Ukuphuma kwenkosikazi efukwini nempelo yam, udadobawo wesuka kwakhe weza ekhaya, wafika wothula isiqhova, wamthiya igama umntwana. Akuzalwa umntwana usapho lubangisana ngokumpha igama, ibe ngulowo afune kume elakhe.
Waka wathi ke ubawo uTshangisa ndisekweliya leKapa, “lo mntwana ndamthiya igama ndathi nguNyaniso; ndandiba uya kuba nenyani. Andizange ndilibone ibhedengu elinje ngalo mntwana! Ulikhanyele tu igama lakhe.”
Okona kuyinyani kukuba umntwana akathiywa uyazithiya elona gama lakhe. Zizenzo zakhe ezimchazayo ukuba ungubani na elona gama lakhe.
Nokuba abazali nosapho bangampha liphi na, elakhe uza kuzithiya akuba mdala. Kunjalo nje igama athi azithiye lona alibi kukuthanda kukabani, liba kukuthanda kwakhe yena siqu.
Ukuze uqonde ukuba likukuthanda kwakhe alingeni nasezincwadini kuba akahoye kubizwa mntu ngalo koko uzibiza yena ngezenzo zakhe. Akukhathaliseki ke nokuba elo gama lingenxa yezenzo ezihle okanye ezibi kusini na. Ubulungisa abenzayo ubenza engadlule mntwini, nangobubi abenzayo akananze mntu.
Uke wathi umfo katatomncinci kum, “mntakwethu akupheli mandla kule nto yakho yokuzala ngedolo. Uza kuzigqiba uphele uthi tu ngaba bantwana, kuba ke bathi bakukhula bakukrune!” Ubuye wazinqwanqwa ke ukayise ngelithi “phofu ndithi mawuthini mntakatata iligama lakho nje elo?”
Xa ndibona oonyana neentombi zabantu eziziphethe kakubi apha phandle ndiye ndicingele abazali babo. Ndithi “kowu! Ukuba abazali bakhe babeyazile ngebangazange bamthiye kwagama lo umntwana; ngebabemlindile azithiye eli gama libi azithiye lona kungokunje!”
Abazali bathi ngokungazi bazidine bamthiye igama umntwana, bamnike neziteketiso ezimnandi, bemkhomba kuyo yonke imisebenzi emihle abamnqwenelela yona. Kuthi emva kwaleyo nkxamleko asuke yena abe ngurhuqaphantsi!
Kwaesakhula umntwana ke kambe, uye athiywe amagama ngamagama, abantu bebonela apha kwizenzo zakhe zokukhula.
Kambe ke wona lawo magama ahamba ahambe atshitshe njengoko naye eguquguquka apha ekukhuleni, kubekho izimbo athi azishiye avelise zimbi.
Akuba mdala ke uye agoloze akubizwa ngalawo magama, angawafuni, kuba kaloku ngawezimbo zokukhula ezingasabonakaliyo kuye.
La magama okukhula ke ayafana neliya athiywa lona umntwana akuzalwa, ayaphelelwa, umntwana azithiye elakhe ngezenzo zakhe.
Kambe ke ikho imbinana yabantwana ethi iwagcine de azaliseke amagama ayo okuzalwa. Athi umntwana ukuba kwakuthiwe nguNtsika suka abe ngumntu ekumiwe ngaye kokwabo, uSinethemba abe lithemba labo bonke ekuhlaleni.
Amagama okuzalwa akasoloko eyiminqweno. Wambi achaza inzima nesimo nesiganeko esingqonge ukuzalwa komntwana. Uthi omnye ebenguLiminkanga kuba wazalwa nyakana uyise angazange alungelwe emasimini, asuke umntwana abe ngumlimi ophum’ izandla.
Aliguqule ke igama lokulima inkanga, into engatyiwayo, abe ngumvelisi ngomhlaba odumileyo. Ngale ndlela liguquke igama lokuzalwa ukusuka kokubi awazalelwa kuko ukuya kokuhle akwenzayo.
Sithini ke ngoko? Siyeke ukuthiya abantwana kuba sisithi baya kuzithiya besakuba badala? Nakanye! Masibathiye abantwana, kunjalo nje sibathiye kakuhle enokuba sibazalela kobunjani na ubugxwayiba.
Ukubathiya amagama kokona kuya kusingqina thina ukuba sibe sibhadlile ekubazaleni kwethu, kunjalo nje sabasikelela ngamagama esibanike wona, sibalisa kananjalo.
Ukuzinika magama wambi kwabantwana makuyekelwe kubo, ukuze kuthi ukuba athe amabi amagama abo ngokwezenzo zabo gugwetywe bona.
Kazi ungubani na wena elakho igama ozithiye lona? Goba msenge iibhokhwe zikutye!
Owenu kwisiXhosa, Nxuba
USteve Barker umchaze njengeqhawe uRayners ongcwabe iPolokwane City