Vhusiku vhutswu

By Tsireledzo Mushoma

The story is set in a rural village. It is about a sixteen-year-old school girl, Vusani Kwinda, who goes missing and is later found dead in a field. She was killed by her teacher who didn't want people to know he impregnated her. This teacher preys on poor young girls in the community by luring them with gifts and his wealthier lifestyle. His actions are motivated by his belief that he is avenging his wife, who was forced into an affair with her teacher years ago that ended tragically. The girls he preys on fall for his charms and don't see the hatred and the darkness in his motives until it’s too late.

• Language: Venda
• Publisher: Tafelberg
• Release date: Sep 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9780624069065

Tsireledzo Mushoma

Tsireledzo Mushoma lives in the bustling city of Johannesburg, which is a huge contrast from the village of Lwamondo in Limpopo where she grew up. She has always had an interest in stories and she is an avid reader. Her first break into the literary world was with the publication of a short story as part of a POWA anthology in 2005. Since then she’s written a youth novel, Nne na Inwi, which was awarded the Gold Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature (2008) and the M-Net Literary Prize (2010), both in the Tshivenda category. She has also written a romance novel, The Bridesmaid’s Lover published by Kwela in their Sapphire Press series.

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NDIMA 1

Vusani Kwinḓa o vha a tshi vho tou femeleka na u fhihamelwa. Zwi tshi ya huṅwe o vha a tshi ita a tshi ima uri a thome a homolowe nyana, hone-ha ḽo vha ḽi tshi vho kovhela nahone o vha a si khou ṱoḓa u ḓiwana a tshi kovhelelwa vhukati ha ḓaka ḽingafho. Ḓaka ḽone ḽo vha ḽi tshi khou mu ofhisa vhukuma, huno nga nnḓa ha ṋayo dzawe nṱha ha maṱari, phosho ye a vha a khou i pfa yo vha i ya zwiṋoni fhedzi. Iṱeli vhathu ḽa vhuya ḽa kovhela vho vha vha tshi ya nga mahoro vha tshi ralo u livha mahaya avho. Ee, ndi zwone na Tshivenḓa tshi tou zwi amba zwi khagala uri ḽa kovhela u laṱe mbaḓo vhusiku ndi dada ḽi a ḽa. Vusani na ene o vha a tshi ḓo vha o ya hayani arali hu songo vha dandetande na khaedu zwo mu livhanaho. A tshi humbula nga hazwo, maṱo o vha a tshi tsengisa zwikamba, miṱodzi ya ralo u ela, fhedzi a ṱavhanya a i phumula nga zwanḓa zwa tshikhipa tshe a vha o ambara. Khaedu o vha a tshi khou i vhona, fhedzi u lila zwo vha zwi sa tsha farisa tshithu. O vha o no vha muthu muhulwane lune o vha a tshi konou pfesesa nyeṱe ye a vha e khayo, naho muhumbulo wo vha u sa athu vhibva lune a konou i tandulula.

O vha o tou salelwa nga tshikhalanyana uri a swike mudavhini we a vha o Laedziwa hone. U vhona hawe vhuiwa ho no vha tsini zwo mu ṋea mafulufulu a u mbo ḓi thoma u hwenya uri u ḓo neta khathihi o swika. Mafulufulu o ṋaṋa musi a tshi vhona goloi ye ya vha yo paka henefho mudavhini. O ri u swika a hwenya a tshi ya kha baki tshena ya Nissan ye ya vha i na muthu muthihi nga ngomu. O mbo ḓi vula vothi a dzhena nga ngomu a dovha a ḽi vala. Muthu we a vha a ngomu goloini o vha a munna o ambaraho zwavhuḓi, we miṅwaha yawe ya vha i tshi humbulelea henefha vhukati ha mahumi mararu na miṅwaha miṱanu u yela kha mahumi maṋa. Vusani o ri u dzhena goloini a sa ambe tshithu, o lindela hoyu wa munna a tshi thoma.

Mulandu o tou ṱungufhala? avha vha munna vho vhudzisa vha tshi khou fara Vusani nga tshiṱefu uri vha mu sedze zwavhuḓi khofheni. Vusani ha ngo tsha kona na uri a nga fhindula, o mbo ḓi thoma u rothisa miṱodzi ha vha hu hone u thoma hawe u ṱhukhula tshililo. A tshi ya huṅwe a tshi honḓa sa ṅwana o dzhielwa tshimuṋemuṋe. A ya huṅwe a vho tou tswimila sa muthu o dzulaho tshiṱangani tsho ḓalaho mutsi. Muthu o dzulaho tsini nae o vha o no mangala a dovha a vhonala sa muthu o farwaho nga nyofho.

Mathina hu khou bvelela mini? Kani nṋe ndo ri mini? A songo lila, naho vho nga vha a mu kwengweledza vho vha vha tshi khou rabelela mbiluni uri Vusani a ṱavhanye a ḓikuvhanganye. Zwe vha vha vho ḓela zwone zwo vha zwi tshi ḓo konḓa arali a tshi vho sokou lila-lila. Vusani a tshi pfa u kwengweledziwa a mbo ḓi tou ṋaṋa u lila. Hu sa athu fhela tshifhinga khofheni ho vha ho shingidzhela miṱodzi ha dovha ha khakhaṱhela maduda. Avha vha munna vho sokou isa phanḓa na u kwengweledza, vha vhuya vha bvisa na tshidugu tshavho tshikwamani uri a phumule miṱodzi. Vusani o mbo ḓi ṱanganedza tshiḽa tshidugu a ḓiphumula miṱodzi a fhedza a fumula maduda, a konou pfa uri a nga konou amba.

