ISAHLUKO 1
Ukubuya kukaCele
ekubhungukeni kwaba yindaba egudwini. Phela uCele ndini wayehambe washiya
indodakazi yakhe uThandiwe iselusana olubomvana. Namuhla isineminyaka
engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, useyayifanisa nakhona; useyacabangela nje ukuthi konje
ingabukeka kanjani.
Zikhonkothe
ziphindelele izinja. Baxwaye oMaXaba noThandiwe kanye nomfanyana uSimilo.
“Ngabe zibona bani nje ngempela?” Kubuza uMaXaba ngokwesaba. “Hhayi mama,
mhlawumbe ngumuntu nje ozedlulela ngendlela,” kuphendula uThandiwe ngokunganaki.
Okungumfanyana uSimilo kwase kozela, ngakho bathi beqambe bemqalaza laba
besifazane wayesethe shophe egunjini lakhe lokulala. Nakhona simane siyasho nje
ukuthi uSimilo lona kwakungumfanyana. Empeleni wayesekhulile ngeminyaka ngoba
wayeselihlanganisile ishumi leminyaka.
Bathi besathule
oMaXaba belalele izinja; kwase kuzwakele ukungqongqoza. “Ngubani lowo?” kubuza
uthandi ngengebhe. “Cha, yimina ubaba walapha ekhaya ngivuleleni.” Waqala
ukwexwaya manje uThandi, kodwa wathatha wathi, “Ubaba walapha ekhaya washona
kudala, angikwazi-ke wena ozibiza ngobaba ukuthi uvelaphi.”
Lase liqale
ukuqina izwi likaThandiwe ngoba edinwa isenzo salendoda ephandle. “Thandi
mvulele sizwe ukuthi uthini ezohamba ngokushesha,” kwasho uMaXaba ngezwana
elalikhombisa nje ukuthi wayekulangazelela ukubona loyomuntu owabe engqonqoza
ebumnyameni.
Avule-ke uThandi
njengokusho kukanina kodwa angundaze nje ukukhombisa ukuthi akasithandi
lesisenzo sikanina sokuthi avumele ukuthi kuvulelwe abantu kube sekuhlwile.
Amane athalalise nje uMaXaba sengathi akakuzwanga ukungundaza kwendodakazi
yakhe.
“Sanibonani
nonke ekhaya,” kwasho lendoda ngezwi eliphansi. “Yebo sibona wena muntu
wokuhamba,” kuphendula uMaXaba ngezwi elalingathi lalinokuziphoqelela kancane.
“Angazi noma usangibona yini MaXaba mkami?” kubuza lendoda ingambhekile
kwaloMaXaba eyabe ikhuluma naye. Lombuzo walendoda wafana nomkhonto
enhliziyweni kaMaXaba. Wayengakulindele ngempela lokhu ayekubona kwenzeka
phambi kwamehlo ache. Ngempela kwakungumyeni wakhe uCele lona owayehleli phambi
kwakhe. Umyeni wakhe ayeshade naye ilanga libalele kubuka wonke umuntu. Khona
wayebenakho ukusola ngesikhathi isangena lendoda kepha wayebuye wawuphebeza nje
lowomcabango ngoba wayengasakulindele ukuphinde abone umyeni wakhe emva
kweminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu abhunguka.
“Cha
angisakuboni muntu wezizwe,” kuphendule uMaXaba ngokuziphoqelela. Khona manjalo
wathi lacu uThandiwe waqonda egunjini okwabe kulele kulo uSimilo eyobheka
ukuthi wabe esalele kahle yini. Emva kwalokho waqonda kwelakhe igumbi lokulala
wafike waziphonsa kowakhe umbhede.
Ngalesosikhathi
uMaXaba wayesethole ithuba elikahle lokuxoxa nalendoda eyayizibiza ngomyeni
wakhe. “Cele uma kuwukuthi nguwe ngempela lo; awungitshele uphumaphi? Emva
kweminyaka engaka?”
“MaXaba yimina
ngempela mkami; awuphuphi,” sekuphendula uCele ngesibindi ngoba isiphumile
lengane ayeyenqena. “Impela angiwakholwa amehlo ami. Nguwena impela Cele? Wena
owangizwisa ubuhlungu obungaka, wangishiya nosana ngincelisa? Ngabe uvelaphi
nje? Sengihlupheke kangaka ngithungathana nawe?” kubuza uMaXaba ngolaka olubi.
