Ithemba Alibulali

By Maphili Shange

Le noveli yathola uMklomelo wesiThathu emcintiswaneni wokubhalwa kwezincwadiowawuhlelwe nguMnyango Wezobuciko, Amasiko Nezokuvakasha wesiFundazwesaKwazulu-Natali ngokubambisana nabashicileli bakwa-Nasou Via Afrika ngonyaka we-2007. Le noveli ikhuluma ngezinselelo ezisematheni kulezi zinsuku: ukuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane ngezindlela ezinhlobonhlobo, ukufuna ukuceba ngelanga, ukungethembekikwezothando, izinkinga zezidakamizwa, njalonjalo.

• Language: Zulu
• Publisher: Via Afrika
• Release date: Sep 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781415452622

Book preview

Lo mzamo ngiwethula kuPhumla noBanele, izingane zami engizithanda ngenhliziyo yami yonke.

Elokubonga

Ngibonga uDkt. Nakanjani G. Sibiya ngezeluleko zakhe. Ungadinwa nangomuso. Ngibonga nodadewethu abebelokhu benginika ugqozi ngokufunda esengikhubhalile. Ningadinwa nakusasa.

Isahluko sokuqala

Wehla emotweni yakhe ngelikhulu ijubane uZakes Duma. Waziphosa nje endlini emva kokuvula isicabha ngesankahlu. Uma engena emnyango ezwe ngalena elawunji ukuthi kukhona umuntu okhuluma nomkakhe, athi ukuma kancane ephaseji elalelisisa ukuthi izwi ngabe elikabani leli elikhuluma nomkakhe.

Kuthi makafe uma ezwa ukuthi ngelikamzala kamkakhe lona othanda kakhulu ukukhuluma. Avesane anqume kona ukudlula azishonele ekamelweni labo angababingeleli nokubabingelela.

Uyabekezela mntaka-anti nkosi yami, sekwenzenjani uZakhele engasasibingeleli nje? kubuza yena umzala kaNomusa ebuka uZakes engena efukuzela edlula behleli enza sengathi akababoni.

Amahlala khona ntombi, sengivele ngizibukele nje ngingasho lutho ngoba vele ngizophendulwa ngenhlamba uma kungesona isibhakela, ngingaze ngimelwe yinhliziyo ntombi ngishiye izingane zami zincane kangaka. Hhayi sengivele ngizibukele nje kanjena.

Bathi besakhuluma kanjalo bathuswe ukubhodla kwalo ibhubesi ngalena ekamelweni. Waya egijima uNomusa umkalo eyozwa ukuthi lifunani.

"Liphi ihembe lami eli-blue Nomusa?" esemhlahlele amehlo efutha namakhalakazi akhe. Ezwe zigcwala amehlo izinyembezi uNomusa kwazise ukuthi useyamazi ukuthi ubanjani uma esefuna ukususa uchuku.

Ngicela ukulibheka ukuthi alikho yini ezingubeni ezilindele uku-ayinwa. Akawagwinyanga nalawo mazwi wase emgibele ngesibhakela emlahla phansi.

Into oyaziyo ukukhuluma izindaba nalo cevuzile owumzala wakho, awukwazi ukungilungisela izinto zami engizidingayo. Engakaphenduli nakuphendula uNomusa wezwa ngempama ewugesi imvala amehlo, wathi esathuswe yilokho wezwa ngenqindi eyamshaya waye wayothi fofobala lapha phansi. Wathi eselele phansi yeza kuyena inja yamkhahlela waze waphelelwa umoya.

Laqeda ukumkhahlela kanjalo ibhubesi laphuma lagaklaza isicabha, laphuma laya kozibhekela omunye umfelokazi elithandana naye ohlala eV V khona lapha eMpumalanga e-Unit 6 ngenhloso yokuya kopholisa ikhanda. Phela yisoka umuntu lona kanti futhi uyabathanda laba abafelwe amadoda abashiye nezimali. Nayo le ntokazi yaseV V umyeni wayo wayekade esebenza enkampanini enkulu kawoyela khona lapyana eThekwini, washona engozini yemoto. Wayebe ukuthola nje ngomzala wakhe awayethandana nomzala womfelokazi lowo ukuthi le ntombazane umyeni wayo uyishiyele imali umfo kaDuma wanikela khona eyozibika ingakakhumuli ngisho nezingubo ezimnyama ingane yabantu. Wayilalisela ulimi yaze yavuma ukuthi balokhu bebonana ngasese. Bathe nje besanda kuqala ukubonana osizwile basho emzini ukuthi kukhona umuntu esekhokhobela umakoti nokwaphetha ngokuthi umndeni unqume ukusheshe umkhumule inzilo umakoti. Ngoba vele wawungasekho umsebenzi wayo kwazise naye umakoti wayengayihloniphi.

