Umhlangengxaki

By HN Yako

Izulu lazongoma, umoya wavuthuza. imvula yana yangamatyhantyasi, ilizwe phandle lagqunywa sisithokothoko sobumnyama. Ngobo busuku bungasokuze bulibaleke, kuloo fama inkulu kunene, kweso sithili saseMthatha kwindawana ekuthiwa yiCicirha, kwakulele kwigunjana lelo poma lendlu, umninifama owayegama linguMhlangengxaki.

• Language: Xhosa
• Publisher: Via Afrika
• Release date: Dec 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781415461396

Book preview

Izulu lazongoma, umoya wavuthuza, imvula yana yangamatyhantyasi, ilizwe phandle lagqunywa sisithokothoko sobumnyama. Ngobo busuku bungasokuze bulibaleke, kuloo fama inkulu kunene, kweso sithili saseMthatha, kwindawana ekuthiwa yiCicirha, kwakulele kwigunjana lelo poma lendlu, umnini-fama owayegama linguMhlangengxaki. Eli laye ililixa lakusasa, kodwa incwina eyayilapho yayinganyamezeleki. Ecaleni kwakhe kwakuthe chu uGcinamahlebo, umfazi owaye ngumgcini-khaya apha. Lo mfazi wayebonakalisa ukunxunguphala okukhulu ebusweni bakhe ngathi ulindele into engehlayo nanini na. Wayemana ejonga kuloo mandlalo womguli aze aphinde ajonge kwelinye icala efixiza. Omnye umntu owayekho ngokubizwa kweli gumbi lokufa yayinguGqirha uShimali, umfana owayeseze ngobuso elizweni, ingcaphephe ubuhomba, imvuze-mvuze ububele.

Kuthe emva kwethuba kulawula ucwangco kuphela, lathi lakuthi gogololo iphika kumguli, nencwina sele ithothile, wavakala esithi, Uze uqonde kakuhle, gqirha, ukuba njengoko eli hlaba lisathothile, ndiyavuka ngoku, ndiya kujonga ubisi lweemazi zam zeenkomo ezisengwayo. Ndifuna ukuqonda ukuba izicaka ziqhuba njani na. Nalo mphathi-fama uSgomfolo akathembeki. Ndifuna ukuya ngokwam. Waphendula uGqirha Shimali, Ukhona uGcina uya kuwukhangela loo mcimbi. Waza wabhavumla uMhlangengxaki, UGcina uxakeke kakhulu, zininzi izinto ezijonge yena. Kuthe emva koku, wajika uMhlange (kuba belifutshaniswa ngolu hlobo igama lakhe) wajonga eludongeni ubuso bakhe beeshwaca, nencwina yavuka kwakhona, amehlo wawavala. Ugqirha wamnika ichiza lokuthothisa iintlungu. Emva kwethutyana wee balulu amehlo, wajonga kugqirha, wathi, Ndiyabulela gqirha, iintlungu zithothile. Ugqirha uphume phandle, waya kukhwela emotweni yakhe wagoduka, eyaleza okokuba ukuba kukho nto ityhulu, maze abizwe ngomnxeba.

Kwasezinyaweni zakhe kufike umbingeleli ekuthiwa ngumfundisi uSelekho Mgcawempuku, wecawe kaVukayibambe. Lo mfo wayedume kakhulu ngentshumayelo nokuthandaza, umfo owayesithi xa ethandaza, angathi iNkosi uyibambe ngomnwe. Yakufika le ndoda kaThixo, ithe makuqokelelwe abantu kweli gumbi lomguli. Emva kokuba ilihlabele iculo, itsho ngomtyabulo womthandazo, icela uSomandla ukuba abe nemfesane kumntu wakhe, amphakamise kule ndawo akuyo njengokuba wayesenjenjalo kudala. Emva kwalo mthandazo, baziva bonke behlaziyekile emphefumlweni, nombingeleli ngokwakhe waziva onwatyiswe kukwenza umsebenzi omkhulu kangaka. Umfo lo kaloku le mvaba akuyo kudla ngokuhlekiswa ngayo zezinye iimvaba. Ke ngoku xa anokuthandazela abantu bezinye iimvaba, loo nto ilinqaku kuye.

