Bhota Nonceba!

Wala nje ukuba uNonceba ayishiye ibhulorho le yasedolophini eGcuwa, waphuma ngasekunene elanda indlela yenqwelo leyo iya kuCentane. Lalishushu ibandezi laloo mini. Wayeziva ediniwe kakhulu kuba loo ndlela yonke ukusuka eNtlambe ukuya eGcuwa, wayeyihambe ngeenyawo, ngoku ke wayephinda kwangazo ethwele izinto-yinto abeye kuzinkinkqa edolophini.

Kwala kanye ukuba abe sesinqeni seqhina elo, weva ukuba ikho le moto ingasemva kwakhe, wathi cebu ecaleni ephepha uthuli. Ithe nje ukuba idlule kuye, yema kwehla inzwana yomfo efanelwa ludevu lwayo oluhle, enwele zimnyama khaca, phofu yona ikhanya ngebala. Lo mfo wayenxibe umbhinqo ongwevu, nehempe emhlophe engenabala, efake izihlangu zofele lwedonki (suedes), emehlweni enxibe iiglasi ezimnyama ukunqanda imitha yelanga. Lo mfo weza kuye selaneke izandla kade, ekhongozele loo mithwalo yakhe. Nto imothusileyo umntwana kukuva lo mfo esitsho ngezwi elimnandi encumile, Bhota Nonceba! Bhota Bhuti, wafana watsho ekhohliwe. Loo mithwalo yohluthwa phofu ngobubele esala nayo yena, yafakwa phaya ngasemva apho emotweni, waza yena wavulelwa ucango leli nene, kwisihlalo esingemva apha emotweni; kuba ngaphambili kwakuhleli inenekazi elivethe ezimaweza. Akazange awaphakamise amehlo akhe uNonceba akubona ukucoceka kwale moto, ngaphakathi kukhala ibhokisi yeendaba zomoya. Wacinga ngaloo maxabashishi eembadada angawenzanga ngokupheleleyo umsebenzi wawo, wokugquma ezo nyawo zizele uthuli, engasathethi ke ngemilenze ebikhe yadibana namafutha.

Nonceba sithandwa, ingaba ikho imfuneko yokuba ude uzenze inkamela ngomthwalo ongaka? Ngani ukuba ungaxeleli utata abophe inqwelo yoondlebende ize kuyiphuthuma le mpahla? Hayi noko, bantu basekhaya, niziphethe kakubi.

UNonceba wakhetha ukuthula kuba wayesazi ukuba umsakwabo wazi mhlophe ukuba abo ndlebende athetha ngabo, bayalima emasimini. Ngaphezu koko engaboni zintloni ekubeni athwale entloko, isiqhuma sombona, abeleke emhlana esinye, ngengalo yasekhohlo ajingise ubungxowana, eli xa phantsi kwekhwapha langasekunene wayenomgodlo wembewu yeetapile.

Le nto yokubona udade wabo apha kule moto, yamothusa kakhulu uNonceba. Udade wabo lo uFuneka, waye elinenekazi lodumo, ehamba kweziphambili iindawo. Into yaba nye eyammangalisayo ke uNonceba, yeyokuba noko kubafana baseGcuwa kwakungekho unesivetyuma esinjalo semoto, waza ke wamangaliswa ukuba kazi bahlangene phi na noFuneka. Ngalo lonke elo xesha, imoto yona ishiya olumbhoxo uthuli ngasemva, itsho badumzele beqalekisa abahamba ngeenyawo nabakhwele emahasheni, beqalekisa zonke izithwanga-thwanga ezayila iimoto, izinto ezibandeza indlela kwaye zibatshiza nangodaka mhla inayo, kanti zibashiya bemthuthu ngexesha lembalela. Umntu, ngomona wakhe! Akungeze wamfeza, makayekwe; ulingene Lowo wamdalayo qha ke yihlo! "Nonceba, sihlobo, ndiyabona ukuba mandizazise kuwe, kuba ndiyabona ukuba uFuneka uyilibele loo ndawo. NdinguLindile Fuyama mna; ikhaya lokuzalwa laliseMatatiyela kwesikaNcanywa, kwilali yasePholile ngokuya ke sasingekatshiphi phaya ekhaya. NdiliBhele lakwaKhuboni. Ngoku ke ikhaya liseBhayi kula lokishi yakwaZakhele. Kodwa sithenge umhlatyana phaya entla kwenu kanye. Sifike izolo. Bendiye kuhlola idolophu nokuya kukhangela iincwadi eposini. Udade wenu lo sihlangene kusasa esaya edolophini, ndincedwe nguye ukundihamba-hambisa khona endalathisa iindawo ezibalulekileyo. He!