“Yimina impela MaXaba mkami sengibuyile” kuphendula uCele ngamahlonyana.
“Impela
uMvelingqangi ngabe uyakwazi ukuphendula uma engibuyisele wena mgulukudu
ndini,” kwasho uMaXaba sakukloloda. “Awungitshele; ngabe sekufe abantu
bakulemizi obubhungukele kuyo yini?” kusaqhuba yena uMaXaba.
“Kahle Nonkosi,
bengingabhungukile mina, ngangiyofuna nje imali yokondla wena kanye
neyokukhulisa umntwana wethu uThandiwe” kuphendula uCele ngovalo sekumkhanyela
nje ukuthi uMaXaba wayengamemukeli ngalendlela yena ayekade ecabange ngayo.
“Hhayi cha izinto ziman’ukwenzeka inkos’impela. Ukhona umuntu ongahamba
iminyaka emingaka ethi uyosebenza? Awubhali nancwadi ekhombisa ukuthi usaphila
na. Umthetho wawuthi kusale kwadliwani layikhaya?” kusabuza yena belu uMaXaba.
“Phela angisheshanga ukuwuthola umsebenzi mkami; ngicela uxolo ngakho konke
engakona ngakho MaXaba.”
Kwabe
akalikhiphile lelo uCele, wasukuma wasidinda isililo uMaXaba, “Hhe, uthini?
Uthi uzocela uxolo Cele ngoba sewazi ukuthi usuzokufa? Ngeke uze ukubone lokho!
Ungizwa kahle Cele ndini? Phela ngingaphenduka ihlaya abantu bethi
ngangikwemukelelani ngingazi nokuthi uvelaphi futhi uphethwe yini.”
“MaXaba mina
sengaphenduka futhi akukho ukugula okungiphethe; sengizelwe kabusha angiyona
neze lento oyicabangayo nalena angahamba ngiyiyo layikhaya. Ngempela ngicela
uxolo,” kusho uCele ngezwi elidlekezelayo.
Wakubona lokho
uMaCele wezwa efikelwa ukumdabukela lomyeni wakhe wolahleko. Kwakufanele. Phela
kwakungaphelile ukuthi kwakungumyeni wakkhe womshado lowaya. Noma ayemphathe
kabi nje ngokubhunguka iminyaka kodwa kwamfikela ukuthi naye wayengumuntu
eluding uxolo. “Ngiyezwa Cele, ngiyakwamukela mina uma uqnisile ngempela ukuthi
usungumuntu ozelwe kabusha, kodwa-ke angazi soyenzenjani le yokuthi
ngakukhulisela ingane Cele; uThandiwe. Angifuni nje nokuyikhuluma,” kusho
uMaXaba igwebu lokuthukuthela nesilokazane sekuthe ukwehla.
“Hhawu
ngiyawabonga amazwi akho okungemukela mkami. Noma ubungangenza isimba
salayikhaya bengizobonga ngoba sengifana nendodana yolahleko kuwe. Ngicela
intethelelo ngazo zonke izono zami engazenza kuwena,” kusho uCele eqala ingoma
yesonto ayengayazisisi kahle. Wayibhidilidha njalo yaze yaphela. Yize ayesebona
uMaXaba ukuthi uCele wayesephendukile; wamexwaya. Wazibuza ukuthi kwakungani
ebuyile; yini eyayimenza ahlulwe ingoma yesonto uma ngempela ayengumuntu
owayesephendukile. Kuyena yayilula ngempela leyangoma ngoba wayekholwa
wngasinisi mahleza. Nokho-ke wawuphebeza lowomqondo ngokuthi wayengeke azazi
izingoma ezaziculwa uCele esontweni lalapho ayebhungukele khona. Wayethi uma
ecabanga leli lokubhunguka ashaywe oluncane uavalo angalwazanga ukuthi
kwakungolwani. Kwasekuhlwile ngakho
bahamba bayolalaemagumbini ahlukene, intake yabe ibekelwe amazolo ngakusasa.