Izandi zokunqanqaza komlilo eluphahleni lwakhe lwengca oluhle, naweyeqeshe umntu ulufulela ukulufulela kanye ngala ndlela kwakusenziwa ngayo kudala, ngoku lwaluvutha amalangatye.
Wachwechwa waya ngasefesitileni, kwakuluzizi, ebengekaqondi ncam ukuba kwenzeka ntoni. Aphindile atsho la mazwi anomsindo.
“Yimini yakho namhlanje! Gqwirhakazindini! Ubulala umntakwethu? Sobe uphinde ubulale mntu ugqibelise ngaye. Imini inye yile yanamhlanje!”
Babemthuka ke nangezithuko ezibi bemfanisa nenkosazana yobumnyama ehamba noSathana ubuqu. Kodwa ngokuba kutheni? Engcangcazela enjalo, ehebuka wazama ukukhala ecela uncedo.
“Yhooooooo! Yizani! Ndincedeni! Ndincedeni bethuna! Baphin’abantuuuuuuu!”
Loo msi ungxamileyo nophenjelelwa ngumoya ohlwabisayo ngobo busuku wakhawuleza ukulwenza luvuthe ngamandla uphahla lwengca, kwaye umsi wawungena nangaphakathi. Wayeweva amalangatye amakhulu etshisa uphahla lwendlu yakhe awayeluthanda Kkunene. Wakhala ezibhuqa egxwala.
Weva amazwi abantu kude kufuphi. Kucacile ukuba abamelwane babewabona nabo ngoku la malangatye agubungele indlu yakhe. Wakhangela ngasebhedini yakhe isitshixo. Wayegila nje, esiwisa zonke izinto. Iinyembezi nemikhunyu zazikhuphisana ukuhla ebusweni bakhe. Umzinjana wakhe oceke ceke wawududa engasakwazi nokuzinceda ngoku. Waqala ngokukhohlela ngamandla.
“Kuyatsha! Kuyatsha!”
Weva umntu ekhwaza phandle, wayemngemnye kodwa beliqela aba bantu babekhwazela uncedo. Wayengasaweva la mazwi akhohlakeleyo ayecula ngokubulawa kwegqwirha. Mhlawumbi ayebalekile esakubona abanye abamelwane besiza kunceda.
“Heke nasi. Ndisifumene. Thixo olungileyo…ndincede Nkulunkulu wam. Somandla! Sozimfefe! Thixo wam omkhulu ndincede. Ndincede Thixo andenzanga nto,” wakhanyisa isibane, wabe sele ezibona izitshixo ziwe phantsi ngasezinyaweni zakhe kanye ngeliya xesha ebeye kukroba izinja phandle.
“Yizani bethuna! Yizani bantu beNkosi. Ndincedeni?! Yini na ukuba ndife ngolu hlobo!”
Wakwazi ukuvula ucango kwaze kwangena umoya oshushu onamandla owamvuthela waya kuwa. Amalangatye ayevutha kanye apha emnyango, kumnyama tsu ngumsi wamatayara. Watsarhwa. Watutsalaza ezama ukuma ngeenyawo, warhubuluza ngamadolo ukuba aye kuvula la festile ikwelinye icala, nayo kaloku yayineentsimbi ezingqangqasholo ukomelela.
Ezi ntsimbi zazifakwe nguVuyo ukumkhusela kwizigebenga namasela angangeni. Zizo kanye ezi ngoku zazimvalele ukuba angakwazi ukutsiba aphume, hayi ukuba lusizi ke ngoku. Walila kabuhlungu, wabe eziva ukuba uya ephelelwa ngamandla. Waphelelwa lithemba lokuphila, kwaba ngathi ujongene nokufa ngqo emehlweni.
Wacinga ngoMazomzi, lishwangusha lini eli? Ingaba naye wayeza kufa kanye ngolusuku kufe ngalo intandane yemazi yakhe? Ngale mini kanye amakhalipha ezinja zakhe abulewe ngokungenalusini, ebulawelwa ilize illize? Elele njalo kulo mgangatho ubandayo wazama ukuphefumla, wacinga ngoVuyo. Owu uVuyo, ukhozo lweliso lakhe.
