Umholi (2/3)
Kulelilanga lelilandzelako wonkhe umuntfu lebekanesibindzi kutsata lelihambo, wahlanganyela nalabanye. Imindeni leyendlula tikhululu letimbili yahlangana ndzawonye, labekutsiwe kutohlanganyelwa khona. Bancane labahlala ekhaya kutonakelela emakhaya.
Impela kwakubuhlungu kubuka liningi lebantfu likhatsatekile, libuhlungu ngalebhadi lebebabhekane nayo, leyayiba phocela kutsi bashiye umhlaba wabo lebatalelwa kuwo futsi lapho kunemathuna abokhokho babo. Buso babo babungajabulisi impela, futsi bebushiswe lilanga. Loku kwakentiwe kuhlupheka kweminyaka leminingi. Kwakukhomba kukhatsateka nekwesaba. Kodvwa kuleso sikhashana, kwaba nelitsemba – lebelidibane nekukhumbula ekhaya. Kwabonakala kuwa inyambeti ebusweni kwabomkhulu labanye, bakhatsateke impela ngalesimo lebabhekane naso. Banconota kungahambi bahlale sikhashane, khona batofela ematjeni, esikhundleni sekutsi bafune indzawo lencono yekuhlala. Bafati labaningi bakhala kabuhlungu khatsi bavalelisa emathuna etihlobo tabo lebebatishiya emuva.
Emadvodza abememeta azama kucina, – Nisafuna na kuchubeka nilambe kulendzawo nihlale emikhukhwini? – Emacinisweni bebangatsandza kutsi labanemandla batsatse lemikhukhu bahambe nawo kube loko kungenteka.
Kwaba ke lomsindovo lojwayelekile kulesicuku sebanftu. Bekute kuthule emadvodzeni nesebafatini. Bantfwana bebakhala simaye maye etimbelekweni tabo make wakho. Netimfuyo basetingahlaliseki. Bekute nalemfuyo, bekunelitfole lapha nalapha, nelihhashi lebelinenhloko lenkhulu netinyawo letikhuluphele lebelisetjentiswa kutfwala emakhaphethi, tikhwama nemasaka lamabili emhlane walelihhashi. Lwalijikitela emaceleni ngenca yekusindvwa. Khepha lakhona kutimela nekukhala lapha nalapha. Labanye bebatfwalisa timbhongolo; bantfwana bebadvonsa tinja ngetintsambo. Bekuneku kukhukuma, kumemeta, kutfuka, kukhala, kukhonkotsa, nekukhala kwelihhashi yonkhe indzawo. Nekukhala kwembhongolo kwavakala lapha nalapha. Kepha umholi akazange asho lutfo, bekungatsi yonkhe lentfo lebeyentekako akumfaki. Wabonakala njengendvodza lehlakaniphile.
Lomholi bekahleti athulile adla ematsambo engcondvo, abheke phansi. Ngetikhatsi bekahle akhafula phansi. Kukokonkhe loko, bekakhula ngekwatiwa nekutsandvwa, labanye bebangamufela nekumfela. Kwavakala banfu batsi:
– Kufuneka ngabe siyajabula kutsi sitfole indodza lenjena. Kubesachubeka angekho, maye ngabe sesishonile. Ukhaliphile, ngiyakutjela! Phindze uthulile.Solo kute lekakushito! – kwasho muye lebekabuka lomholi ngenhlonipho nekutichenya.
– Ufuna atsani? Umuntfu lokhuluma kakhulu ute sikhatsi sekucabanga. Indodza lehlakaniphile, loko ngiyakwetsembisa! Ucabanga kuphela, akakhulumi lutfo, – kwasho lomunye naye abuka lomholi ngekumangala.
– Akusimelula kuhola bantfu labaningi! Kufanele agcogce imicabango yakhe ngoba lomsebenti losetandleni takhe umatima, – kwaphindza sikhulumi sekucala.
