Chapter 20
Izinto zenzekile, ubomi besendisithi buphelile. Amathemba wona angunda. Bathi liduduma lidlule kodwa lishiya umzila, ukuva kwam ukuba uMandla ubhubhile. Lonto indenze andizibona ndiphinda ndithandana nomnye umntu, bendiyintombi ehamba ecaweni ndijongene nencwadi zam kuphela. uMama ebesoloko endinika ithemba kuba bendimbalisela ngendlela endiziva ngayo kwaye ndisenza intando kamtyholi kuba kukhona ixesha apho ndiziwisela ezindywaleni kodwa akwalunga kuba uMama ebendicebisa eligxalaba lolilela. Eyona ibindihlukumeza ibikukuba indoda endimithisileyo itshabile. Ndizibuza lo mntana ndzomthini. Bathi uzala kuzolula, kodwa kum ibikuzophula. Kungoku nje uMandla ebefake ezimnyama emahlweni ithe kanti uyaphila, bendingakholelwa. Ndibambe umntanam, ndamgodla kuba bendingasamthembi uMandla xa ekwazi uzifihla iiminyaka kucacile zonke izinto unawo amandla azo. Ukhulule izperks, sajongana wabe encwinise amehlo. Besise dolophini eGcuwa.
Mandla:“Ndiyavuya ukubona umphethe kakuhle umntanam, lonto kuyacaca usandithanda.”
Ntando:“Kutheni usitsho khandinike isizatho soba uthethe lonto?”
Uye walaqaza ingathi ujonga umntu omlandelayo.
Mandla:“Asinothetha kwenye indawo mhlawumbi?”
Ndiye ndanyeka nam ndibubhideka.
Ntando:“Ok akhongxaki.”
Mandla:“Ndilandele.”
Ndamlandela esiya kungena emotweni, bendingamthembi ndisoyikisela umntanam nam ukuba angabaleka nathi apha ndingathini? Uvule icango wandijonga, watyatyadula esithi,“Ngena?” Ndiye ndanyeka-nyeka ndinexhala bendinesikrokro. Ndangena.
Ntando:“Kubekho net wazama ukwenza into embi ndzozophula ezifesitile zale moto yakho ndikhwaze abantu.”
Wahleka umntanam ebechophe phezu kwam edlala nge dushboard.
Mandla:“Haha, lonto ithetha ukuba awundithembi ne?”
Ntando:“Ewe ndzokuthemba njani, khumbula kaloku ukugqibela kwam bekusithwa ubhubhile kwaye ndinemibuzo eliwaka.”
Mandla:“Haha Ntando zange ndibhubhe mna yinto oyithathaphi leyo?”
Ndivele ndamjonga nje.
Ntando:“...”
Mandla:“Ok ke ndiyayazi ndiyenzile into, uyakhumbula ela suku ndisiya esibhedlele noSindiswa?”
Ntando:“...” Ndanqwala.
Mandla:“Esibhedlele ndangeniswa eICU kodwa uTatakho zange onele nje kundidubula waye waqesha abantu ukuba bayondigqibezela kanti omnye wabo ngu mzala wam. Yabe kanti, ícousin yam indithumelela eBhayi kuba noTatakho waphuma msinya ejele. eBhayi ndiye ndalulama, ndabuyela ekhaya eDikeni kuba uSindiswa uye wagxothwa ngabantu basekhaya basokuva ukubangaba nguye unobangela wokudutyulwa kwam. Ndaye ndaqina isibindi kuba ndicing'uba usekhona eDimbaza, Ndayocela uxolo ku Tatakho eDimbaza kodwa zange avume kwabe kubonakala yena nomamakho abasadli ngendebe endala akusekho mvisiswano. uMamakho uthe xa ndiphuma nge gate wandilandela wandikhwaza ndava ngaye ukuba uhlala apha ngoku, wabe enezingqala endixelela ukuba angavuyela ukubuya kwakho endicela ukuba ze ndizothetha kuwe ngokwam kuba enethemba lokuba uzondimamela. Bhabha uyazisola uNakhane ngokugxotha.”
Inye jwi into ibindikhathaza, ndiyayiva yonke lento kodwa leka Nakhane ibindihlupha kuba xa ndithetha inyani sekunjenje kungenxa yendlela zam ezingena nyani. Nangona abakwa Sobukhwe bengena ngxaki nje kodwa bendihlale-ndihlale ndikhumbule apho ndisuka khona, ndikhumbule ngezantsuku kwakusemnandi ndingekayingcamli ingcindi yekhala. uGlenda soze wafana noNakhane, nokuba ndingazama kangakanani umthethelela kodwa ubukhona umohluko phakathi kwababantu bobabini. Bendihlala ndisithi uNakhane akandifuni kodwa utshaba ndim nendlela zam ezingena nyani.
Ntando:“Ndikubuzo umbuzo omnye kodwa iimpendulo zakho ziliwaka.”
Mandla:“Kaloku Ntando ndifuna ucacelwe.”
Ntando:“Ndiyahamba.”
Nditsho ndivula icango lwemoto ndaphuma, okugqiba ndalivala ndibheka pha. Ebendikhwaza, inyembezi zabe zisihla ngelixa ndiqinise intloko ndibheka pha. Into ibindikhathaza ibikukuva ukuba uTata noNakhane abonwabanga emtshatweni wabo ngenxa yezenzo zam ezigwenxa. Ndimise ítaxi, ndakhwela ndohlikele elokishini. Ndaya endlini, ndifike ndabeka umntanam esofeni ndamjonga.
Ntando:“Umbonile uTata?”
Khalima:“Tatamkhulu.”
