Njengokuba beqhuba begoduka uVuyo wayekude ngeengcinga, ecinga ngeentsuku ezinzima zobuntwana bakhe ehlala nomakhulu wakhe amthandayo. Onke amabali amnandi awayedla ngokuweva ngomama wakhe. Kwakulusizi oko, kanti ke nendlela ebuhlungu awasweleka ngayo. Wayenolangazelelo olukhulu. Wayenqwena kuthi kanti umama wakhe wayesaphila ukuze ambone ukuba ukhulile waba yindoda.

Utata wakhe kwakungekho mntu ufane athethe ngaye. Umakhulu Tshezi wayengenalo ulwazi olwaneleyo ngaye, ngele kokuba wabaleka nje emveni kokuba ezelwe kwaye engazange azidube ngakumfuna. Naye ke wagqiba entliziyweni yakhe ukuba angazidubi ngakumfuna. UMakhulu Tshezi wayengutata ekwangumama ebomini bakhe.

Qho xa esiya eQolweni esiya kutyelela umakhulu Tshezi ngempelaveki, wayengayeki ukumbalisela ngendlela uThixo abe yiyo ebunzimeni ebebekubo.

“Uyabona ezo ntsuku zazinzima kakhulu mfana wam, zazinzima gqitha. Kodwa ukholo lwam lwandigcina ndomelele. Ndathandaza kula Ndoda iphezulu apha. Kwewu, ndicinga ndilila mihla le ndingazi ukuba ngengomso sakulala sidleni,” Ebesakutsho umakhulu Tshezi ekhumbula emva.

“Kodwa makhulu wawusoloko undilanda njalo esikolweni ngokuya ndandisemncinci. Kwaye wawubhaka anjani ukuba mnandi wona amagwinya,” ebesakutsho uVuyo ezama ukumkhuthaza umakhulu wakhe.

“Ndandingena kuze ndikuyeke uhle unyuka la maqhina wedwa. Bendithi ndakubona iimazi zam ezimbini zisitya kamnandi phantsi kwezaa nduli zikaNgongoshe, ndibaleke mna ndiyekulinda wena esikolweni. Yhoo! Kwakunzima ngezo mini mfo wam kodwa saphumelela. Jonga ngoku wena uyindodana ede yabanayo nentshetyana,” atsho umakhulu uTshezi emtsala ngeendlebe oku ngathi ngumntwana. Indoda ekhule yagqiba yonke! Ezo nkumbulo zazimnandi kuVuyo, kwaye waye enganakuzicima nokuba sele ethenjiswa igolide!

“Ngezinye iimini sasingabi nawo nomgubo lo wembala ukuba sitye ngesopholo, wena wawundigwinkcisa ubisi oludala okoko,” atsho uVuyo emtsala ebuyisa isixhiba.

“Hayi wena gezandini lo mntwana, Vuyo, yayingamasi lawa kwaye ayekulungele kuba anengqaka kwaye kukutya kwethu kwamandulo okuya. Ayelungile kakhulu kuwe, ngawo la akwenza waba nezi zidlele zituku tuku zibonisa impilo,” azame ukuzithethelela umakhulu.

“Sasineemazi zenkomo ezine kuphela ngoko makhulu, kodwa zasuka zafa zonke,” uVuyo ebesakukhumbula.

“Owu mntwan’nomntwan’am, sukuyithetha loo nto kuba isandikhathaza nanamhla oku. La mbalela yoyikekayo ka 2007, lowa unyaka wawufana nje nezim elibulalayo yonke nje into. Yayimbi la mbalela,” wayephendula atsho umakhulu Tshezi enikina intloko kalusizi, esosula ibunzi lakhe elaliqaqelwe yimibimbi.

Bekucaca kona ukuba umakhulu waye eyinzwakazi ngeemini zakhe, kodwa ngoku elo bala lalilihle okwekofu enobisi ngoku lalijike laba mnyama okwelahle. Yayisele ingamazinyo akhe amahle awayesele ngoku phofu nawo engasemhlophe nje ngakuqala.

“Kwafuneka ndiqale ekuqaleni kuba bendingenakuhlala kule lali ngaphandle kwemfuyo.”

“Kakade wayifumana phi imali makhulu? Ndikhumbula kakuhle ukuba imazi yokuqala owayithengayo nguMazomzi. Naye uMazomzi wayesele elithodlana ukumthenga kwakho. Kuyamangalisa ukucinga ukuba zonke ezi nkomo zilapha yinzala kaMazomzi,” atsho uVuyo ngokuzingca.

“Owu! Uyabona la mazi yenkomo! Ela qhayiya lemazi yenkomo!” Ajonge phantsi umakhulu ezibambe ngenkophe iinyembezi, aze ahlunguzele intloko. “Ndiyixabise ukufa la mazi yenkomo kwaye ndingancama nesenti yam yokugqibela nje ukuba iphile ubomi obumnandi. Nangoku ndiyithengele umgubo wokuqinisa amazinyo, ndiyabona ngathi ingxamile iyaguga, ngamanye amaxesha uvela angatyi uMazomzi.”

UMazomzi lo yimazi enkulu yohlobo lweNguni, embala umnyama namhlophe umakhulu uTshezi awayithenga ngemali yenkam nkam iselithodlana. Wayithantamisa de yakhula yaba yimazi ephilileyo. Wayeqinisekisa ukuba eli thole alithengileyo lingaphilanga ncam uza kulinyanga de liphile qete.

Namhlanje umakhulu uTshezi uneenkomo ezilishumi kwakunye namathole amabini asanyisayo. Zonke ezo nkomo ziyinzala yeli thodlana elakhula lade laba yimazi eyomeleleyo. Nangoku ebesandula ukuthengisa iinkunzi ezimbini kwintengiso yeenkomo ebisandula ukuba kho.

UVuyo wathi cwaka ecinga nzulu ngala malungiselelo bawenzayo beza kuvuyisana nomakhulu wabo egqiba iminyaka engama-80.

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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba yintoni le yenza uMakhulu abe ligorhakazi ngolu hlobo?