Uya kangaphi edolophini ngenyanga okanye ngeveki? Mna ndiya rhoqo, ibe ke umama akangeze achase konke ukukukhwelisa mhla aya kuthenga naye. Kulungile ke, Nonceba? Yeha! Kutheni akwaphendula? Uthanda ukuyihamba ngezikaTshiwo le ndlela inde kangaka?

Hayi, Lindile, yini ukumpheka umophula umntwan’ asekhaya? Akaqhelanga kuncokola namntu uyindoda konke, kwaye kunjalo nje indalo yakhe ubathiyile abafana, ngakumbi abanenjongo.

Yammangalisa le nto uLindile, kuba yena akazange abone ntiyo kuloo mehlo, koko wabona nje umntu ozele luthando oluvalelwe ngaphakathi, kubonakala ukuba umninilo uzele ziintloni nokoyika umsakwabo ekwahla kwamcacela ukuba kwaba babini, akukho mvisiswano iyiyo.

Oyena mntu wamangaliswa kakhulu ngala mazwi, yaba nguNonceba. Wayemazi ke yena udade wabo lo, kodwa engazanga wayicinga ukuba into enje ngale angayithetha. Yena phaya ekhaya wayengazange waba nalo ithuba lokuhlala, abuthe, ancokole nabanye abantwana. Ngulo Funekandini owenziwa iqanda besakhula, yena kwafuneka eqhelene nawo wonke umsebenzi wendlu. Wayeqala ukuva ukuba kanti yena ehleli nje uwathiyile amadoda.

Bathi nje ukuba bafike ekhaya, wabe lo mfo selephandle eququzela ekhupha iimpahla ezo zikaNonceba. Emphathisile, yekoko ukusinga endlwini yokupheka. Wazibeka nje, wajonga kumninizo, waza, enoncumo wathi, Noko andikholwa ukuba kukho nto yaphukileyo. Sala kakuhle ke, Nonceba. Abakha babonana baya kuphinda babonane.

Yonke ke le nto yehla ngexeshana elifutshane kangangokuba uNonceba angabi nalo ithuba lokumbulela, nelokumcela ukuba akhe achophe afumane nento ephungwayo. Phofu eneneni kuyathandabuzeka ukuba wayeya kukwazi ukutsho njengoko wayengaqhele kuthetha nokuncokola namadoda.

Akufika emotweni yakhe phaya ebaleni, wagangwa yileya nzwakazi inguFuneka se imbuza ukuba angathini ukuya kungena ekhitshini, ngakumbi kulaa Nonceba ungakhathali nokuba kumdaka kangakanani na kanti yena uthanda ukuba kucoceke xa aza kusebenza khona.

Ngalo lonke eli xesha umfana umi encokola ngelatshana lempumlo elicocekileyo,uvuthulula umgubo noboya bengxowa azuzene nabo okuya ebencedisa uNonceba. Wathi akuva ukuba eli nenekazi linje liyaya nalo ezimbizeni, akabi nakuzinceda ukuba abuye akhangele ezo nzipho zinde okwezokhozi zaza zaqatywa bomvu. Akwabikho nto naseminweni intama ukutshiswa yimililo, nokusikwa ziimela xa kusikwa naxa kunqunqwa mhlawumbi kukelwa iitapile. Kwangoko wajonga kwezakhe, wabona apho ebetshe khona kanye ngaloo ntsasa xa ebesusa imbiza yobisi esitovini kuba lwabila lwaza lwaphalala Nkosikazi esaxakwe ngomnye umsebenzi.

Iyonke ke le ntetho yenza ukuba athi uFuneka akuthi, Hayi wethu ikho ibrashi phaya endlwini, ngena ndize kukuvuthulula lo mgubo eli xa silinde iti.

Hayi ndiyabulela kakhulu Funeka, ngenye imini ndiya kungena, ndingxame kakhulu, bendithembise uma ukuba ndobuya kwangoko ndiye kumnqumlela inkhuku uyoyika kakhulu loo nto naxa inyama yayo yona engayichasanga nje. Gquzu bahleka intsini bobabini. Watsho engena emotweni ebasa umfana kuba wayebona ukuba loo ti axelelwa ngayo iza kwenziwa loluya sizana alushiye lumatshekile phaya ekhitshini, ibe kwakungekho nolu lokubetha inja okuya ebekhe waphosa amehlo apho kwelo gumbi.

Ngobo busuku zaba mnandi iindaba phakathi kukaFuneka nonina, embalisela ngako konke okuthe kwamehlela okumnandi kwada kwavela esi sikhubekiso salo mntwana unguNonceba. Mama, yatsho intombi enkulu, utsho nje wena ungambonanga ihlazo ebelilo kanye xa singaseSimithi. Ndakhohlwa apho manditshone khona xa athi uLindile, Lolwaphi olu sizana, masilusize. Ndafana ndathi nguNonceba, lowa undalekelayo, andazi ukuba kutheni na ukuze abe kule meko."

