Umhle xa unxibe kakuhle

Kule mihla akusekho ndawo kuthiwa zezohlanga oluthile, siphila ndawonye sinkcubeko-ninji sinjalo. Ukungazi iinkcubeko zabanye kuyaphoxa ke kambe.

Mhla bendise inqwelo-mafutha yakuthi kuxilongo olumiselweyo layo ndixakene nenkosikazi yelawu ebindinceda kwicala lolwamkelo. Nanjengomntu oxilongisa kulo mzi, ndiyaziwa luninzi lwabasebenzi bawo, kuquka nale nkosikazi ke. Emva kokuba sibulisene, ithe kum “Mnu Tshongolo ukhangeleka mtsha xa unxibe kakuhle”. Andikhumbuli ndiphendule ndathini na, kodwa andidli ngokuphendula kwizincomo ezijoliswe kum.

Le nkosikazi isuke yandithi ntsho ngendlela endenze ndayibuza ukuba kutheni na yandijonga ngolo hlobo. Iphendule ngombuzo ukuba yintoni na ebheke ecaleni ngam. Andikwazanga kuyiphendula, suka ndayifaka owam ombuzo, ukuba kutheni indibuza loo nto nje.

“Mnu Tshongolo, xa umntu esithi umhle okanye encoma into yakho kufuneka uthi, naye mhle okanye uncome eyakhe!” Igqagqanise yatsho le nkosikazi. “Tyhini! Undincoma nje kanti utheng’ emithiyo ngenethole!” Ndizithethele ngaphakathi, lindikhohlile.

Nangaphezu kokungazi ukuba bekumele ndisibuyisile isincomo eso, kodwa bendakuyenza njani loo nto ingavumelekanga nje kwinkcubeko yam. Kweyam inkcubeko kaloku indoda ayimncomi umfazi ongengowayo.

Andidanga ndisibuyise ke eso sincomo saloo nkosikazi. Endikwenzileyo kukusuka ndiyifundise ngeyam inkcubeko, ndisithi andinakuyenza loo nto. Ewe ukuba ibingumntwana bendakutsho ndithi “nawe umhle ntombam”.

Ndiphinde ndahliwa kwayinto ekwanje kumsitho wokubhiyozela ulwimi lwebele lihlabathi nebendisisithethi kuwo. Uninzi lwababezimasile ibingabelungu nembinana yamalawu nabambalwa babantsundu. Emva kwentetho yam, sele uphumile nomsitho, ndibuzwe yenye inkosikazi yomlungu ukuba mingaphi na iminyaka yam. Ndidla ngokuqale ndibale ke xa ndibuzwa lowo umbuzo njengoko ndingafane ndiwubuzwe, ndithabathela kumhla ekuthiwa ndazalwa ngawo. Andibanga nakuyibala kweli ityeli ngenxa yomothuko, suka ndayinika umhla wokuzalwa. “Yho! Ukhangeleka mncinci kuneminyaka yakho.” Ibuyise ngelo le nkosikazi. Tyhini bafondini!

Ndakuba ndingaphawulanga ngokokuxelelwa ukuba ndikhangeleka okosana indishiye apho le nkosikazi yaya kuzincokolisa kwabanye nebihleli isiya kubo ke phofu ukuma kwayo ibuze. Khange indixelele ke yona ukuba bekumele ndiphendule ndathini, andikhange ndibuze nakwabo bendihleli nabo ukuba kuphendulwa kuthiweni na xa umntu ephawula ngolo hlobo.

Ummo lo wam ke ndinengxaki ekubeni kuthiwe umntu mhle yinto ayinxibileyo. Oko kum kuntonye nokuthi loo mntu mbi [into entle yimpahla ayinxibileyo]. Abantu banamhlanje bakholwa kukwenziwa bahle yimpahla nabubumpuluswa bolusu endaweni yokuzenza bahle bona. Inkosikazi isoloko indijijisa ekuseni xa ndiphangelayo, indikhethela emandikunxibe, isithi ndiyayihlazisa ngendlela endinxiba ngayo. Nabantwana abathandi ukuba ndiye esikolweni sabo xa kufunwa abazali, bathi ndibahlekisa ngabanye, ndinxiba udlamini neminqwazi engathi sisihlangu esidala.

Kweyam incubeko umntu wenziwa mhle nambi zizenzo zakhe, hayi yimpahla. Thina sincoma sigxeke umntu, hayi impahla. Nangokuncoma inkabi yam andiziboni ndimele kukubulela ngokungathi ubundinike iluseni yokuyondla. Kambe ubuhle buselisweni lomninilo [ibantle kulo, ibe mbi kulowa], uzixakekisa ngantoni ke ngento enjalo?

Kule mihla yembubho nobugxwayiba, abantu mabaphuthume izenzo nezimilo ezihle, hayi ubumbejembeje bezambatho zexabiso lakwamlungu. Makuhoywe uBuntu, hayi ubunene nobunzwakazi, nto ezo zingamampunge.

Ubuhle bendoda ziinkomo zayo. Umfazi wokwenene ngononelela usapho lwakhe. Khangela kunjani ke kule mihla yezacholo. Kungcono uthekwane kunoonobuhle bomkhiwane! Goba msenge iibhokhwe zikudle.

Owenu kwisiXhosa, Nxuba.