Nga Mugivhela ndo vha ndo ya kiḽiniki. Vho khwaṱhisedza uri ngoho ndi na thumbu.

Na dovha na yela mini kiḽiniki? A thi ri inwi muṋe no vha no ri no pfukiwa? A thi ri ndi zwe na mmbudza izwo? Zwo vha zwi tshi pfala nga ipfi uri haya mafhungo o vha dzhiela mutakalo. Vho vha vha sa ṱoḓi vhathu vhanzhi vha tshi zwi ḓivha uri Vusani u na thumbu. Zwino manese a kiḽiniki o vha a tshi vho zwi ḓivha, hu si kale muvhundu woṱhe wa Davhana u dovha wo ḓala hei phungo.

Vusani o mbo ḓi sokou sedza nnḓa a tshi nga ṅwana o wanedziwaho a khou guma swigiri. A wana a sa tsha kona u pfesesa uri ndi zwifhio zwa khwine zwe a vha o fanela u vha o ita.

Nahone hezwo kha ri zwi litshe ngauri a zwi na mushumo. Tshihuluhulu tshine inwi na fanela u humbulela tshone ndi vhumatshelo haṋu. Ee, ndi zwone no khakha fhedzi a si inwi wa u thoma a thi ri?

Vusani a tendelela.

Zwino ni songo pfa u nga no fanela u tambula. Ni nga kha ḓi vha na vhumatshelo ho no fana na ṅwana muṅwe na muṅwe ane na dzhena nae kiḽasini.

Vusani u pfa ayo mafhungo a vho thoma u vhonala a tshi tsha tshifhaṱuwoni. Zwe ene a vha o no zwi humbula ndi uri tshikolo ho vha hu hone tsho mu fhelela nahone ndi hone thambulo i tshi ḓo ḓiṋea maanḓa. Arali hu na iṅwe nḓila ya khwine o vha a tshi ṱoḓou i pfa. Avha vha munna na vhone vha takala vha tshi vhona uri u khou sumbedza dzangalelo kha zwine vha khou amba.

Kha ndi ri, zwine nda khou lingedza u ni vhudza ndi uri, ni tshee muṱuku, ni kha ḓi vha tshikoloni. A si khombe-khombe uri heyi thumbu ni ise phanḓa nayo. Vha mbo ḓi guma henefho vha tshi ṱoḓou vhona uri Vusani aya mafhungo u ḓo a ṱanganedza-na. Vusani o mbo ḓi sumbedza uri ha imi nazwo na luthihi nga u tou dzungudza na ṱhoho o khwaṱhisa.

Ndi khou tenda ndi tshee tshikoloni fhedzi u thutha thumbu ndi nga si zwi ite na luthihi!

Ni na muṅwe muhumbulo wa khwine? Ni nga vha ni sa zwi ḓivhi uri ṅwana u a ḽa, u a ambara, u a lwala tshiṅwe tshifhinga. Ni ḓo zwi konisa hani ni sa shumi?

A thi ri … a vha nga nthusi nga tshelede ya u mu alusa? Hufha ṅwana a wavho?

Ho vha hu hone-ha tshifhinga tsha u mu sumbedza uri zwithu zwi a shanduka vhutshiloni. Zwauri vhone nga u tou ri hu na tshifhinga tshe vha vha vha tshi khou bvisa vhuludu ngae zwo vha zwi sa ambi uri vha Mbo ḓi thoma u bvisa tshelede ya u wonḓa ṅwana lini.

Uri ṅwana ndi wanga ndi zwi ḓivhisa hani? Vho vhudzisa vho no tou mu ruḓela na maṱo.

Vusani u pfa ayo mafhungo a vho sokou pungaila. Mathina? A hu na muṅwe muthu we nda vha ndi khou pfana nae musi. Arali a si wavho ndi wa nnyi?

Nṋe hezwo a thi zwi ḓivhi. Ndi khou tou ḓiambela-vho uri zwauri ṅwana ndi wanga ndi zwi ḓivhisa hani? Nahone inwi ni na vhuṱanzi nazwo naa? Nahone arali na vhudza vhathu ayo mafhungo vhathu vha ḓo kholwa inwi kana nṋe? Inwi ni sokou vha ṅwana wa tshikolo ane a khou pomoka muthu a ṱhonifhiwaho hafha lushakani. A hu na muthu ane a ḓo tenda mazwifhi hayo!

Fhedzi a si mazwifhi!

Vusani o vha a sa tsha pfesesa uri ndi ngani vho no mu shandukela, ngeno hu si kale henefha o vha a tshi ri a tshi shaya tshithu vha mu rengela. Zwa zwino vha vho tou rwa ṱhoho na fhasi.

Nṋe ndi khou tou ni fha ngeletshedzo ya mahala. Athiri vha ri tsiwana i laiwa nḓilani, a si zwone kani? Zwino inwi ni na nḓila mbili khedzi dzine na nga dzi dzhia. Ya u thoma, ndi ya uri ni tshimbile ni tshi vhudza vhathu uri nṋe ndi khotsi a ṅwana, hai vhathu vha ḓo tou ni sea na litsha tshikolo musidzana. Ya vhuvhili ndi u thutha mihwalo heyo hu tshee zwino ra namba ra a hangwa haya mafhungo fhano ṋamusi.

Vusani o vha a tshi vho tou tswimila hu miṱodzi hu maduda zwo sokou ṱanganana zwi tshi lembukana lu ṋengisaho.

"Zwino inwi ni tou ṋanga uri ni fara ifhio nḓila. Fhedzi nṋe ndi khou ni eletshedza uri ni fare