Emaphupheni am amasimi aqaqambe ngombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ongabonakali ungowendalo kodwa andinaloyiko koko. Ndimi phakathi emboneni kwaye zonke izityalo ziyamenyezela ebumnyameni apho. Uyabaleka eza ngakum – okoko abalekela kum izihlandlo ezininzi zobomi ngaphambi kobu. Xa sisifa, siya kuzalwa ngokutsha – uya kusoloko endifumana. Kodwa emaphupheni am, uyabaleka kodwa akade andifumane. Kuvela isilwanyana emathunzini simtsibele. Ndikhwaza kakhulu ndibiza igama lakhe ngelokumlumkisa, ukuze abaleke – kodwa sekukade/sekedlulelwe lixesha. Esi sidalwa sele siwafake atshona amazinyo aso entanyeni kuye kwaye sele silungele ukumkrazula uqhoqhoqho xa kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndijonge kude. Siphinde sazalwa ngokutsha saphinda kodwa asikwazi ukuba kunye. Siqalekisiwe. Kuthi, kusoloko kusemva kwexesha.
Ndiyagqiba ukubhala ndiphakamise amehlo ndilaqaze kwilebhu yam. Umzuzwana nje, ngexesha ndibhala phantsi iphupha lam, ndizive ngathi kukho umntu othile, into ethile indijongile. Kodwa selitshonile ilanga, bonke abafundi bagodukile ndisele ndodwa. Ndiyaqhwanyaza ndijonga amagama endiwabhalileyo, ndifunde imigca embalwa ndivale amehlo. Ndiyinzululwazi. Andinalo ixesha lokuziduba ndizikhathaza ngala maphupha aphambeneyo endisoloko ndinawo. Kufanele ndigxininise emsebenzini wam. Le nto ndiyenzayo ibalulekile, umsebenzi wam apha kwiYunivesithi yaseKapa ubalulekile. Ndinceda abantu. Ngoku ke kutheni ndizikhathaza ngomntu oswelekayo emaphupheni am? Ndibe nawo namanye amaphupha, izinto endizibonileyo ezaphela zisenzeka. Ndidla ngokuphupha ngoviwo endingalufundelanga, okanye umntu wam ethandana nomnye umntu. Ngamanye amaxesha ezi zinto ziyenzeka ngenyaniso. Kuloko eli phupha lindoyikisa kangaka nje. Andifuni ukuba nalo libe yinyaniso.
Ndazityanda igila kwenye inzululwazi kwisebe lophando ngezolimo, uNjingalwazi Ndlovu, wacebisa ngelithi mandiwabhale phantsi la maphupha. Wathi mhlawumbe ukuba ndiwabhala phantsi, ndingawaphanda ngakumbi. Mhlawumbe ndingakhumbula iinkcukacha ezininzi ngawo, mhlawumbi angaqondakala ngcono. Ngoku, njengokuba kukho eli phepha lindijameleyo, ndicinga ukuba ndibhideke ngakumbi kunangaphambili. Ndithatha iphepha esele ndibhalile kulo ndilikrazule. Ndibumba iziqwenga zamaphepha zibe yibholana yamaphepha, ndiyijule kude. Amaphupha am ngamaphupha nje. Kufuneka ndigxininise kwizinto eziyinyaniso.
Ngexesha ndizilungiselela ukubuyela emsebenzini, kungena indoda entsundu ngebala enoncumo olunoloyiko kwilebhu yam. Uthwele umnqwazi welanga omkhulu emazantsi, omibalabala namaquza abalimi. Uyawothula umnqwazi wakhe xa asondela kum, awucinezele esifubeni sakhe.
“Ndingakunceda?” Ndiyabuza.
“Ndifuna uGqr. Makana?” watsho, engaqinisekanga.
“NdinguGqirha Makana kodwa ungandibiza ngoNomfundo,” ndatsho, ndikhupha isandla sam ndimxhawula.
Sithe isandla sakhe sakudibana nesam ndava into efana nentlantsi yombane phakathi kwethu. Izandla zakhe zirhabaxa ziqhele ukusebenza nzima kodwa amehlo akhe anothando kwaye ndiva ngathi uyindoda elungileyo.
“NdinguBambatha,” watsho.
Ndiyabuza, “Ndingakunceda ngantoni?”
