinkqonkqa ngomnwe kancinci apha eqweqweni. “Uza kufunda le ncwadi. Mini nganye kufuneka ukhethe amagama amahlanu kuyo, uze uwasebenzise ngokuchaneke ngqo kwiincoko oza kuba nazo ngaloo mini. Qho ke ngorhatya kufuneka uze kundixelela ukuba ngawaphi amagama oye wawasebenzisa, undinike ke nengcaciso yawo. Siyavana?
“Kodwa Tata,” Ndaqhankqalaza, “Bonke abantu bayakwenza intlekisa ngam xa ndiqalisa ukuphosa amagama amakhulu angaziwayo ngabantu.”
UNomfundo waqalisa ukuthetha kodwa uMama wamthulisa ngokumchukumisa esandleni.
“Yibone le nto njengethuba elihle,” watsho utata, “lokuba uvule ingqondo yakho kwakunye neengqondo zabo bakungqongileyo.”
Ngesingqala, ndavela ndayivula le ncwadi nje esithubeni. Igama lokuqala endalibonayo leli; “uglyography,” lona elachazwa njengokuba lithetha, “umbhalo wesandla ongacacanga okanye ombi.”
“Asoze ndiphile yile nto,” ndambombozela.
UNomfundo wadubula isiqhazolo sentsini, ndasala ndinqwenela ukuba kuse ubuso bakhe buthe mome ngamaqhakuva kusasa.
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Khawusixelele: Ukuba ubunguMavi, ubuza kumelana njani nokuxelelwa ukuba kufuneka usebenzise amagama angaqhelekanga xa uncokola neetshomi zakho?