Ngesinye isikhathi kuye kubukeke sengathi abukho ubulungiswa kulo mhlaba. Abantu ababi bayaphumelela. Abantu abahle abawutholi umvuzo wabo.
Ake ngikuxoxele indaba kaDadi. Ngiyazi ukusuka nokuhlala. Sasiphuma mzini (village) munye.
UDadi wayezibiza ngesosha eliseyingane kodwa iminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa ikhomba ukuthi umuntu akaseyona ingane. Kanti uDadi wayeneminyaka eyishumi nesikhombisa ngesikhathi engena emambukeni belibangisa ngasenyakatho yezwe. Wayemasha nawo emini. Wayelala nawo emahlathini anomswakama ebusuku.
Waba yingxenye yobudlova eyedume ngabo amavukelambuso. Uma sekufikwa ekunqamuleni izandla, kwakuba uye owayevame ukuphakamisa ucelemba. Wayelekelela nangokushisa imizi. Wayeyingxenye yokudlwengula nokubulala.
Kodwa ekugcineni, ngemuva kweminyaka eminingi yenkohlakalo, ukulwa kwesizwe esisodwa kwaphela. Amambuka namasosha ayizingane abuyela emakhaya abo. UDadi wabuyela emzini wangakithi. Izandla zakhe zazigcwele igazi kodwa amakhukhu akhe egcwele umcebo. Umcebo owawuntshotshwe ezimayini ezisenyakatho.
Wemukelwa! Abantu abadala bathi, “Kumele axolelwe. La masosha ayizingane akumele athweswe icala. Kumele anikezwe umhlaba wokulima njengazinye izinsizwa.” Mhlawumbe ngumcebo wakhe owenza ukuthi abantu abadala baguqule imiqondo ngaye? Empeleni umcebo wakhe waguqula namantombazanyana asemzini lowo. Ikakhulukazi lawa amahle. Afana noClaudette.
Kwathi ekugcineni uDadi washada noClaudette, noma wayethenjiswe mina. Ngabe kwakuwubulungiswa lobu? Ngabe wayejeziswe ngokwanele ngezinto ayezenzile? Ukuklonyeliswa ngomfazi omuhle. Onenzalo futhi!
UClaudette wamzalela amadodana amahlanu. Onke ayezelwe ephile kahle futhi ehlakaniphile. Nezitshalo ensimini yakhe leyo zachuma. Zonke zakhula zaqina, zaba zinde futhi. Zazizinde kunezami.
Kodwa inye into uDadi ayengabusisiwe kuyona. Iminyaka yakhe eminingi yokulala emahlathini anomswakama yalimaza inhliziyo yakhe.
“Cha, ngizokunikeza la maphilisi,” kusho udokotela ovakashile. “Uma uzwa ubuhlungu esifubeni, phuza amabili ngaso leso sikhathi. Uwabeke kude nezingane zakho. Ayingozi, anobuthi obukhulu.”
Ehhe, kucabanga mina. Ngabe lokhu kuzoba yisijeziso sikaDadi? Ukuthi enye yamadodana akhe izothatha la maphilisi abomvu afana namaswidi asesitolo? Bese iyawagwinya?
Kodwa akubanga njalo. “Uyabona,” kusho udokotela. “Isivalo sebhodlela senzelwe ukuthi zingakwazi ukulivula izingane.”
Epulazini ngelinye ilanga, ngangicashe esikhotheni, ngibuka uDadi ehambahamba phakathi kwezitshalo zakhe. Ngafikelwa umona omkhulu. Ngagcwala umuzwa wokufuna ukumbulala. Futhi wayengekho umuntu ozosibona owayezoba ufakazi.
Kodwa ngahlala ngicashile. Angiyona indoda enodlame. Kodwa kwathi ngesikhathi ngisambuka uDadi wawela emhlabathini wakhe ovundile, ebambe inhliziyo yakhe ebuthakathaka.
“Ngisizeni!” wamemeza engezwiwa muntu.
Azange nginyakaze. Mhlawumbe ubulungiswa buzokwenzeka ekugcineni? Ngingabuphazamisa kanjani ubulungiswa?
Kodwa lutho! UDadi wayephinde wabusiswa wanenhlanhla futhi. Wavuzwa kunokuthi ajeziswe. Umuntu ongaziwa owayedlula wezwa ukukhala kwakhe: owesifazane ogqoke izingubo zamazwe asenyakatho. Weza egijima waguqa eduze kwakhe.
“Ngingakusiza ngani, Mnumzane?”
“Amaphilisi ami!” wamemeza futhi. “Shesha. Alapha ekhukhwini lami! Beka amabili olimini lwami, kungenjalo ngizofa.”
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“Ngiyaxolisa Mnumzane,” kusho owesifazane. “Angeke ngikwazi ukukusiza.”
Owesifazane waphakamisa izingalo zakhe ukuze kwembuleke imikhono yalokho ayekwembethe. Izindla zazinqanyuliwe. Izingalo nje ezingenazandla!
Iyaphela lapha