Safika sikhatsi sekucala. Bema sikhashana kubona kutsi bakhona yini lebatoshintja umcondvo bahambe nabo kepha ke kute loweta, besebangakhoni kuhlala.
– Akufaneki ngabe siyahmaba? – Bantfu babuta umholi. Wasukuma wangasho lutfo.
Emadvodza lanesibindzi amutungeleta masinyane batomsita nakwenteka ingoti nobe makunenkinga lesheshako.
Lomholi, abeswacile, inhloko yakhe ibheke iphansi, watsatsa tinyatselo, ajikitisa indvuku yakhe phambikwakhe ngendlela lehloniphekile. Lesicuku sebantfu samusunguletela, bamemeta, “Khula ukhokhobe mholi wetfu!” Waphindze watsatsa tinyatselo washayisa daladi phambi kwalelihhola salesifundzi. Wema khona lapho, nalesicuku sema. Lomholi wabese udeda kancene washaya lendvuku yakhe kulodaladi kabili katsatfu.
– Ufuna kutsi senteni? – Kwabuta labantfu. Akazange aphendvula.
– Senteni? Sibulale lodaladi! Singakwenta loko! Anicabangi kutso lokushaya lodaladi ngalendvuku, utsi sente loko? – Kwamemeta labo labatungelete lomholi.
– Naliya ligede! Naliya ligede! – kwamemeta bantfwana bakhomba leligede lebelingenhla.
– Thulani bantfwana!
– Nkulunkulu sisite, kwentekani? – bafati bafunga.
– Bindzani! Uyatikutsi wentani. Asibulaleni lodaladi!
Kuleso sikhashane lodaladi wabulawa ngazutsi akaze abekhona. Bendlula lodaladi.
Akazange ahamba tinyatselo letilikhulu. Umholi wadibana nelihlatsi lelikhulu semanyeva, wema. Kwakulikhuni, kepha wakhona kupha kulilihlatsi, wacalatisa indvuku yakhe yonkhe indzawo njenge mphuphutse.
– Manje yini inkinga? – kwamemeta labasemuva.
– Heshani lelihlatsi lemanyeva! – kwamemeta labeba tungeletele lomholi.
– Nanguya umgwaco, emvakwalelihlatsi lemanyeva! Nanguya! – kwamemeta bantfwana nalabanye bantfu labasemuva.
– Nanguya umgwaco! Nanguya umgwaco! – kwamemetala labebatungeletele lomholi, balingisa ngelulaka. – Manje tsine lesitimphuphutse sibone njani lasiya khona? Ngeke phela sonkhe sonkhe sinike imilayeto. Umholi wetfu uyayati indlela lengiyo. Heshani lelihlatsi lemanyeva!
Bangena bavula indlela.
– Yemake, – kwakhala lomunye lohlatjwe linyeva esandleni, nalomunye lo buso bakhe bashaywa ligala sesihlahla semagungumence.
– Bomnaketfu, kute intfo yamahhala, kufanele ugongoteke kuze uphumele, – kwasho lonesibinzi.
Akuzange kwabamelula, kepha bagcina basiheshile lesihlahla semanyeva bashona phambili.
Emvakwekuhamba sikhashane, batfola daladi, nawo bamubulala bachubeka phambili.
Abazange bahambe indlela lendze kulelilanga lekucala, ngenca yaletindleko letimbalwa lebadibana nato. Kukokonkhe loko, bekunekudla lokuncane. Labanye bebanesinkhwa lesomile nashizi lomncane, labanye bebanesinkhwa kuphela. Labanye bekute lutfo. Ngenhanhla bekusehlobo, batfola kudla etihlahleni lebetitselile.
