Ngaloo mvakwemini umyalezo wathunyelwa usiya kubo bonke abantwana besikolo ukuba bangayi esikolweni kusuku olulandelayo, kuba kwakukho iimpawu kuza kubakho imozulu embi kakhulu ezakuhlasela ingingqi yaseNtshona Koloni.
Abantu baseKnysna bebenethemba lemvula. Endaweni yoko, ezinzulwini zobusuku bafumana isaqhwithi umoya oshushu kakhulu nobhudla kakhulu, owawuphantse ufune namandla enkanyamba.
Ngoku imimoya yayibhudla ngokwandla esaqhwithi imini yonke, ngeli xesha uMudira wayekuloBulelwa ukuze amncede ajonge umakhulu wakhe. Umzala kaBulelwa waye akabikho akuva nje ukuba uBulelwa uza kuba sekhaya xa evela esikolweni.
“Uyonqena kwaye akhonto aluncedo kuyo Mudira,” uBulelwa wayethetha engabonisi mvakalelo ngalo ntsasa. Bebeme kunye, bejonge ichibi lechweba, kwaye uMudira wanqwala engaphazanyiswa kuba phaya kude, ngaphaya kwamanzi echibi lechweba, umlilo wawuqalisile kumathambeka eWest Head.
“Laa malangatye makhulu,” watsho uMudira ukuhamba kwexesha, ebiza uBulelwa aze kubona. U-Bulelwa wayephethe amabhekethi amanzi emvula asuka kwitanki esecaleni kwendlu. Amanzi ayesezokuphela, wayeqinisekile ngayo, kodwa uBulelwa wayemana enkcenkceshela ngawo igadi yemifuno kamakhulu emva kokuba ethe wagula.
Igadi yayisavelisa amakhaphetshu namaphekepheke amakhulu esipinatshi. U-Bulelwa wajonga uMudira wakhwaza esithi uyeza kungekudala.
Eme ecaleni kukaMudira, kummango ongentla kwendlu, uBulelwa wakhokha umoya wakhe. Umlilo wawukhulile ukusukela wathi wajonga okokugqibela ngaphaya. U-Mudira wayemile isandla sakhe esibeke emlonyeni wakhe kwaye wayesinekile. Wajonga kude noBulelwa wabeka ingalo yakhe kumagxa kaMudira wamsondeza. U-Mudira waphefumlela phezulu waze wasondela. La mantombazana mabini aguquka, iimbuso zabo zajongana, ajongana emehlweni.
“Musa ukukhangeleka ukhathazekile Mudira,” watsho uBulelwa ngubunono. “Yonke into izokulunga.”
“Ndiyazi,” watsho uMudira, “kodwa kukho umsi omkhulu kakhulu, ukuba nje lo moya ubunokuyeka ukubhudla!”
U-Mudira wadibanisa iingalo zakhe kwisinqe sikaBulelwa ukuze angagungqi kulo moya ushushu kakhulu owawubabhudla ngamandla, ubenza ukuba baphephuke ngapha nangapha.
“Uza kuphela kwamsinya,” watsho uBulelwa. “Kodwa uGogo utshilo ukuba uve kwirediyo ukuba kukho eminye imililo eqale kufutshane nePletteenberg Bay, ukuyo kutsho ezantsi eBrenton naseBelvidere.”
U-Mudira wanqwala ngokucothayo. Wayezazi eza ndawo, kodwa babekude kakhulu. Umphangalalo wamanzi amaninzi wawuhlula umhlaba owawusitsha kwindawo ababemi kunye kuyo, besabambene, bentlithwa ngumoya.
U-Bulelwa wayama kufutshane kuMudira, de kwadibana izidlele zabo. Ivumba lomlilo lalizalisa umoya, kodwa eme kufutshane kuMudira konke awayekuvuka yayisisiqholo esinuka kamnandi sekhrim ye-Nivea awayeyisebenzise kulusu lwakhe oluthambileyo oluntsundu ngebala. U-Bulelwa wayiphefumla.
“Bonanje Bulelwa bendifuna ukukubuza into,” watsho uBulelwa ngobunono. “Ndithehe noMama wam ngayo phezolo kwaye uyandixhasa, kodwa ke ukhathazekile. Uyawazi ukuba anjani amadoda asondele kuye, kodwa ndimxelele ukuba amantombazana amaninzi ayayenza kule mihla sikuyo. Ndiyamazi uyazoyika izinto ezininzi ezinento yokwenza nam, kodwa ukwafuna ukuba ndikwazi ukuba ndim. Ingxaki Bulelwa yile, uyawazi ukuba amadoda acinga ntoni … kwaye kungayingozi njani uku …”
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Zeziphi iindlela ezinokuba ‘yingozi’ ngayo kumantombazana afana noBulelwa noMudira?