Ukufika kukaDlikidl’umkhala

Kwalapho kweso sithili kwakukho inkintsela yexhwele, into ebizingca ngokuhlaba imihlola nangokunyanga izifo ezinganyangwayo ngoogqirha abamhlophe. Wakha naye wazidina ngokuya kubona le ndedeba igulayo. Ufike evathe izidanga zobugqirha, ehombe ef’ amacala, ephethe ugxogxo lwemvubu oluhonjiswe ngamaso amabala-bala. Uthe ukuba angene kweli gumbi lomguli, wathimla futhi-futhi, watyityimbisa umzimba, waya wee vu ecaleni kwebhedi yesigulana. Lo ke yayinguDlikidlumkhala, nto nje igama lalifutshaniswa kuthiwe nguDlikidla. Lo mfo wayethanda kakhulu ukuzigqatsa ngolwazi lwakhe lokunceda abantu kwiimeko ngeemeko zeli hlabathi lidlulayo. Iintombi ezazifuna ukwenda wayezinceda ngale ndlela. Emveni kokuba kuxheliwe inkabi yebhokhwe emhlophe ekhayeni lentombi leyo ifuna ukunyangwa, yena athabathe umswane webhokhwe leyo awugalele entloko yentombi leyo, aze ayifunze ngezinja ukuya emlanjeni iyokuhlamba phambi kokuba ibuyele ekhaya. Le ndlela yokunyanga ibingaqhelekanga, singenakuyazi ubunyaniso bayo, kuba amanenekazi ebengafuni ukuyilinga, kuba wona akholwa zizinto ezihamba phantsi. Ubude uve abanye ootishalakazi besithi, Ngumntakabani lo uza kufunzwa ngezinja, abonwe nasisidenge ukuba unxanelwe ukwenda.

UDlikidla lo msebenzi wakhe esizweni wawumkhulu ngokutsho kwakhe. Ootitshala noomabhalana ababefuna ukungahlukani nemisebenzi yabo, wayebalungiselela ngokwemali abanayo.

Nanko ke namhlanje uDlikidlumkhala, inkintsela yexhwele izokunyanga uMnumzana uMhlangengxaki into yasemaNgqosinini, isinhanha saloo ngingqana iCicirha. Maze umfundi aqonde le nto yokuba uDlikidla akazange abizwe kweli khaya, nto nje ubone ukuba enako ukubusebenzisa ubukiringwane bakhe ngobuchule, angafumana lukhulu kulo mzi.

Ke uDlikidla lo wayengahambi yedwa, wayehamba nesibonda selali, uNgangenyathi. Wawungathi wakuva igama eli, ulindele ukuba uza kubona igqomo-gqomo lomfo, kanti hayi, wakuba umbonile ubungeva sewusithi nguNgangekati, kangangobuncinane bakhe. UNgangenyathi lo wayengumfo omfutshane, ongenasiqu, obhityileyo, onokhohlokhohlo olungapheliyo, onedladla leenwele ngokokude ngathi uyasindwa yintloko. Lo mfo wayengazanga abe nelizwi lakhe. Wayedla ngokuthi akubuzwa uluvo lwakhe ezimbizweni apho kubambene amacala amabini, Intetho yeli cala ndiyahamba nayo, nentetho yeliya icala nayo ndiyahamba nayo. Omabini anyanisile. Ngulo mfo ke lo wayepheleke uDlikidla.

