Akukho mntu undithandayo elalini. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba yingcinga yam kodwa ndiqinisekile ukuba akukho namnye umntu owakha wandibulisa okoko ndafika apha kwiiveki ezintathu ezidlulileyo. UBambatha uthi ababaqhelanga abantu bangaphandle abafikayo: Ingakumbi umntu obhinqileyo oyinzululwazi oziqhubela ibakkie yakhe ehamba-hamba elalini lonke ixesha emini nasebusuku.
UBambatha wandivumela ukuba ndihlale kumhlatyana wakhe oyifama. Akatshatanga kwaye uyinkedama. Akanabo abantakwabo noodadewabo kwaye izizalwane zakhe zihlala kwelinye icala lelali ngoko ke kuthuleke kakhulu apha. Emini, kubakho abafana abaza kumncedisa ezinkomeni nasezibhokhweni. Kukho amakhosikazi, athi uBambatha ngabazala bakhe, afikayo aze kumphekela amcocele kananjalo kodwa abakaze bathethe nam. Phofu ke ixesha lam elininzi ndilichitha emasimini ombona. Ndizenzela indawo yam yokulinga kwisiqwengana sendawo yombona, ezantsi kwikona esekhohlo entsimini. Leli cala likufuphi nomlambo kwaye uBambatha undixelela ukuba ngeli xesha lonyaka, amanzi adla ngokuba maninzi kangangokuba angakhukhulisa nomntu omdala naphantsi kweengxangxasi ezithambeke kakhulu. Phofu ke ngexesha apho kukho eyona mbalela imandla, lo mlambo uwelwa nje ngaphandle kwengozi.
Xa uBambatha ebendixelela oku, ndiye ndaqaphela ukuba ubonakala ekhathazekile. Ndiyabona ukuba le asiyiyo indlela acinga ukuba kufanele kube yiyo. Mna? Ewe, ndiyintombi yasedolophini. Ngaphezu kokuba yintombi yasedolophini, ndiyinzululwazi. Andichithi ixesha ndicinga ngendlela izinto ebekufanele okanye ebekungafanelanga ukuba zibe njalo.
Yinto eninzi kubomi basezilalini buyandibhidisa. Amanye amasiko nezithethe avakala eqhelekile kodwa izinto ezininzi kuwo andiziqondi. UBambatha uzama ukucacisa kodwa andikholelwa kwizinto abakholelwa kuzo nakumasiko abo.
Ngale ntsasa, uBambatha uye wandipheleka ukuhla ndisiya kwintsimi yombona. Ndichithe isiqingatha sobusuku phezolo ndizama ukuba iikhompyutha zam ezintathu zenze iingxelo ngeenkcukacha ezifunyenwe ezityalweni kwiiveki ezintathu ezidlulileyo. Ngokuqinisekileyo kukho into engalunganga kuzo kodwa andikafumani thuba lokuqonda ukuba ziintoni iingxaki zabo.
“Kufuneka usixelele ukuba kwenzeka ntoni ngombona, Gqirha Makana,” watsho uBambatha ngeli xesha sihambayo.
“Ndicinga ukuba ndiza kuba nolwazi olulolunye kwiintsuku ezimbalwa ezizayo,” ndatsho. “Andikaqiniseki nje qha ukuba yintoni ingxaki … Ayindim umntu wokuqala ukuyila obu buchwepheshe, uyazi nawe. AmaMelika andoyisa koko. Kodwa xa ndinakho ukubucokisa obu buchwepheshe, xa ndinokuzisa ubungqina bokuba uhlobo lwam luyasebenza … lungaguqula yonke into.”
Wandincumela uBambatha ngokungathi ndingumntu ongenangqondo. Andikamboni namnye kwimisebenzi yam. Ndiphefumla ngokukhululeka. “Ndicinga ukuba kuza kufuneka ndikubonise ukuba ndithetha ngantoni,” ndatsho.
Siyafika entsimini ndibeke ingxowa yam phantsi. Ndikhupha iiglavzi zam nebhotile encinane yesibulala-zinambuzane endize nayo.
“Wenza ntoni?” wabuza.
“Ndikubonisa into endiyenzayo. Mamela, okubalulekileyo kule ndlela – ngaphambili – yayikukutshintsha i-DNA yesityalo ngeli xesha siseyimbewu. Ndiphucule kulo nto. Kulingo lwam, nditshintshe i-DNA yesityalo esele silinyiwe esele sikhula emhlabeni,” ndatsho, ngexesha ndiguqe kufuphi nesityalo. “Ndiyenzela ukuba izityalo zikwazi ukwazisa amafama oko kungalunganga kuzo. Le bhotile sisibulala-zinambuzane esinamandla kakhulu. Silungiselelwe ukubulala izinambuzane ezitshabalalisa izivuno kodwa olu hlobo lunamandla kakhulu lude luqalise nokutya izityalo. Siphelisiwe ngoku kodwa ndingasebenzisa intwana yaso ukukubonisa le nto ndithetha ngayo.”
Ndivula isivalo sebhotile ndifafaze amaqabaza ambalwa emagqabini esityalo. Emva kwemizuzwana embalwa amagqabi ezityalo.
“Njani … uyenza njani lo nto?” Wabuza uBambatha.
“Ndikuxelele. Ndizitshintshile izityalo ukuze zibonakale xa kukho into eziphethe kakubi. Zinakho ukuva ukuba kukho ityhefu kuzo zizibonakalise ukundilumkisa.”
Ndiphindela engxoweni yam kwakhona kwaye kweli tyeli ndikhupha isixhobo esincinane esifana ne-microphone, ngaphandle kokuba sona sineqhosha apha phezulu kule ndawo odla ngokuthetha kuyo.
“Yintoni ke le?” Uyabuza uBambatha.
“Sisixhobo esinovakalelo olungephi. ‘Ndisifaka’ emhlabeni nesivuno ze sithumele iinkcukacha ngokuba izityalo zenza njani kwikhompyutha yam ephathwayo. Sele ndisebenzise ezimbalwa okoko ndifikile apha kodwa ndinethemba lokuba ukongeza ezinye kwiindawo ezohlukeneyo apha entsimini kuya kundinika iinkcukacha ezininzi.”
UBambatha uguqa phantsi phambi kwesityalo eso naye ngexesha siqalisa ukubenyezela kakhulu. Uyajika ajonge kum ancume ngokunyanisekileyo.
“Ndazile ukuba kuphela kwento ebendiyifuna yingqondi efana nawe ukuba indincede,” watsho.
Ngeli xesha ethetha, ndiziva ndinesiyezi. Ubuso bam busondele kakhulu kobakhe, yayikokokuqala ukuba ndimqwalasele. Emaphupheni am, uBambatha yindoda efa rhoqo ebusuku. Igama lakhe ligama endilibiza ngokuba luhlaselo lwesilo.
Ndiziva ngathi ndiza kugula, ndife isiqaqa ngaxeshanye. Ndityhala izandla zam phambi kwam ukunqanda ukuba ndingawi kodwa ndiwela ngasemva, ndibetheke ngentloko elityeni, ndiwele ebumnyameni.
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