Uncumo analo ebusweni bakhe luyajika ajale, ajongeke engqongqo kwaye emdala kakhulu ngoku. “Ndisuka kwilali eseMpuma Koloni. Ndibone umsebenzi wakho kwiphephandaba. Kuthiwa uyakwazi ukuthekelela ukuba izityalo ziya kukhula kangakanani na.”
Ndanqwala, ndisithi, “ndiyakwazi nokufumanisa ukuba yintoni ingxaki yezityalo. Ndizamana nokucokisa ubuchwepheshe obutsha obusebenzisa izityalo zohlobo lwe- autoluminescent phytosensor
Amehlo akhe amdaka avuleka kakhulu ngathi ndithetha olunye ulwimi, kwaye andazi ukuba kutheni, kodwa oku kundenza ndibe nentsini. “Usebenzisa eziphi izityalo ngoku?” wabuza.
“Izityalo zohlobo lwe-Autoluminescent phytosensor . Siwabiza ngokuba zi-ALPS. Zizityalo esizilungelelanisileyo ukuze zikwazi ukusazisa xa zisengozini. Ekuphela kwento esiyenzayo kukutshintsha i-DNA yezityalo ukuze zikhanyise xa kukho into engalunganga, njengokuba sesichengeni setyhefu okanye nantoni na esemhlabeni. ”
“Izityalo ziyazikhanyisa? Njengesibane?”
“Ibufana nokukhanya kwenyanga. Kunzima ukucacisa. Kulula xa sele uzibonile.”
“Ndifuna ukuzibona. Ndifuna ubuzise obu buchule ezilalini zethu. Izityalo ziyafa yaye ayikani imvula. Abantu basoloko begula. Abahlali elalini namanye amafama ekuhlaleni sebeqala ukurhanela omnye nomnye. Bakholelwa ukuba kukho umntu obathakathileyo. Andazi ukuba ndikholelwe ntoni … kodwa ndifuna ukuzama ndifumanise ukuba kwenzeka ntoni ngezivuno zabo. Kuphela komthombo wethu wokutya nenzuzo. Ungasinceda?”
Emehlweni akhe, ndibona ubuntu endikhe ndanovakalalo lwalo ngaphambili kodwa ndikwaziva ndikhululekile xa ndinoBambatha. Kukho into ngaye endenza ndizive ngathi kufuneka ndimthembe.
“Bendicwangcisele ukubuvavanya obu buchule kwifama yenyani ngokukhawuleza. Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiza kukunceda.”
Waphefumla kakhulu, ekhululekile. “Enkosi. Ziindaba ezimnandi ke ezo.”
“Kuza ukucamagushwanini?” Ndambuza.
“Umsitho wokungxengxeza nokucela uncedo kwizinyanya zethu?”
“Ewe.”
UBambatha ubonakala othukile abuye umva.
“Wazi njani ukuba sicwangcise lo msitho?” wabuza.
“Uthetha ukuthini?” Ndaphendula.
“Waze njani ukuba senza umsitho wokucamagusha? Akuqhelekanga kwaye andikhange ndikwazise ukuba siyalenza elo siko.”
Ndiyakhwankqiswa. Ndiyaze njani lonto? Ndisuke ndafikelwa yilo ngcinga engqondweni yam ndayithetha ndingakhange ndicinge. Ndizama ukuncuma kodwa ndiziva ndinoloyiko olufana nolo ndiba nalo emaphupheni am ndoma emqaleni. Andikhumbuli ukuba ndaze njani ngale nto. Kuvakala ngathi … kuvakala ngathi ndiyiphuphile.
“Ndiyathekelela nje,” ndiyaxoka. “Ukuba abahlali elalini banoloyiko, kufanele bacele uncedo kwizinyanyya ngokukhawuleza, akunjalo?”
“Ewe, yinyaniso,”watsho kodwa usavakala engonelanga.
“Nyhani,” ndizama ukumqinisekisa. “Ndithekelele ngokuchanekileyo kuphela. Asikuko ukuba ndinakho ukubona okuza kwenzeka kwizivuno kunye nakwikamva.”
Wanqwala kodwa akathethanto.
Engqondweni yam, ndisoloko ndisiva amagama am ephinda-phindeka: ‘Asikuko ukuba ndinakho ukubona okuza kwenzeka kwikamva’. Kodwa ukuba ndiyakubona oku kwenzeka?
* * *
Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba kuyenzeka ukuba ubani aphuphe ngezinto eziza kwenzeka kwikamva?