Ebengekakwazi kakuhle uthetha oyena mntu ebengu Tata kuye ibingu Tat'Sobukhwe. Ndiye ndamondlelela phantsi ndambekela íítoy zakhe, wadlala phantsi ndimjongile. Besendisela íjuice nge glass ndakhe u4 esofeni. Umntanam ibiyeyona nto endiyiphilelayo ngoku. Bendingenabahlobo, ndinengcinga ezinintsi engqondweni yam. Ingqina bendithi ndakuva kuthethwa nge ‘depression.’ ndibenovalo kuba bendikholwa kuhlala ndedwa nto leyo ndingazange ndacinga ukuba ingenzeke ebomini bam. uGlenda ebebuya ngobusuku, sele ediniwe besinganalo ixesha elininzi mna naye.
Namhlanje bekungecawe, ndivuswe ngu Glenda esithi masilungiselele ukuya ecaweni. Ewe kaloku apha kukwaSobukhwe uTata ka Glenda ngumfundisi. Ndihlambe uKhalima ndamnxibisa ndagqiba ndahlamba mna, kungoku nje besise motweni ka Glenda. Bendinxibe iskirt sejean esimela emadolweni ne shirt emnyama ndiyihlohle apha esinqeni kwesi skirt esihlangwini ndichophisile ndigodle umntanam. Ukuva kwam bekuthwa izobayinkonzo enkulu namhlanje, eholweni edolophini yiyo lonto ndiye ndazinyanzela kuba andinguye umntu ohamba inkonzo kakhulu ngoku nangona iyinto yalapha ekhaya nje kodwa bendiyiva ayisekho segazini. Sifike edolophini eholweni, kugcwele qhu iimoto kwabe kuduma íkeyboard ngaphakathi nee worshiper's. Siye sangena ngaphakathi. uTat'Sobukhwe ebehleli nabanye abaafundisi eqongeni ngapha kwetafile kukho iibhayibhile ecaleni kwabo. Ndiye ndahlala ngemva, babe bekhonza ndabe ndigodle umntanam. Bezimane zimisa ezi worshiper's kuthandazwe, ndiye ndaphuma kuba uKhalima ebelila ndiyaqonda ebelambile. ndingene emotweni ndamkhuphela ípurity. Bendilapha ecaleni kwe moto, ndimchophise ebhuthini yemoto ngaphambili ndabe ndimile ndimane ndimkhamisisa lonto bendingamlibali uMandla kunye namazwi akhe ebenkenteza qho endlebeni zam. Ndive ngomntu endirhweca egxeni ndajika ndamjonga, ibingumntu ongu bhuti.
“Molo?”-Utshilo lo bhuti.
Ntando:“Ewe.” Ndanqwala.
“Ngu Bonani Mthanjiswa lo, wena ke princess kuthwa ungubani?”-Utshilo lo bhuti efuna undixhawula isandla, siye saxhawulana.
Ntando:“Ndingu Ntando Sobukhwe.”
Bonani:“UNtando ndiyaqala umbona princess.”
Indlela ebethetha ngayo nam ibinendlela nje yondihlekisa.
Ntando:“Haha enyinto andisoloko ndingumntu okhoyo.”
Bonani:“Ok ngowakho lomntwana?”
Ntando:“Ewe.” Bendingenantloni ngaye ngumntanam eyonanto engazange yenzeke ebomini bam ebeyinto enkulu kum eyinto yonke, ndiyayazi abantu bebesothuka ukuva lonto kwaye lonto ndayamkela kudala ukuba ndingumzali.
Bonani:“Mhle ukufuzile.”
Utsho embamba ngobhontsi esidleleni ndancuma.
Ntando:“Enkosi.”
Sajongana ibingathi ufunda incwandi ebusweni bam, ndaqhwanyaza, ndityatyadula ndithi,“Masingena enkonzweni sophoswa lilizwi.”
Bonani:“Oh..” Utsho ezulisa ejonga ixesha esihlahleni wakhokela samlandela singene eholweni, wayohlala ngaphambili ndahlala ngemva. Imic ibikomnye uMfundisi, wabe eme epulpitini.
“Bathandekayo kwabangandaziyo ndingu Mfundis'Mthanjiswa, hayike andina mfazi kunoba niyazibuza ngutata otheni lo ongena msesane. Owam wasishiya, nokumbona kwelizayo. Ndinabantwana ke, ndibafundisile. Yazi uThixo nokuba abantu sebesithi bagqibile ngobomi bakho, bekuhleka sewuyintlekisa kwizihlobo nakomakhelwane kodwa uThixo uyakwazi ukwenyula ukuba nje uthi Thixo-Thixo nakule ingxoko-ngxoko ndoyame ngawe, qha ke uThixo esimkhonzayo ufuna umntu onesineke. Halleluya..”-Mfundis'uMthanjiswa.
“Amen..!”-Abantu ebandleni.
Mfundis'uMthanjiswa:“Xa ungumntu funeka ubenentliziyo enyamezelayo umcenge uThixo nokuba sewuyibona imeko ithi akho Thixo. Ubovele uqonde kungona uThixo afuna isililo sakho, kuba kukhona ixesha apho uThixo afuna ukhongozela inyembezi zakho ngelixa wena uthi uyancama kanti leli uThixo azilungiselela ngalo ukusebenza ngenyembezi zakho. Neentombi ezilishumi ezazilinde umyeni, ezintlanu kuzo zozela zalala ezintlanu zahlala zilinde umyeni...-”
Uvele wakhamisa wama, xa sijonga emnyango ndothuka ndazibamba esifubeni, uNakhane wabe echulile efake ízperks echophisile ephethe ibhayibhile enxibe ezimnyama yanga ungathi uzilile yabe íkeyboard isitsholo emazantsi ethe chu onke amehlo ethu sele ekuye.
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