“Ninja, ngubani osulele utata wakho ngetyala?” wabuza uJohan de Kok, intatheli eqalayo yephephandaba i-Ghetto Report, iphepha ndaba eliphethwe ngabantsundu eMrova, phaya kumaphandle aseBethal, eMpumalanga. UNinja wayehleli esitulweni sakhe emana ukucofa cofa ibholana yakhe ethibaza ukukhathazeka ngesandla sasekhohlo. Wahlala ephithanise imilenze, njengendoda enkulu, ebeke ingqiniba yasekunene ethangeni emana ukuphulula isilevu sakhe ngoku ngekho zingqondweni.

UJohan de Kok wajonga kuNinja waza waphinda umbuzo wakhe.

“Inyaniso kuphela hayi enye into kodwa inyaniso…” UNinja wathethela emazinyweni. Waza wabangathi uphulukiwe engacinganga njengokuba eguquka ejonga ku de Kok.

“Utata uthumele wena, andithi? Uyazi ukuba ndim kuphela umntu onokukuxelela yonke into, ukusukela ekuqaleni, njengokuba injalo. Ufuna abantu bayazi yonke inyani. Ndiza kukuxelela ke inyani, ngobunjalo bayo. Kodwa ukuze ndenze njalo kumele ndiqale ekuqaleni.”

UJohan de Kok wakhulula iigilasi zakhe zamehlo waza wazisula ngetshefu. Wabuya wasula ubuso bakhe kwangayo kuba ukubila bekunkcenkceza ebusweni; babe kwigunjana elincinane apho amabanjwa axinwa khona ngemibuzo ngamapolisa nabagcini bentolongo. Kwakukho ivumba elibi elalimkhumbuza uJohan ukuba kukho isilonda esosulelayo-wayecinga nje ukuba oku kuxinwa ngemibuzo kungaphuma ecaleni ngenxa yokuqina enyaleni kwebanjwa, kungabakho umntu ongaphela ezuza ukubethwa kakubi, aze ashiye elo fuqasi levumba njengesilumkiso kwabanye. Ubushushu obulapho babongamele.

Njengokuba uJohan de Kok ethabatha ithamo kwibhotile yakhe yamanzi abandayo, waphawula ukuba njengokuba eyakhe ibhotile iphela nje eka Ninja yayingekaphathwa kwaye wayengenalo nechaphaza lokubila-ephole engabonakalisi xhala.

UJohan waphinda warhabula, waza waguqukela kuNinja wathi, “Kulungile, Ninja, khawutsho ngebali lakho.”

Wancuma uNinja wangqiyama, waza waqalisa.

“Okokuqala mandenjenje, eli gama lithi ‘Ninja’ ndalifumana ndingumntwana emveni kokuba ndilwe nabanye abathathu ndaza ndababetha kakuhle; utata wathi ndiyi ‘ninja’ encinci. Kodwa ke igama lam lenene ndingu Adam Smith. Ndathiywa eli gama emva kotatomkhulu wam owaye ngumfama. Utatomkhulu wam wayemhlophe, yena umakhulu engumfazi womTswana, kwaye bahlala eKapa bade babanamawele. Emva koko bafudukela eSprings, eRhawutini.

“Emva kweqela leminyaka bese Springs babanomnye umntwana. Utatomkhulu wagqiba kwelokuba afudukele eMrova kuba babenexhala ngenkuseleko yabantwana babo-babebonakala bahlukile kwabanye, kuba babengumxube, ngakumbi utata kuba yena waye enebala elintsundu njengam.

“Ekukhuleni kwakhe utata, uSimon Smith, akazange azithathe njengomntu omnyama okanye omhlophe; wayezibona njengomntu webala. Ngexesha esemncinci wazimanya neqela lemigulukudu baze baqalisa ukunxila. Ukusukela ngoko ubomi bakhe baba kukulwa nebhotile yotywala. Amaxesha amnandi namaxesha amabi.  Wayekhe wabanjwa amaxesha amaninzi, kodwa wayephinde abuyele kubuyena. Kaloku waye ezidla ngamazinyo akhe,” wayihleka le nto uNinja, “Nangona wayesoloko ephakathi ekulweni kodwa wawagcina amazinyo akhe amahle, akafani nezinye izikoli.”

UJohan de Kok wayihleka naye le nkcazelo ngotata kaNinja. UNinja wayenendlela ethile yokuchaza ibali ezele zizimbo ezihlekisayo awaye engazilibelanga kukuhlala entolongweni.

“Bonke ubuntwana buka tata, kwakusoloko kukho ingxabano phakathi kukamakhulu no tatomkhulu, bexabana njalo ngendawo yokuhlala. Kuyabonakala ukuba utatomkhulu wayengafuni ukuba ngumfama olibhulu yedwa eMrova; wayefuna ukuya kwindawo apho wayengazi kuba ngumthuzimele.

“Umakhulu wam kwelinye icala, wayengasafuni kuzula esithubeni kuba waye sele efumene indawo yabantwana bakhe. Le ngxabano phakathi kwabo yaqhubekeka isithuba eside wade utatomkhulu wawushiya umzi.”

“Utatomkhulu wabuyela eKapa waza wahlala nodade wabo, kodwa waye watyelela amakhwenkwe qho ngeholide. Waqhubeka esenza injalo iminyaka emininzi, nasemva kokuzalwa kwam, ndade ndaba neminyaka emithathu okanye emine ubudala. Emva koko asizange siphinde simbone okanye sive nto ngaye.

“Ngexesha lokuzalwa kwam utata wayephila ubomi bakhe phakathi kokuba mnyama nokuba mhlophe. Yayingumba onzima lo. Ngamanye amaxesha wayephuncuka aphazame, kodwa athi apho aziphakamise khona asuke agqame. Wayekrelekrele, ezincwadini kanti naphaya esitratweni kwaye xa enganxilanga wayesabelana nabanye abantu ngobukrelekrele bakhe; wayenikezela ngexesha lakhe encedisa abantwana belokishi endala yaseMrova kumsebenzi wabo wesikolo, eqala kwisitrato sokuqala, aze aye kwesesine okanye esesihlanu. Wanika abo bantwana amaqhinga okuphila ababewadinga ukuphila kulo Mzantsi Afrika mtsha.

“Umzi wakwaSmith wawusaziwa nguwonke-wonke. Yayingomnye wemizi eluqilima, omnye weyona mizi ihlonitshwayo eMrova. Wonke umntu wayeyazi imisebenzi katata, emihle kwakunye nemibi, kodwa bakhetha ukugxila kule mihle kuphela….

UNinja wayiphosa kuJohan la bholana wayeyiphethe waza waqhubeka.

“Nantso ke, ndim lowo, uAdam Smith- kodwa ungandibiza njengoNinja.”

UJohan wakhupha incwadana waza wabhala iintwana ntwana kuyo.

Waguquka uNinja wambuza, “Khawutsho, zingaphi kanti izixhobo ozisebenzisayo ukwenza umsebenzi wakho? Liphepha elikhulu, yincwadana, okanye incwadi enamanqaku kunye nesishicileli lizwi…”

UJohan uvele nje wahleka, waza wasula igilasi zakhe zamehlo kwakhona wabuya waguqukela kuNinja.

“Ubusathini kanene ngotata wakho?”

Waphosa la bholana kuNinja oye,  wayibamba eyicudisa esandleni sakhe, waza waqhubeka…

Khawusixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngoNinja ukuza kuthi ga ngoku?