Ngalo lonke eli xesha uNonceba yena nanko estadi noyise emfundela izicatshulwa eBhayibhileni kuba indoda·enkulu ingasaboni kakuhle xa kulunyekwe isibane, ngoko ke xa kufuneka ilungise iintshumayelo zayo, bekufuneka ifundelwe ezo ndawo izityumbayo ngokuzazi okuya ibisagqadaza izenzela into yonke.

Njengoko uyise waye engumfundisi kuloo ndawo, ayizange ingcinga kaNonceba ingayicingi into yokuba kanene uLindile nabazali bakhe bangakho ngemini elandelayo enkonzweni. Wayeya kusuka athini ke! Ezi ngcinga zinje zambangela inkathazo kuba kwacaca ukuba akaseva naxa uyise amyalela ukuba alese kwenye indawo. Waba sisisulu sokungxoliswa ngakumbi ke namhlanje. Ingqondo yalo mntwana yaye isoyika ukuba hleze laa mfana afune ukumazisa kubazali bakhe, ngakumbi kuNkosikazi awayeqonda mhlophe ukuba uxelelwe ngolu dwayi belusindwa ngumthwalo ngale mini. Ngenxa yoko ke, wazimisela ukuba kuthi kugqitywa nje ukwamkelwa ufefe, abe yena seletsiba phandle, yekoko ukuya kutshona endlwini yokupheka ukuze bathi bonke abantu bephuma enkonzweni abe selephele emehlweni. Ngemini yeCawe, kwasa libalele nasebukhweni bezinja. Uthe ekwezo ngcinga zaziwa nguye yedwa, kwangena uFuneka kwelo khitshi esisifu. Nonceba! Ucinga ntoni ngale bhlawuzi? Kunini uyithunga, uya kuyigqiba nini? Iyintoni yona ebangele ukuba undi-ayinele ilokhwe ibe nye, nokwenza le nto? Thatha le uyi-ayine ngoku kuba ndiza kunxiba yona. Phakamisa iinyawo ke ntombi kuba ixesha limkile, watsho ke wee khwitshi uFuneka akuba emphosele loo lokhwe amakayi-ayine.

Kwala kanye xa kuthi makafe ngumsindo uNonceba kuba elibele kukutshokotsha isitovu separafini singavumi ukwenza ilangatye elililo aze kude agqibe lo msebenzi wakhe, kwee gqi Nkosikazi. UCirhakazi lo, wayefike noko sekusemva ngalaa mini kwakubunjwa abantu ngophezu kweento zonke, ngoko ke wasel’ efumana umbhoxokazi wentloko ebunzi lifutshane. Babesitsho ke abamelwane xa bemnxwala ngale ntloko yakhe, phofu noxa inkulu, akuqondakali ukuba yayinolutho elulayishileyo kuba ibanga lesithathu wayeliphinde kane wada uyise wancama wamkhupha esikolweni.

Nonceba, ungathini ukuthi usazi ukuba kuza kubakho iindwendwe namhlanje ezibalulekileyo kangaka, ungamlungiseleli uFuneka izinto zokunxiba? Uphoxa ngosana lwam? Hi! Injongo yakho kanye yintoni? Ngoku ulibele kukunyika-nyika esi sitovu endaweni yokuba u-ayine loo lokhwe! UFuneka undixelela ukuba wenza ngabom kuba ube umbonile laa mfana, weva naxa athi nabo bangamaTshetshi, ngoko baza kuza enkonzweni namhlanje. Ize ke ndifike usathe phuhlu amehlo apho kuloo tafile, inene uya kundazi, ndifung’ uZihendane!

Wawenza uNonceba lo msebenzi ngocoselelo nangenyameko. Into owawungabona ngayo ukuba lo mntwana usentlungwini, ziinyembezi ezazenze isiphango ukuhla kwezo zidlele zigudileyo. Wayesakuthi akucinga lo mntwana, amangaliswe ukuba yintoni eyenza ukuba athi uFuneka engoyena mdala, kodwa ibe nguye omakamhlambele, amthungele, am-ayinele yonke into ukanti yintombi njengaye. Kugqithise ukuba buhlungu xa inguNkosikazi kanye lo wenza loo nto. Amaxesha amaninzi ibikhe imfikele ingcinga ethi akanguye walapha, ngakumbi kuba yena ebentsundu ngebala efana noyise elixa bonke abanye bebegwangqa njengonina. Oyiswe yinto enye, ubefana nonina ngaphezu kwabo bonke ngaphandle nje kwentloko, kuba eyakhe yayingqukuva okwesheleni, ifana nekayise ngoko.

Okwenene yakuba iphumile inkonzo, waphuma kuqala wabaleka ukuya kutsho ekhitshini njengoko bebehlala emishini