Kungako ke bebadzinwe kakhulu kulelilanga lekucala. Kepha kute lokubi nobe tingoti letabavelela. Kepha lokwenteka kulamalanga lalandzelako kwabalukhuni. Lomunye umfati wahlatjwa linyeva esweni walivala ngendvwangu lemanta mantana; lomunye umtfwana wakhahlela ligodvo wachuta; lenye indvodza lendzala yagilwa sihlahla semgungumence walimata sicakala sakhe. Emvakwekutsi bamfake anyanisi lomuntfu lomdzala wacinsila wachuta walandzela lomholi. (Nasikhuluma emaciniso, labaningi batfu bebatsi lomuntfu lomdzala unemaphosiso ngalokulimala kwakhe, ngobe bekutsiwa ufuna kubuyela emuva.) Kungakandluli nesikhashane, bebabancane lebangaka hlwebhwa linyeva emkhonweni noma ebusweni. Emadvodza abamaqhawe abumela bulukhuni, kepha labafati bebacalekisa lonkhe lihora sukela bahamba, bantfwana bakhala ngoba bebangacondzi kutsi lobuhlungu buyoba nemvuzo lobuchebile.
Kepha lokwajabulisa labanengi kutsi kute lokwenteka kulomholi, nasikhuluma emaciniso bekasikelekile impela, kepha ke lendvodza yayinehlanhla. Kulobusuku bekucala labebalele khona, wonkhe umuntfu wathantaza wabonga Nkulunkulu kutsi loluhambo lwaphumelela futsi kute nebhadi leyehlakele lomholi. Indvodza lenesibindzi yakhuluma . Buso bakhe babuhlwejwe sihahla semgungumence, kepha loko wakushaya indiva nje.
– Bomnaketfu, wachubeka, imphumelelo yelilanga lekucala selendlulile, kufuneka simbonge Nkulunkulu ngaloko. Lendlela beyingasiko melula kepha nomakundzima, kepha kufanele sicinisele ngobe lendlela lelukhuni itogcina ngenjabulo. Sicela kutsi Nkulunkulu lonemandla avikele umholi wetfu etingotini kuze atochubeka asihole.
– Kusasa ngitolahlekelwa liso lami lolunye nangabe tintfo tichubeka ngalendlela! – kwasho lomunye umfati atfukutsele agane lunwabu.
– Echu! Linyawo lami – kwakhala indvodza lendzala, leyagcugcutelwa kukhala kwalomfati.
Bantfwana bachubeka bakhonona bakhala, labomake babanebundzima kubathulisa kute lesikhulumi sichubeke nekukhuluma sivakale.
– Kunjalo utawulahlekelwa liso, – washo ngekutfukutsela lokukhulu, – futsi ungalahlekelwa ngiwo omabili. Akusiyo ibhadi kangako nangabe umfati munye ulahlekelwa ngemehlo, ngoba lenzuzo inkhulu.Ulihlazo! Uke uyicabange inhlala kahle yebantfwane bakho? Kumele hafu asale afa. Kwenta mehluko muni? Yini liso linye? Atakusita ngani emehlo nangabe kukhona losiholela enjabulweni? Kumele siyekele lesikwetako ngenca yeliso lakho nelinyawo lalendvodza legugile?
– Unwmanga! Lomkhulu unemanga! Uyatentisa khona atojike abuyele emuva, kwasho emavi lamaningi.
– Bomnaketfu longakhoni kuchubeka akaphumele ebaleni, – kwasho lesikhulumi, akajike ayekele kukhonona asinyanyise sonkhe. Nangicabanga, ngitolandzela lomholi ngakokonkhe lenginako!
– Sitamulandzela! Sitamulandzela sisaphila!
Lomholi wathula.
Wonkhe umuntfu wathula.
Wonkhe umuntfu wacala wamubuka wahleba:
– Udla ematsambo engcondvo!
– Yindvodza lehlakaniphile!
– Buka lelibunti lakhe!
– Uhlale aswacile!
– Utimisele!
– Unesibindzi! Loku ukubona kuyoyonkhe intfo layentako.
– Ungalisho uliphindze lelo! Fenisi, bodaladi – uyadlula kuko konkhe loko. Wavele washaya indvuku yakhe phasi wangasho lutfo, kumele ucagele kutsi ngabe ucabanga ini.
Радоје Домановић 