Umholi (3/3)

(likhasi lelindlulile)

Lilanga lekucala lendlula, laphindze lalandzelwa ngulamanye.Kwaba tihibe nje letincane: bangena ngenhloko emgodzini, bangena kulelinye lihibe nemtsangala nelihlatsi lemgungumence. Banyatsela emabhodlela; labanengi bebaphule imikhono kanye nemilente; Labanye babanemadvuma etinhloko. Kepha babumela bonkhe lobuhlungu. Labanye bantfu labadzala badvuna basala bafile emgwacweni.

“Bebangafa nomangabe bahlala emakhaya, anagti ke emgwacweni!” kwasho lesikhulumi, akhutsata lalabanye kutsi bachubeke. Bebakhona bantfwana labancane, labanemunyaka munye noma lemibili lebashona. Batali babo babucindzetela lobuhlungu lebebakuva batsi, ngobe bekuyintsandvo yaNkulunkulu. Emaswane abengakhalelwa kakhulu, tinhlungu tibatincane kubo. Nkulunkulu sicela batali bangafelwa bantfwana nasebafikelwe sikhatsi sekushada. Kuncono kutsi labantfwana bafe basesebancane. Lobuhlungu abusibo bukhulu kangako! Lesikhulumi sachubeka sabadvuduta. Labanye bativala ngetindwangu enhloko kuvimba lapho bebalimele khona. Labanye bebagodle inkhukhu. Bonkhe bebalimele bajubekile. Timphahla tabo tatidzabukile, noko ke bachubekela phambili ngenjabulo. Konkhe loku bekungaba lula nangabe bebangabulawa yindlala. Kepha bekufanele bachubekele phambili ngekutikandla.

Ngalelinye lilanga kwenteka lokukhulu.

Lomholi bekahamba phambili, asingetfwe ngemadvodza lanesibindzi kulomkhambatsi. (Bobabili bebangabonakali kutsi bakuphi, phindze kute lobekanelwati. Bekwatiwa nje kutsi bahlubukile babaleka. Ngalomunye umzuzu lesikhulumi sabahlambalata sakhuluma ngale lihlazo nelicala labo. Bebabancane lebatsi bafele endleleni, kepha abazange bayiveta imibono yabo ngoba bebangafuni kufusa labanye.) Labanye balomkhabatsi bebaselayinini emvakwabo. Kwasuka lapho bangakagadzi bahlangana nemsele lomkhulu lonematje lasabekako. Lesikhuphukelo sasehlela ngendlela lemangalisako, abazange bacabanga nekusondzela. Ngisho nalabanesibindzi bema babuka umholi. Abeswacile, phindze ajulile emicabangweni abhekise inhloko phansi, ngesibindzi lesikhulu watsatsa sinyatselo waya phambili, ashaya phasi indvuku yakhe. Wacale wayishaya embili, ngesekudla kanye nangasencele ngekuti tsemba. Labaningi batsi lesento sakhe samunika sitfunti. Akazange abuka muntfu, futsi akazange asho lutfo. Buso bakhe abuzange bujika, kwakute lobekusho kusti uyesaba nakasondzela kulesikhuphukela lesikhulu. Ngisho emadvodza lanesibindzi babamhlophe ngatsi bafile besaba, kepha kute longase acale atjele lomholi lohlakaniphile. Tinyatselo letimbili bekaseweni. Ngekusaba, bonkhe bachachatela bahlahle emehlo. Emadvodza lanesibindzi besekagadze kubamba lomholi. Watsatsa tinyatselo letimbili washona phansi ehosheni. Kwaba nekumangala lokukhulu, kukhala, kumemeta nekwesaba. Labanye vele bashona ngemagonso, babaleka.

Mani nini bomnaketfu! Nijakeni? Ngabe ngiyo lendlela lenigcina sitsembiso senu ngayo? Asilandzeleni lomholi lohlakaniphile ngobe uyati kutsi wentani. Ngabe uyahlanya makangatona. Asamulandzeleni! Mangicabanga lena ingoti yekugcina. Kwatibani? Singakhandza kutsi ngale kwalesihosha kunemhlaba lomuhle lovundzile loNkulunkulu asibekele yena. Phambili! Ngekungatikhandli, kute lasiyofika khona! – kwasho umkhulumi acwayisa, naye watsatsa tinyatselo letimbili phambili. Emadvodza laneisibinzi alandzela, kwabese bonkhe bayalandzela.

