Emveni kokubeka ifowuni umakhulu Tshezi wathatha umsimelelo wakhe waphuma phandle esiya kuvala ihoko yenkukhu zakhe. USikhwehle, la mfana usoloko emncedisa ezinkomeni wayesele egodukile. Ngoku waye eyedwa apha emzini wakhe, ngaphandle kwamakhalipha ezi nja zakhe uBathathe noGilumntu.
“Gila! Bathathe! Yizani bafondini makhe siyokukroba la ntombi indala ezantsi kwegadi. Yizani makwedini!”
Zaqalisa ngokukhonkotha kwakhona izinja, kodwa ngoku kuba kwakusele kusihlwa ebengaboni kakuhle ukuba zikhonkotha ntoni.
“Yizani, masikhawulezeni siyokukroba uMazomzi,” waphinda watsho kwakhona. Kwasuka kwakho isizungu esibi ngobu busuku, kwaye wayengazi ukuba yenziwa yintoni loo nto. Waziva esoyika kancinci, into engafane yenzeke. Ngoko ke wasebenzisa itotshi yakhe ekhanyisa naphantsi kwamatyholwana alapha ngaselucingweni. Akabona nto.
Izinja zazinkcunkca apha phambi kwakhe, ngokungathi ziyazi ukuba into emlindele ngaphambili iyakumshiya egevezela amadolo.
“Ingaba ngamehlo am bethu okanye yintoni leya?” Wasebeza etweza amehlo akhe kodwa kwakumnyama tsu ngobu busuku. Ukukhanya yayikokwetotshi kuphela kwaye kukhanyisa nje phambi kwakhe. Wayesingise ezantsi kwegadi yakhe enkulu. Yayingqongwe yimithi emide yegamtriya kwakunye neminga iyadi yakhe.
“Ngathi ndibone umntu esithi tshe phaya,” wasebeza ethetha yedwa kwakhona. Wajongisa isithatha setotshi yakhe kwelo cala kodwa amehlo akhe ayengakwazi ukwehlula ukuba sisithunzi somntu okanye isihlahla somthi. Izinja zabuya zikhonkotha zisiza kuye zibaleka.
“Ngubani lowo? Ufuna ntoni?” Wakhwaza ejonge kweli cala linentshukumo.
Akwabikho mpendulo.
Ephethe itotshi yakhe wajolisa kwela xhobongwana ebelakhele imazi yakhe, uMazomzi, inkomo yakhe ayithanda Kkunene. Intloko yakhe entle enemibala emnyama namhlophe, yayilele ngecala, umlomo wakhe uvulekile kancinci.
Amehlo akhe amakhulu amdaka nawayeqhele ukuba ngathi avuza uthando nethemba ayejonge nje esithubeni. Izinja zakhwina zijikeleza isidumbu senkomo. Kwasuka kwavela intshengece yomoya obandayo yahlaba ezindlebeni zika makhulu Tshezi, waza wakhawuleza wazigquma ngesikhafu ebesijinga entanyeni yakhe. Kwasuka kwabakho isingqukru emqalenii wakhe nemilebe yakhe yakhawuleza yaxweba. Wayimunca, ebambe iinyembezi ezazitshisa emehlweni akhe.
“Owu, yini Mazomzi. Usizana lwemazi yam bethuna. Inkomo yam entle kangaka. Umkile ngoku. Ingaba umke ngenene na mazi yam ethandekayo?” watsho ejikeleza isidumbu esinamathambo semazi yakhe entle, ebisakuba liqumqum ngamanqatha ngaphambili.
“Ingaba yintoni endingaba sayifuna kuwe sithandwa sam? Ubuyimazi yenkomo ecwengileyo, Mazomzi. Phumla ke ngoku!” watsho egoba echukumisa isidumbu senkomo, ehambisa isandla sakhe kwezo mpondo zizincengula ukuba bukhali oku, wabe ekhumbula ukuba umntu bekufuneka acinge kabini xa eza kusondela kule mazi.