Imoto wayeyingenise ngesikhulu isivinini egcekeni lakwaDolly okuyilona gama lomfelokazi wakhe. Wathi eyingenisa nje imoto wayegxuma ekhipha ubhiya efrijini, uDolly ewubeka phezu kwetafula kanye nengilazi, waze wabeka nebhokisi likagwayi nomentshisi kanye nento yokuthintithela, elungisela isithandwa sakhe. Wavula wangena uZakes kwazise naye unokhiye wakhe walayikhaya. Wangena ekamelweni lokuphumula wahlala kusofa wakhe obhekene nethelevishini lena ephezu kwekhabethe lezitsha wathula wangakhuluma elokhu esinikine njalo isimehleza sekhanda lakhe. Abuye athwale izandla ekhanda.

Sawubona Zakhele ngingakuthelela ubhiya? kubuza yena uDolly ezincengela ngoba ebona sengathi ulwandle lugcwele. Eish. Unjani kodwa Madolly wami? Yebo ungawuthela ubhiya ngiyabonga. Asukume uDolly agqigqizele ethela ubhiya amlayithele nosikilidi ambekele esitsheni sokuthintithela umlotha. Athathe ingilazi uZakes ayishayele ekhanda ayibeke phezu kwetafula ingasenalutho abuke uDolly bese evula izandla ethi makasondele kuyena. Eze uDolly afi ke agone kuyena bese ecamela esifubeni. Yini baba, tshela mina udinwe yini?

Uyazi Dolly uNomusa useyangicika ngempela manje yeyi futhi angazi ngimenze njani uma engidina ngalolu hlobo.

Kodwa nawe s’thandwa kade ucula iculo lokumdivosa lo Nomusa wakho, hhayi nami sengikhathele phela kunini ngilindile ukungena ngibe uMrs Duma ngokugcwele. Ukhuluma nje ulokhu emphulula umkhabakazi wakhe abuye alokhu emqabula kancane ehwanqeni. Imamatheke kancane into kaDuma.

Khululeka Dolly, uNomusa ngizomdivosa kungekudala, thula wena izinsuku zakhe sezibaliwe kwazise useyadelela kakhulu njengoba sekujwayele le nto ewumzala wakhe nje laphana kwami. Angazi nje ngangisukwe yini ngishadana nale nto embi zikhona izingqazu eziyinina Dolly wami.

Awuzwe-ke ubaba esengigcona, isho imphulule kakhulu intokazi aminye ngokushesha engilazini kabhiya lena abesephinde wamthelela yona uDolly. Awusukume Dolly mntakwethu sihambe siye kolala.

Kade ngizibuza ukuthi ubanjwe yini mntakwethu. Washo wasukuma wamdonsa ngesandla bebheke ekamelweni labo bangena bavala maqede kwazwakala ukuphenduka kukakhiye esicabheni.

Ukhuluma wonke la magama nje uZakes uhubhuza aluhlaza cwe amanga. Isisusa sokudinwa kwakhe kwakungesiyena uNomusa njengoba esho nje. Wayecikwe ngukuthi laba bantu abanabo ematekisini babemnqabele ukuba afake elinye itekisi lakhe emzileni lona osuka eMpumalanga uya eThekwini. Babemtshele ukuthi kuzofanele azame kweminye njengaseMophela kanjena ngoba okwamanje ayesemaningi kakhulu amatekisi ahambela iTheku kanti umzila lowo wawungebhizi kakhulu. Nakhona wayeselwa nabantu nje nemali yokuthenga lelo tekisi yayingakahlangani kahle. Pho-ke vele ayikho into umuntu angayikhuluma njengoba nalo Sosesheni wabo uphethwe yibhinca elingazi lutho. Alinankani umhlola. Aphazanyiswe ukukhuluma kukaDolly njalo esekhala ngokuthi umzibile. Baxoxe ubusuku bonke uDolly emtshela ngezinto ayecabanga ukuthi bazenze uma esemdivosile uNomusa.

