“Nonkonzo! Nonkonzo. Lungisa msinya. Sinohambo olubalulekileyo. Siya kwabhishophu. Usimemele kwakhe. Pakisha impahla yakho.”
Ndakhawuleza ndathi ngcu phezu kwebhedi, izidlele zam zazimanzi kucaca ukuba bendilila ndilele.
Ndazesula iinyembezi ezidleleni zam ndazikhumbuza ngephupha. Kwelo phupha benditshata noThobekile, ndinxibe ilokhwe emhlophe, uThobekile elinene elinxibe isuti emhlophe netayi elibomvu. Sasitshatiswa ngutata kwaye indivuyisa loo nto. UThobekile wajongisa intloko ezantsi ukundifaka umsesane womtshato emnweni. Kodwa kuthe akuphakamisa intloko waguquka wangumntu wumbi – indoda endala endingayaziyo.”Ngunyana kaBhishophu lo,”uvele utata esitsho kweli phupha. “Uza kutshata naye.”
“Ndiyakumtshata ndifile,” ndatsho ndivale amehlo ayethontsiza iinyembezi ngezandla.
Ndandizama ngako konke endinako ukucima eli phapha engqondweni yam ngethuba ndilungiselela uhambo oluya kwabhishophu.
Uhambo lwethu lwaya kuphelela eMtata, kumzi kabhishophu umama engakhange avakalise nelimdaka. Ingaba wayetyiwa sisazela? Ngaba uBhishophu wayebabeke entendeni yesandla sakhe abazali bam?
Awandixelela kona utata kukuba sibizelwe emzini kabhishophuukukuchitha usuku. Kodwa mna ndandicacelwe ukuba eyona njongo kukundazisa kulowo ndizakutshata naye. Ndandichane uchwethe.
Sakube sifikile kwabhishophu, ndaziswa kusapho lwakwa Magadla nakuChumile, unyana kabhishophu endizakumanywa naye. Wayekhangeleka elinene elilungileyo. Wayengathethi kakhulu, kuphela xa kufanelekile.
Nangona wawasebenzisa onke amaqhinga okundilobela kobo bunene bakhe wafika intliziyo yam ililitye ithinjwe nguThobekile. UChumile wayendishiya ngothotho lweminyaka. Xa ndiqikelela wayephakathi naphakathi kwiminyaka eli-30, eyintangayetitshala yam yezibalo. Ndandingayiboni isenzeka le yokumtshatela kuye.
Sanikwa ithuba lokuba sibesondwa, ngobuqhinga obuthile babazali bethu. Umama notata kunye nobhishophu nosapho lwakhe basishiya ngesizathu sokuya kupheculula ithala leencwadi kwi-ofisi kabhishophu.
“Kutheni ufuna ukutshata mna nje?” ndabuze kuChumile xa bonke bemkile.
“Ubawo ube nombono. Kweli phupha uThixo umyalele ukuba sitshate. Ngalo ndlela uyakuba ngumzali weli bandla phantsi kwesandla esilungileyo sosapho oluthanda uThixo.” Wayevakala eyifunde ngentliziyo le nkcazo njengesicengcelezo sombongo esikolweni.
“Wena uyafuna ukutshata?” Ndimbuzile. “Xelele utat’ ubhishophu awufuni kutshata.”
“Andiboni bubi kulo mbono, Nonkonzo. UThixo xa esiyalele ukuba senze ngale ndlela kumele ithotyelwe intando yakhe.”
“Kodwa yinto enzima ukutshata nomntu ongamthandiyo.”
“Andiboni bunzima apho. Mna ndiyakufunda ukuthanda.”
“Uyakufunda ukundithanda?” Ndahlokoma ndatsho. “Ndiluvavanyo oluhlalelwe ukuphunyelelwa?”
“Shhhh!” Wabeka umnwe emilebeni yakhe wathetha ngelokundigrogrisa. “Uzakufunda ukundithanda.”
Sithini ke isifundo sokuqala, ndatsho ngaphakathi iinyembezi ndizibambe ngenkophe. Eyona nto yayindibinda yindlela ubhuti Chumile wayewaphosa ngayo la zwi. Wayengazinake kwaphela iimbono zam eluxusha ngeenyawouthando lwam kuThobekile ngezihlangu zakhe izikhulu ezimenyezelayo. Ndamxelela ngesibindi ukuba intiziyo yam yathatyathwa mfo wumbi endinekamva kunye naye. Wandihesha esithi iyakubuya iphele kamsinya loo nto.
“UThixo ukubona nje ngenkokheli, Nonkonzo. Ukukhethe ukuba ukhokele eli bandla uvakalise iindaba ezilungilelyo kwizizwe zehlabathi.”
Kowu! Waza wavakala ngokwebhayibhile ivuliwe ubhuti Chumile, wandiculela iivesi ezindilumkisa ngengqumbo kaThixo eyakuwela phezu kwentloko yam ukuba ndiwutyeshele umyalelo.
“Ingaba ndikutshata kuba ndikhonjwe ngumnwe kaThixo ukuba ndikhokele ibandla likatata wakho?” Ndabuza.
“Kungoba yinto elungileyo.” Impendulo yakhe yavula inxebakazi entliziyweni, ndafulathela ukubandisuse amehlo am kuye. Wandilandele esithi, “Awukwazi kubaleka umnwe kaThixo. Mna nawe sidalelwa ukuba simanywe ngebande elingena mkhinkqi ukuze kusinde imiphefumlo ethinjwe nguSathana. Lulwazelelo lwethu olo.”
Andizange ndibuthi qwe ubuthongo ngobo busuku. Ndahlala ndilangazelela ikhaya, ndilangazelela izandla ezinobubele zikaThobekile ukuze ndiphalaze kuzo le ntlungu.
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Sixelele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ucinga ukuba athini uNono?