Phantse wonke umntu kule lali yaseQolweni umazi kakuhle umakhulu Tshezi. Nkqu abantwana abancinci bebesazi apho ahlala khona. Mhlawumbi kungenxa yezinja zakhe ezimbini ezinoburhalarhume, uGilumntu noBathathe. Uzithanda ngokungathi ngabantwana bakhe. Phofu ngubani onokungamazi kuba nguye kuphela umama othengisa amaqanda amatsha kule lali iphela. Andisathethi ke ngesitiyana sakhe esasoloko siyokozela amagqabi emifuno esempilweni efana nekhaphetshu, iminqathe, itswele eliluhlaza, ungazibala nezinye.
“Awufuni kuguga wena Tshezi,” ezinye izihlobo zakhe zaziye zimqhule zitsho xa zimbona erhuqa igaba lakhe kuse liqhiza esiya kuhlakulela izitholana zakhe phaya esitiyeni. Bayathanda ukusoloko bemkhumbuza ukuba angalibali ukuba sekumbovu afince amashumi asibhozo eminyaka esidla amazimba nombona kweli lizwe.
Umakhulu Tshezi, njengoko wonke umntu wayembiza ngolo hlobo, bemteketisa ngesiduko sakhe, wayevuka ekuseni, yonke imihla ukuya kukroba iinkomo kwakunye neebhokhwe zakhe phaya ebuhlanti, obabulapha phambi kwendlu yakhe. Kusasa ubungambona egobile exhathise ngentongana yakhe egoso, kwesinye isandla uphethe itotshi, okanye ibhakethe lamanzi eenkukhu. Izinja zakhe bezisoloko zithe nca emva kwakhe. Abakhuseli bakhe, wayesitsho xa ezibiza.
“Kuguga othandayo,” ebesakubaphendula atsho umakhulu uTshezi eqoboza iliso xa abantu bezama ukumthibaza ukuba angasebenzi kangaka.
Unale ntongana ke asimelela ngayo nawayeyithengelwe ngumzukulwana wakhe uVuyo. Noxa omelele nje esenawo namandla, ngamanye amaxesha isinqe nemilenze ibiye iqine nkqi. Le ntonga yayenzelwe ukusimelela kodwa yena umakhulu Tshezi ebeyisebenzisa ukutsala izinto azisondeze kuye xa esonqena ukuphakama. Ebesebenzisa kwale ntonga inye ukutshukutshela ukhozi okanye ukhetshe xa endanda phezu komzi efuna amantshontsho eenkukhu zakhe.
Umakhulu Tshezi ke naye, njengabo bonke abahlolokazi kule lali yakhe, ebehlala yedwa. Wayelizwe ngabantwana abathathu, amadodana amabini kwakunye nentombi enye. Intombi le yasutywa kukufa isathe finini kumashumi angama-25 ubudala, imshiya nonyana wayo owaye eminyaka mihlanu ngoko, uVuyo, ukuba akhuliswe ngumakhulu Tshezi.
Yamkhathaza kakhulu into yokusweleka kwentombi yakhe kodwa wayemthanda engaziva umzukulwana wakhe obukubuku, othandekayo. Noxa wayehlupheka nje kodwa wayezimisele ukusebenza nzima ukuze anike uVuyo eyona mfundo iphucukileyo.
UVuyo ukhulele kule lali yaseQolweni naye phantsi kwempatho entle kamakhulu wakhe. Noxa wayesebenza nzima nje kodwa ngamanye amaxesha imali ibinqongophala, kwaye uyazi kakuhle uVuyo into yokulala engatyanga. Wahlala nomakhulu wakhe kweli nqugwala lifulelwe ngengca bonke ubomi bakhe. Oonyana ababini bakamakhulu uTshezi baya kuphangela baza bazakhela imizi kwezinye iilali. Babesiza kumvelela unina ngamaxesha eeholide ezinkulu ezifana neKhrisimesi okanye ngePasika.
UVuyo wahlala noninakhulu wade wade waba yile ndoda ayiyo namhlanje. Ngoku uneminyaka engama-25 kwaye ungutitshala ozinikeleyo wezifundo zezibalo nezenzululwazi kwesiya sikolo semfundo ephakamileyo, iLobela. Kwiminyaka emithathu edlulileyo uye wathweswa isidanga semfundo enomsila kwibakala lezemfundo. Ibisoloko iliphupha lakhe ukukhe enzele umakhulu wakhe into entle nangasayi kuze ayilibale. Ebeceba ukukhe amkhuphe amse kwilizwe lase Namibia apho anokukhe afunde banzi ngamasiko nenkcubeko yabantu bohlanga lwamaHimba. Umakhulu uTshezi wayekhe wamxelela ukuba uyanqwena ukukhe adibane naye nokuba mnye umntu wolu hlanga phambi kokuba abhubhe, kodwa ke waye engenayo imali yokutyelela njengokuba wayesokola eyokuba kutyiwe.
UVuyo wacinga ukuba ingaba yinto entle kwaye enokumvuyisa umakhulu wakhe xa ekhumbula umhla wokuzalwa kwakhe eza kube egqiba amashumi asixhenxe anesibhozo eminyaka. Yena nesithandwa sakhe uAnathi, bagqiba kwelokuba bacebe olu hambo lukamakhulu kodwa abamxelela yena befuna ukuyigcina iyimfihlo de kufike elo xesha. Babefuna ukumvisa kamnandi, bambonise uthando ukuze naye azive exabisekile.
“Kazi uKhulu angeva njani xa enokuxelelwa yintwazana encinci ukuba makakhulule ize imvoca voce umzimba?” Wancuma uVuyo eyicinga le nto. “Usadla ngendebe endala kanene umakhulu, kodwa ndimthanda enenkani enjalo. Uyinto yonke kum,” atsho encumile.
“Mhlawumbi ke nokuba umphulule nje iinyawo zodwa ke,” wahleka uAnathi.
Xa babebhalisela olu hambo uVuyo wabaxelela oomalume bakhe ngeminqweno yakhe, kodwa babenexhala kuba bengenakho ukuncedisa njengokuba babesokola noko ngasezimalini.
UVuyo wayecebe ukuba uza kuyichaza yonke le nto yolu hambo lokuqala nolokugqibela lukamakhulu ngala mini yetheko yona eyayiza kuba ngomhla wama-28 kuMatshi xa babeza kwenza isibhadlalala setheko bameme usapho lonke.
Mhlawumbi nelali yonke yayamkelekile ukuza kubhiyoza nabo. Akukho lula ukugxotha abantu kwizisusa ezinje elalini. Babeza kuhamba ke iveki yonke, oku kwakuza kunika umakhulu ithuba elaneleyo lokupakisha ubumpahlana bakhe.
Itheko laliza kuqhubeka kwiveki ezimbini ezizayo kwaye yayininzi kakhulu into ababeza kuyenza.
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Khawusixelele: Ingaba unalo na iphupha lokukhe wenzele ilungu losapho lwakho into ekhethekileyo, entle? Yintoni leyo ubawela ukuyenza?