Ukukhula kokufa

Kusegumbini lokufa kwaMhlangengxaki. Kweli gumbi kukho uSelekho

Mgcawempuku, uDlikidla, uGcinamahlebo noSibonda uNgangenyathi. Ngeli thuba

umguli usafumene isiqatyana ezintlungwini, ulele ubuthongo. UDlikidla ufuna

ukunyanga ngoku. Uqale aphose amathambo, aze atsibe ngapha nangapha, ujonga

emathanjeni aze andule athethe. Kuthe cwaka nzwanga. Lo mfo kudala egula.

Cwaka. "Lo mfo ugqitywa yimpundulu! Le nto asuke waphela kungokuba imhlalele,

ayimphi thuba!! Vumani! Vumani!!" Cwaka. Kuthe xa kulapho asuke uDlikidla

acule, yi-awu, yi-awu, awu, awu!! Andule uSibonda naye angenelele kule ngoma.

Bobabini batsho ngohlwahlwane lwengoma. Suke umguli aphakame, abuze ukuba

kwenzeka ntoni na apha kweli khaya, amchazele uSibonda, uMhlange abuze

kuSibonda ukuba yinto ezakwenza ni le. "Uyakholelwa emaxhweleni, Sibonda?

Ayakwazi ukunyanga?"

USibonda. Ewe, ndiyakholelwa kuwo, kanti ngenye indlela andikholwa. Ayakwazi ukunyanga kanti ngamanye amaxesha awakwazi. Ngeli thuba umguli wayesel’ emana ethetha enephika. Eyona nto ayicacisayo yeyokuba mabaphume emzini wakhe naloo mathambo abo, yena akakholelwa kwizinto zobumnyama, nakumaxoki angamaxhwele, akafuni zinto zinjalo emzini wakhe, yena uthandaza uThixo ophilileyo. UDlikidla noNgangenyathi baphuma benyoshoza, bexela izinja eziba amaqanda. Ithemba elikhulu lokufumana umvuzo omkhulu laliphelile kuDlikidla.

Emva koku kukhathazeka kungaka, uMhlange ulele ejonge ngaseludongeni, ubuso buxwebile, ezama ukufihla imo yakhe kwabo bamongayo. UGcina watsalela ugqirha umnxeba emxelela ukuba uMhlange uvukwe yinto yakhe. Ndiza kuyeka yonke into endiyenzayo, ndize apho ngoku,’’ waphendula watsho ugqirha. Ukufika kukagqirha wabona kwangoko ukuba isigulana sakhe sibambekile kakhulu. Eyona nto yammangalisa ngakumbi, kukufumana umgcinindlu, uGcina esezinyembezini. Wanyanzeleka ukuba enze imibuzwana embalwa. Ngaba kanene umguli lo unenkosikazi? Iphi? Inkosikazi yakhe, uNowinile yasweleka kudala, abantwana bakhe babesebancinane, waphendula watsh’ uGcina. Kanene abantwana bakhe bangaphi, bephi? wabuza ugqirha. Abantwana bakhe baseDyunivesithi yaseFort Hare. Intombi enkulu nguNontente, isithuli, nenkomo edla yodwa. Yona ifundela isidanga sobutitshala (B.A.). Encinci uNomhle, intandane kayise ithatha ikhondo lomculo (B.Mus.) UGqirha Shimali ubhekise kuMhlange, Ndicinga ukuba mabaziswe ngemeko yempilo ekhaya apha. UMhlange: Ngaba kukho nto enokufuna kukhathazwe abantwana ngayo? Ndihlala ndibambeka ngolu hlobo ndiphinde ndiphile. Andiboni mfuneko yale nkxamleko."

Ugqirha: "Ndifuna ukubacacisela ukuba esi sigulo unaso kuthiwa ngesilungu yi-Angina Pectoris, oko kukuthi ngesiXhosa, kukufa kwentliziyo. Intliziyo inokuyeka nanini na ngaphandle kokunika umqondiso. Yiyo le nto kufuneka bexelelwe ngobunkenenkene bempilo yakho ngoku kuselithuba, khona ukuze bangothuki kakhulu."

"Kazi ukuba siya kumthini na uMhlehle (isiteketiso sikayise