Wayethe angayizwa nje imoto iphuma ngesango wasukuma uNomusa esaba nanokuthi uzofi ke athini kuFiki umzala wakhe ayazi kahle ukuthi wayengeke ayeke ukumsola ngokuhlala nale ndoda engamphethe kahle ngalolu hlobo. Ngicela ungabe usasho lutho mntakamalume, ngiyamthanda uZakhele noma angangenzani. Zizehlela njalo izinyembezi. Kanti khululeka nje mzala ngeke ngisho lutho, kuphela nje ngithi kuwena impilo yakho iyodwa cabanga nje ukuthi ufuna ukuyiphila kanjena uze uyofa yini. Athule nje uNomusa elokhu edle ngokuchiphiza, wona amagama kaFiki athanda ukuyithola indawo kodwa wabuye wathi naye uFiki ukhulunyiswa wukungazi ukuthi kwenzekani ngaphakathi kuyena. Woza ngiyokwenzela itiye ekhishini mzala uzohamba uye kolala uzame ukukhohlwa yilo doti owuZakhele. Amdonse ngengalo baqonde khona ekhishini.

Nakho ukulala kwakuwukusho nje ukuthi ulele ngoba ubuthongo abuzange bufi ke nhlobo kuNomusa. Kona noma ungasho ukuthi uyaziqinisa kodwa kubuhlungu ukwazi ukuthi umyeni wakho akasenandaba nawe kunalokho usumbangela isicefe nje ngokuba khona kwakho lapha endlini. Wayelokhu ehlalele ethembeni lokuthi ngelinye ilanga umyeni wakhe uyozishaya babuyisane babe wumndeni njengasekuqaleni kodwa manje amathemba ayeya ngokuya eshabalala.

Kwase kuyiyo impilo yokukhala imini nobusuku uma ehleli yedwa. Okubuhlungu nje ukuthi njalo uma kukhona into emcasulile uZakes kungaba yizintombi noma abantu asebenza nabo, uNomusa uyena njalo owayehlala ethwala amacala abo. Wonke umuntu osondelene naye wayesemncenge waze wancama ukuba amshiye uZakes kodwa uNomusa wayevele abone amahloni okuba wumabuyemendweni, athi uzobekezela.

Unina kaNomusa wayeze esabe nokuthi uzogcina embulele uma kuhamba kanjena ngoba phela konke ukumshaya kwakhe kwakukhombisa ukuthi akasamfuni empilweni yakhe. UNomusa wayebuye akhale nangokuthi ukwehlukana kwabo kuzohlukumeza izingane. Unina akhale ngokuthi nakho ukuhlala zibabona bexabana kanjena kwakuzihlukumeza. Kodwa kuko konke ukuhlupheka kwakhe uNomusa wayenamahloni okudivosa kunakho konke.

Into eyayibuye icike kakhulu unina kaNomusa ukuthi uZakes lona ingane yakhe wayeyikhiphe esikoleni ifunda wathi yena akazoba naye unkosikazi osebenzayo sengathi uyisichaka. Kodwa manje wayebona ukuthi nakho ukungafuni ukuhamba kukaNomusa wukuthi usenqena ukuqala phansi abe wumthwalo wabantu njengoba engasebenzi nje futhi engakaze asebenze empilweni yakhe. Kodwa-ke wayesebuye azitshele ukuthi usephilela abantwana bakhe ngoba vele ayikho enye into eyayimsalele lapha emhlabeni. Ngakho uma elahla ithemba ezibulala izingane zakhe zazizoba yini nje ngempela?

Isahluko sesibili

USabelo wangena egalaji lokuthela uphethilolo waze wacishe washayisa omunye umama owayenqamula ngaphambi kwemoto engamboni ngendlela ayesekhathele ngayo. Phela akudlali ukushayela itekisi zonke izinsuku. Buka nje njengoba kuyihora lesishiyagalolunye ebusuku nje yena wayevuke ngehora lesine ekuseni evukela kona ukuba aye koqala umsebenzi ngehora lesihlanu. Kodwa kungcono ngoba usezothela uphethilolo bese ehambisa imoto kubo kwayo bese eya kozilalela. Kodwa kuzofanele aqale kwaSophie ayothatha noma okuyiniphu ukuze athole ubuthongo obusheshayo.

USabelo lona wayekade ezalwa abazali abame kahle impela ngoba babenezitolo ezimbili kanye namatekisi amathathu. Babeshone engozini yemoto eminyakeni emibili edlulile kwasala yena uSabelo nezingane zakwabo ezimbili. Kwathi uma sekufundwa incwadi yefa kwatholakala ukuthi abazali babebhale yena njengenkosana ukuthi