Ndisoloko ndisala ukuvuma iingoma zaseMaMpondomiseni phakathi kolunye uhlanga. Isihloko seli nqaku yingoma yakwelakuthi. Njengokuba ubuninzi beengoma zaMaMpondomise zikhwinisa kuninzi lwabezinye izizwe, kodwa le ndiqinisekile ingathandwa phantse sisizwe sonke.
Susela oko ndathi ndathatha umfazi, sele ndashiywayo ziintanga zam, andizange ndahlala ngaphandle kwakhe. Ukungabikho kwethu ndawonye silusapho isoloko ikokwexeshana, engaba mhlawumbi omnye wethu usathathe uhambo. Ngako oko usapho lwam ngumsimelelo wam!
Ekungxameleni kwam ukushiya elobukhoboka ndigoduke, ndithathe isigqibo sokwamkela umsebenzi omtsha kufuphi nelizwe lam lokuzalwa.
Oku ndikwenze ngokungxama ngenxa yokukruquka kukuhlala kwilizwe elingenalo nesuntswana lobomi endibaziyo endilihleli iminyaka engaphaya kwamashumi amabini. Engako yona iminyaka yobubhantinti nobukhoboka!
Koko kungxama ke, ndishiye usapho lwam ngasemva ngelithi lobuya lulandele njengoko abantwana bephakathi esikolweni.
Umfazi yena ebenolahla kwingxelengo yakhe nangaliphi na ixesha kuba mna ndoda yakhe ndiyamsebenzela, akukho nto inyanzelisa ukuba makasebenze, usebenza kuba efuna njalo.
Andizange ndaxakwa kangaka bubomi ngaphandle kosapho lwam! Ukuphuma kwam kwigxamesi ebendibekwe kulo ngumqeshi wam omtsha, ndingena kwelilelam, andizange ndihlupheke kangaka!
Ndihlupheke kwanga kumhla ndanikela umva ilizwe lakowethu ndisiya emlungwini kwelaseKapa. Iinduli neentili neentaba nemifula namathafa elakowethu ndawalilela okontwana owanyayo ekhalela unina.
Okuye uduladula elishiya elakuthi kokuye ndaye ndisiba buhlungu, de ndangena kumqwebedu wamathafa abhalwe indlala nembandezelo – zoma iinyembezi, ndanikezela.
Ukungena kwigxamesi endizifunele mna, ekuphelelweni lixesha kwelo lomqeshi, ndifike kwihamte legumbi ebelindilinganisa nokuba ndisemnxebeni. Kwimini yokuqala ndalala kungekho midiyadiya ezifestileni.
Kusuku lwesibini ndaxhoma ilakane lemandlalo kuba ndingekafumani thuba lakuthenga imidiyadiya. Ekuyifumaneni kwam imidiyadiya andikwazanga kuyixhoma, ndasuka ndayijingisa ngamasondo okwela lakane lemandlalo, yashiyana yanjalo ke.
Ndithenge ingxowa yamaphepha okuziphipha nendithe xa ndiwadinga kwathi kanti ngamaphepha esentla okwasula izandla nezitya, hayi okuziphipha. Kwekhu madoda! Xa bendithenga isephu, isephu yokuqala endidibene nayo ibe yileya ingamanzi yezitya, ndayithatha kuba ndisazi ukuba nayo ndiza kuyidinga, kwathi kanti kuphela!
Kusasa xa ndilungiselela ukuya emsebenzini kunyanzeleke ukuba ndihlambe ngaleyo ingamanzi yezitya, ndizixolisa ngelithi yisephu nayo. Andixwebanga iinto ezazilapho!
UMamTolo kwizitya awayendiphathise zona ukumka kwam eKapa kwakukho nomatshini wokufudumeza.
Loo matshini ndawunyikinyela ndawuncama ungavumi ukusebenza, ndathi makube ufumene isifo endleleni. Mhla wafika yena ufudumezele ngawo ngaphandle kwamagingxigingxi. Bubuqaba bam bethu!
Kumalakane emandlalo uMamTolo wandiphathisa anxitywayo, adibanisa imandlalo iphela. Ndiwajikajike ndawancama ndingayifumani tu indlela yokufakwa kwawo.
Ndawafaka ngendlela eyenza arhuqa phantsi, ndiwanyathela nangezihlangu. Alungiswa kwanguye mhla wafika, yatsho yafaneleka imandlalo. Zininzi ke izinto afike ndingenazo kweli gxamesi.
Ukutya kwam ibingumvubo kuphela, ezinye ezi izinto ndingazi ukuba ndiza kuziqala ngaphi, ngaliphi ixesha. Ufike kungekho nomabonakude lo, ndizihlale njee okomkhwetha.
Le ntsokolo indenze ndayicinga ingoma yaseMaMpondimiseni ethi “Wabulala umnt’ ogubayo uza kuphekelwa ngubani?” Ndavakala ndilingqina elokuba “akulazi ixabiso lento onayo de ikuphuluke.”
Bendihlala ndimkhumbuza uMamTolo, xa endihlupha, ukuba indlela eya kowabo mhlophe makangene kuyo agoduke xa engakwazi ukuhlalisana nam.
Aphendule ngelithi mandiyozixhoma kuba elo xesha alinakuze libekho, akanobuyela kuyise engumabelechwakruchwakru kubeni wayemnke engawentombi. Emva kwale ntsokolo, andinakuze ndibuye ndimqhule ngolo hlobo. Lazini ixabiso labafazi madoda. Goba msenge iibhokhwe zikutye!
Owenu kwisiXhosa, Nxuba.
USteve Barker umchaze njengeqhawe uRayners ongcwabe iPolokwane City