Lilwimi ayizizo kuphela iilwimi ezithethekayo (Ezithethwa ngomlomo) Zikufutshane kumakhulu amathathu iilwimi eziboniswa ngezandla (sign languages) ehlabathini. Kodwa noko kunjalo, i-UNESCO ilumkisa ngelithi ezinye zazo ezo lwimi zisemngciphekweni wokuphela tu. Olunye ulwimi olukwiilwimi ezisebungozini lulwimi lwase Afrika. Uluhlu lweelwimi eziboniswa ngezandla ezisebungozini luquka olunye ulwimi lwase Afrika, olunje nge EthSL (Ethiopian Sign Language).
Emva kweveki, ingqondo yam yavakala ngoku ngathi kukho amagama agqampuza nje esithubeni kwiingcinga zam. Oku kwakuphazamisa ukulala kwam kakubi ndade ndaba sengozini ye ye-‘perconation’,( oko kuthetha ukuhamba hamba ubusuku obu kuba ungenabuthongo.)
Inye into eyayintle yayikukuba izihlobo zam zazindixhasa kakhulu. Nditsho nkqu nezinye iititshala zam zangena kulo mdlalo. Ngenye imini siseklasini yesiNgesi, emveni kokuba ndisebenzise elinye lala magama am kwincoko, wathi uMrs Abrahams, “Mavi, ucinga ukuba le projekthi utata wakho akufake kuyo iza kukwenza u-‘nestorize’?
Andifuni kuxoka, kwanyanzeleka ndiye kulijonga elo gama. Xa ndifumanisa ukuba lithetha ntoni elo gama, ndaphela ndiyithi qhuzu-qhuzu intsini. Eli gama lithi ‘nestorize’ lithetha ukumbhanxa umntu ngokumana umxelela ukuba ubhadlile, ukuze ade akholelwe ukuba ulumkile, ngeli xesha angenjalo.
Kodwa la magama xa sendithetha inyani, awandishiyi ndindedwa. Nangona kunjalo andiqinisekanga ukuba uTata uzama ukuphumeza ntoni ngokundenzisa le nto. Andiqondi ukuba uzama ukundenza isibhanxa. (nestorize). Endaweni yoko ndicinga ukuba uzama ukuba ndiqonde oko bendingakuqondi. Ingxaki ke yile, uyazi njani into ongayaziyo, ngaphandle kokuba bakuncede uqonde olu lwazi uludingayo?
“Tata,” ndatsho kuTata ngobuya busuku xa sasihleli sisitya. “La magama uthe mandiwasebenzise anomdla kakhulu.”
“Kwakuhle, kwakuhle oko,” watsho. “ Ndikholisekile nguwe nyana wam, kuba le nto uyithabathele ingqalelo.”
“Kunjalo kanye, Tata, le nto ndiyithabathele ingqalelo emandla,” Ndatsho, eli lixa uNomfundo endikroba kancinci ngaphaya kweglasi yakhe. “Kodwa andikaboni kakuhle ukuba kutheni undenzisa le nto. Ingaba ibingayi kubonisa obona bulumko ukuba le nto undenzisa yona bendiyenza ngesiXhosa?”
“Kodwa nyana, kaloku wena awusithandi isiXhosa ngale ndlela wonwabela ngayo isiNgesi.”
Ndanikina intloko. Asiyo nyani leyo, Tata. IsiXhosa lulwimi lweengcambu zam, losapho lwam, kwaye ndiyazingca ngokuba ilulwimi lwam lwenkobe. Kodwa siphila kwixesha apho iilwimi ziguqukayo zide zidibane nezinye iilwimi. Sisebenzisa u ‘braai’ lonke ixesha nezihlobo zethu kwakunye nabamelwane bethu, kodwa ayisosiXhosa okanye isiNgesi eso. Okanye ke thabatha igama u’yebo’. Wonke umntu uyalisebenzisa eli gama, kuquka wena lo.”
“Hayi andiwasebenzisi apha etafileni nyana, xa indim nonkosikazi kunye nani bantwana bam kuphela. Xa sineendwendwe, xa singekho ekhaya, ewe njengokuba usitsho siba yinxalenye yokuhlala. Kodwa apha ekhaya, into endiyicelayo, uyaqonda, kukuba uzingce ngolwimi lwabantu bakuthi kwaye ulusebenzise.”
“Kodwa ndiya-yenza nje loo nto.”
UNomfundo wanikina intloko yakhe, esithi, “Uza kungena engxakini wena.”
UMama wamthi gxezu kakubi. “Ntomb’am, mhlawumbi kumele ungene nawe kulo msebenzi uTata wakho awunike uMavi.”
“Hayi mama,” watsho. “ Ndicela uxolo ngokuba krwada etafileni sisitya.”
UTata wabuya wajonga kum. “Hee nyana, eyona nto ndiyifunayo kukuba wena usebenzisa amagama esiXhosa owafumanisa elula kwaye esebenziseka. Eyona nto ndizama ukukubonisa yona yeyokuba likhona ixabiso xa usenza ngokuzimisela; ubone futhi ukuba izinto ziyakwazi ukwenzeka kakuhle. Ude ufumane ukunconywa ngokuyenza into ngokupheleleyo, nkqu nokuba kufuneka ulandele imiyalelo engqongqo.”
Yavakala ilumkile leyo intetho. Yayizizinto enzinjalo kanye ezabangela ukuba uTata ade aphiwe eli gama lithi Profesa. Kodwa kwaba nzima ukuba ndiyilandele kakuhle eyona nto azama ukuyithetha, nokuba idibana njani nokufunda kwam amagama esiNgesi asele elityelwe ngabantu abaninzi, okanye amagama abangazange baweve kwase kuqaleni.
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Khawusixelele: Ingaba uyayiqonda eyona nto uTata kaMavi azama ukuyifundisa unyana wakhe? Okanye nawe ubhidekile kanye njengoMavi?