Qula Kwedini Kabawo

‘Yhu, kanene iiholideyi zikaJuni sezikufutshane’.

Wacinga uLizo exwaye ubhaka wakhe esinga ekhaya ephuma esikolweni, amanye amakhwenkwana antanga-nye naye emane ukuyothulel’apha intsini, phofu ezihlekela ezawo, engananze zingcinga zikaVukile.

‘Owu, kanene siza kubanondwendwe olusuka eRhawutini, umzala wethu, uyazi besendilibele shici!’ Zamqhuba iingcinga, encuma yedwa nangakumbi ngoku unkabi, enemincili yile ngcingane.

‘Uza kusifundisa isiNgesi, umam’uthe usikhupha nangeempumlo. Phofu nathi siza kumfundisa ubomi beelali nesiXhosa esi sethu!’

Wothuswa kwezo ngcinga zakhe uVukile lilizwi likaSimilo, umlingane wakhe, nowayesel’ethe tyede ubhaka wakhe elungele ukudlala.

‘Yhe Vukile ‘fondini wegqitha nje bath’awusiboni? Yiza ngapha sizokudlal’uthinti!’ Itshilo le ntwana, imbongolise umlomo, imi nesinye isiqhu samakhwenkwana akule ntanga yakhe noVukile.

Hayi ntang’andikakhululi neyunifom, umam’angandingxolisa, ebuma, engaqinisekanga. Yho, hayi ‘fondini, hay, hayi, ebhebhetha mpela ngoku nengqondo seleyimisele koko.

Hayi suka, awuqhelanga na wen’ukungxoliswa ntanga, uza kudlala nje umjikelo ubemnye! Uzingile uSimilo, engayinanze eyokuba umlingane wakhe uVukile uza kuba sengxakini.

Okunene kaloku udadoboyise uNobahle, owayehlala eRhawutini, wayebhalile ecela ukuba iphelo lakhe, uZozo, owayeminyaka ilishumi linesine nowayentanga-nye noVukile lo eze kutyela iiholide apha eMbizana, ilali yaseXhorha. Wayeza kuqala ngqa uZozo ukulubeka unyawo lwakhe ezilalini. Noxa uZozo wayechwayite gqitha luluvo lokutyelela ezilalini, maninzi amabalana awayengatshongo khona awayewavile ngeelali ezi.

Kwakudume intakatho eninzi ezilalini apha. Amagqwirha akhwela imitshayelo neelofu zezonka ezi ebusuku kurhonywa nje yayingamabalana ababedla ngokuxokiselana ngawo esikolweni xa bekwi-break yabo yasemini. Nangona ayemoyikisa la mabalana, uZozo, wayezimisele ukukhe akubone oku kuthakatha kusenzeka phambi kwakhe, mhlawumbi wayeya kubhala i-composition ngako. ‘Kuhlala abantu mors kwezi ndawo’, yaleqeka ingcingane yakhe, edidekile mpela ngala mavo. Abantwana abakhulele ezidolophini ke phofu bayathanda ukuzibonela izinto zisenzeka phambi kwamehlo abo bengazibaliselwa, yinto eqhelekileyo ke leyo. Wayeyintwana ekrele-krele eyayithanda ukude maxa wambi iyihambe into ngesandla ukuqinisekisa ukuba ikho, ingagqibeli ku’ndiva!

Lwagaleleka okunene usuku lokufika kondwendwe olunguZozo. Hayi imincili eyayilapho kaloku kusapho lonke luye kulanda uZozo eMthatha njengoko zazisezivaliwe izikolo. Lonke usapho lwalukhwele evenini eyi4x4 katata, kungekho ofuna ukuphoswa. Kanti nakuZozo buqu, babengathi abasafiki abazala bakhe, ababone nokuba bangabantu abanjani na abantu beelali.

