Sunday, September 7, 2014

UBABA- isahluko 1

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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.