“Owu Vuyo mntwan’omntwan’am! Vuyoooo! Andinakufa ngoku. Hayiiiiii! Ndisafuna ukukubona mfana wam. Andikwazi tu ukufa ngoku. Hayiiiii!” wagixa.
Oku kucinga ngoVuyo ngathi kuko okwamnika amandla amatsha wokuba azame ukuya ngasemnyango. Wayephethe isitshixo esikhulu sokuvula ucango lwentsimbi. Kodwa izandla zakhe zazingcangcazela ngamandla, ekhohlela isizungu kunzima nokubona ngumsi naziinyembezi, wasifaka kodwa isitshixo emngxunyeni waso.
Wazama ukuvula ucango lwentsimbi kodwa umlilo nomsi zamfumana ngamandla. Woyisakala waya kuwa phantsi, egebhuza ezama ukuphefumla, kodwa umoya wawuzele ngumsi wonke. Ingca eluphahla lwendlu yakhe yaqalisa ukuwela ngaphakathi nganye nganye. Amazwi abantu ayevakala kufutshane ngoku kwaye abanye babesele beqalisile ukucima umlilo besebenzisa amanzi bewakha kula tanki yakhe ibhalwe Jojo, iluhlaza.
“Hayini madoda, kwenzeka ntoni? Uphi umakhulu Tshezi?” elo lizwi lavakala linxunguphele.
“Asimazi. Sibone nezinja ziqungquluze phaya. Zombini zidutyulwe,” watsho omnye umfo exakekile egalela amanzi ngebhakethe emlilweni.
“Ndizibonile maan iintwana ezimbini zibaleka ziphuma apha njengokuba mna bendisiza nje,” uthe esitsho wabe esiya kwelinye icala. Ngasizathu simbi ubumnyama babangathi buyasuka kancinci.
“Owu Thixo wam nankuya!” YayinguSkhwehle, lo mfana uqeshwe nguVuyo ukuba ajonge uninakhulu kwaye amncede nakwimfuyo yakhe.
“Makhulu! Makhulu! Makhulu Tshezi! Uyandiva?” Ejonge kulo mfo uza namanzi wathi, “Apha! Galela apha emnyango ndifuna ukungena ngaphakathi. Ngathi uphahla lwendlu luza kuwa.”
“Hayi khona! Yingozi ukungena ngaphakathi kula malangatye,” wakhwaza omnye ejonge ukudunguza komlilo.
“Ewe, Ndiza kungena ndimsindise. Asinakumbukela esitsha simyeke afe. Unotshe!” Le ndoda yathi yiba ngebhakethe elikhulu lamanzi emnyango, lo gama amanye echwethela kude loo matayara avuthayo abekwe emnyango
“Ngubani maan lo wenze into embi ngolu hlobo?”
Kubuze elinye ixhego limele qelele lisimelela ngentonga yalo, lizithe wambu ngegawuni yalo.
“Sizibonile iintwana zibaleka zinxibe iibhalaklava ezimnyama”, watsho omnye.
“Mde omnye wabo andithi? Ndiyawazi maan loo makhwenkwe,” kutsho omnye umfanyana. Kwakucaca ukuba kukhona akwaziyo okuninzi.
“Ngobani? Uyabazi? Biza amapolisa mfondini. Yinkohlakalo le yenziwe apha,” latsho eliya xhego livutha ngumsindo.
Kodwa lo mfana wasuka wabaleka nebhakethe esiya kucima kwelinye icala.
“Owu, Nkosi yam nanku,” watsho omnye ekhomba kulo mzimba wawungasashukumi wexhegokazi sele kukho negazi elithi gqi empumlweni lize lihle ngesidlele liye kuma emlonyeni. Kuyacaca ukuba ikho le nto yamwelayo phezulu phaya yambetha entloko.
“Isitshixo sijinga emnyango bhut’Skhwehle! Vula ucango lwentsimbi umthathe,” yakhwaza enye yala madoda.
***
Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba bamele benze ntoni abahlali ngoku?