Endleleni apha kuVukile ingqondo yayithwantula, imxelela izinto ezininzi ngalo Zozo, umzala wakhe. Kwingqondwana yakhe, wathi akuva ukuba uZozo uthetha isiNgesi kakhulu, noxa esazi isiXhosa, wazibuza ukuba, ‘he-e-e inokuba ungumlungu omnyama bethu … okanye ilawu elithile …’ hayi akagqiba ukumilisela ingcinga yakhe kulo mntu.

Ngoku siza kuthetha njani naye isiXhosa bethu? Wadubuleka ngombuzo owawungacingelekanga kwabanye uVukile.

"Hayi maarn Vukile, kutheni ungu’ngqondwana’ nje wena, ngumZulu lowa, kodwa uyasaz’isiXhosa kuba udabawo uthetha isiXhosa nabo", wamnqanda noko usisi wakhe, uBoniswa.

Kuthiwa kaloku uthetha isiNgesi nje …

Ewe kaloku toto kuba ufunda kwisikilo esinabelungu, emqhawula uBoniswa.

O-o-o, besendothukile … umlung’omnyama, yho? Ebamba umlomo wakhe ngesandla sakhe sokudla, intamo ibutshona emagxen’apha, buntlonirha. Bahleka bonke yile nkxalabo kaVukile.

Hayi ke yaba yimbonde-mbonde ekufikeni kwabo esitishini saseMthatha, apho wayehlike khona kwiGreyhound esuka eRhawutini uZozo, bazazisa kumza wabo, besangana iyiloo nto. Ekubuyeleni ekhaya, kwakusisankxwe emva phaya evenini, uVukile elindele ukude eve esi siNgesi sikaZozo. UZozo wayencokola ngesiXhosa esixuba nesiZulu, phofu siXhosa eso esinendawana eyahlukileyo kule bathetha ngayo bona o0Vukile apha ezilalini.

"I-yho, ii-rondavels ezingaka emzin’oyi-one!" Unxakame watsho uZozo, ekrobe ngefestile yeveni ebukela iilali.

Ngoorontawuli ntanga, wadubuleka uVukile, ngoncumo lokuzigwagwisa, emlungisile umza wakhe.

"Enkosi Vuki, thanks boy …" Wavakala uZozo, esajonge efestileni phofu, engananze nto koko akutshiloyo.

"Boy? Yhu ligama elithetha inkwenkwe nje elo. Lidla ngokusetyenziswa ngutitshal’omkhulu x’ebiza inkwenkwe."

Kaloku nawe useyinkwenkwe nje, yintoni engalungang’apho Vukile? Wabuza uBoniswa.

"Kaloku xa kutsho eny’inkwenkwe Boniswa maarn ayikho …" engagqibi ebonakalisa u’mnandi’ ngesandla.

Bahleka bayayatheka bonke evenini, uZozo embambazela egxalabeni, "sorry bhut’omkhulu, ungafi".

‘Yho, ingathi iyasibeth’isiXhosa le chap’. Wacinga uVukile, ethe ntsho uZozo ngoncumo.

Bagaleleka ekhaya kuyiloo mincili. Kwakhawulezwa kwaqokelelwa iigusha, kulungiselelwa ukuxhela. Wayethabatheke yiyo yonke nje into eqhubekayo uZozo. Wayenomdla nangakumbi kukuba, kazi le gusha iza kuxhelwa kanjani na. Hayi ke ulutsha lwasezilalini, oluthunywa lungali, lwayingqula phantsi igusha, tyhuthu-tyhuthu, tya-tya phaya iindawo ezithile ngephanyazo, yabe seyilungile inyama!

‘Ngokushesha okukhulu kangaka, yonk’into seyiright …’ Wacinga emangalisiwe uZozo, yonke le nto intsha kuye.

Wayezimisele ukufunda kanene, abuye aqhayisele abantakwabo noogxa bakhe ekhaya, eRhawutini, kodwa ke yonke le nto yayisenzeka ngephanyazo nje bethu, wayeya kuphinda alifumane njani ithuba lokufunda ukuxhelwa kwegusha, nawayekulangazelela kangakanana! Oku konke kwakungokubhalwa kwesincoko akubuyela esikolweni