“Kumele ndifowunele uVuyo. Kumele ndimxelele ngale nto. Isidumbu esi, uSkhwehle namanye amakhwenkwe bayakubona ukuba benza ntoni ngaso kusasa.”
Kwaba nzima ukulala. Wayethandazile njengokuba eqhele ukwenza njalo qho ebusuku, ebiza bonke abantwana bakhe ngamagama, ebacelela inkuseleko kuThixo wamaZulu. Kodwa umphefumlo wakhe ubungaxolanga ngobu busuku. Ingaba mhlawumbi yinto yokuba kufe imazi yakhe yenkomo le nto wayekhathazekile emphefumlweni? Wamana ukuguqu-guquka emandlalweni. Wayeziva enxunguphele mpela. Waphinda ngobhadakazi wafowunela umzukulwana wakhe kwakhona.
“Yintoni engamandla ngoku, Khulu? La mazi ibigula kaloku kwaye ibisele indala, sukuzikhathaza torho. Ndinayo imali ndiza kukuthengela enye imazi efana nqwa noMazomzi,” wazama ukumthibaza torho. Wayemva nje ukuba akanguye tu kwaphela. Oku kufa kwale mazi yenkomo kwakumenzakalise kakhulu.
“Nazo izinja,”
“Zitheni izinja, Khulu? Kwenzekani?”
“Oko zikhonkotha ubusuku bonke. Azizange zakhe zakhonkotha ngolu hlobo, ikhona nje into engalunganga.”
“Kulungile. Sukuxhala ndiza kufowunela uSkhwehle aze kukujonga, uyeva?”
“Ngoku bendiye ezantsi kwegadi ngorhatya ndibone imithinzi yabantu emibini ngaphaya kwemithi yegamtriya. Ndibakhwazile kodwa andikhange ndibabonisise kakuhle kuba besele kumnyama.
UVuyo weva ngokungcangcazela kwelizwi ukuba wayenendawo yokoyika.
“Ndiyakucela Khulu zama ukulala, ndiza kuvukela apho ekuseni ngomso. Phinda uthandaze kwakhona, uza kuba ngcono.”
“Akwaba ubunokuza ngoku mfana wam. Yiza maan ngoku ujonge ukuba uza kusithini esa sidumbu senkomo. Ndifuna singcwatywe. Umngcwabo wokwenyani. Andifuni mntu uza kutya la nkomo. Ingcwele kum la nkomo,”
Ngesiquphe zehla iinyembezi ezidleleni zakhe. Wayengazi naye ukuba zivela phi ezo nyembezi. Wasuka wonganyelwa lusizi olukhulu. Nkqu nezinja zazivungama zingonwabanga, zimana zibaleka zijikeleza iyadi le.
“Awu! Khulu abantu bazakuthi uligqwirha ngoku. Yeka abantu bayitye inkomo ukuba bayafuna.”
Gqum! Gqum!
“Uyivile loo nto?”
Yaphoncuka ifowuni esandlelni sika makhulu Tshezi yawa phantsi.
Isandla sakhe sangcangcazela sonke. Ilizwi lika Vuyo belivakala lisakhwaza ngaphaya.
“Khulu! Khulu! Kwenzeka ntoni apho? Kulungile, ndiza kufowunela uSkhwehle ngoku ngoku.”
Umakhulu uTshezi wayengcangcazela oku kwegqabi lo mthi, uye wachwechwa waya kukroba efestileni ukuba ibisisandi santoni eso, kodwa uthe akutyhila ilaphu lefestile, akakwazi ukubona nto kuba bekumnyama tsu phandle.
“Gila! Bathathe!” wakhwaza izinja zakhe.
Cwaka. Isizungu socwangco.
“Gilumntu!” wakhwaza kwakhona esiya ngasemnyango. Izinja zazithe cwaka ngokusisimanga ngoku.
Akubonakali nto. Nezinja azikhonkothi.
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Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba yintoni ekumele uMakhulu ayenze ngoku?