Sakubuyelana noLizo, sathandana ngomfutho, siyekelela umxakatho. Sasinokubhaqwa, ndlela le sasikhululeke ngayo ngathi sasingakhathali. Sasiphuzana ezinkampini, sigonana nakwindawo zoluntu. Ndacebisa ukuba sikhe sithi xha singekaqatshelwa.
Kwaphela iinyanga singabonani, singathethi. Ndamkhumbula ke, ndiphuthelwa ngobusuku, ndivuka phezu kwenyembezi.
Andikwazanga kunyamezela xesha lide, ndaya apho komkhulu engandibizanga. Ndandifuna ukumbuka nje, ndibone uncumo lwakhe ndive nelizwi lakhe.Ndihlangane naye eseziko, othile.
“Ndikukhumbule, Lizo.” Ndatsho akundibuza ukuba ndibekwa yintoni apho. Ndandirhalela ukumwola ndimphuze. Sahlala eziko sancokola isithuba seyure ndingabonanga mntu apho.
Yenzeka impazamo, akundikhokelela engumbini lakhe, hayi kuba sasinqwenela ukwenza into. Kodwa, izinto zazenzekela. Ngokuthi kuye ndimkhumbule, wasondela wandiwola, wandanga ngendlela awangazange andange ngayo ngaphambili. Sasingakwazi ukuyiphikisa into esasiyiva ngokutsalisa umxhelo.
“Yhu!” ndive isikhalo somfazi. “Wawungazange wandiphatha nje, kanti wenza la manyala!”
UThobeka wayemi emnyango. Sasingavanga naxa angenayo. ULizo wayecinga ukuba usaya kuhlala ithuba elide emlanjeni.
Waphuma egxwala, kanti nequmrhu lamadoda axhake inkosi ayekufuphi. Amkhawulela akumbona ekulo meko, aqondisisa kuye. Eso sikhalo sakhweba abathu, bahlangana okwembovane kuchitheke iswekile.
“Ndaza ndakuva, zwindini.” Bakhuza bengakholelwa besithi uyabhuda uThobeka. Yakungena inkosi egumbini, yaphuma iswabanise ubuso ingakhange ibhekise nelimdaka kuthi.
Wazibonela uVezuhlanga sinxiba ngokungxama, ibhedi idlakadlaka. Ndandibanda ceke. Ndangqunga kwelo gumbi ndakugqiba ukunxiba, ndingazi ukuba ndibheke phi. Kwakungekho ndlela. Abantu babesele beqokelelene phambi kwendlu, abanye besakhuza le ntsom’ emini.
Ndithe ndisantanta apho, angena amaphakathi amabini kunye nabafana abane, bangqala kum bephethe izikhali. Bandigibisela ngaphandle, zandibamba ngesigxanti izihlwele zatshintshiselana ngam. Ndilaqaze uLizo, andambona ndawo. Isikhalo sikaThobeka sasivakala ngaphezu kwengxokolo yabahlali. Ndaweva amagama ajoliswe kum, ndifaniswa nayo yonke into embi, “Yinja le. Uphethwe ngamadimoni…”
Abanye bandifanisa nenkwenkwe, ubudoda bam bufiphele, bungahlonitshwa. Batsho besithi, “Fundisa le nkwenkwe isifundo,” bendihluba ndaze.
Ndibone ngenkosi isondela kwezo zihlwele, kwathi cwaka okungathi khange kubekho ngxolo.”Ufundisa abantwana bethu le mikhuba esikolweni, titshala?” ibuzile indinyola.
Andibanga kuwuphendula loo mbuzo, abahlali bandingxamela besithi, “Msuse kuthi engekasuleli abantwana bethu ngamanyala.”
Langenelela iphakathi lenkosi elikhulu lisithi, “Wakha wayivaphi indoda elala namanye. Uligqwirha kwedini, unyoko kudala samrhanela futhi.”
Ndandibonwa ngothakathe uLizo, iinjongo zam ikukuchitha umtshato wakhe. Batsho.
Akubanga kudala, ndalibona igazi lisehla, ndabuva ubushushu bamanxeba entloko nasemqolo, ndisidl’ uthuli.
Yonke into yayisenzeka ngokukhawuleza. Abahlali bandinqumlisa ilali, bebiza elinye ihlokondiba, ndihamba ze, ndibotshwe izandla, ndiqhutywa ngezabhokhwe. Kungekudala ndifikile kwindawo yokufa kwam – emjanjeni.Zaqala zachola amatye izihlwele, bee chasi abo babexhobe ngezikhali, adlala amatye.
“Bulala, loo nja.”
Ndandiyinja, nokufa kwam kwakuzakubanjalo. Ndayiva intlungu yezo zinja endandizibulalela apha emlanjeni ndiseyinkwenkwe. Namhl’ oku ndisendaweni yazo.
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Ndavuka esibhedlele emva kweeveki ndife isiqaqa. Umama usecaleni kwam, andikwazi kuzibamba ndakuqaphela uLizo ekwelinye icala.
“Ndandithe yiya edolophini kudala, kodwa wala.” Utshilo umama enyembezana nakwesi sihlandlo.
“Andilogwala. Andingekhe ndilishiye ikhaya lam ngenxa yokuba ndinyanisekile.”
“Thobani, sithandwa sam, unyanisile umama wakho. Kunyanzelekile sibhace. Singaya kuhlala nokuba kuseGoli apho bendikho. Andifuni kulahlekelwa nguwe ezandleni zezigwinta. Umnqweno wam kuku kuthandane kude kube sekupheleni. Nokufa siyakulwa njengoko senzile.”
Okoko sathandana wayengazange athi ‘sithandwa’, sasingalisebenzisi elo gama.
“Kutheni ndiphila ke mna?” ndibuze ndigxwala, ndihlatywa ngala mazwi kaLizo.
“NguThobeka. Uziphose phezu kwakho kwada kwafika amapolisa.”
Ndizakuhamba, ndiye apho ndizakufumana ukuphumla, apho uthando lwethu luya kukhula lungaphazanyiswa. Kodwa ndizimisele kananjalo ukufundisa abangaqondiyo ukuba akukho nto ilisikizi kubantu abathandanayo.
ULizo ungamandla am, ekho andisayi kuba nantloni ngalento ndiyiyo.
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Sixele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba uLizo noThobani benze into elungileyo ngokuhamba baye eRhawutini?