Bekunekukhala lokukhulu kulesihosha. Bongasho kutsi kute longaphuma aphila, ngisho nalolimele, kepha imphilo yemuntfu ayipheli mandla. Lomholi beka nenhlanhla ngendlela lemangalisako. Wawelela emahlatsini, khona angatolimala. Wakhona kutibamba aphume. Kusavakala kukhala ’ngephansi, wahlala phansi wathula wanganyakati. Labanye batfu besebatfukutsele bagane linwabu bamutfuka kepha akazange wabanaka. Lesikhatsi bazuba, lebabanehlanhla bakhona kubambelela tihlahla nemagal, kwakulikhuni kuphuma. Labanye balima tihloko kuphuma ingati ebusweni. Ngaphandle kwalomholi, bekute longakalimali. Bonkhe bamuswacale, babibitseka basebuhlungwini kepha yena akazange anyusa inhloko.

Kwahamba sikhatsi. Lenombolo yebahambi yahamba ngekwehla kancane kancane. Linye lilanga belinetinkinga tato. Labanye vele bajika babuyela emuva.

Kulabahamba ekucaleni, kwasala labalishumi nakubili. Buso babo bebukhomba kudzinwa, inhlupheko, nendlala, kepha kute lobekakhuluma. Bebathulile njengalomholi wabo, bachubeka bayaphambili. Nalesikhulumi sanyakatisa inhloko ngekukhatsateka. Indlela yayimatima.

Letinombolo talomkhambatsi betehla onkhe lamalanga, bagcina balishumi. Buso babo kwakukhomba kukhatsateka, bekunekukhonona kuphela kungakhulunyiswana.

Bebangatsi tichwala. Labanye bebahamba ngetindvuku tekuhamba. Labanye bebagodle tinkhukhu. Ngisho ngabe bebafuna kwenta kucinisela bachubeke, bebangeke bakhone ngoba bekute sikhala emitimbeni yabo yetilondza letisha.

Nalabanemandla nalabanesibindzi besebete litsembe, kepha bachubeka ngenkhani nangekutikhandla nasebuhlungwini. Impela yini lokunye lebangakwenta mabangakhoni kubuyela emuva? Kutinikela lokungaka kubesa soyayekala kuchubeka ngendlela?

Lashona lilanga. Kuchutwa ngetindvuku tekuhamba, bavele batfuka umholi angasekho phambi kwabo. Batsi batsatsa sinyatselo batitfola bagcumukela kulesinye sihoshe.

– Inyandzaleyo! linyawo lami!, sandla sami! – kuvakala kukhala. Kwavakala livi lelingenamandla litfuka lomholi labese liyathula.

Makuvela lilanga, umholi besekahleti, afana ncamashi nalelinga lekucala khatsi akhetfwa.

Lomkhulumi waphuma kulesihoshe, kwalandzela labanye lababili. Bagcwele ingadi, babuka emava kutsi bobani labasele, kepha bekungibo kuphela. Kufa nekwesaba nekungabi nelitsemba kwagcwala etinhlitiweni tabo. Lesigodzi besingatiwa, kwakunyuka, kugcwele ematje – kute nendlela yekuhamba. Emalanga lamabili landlulile baphambukelwa ngumgaco, kepha abazange bamutsatsa.

Bacabanga bangani netihlobo tabo lesetashona kulendlela lembi. Buhlungu lobukhulu lobundlula lobuhlungu bekukhubateka kwemtimba kwabafikela.

Sikhulumi sasukuma sayokhuluma nolomholi, sikhuluma ngelivi lekudzinwa, nekuchachatela, nebuhlungu lobumatima.

– Siyaphi nyalo?

Umholi wabindza.

– Usiyisaphi phindze usiletsephi? Sibeke letsemba letfu nemindeni yetfu etandleni takho sakulandzela, sishiye emakhaya etfu nemathuna abokhokho betfu sinelitsemba lekutsi siyotisindzisa kulomonakalo walendzawo lebesikuyo. Kodvwa usingetile lesimo lebesivele sikuso. Bekunemindeni lengemashumi lamabile emvakwakho, buka manje kutsi sibangakhi!

– Uchaza kutsi bonkhe labantfu abekho? – kunhhinhhitela lomholi ngaphandle kwekuvusa inhloko.

-Ungawubuta kanjani umbuto lonje? Vusa emehlo ubuke! Ubale kutsi sisele sibangakhi kuloluhambo lolusihluphekisile! Buka lesimo lesikuso manje! Ngabe kuncono kube safa kunalokuchwala.

– Ngeke ngikhone kukubuka!

– Leni?

– Ngiyimphuphutse. Kwathula kwatsi cwaka.

– Ubeyimphuphutse kuloluhambo?

– Ngatalwa ngiyimphumphutse! Bonkhe baphelelwa ngemandla.

Umoya webusika wetangemandla lamakhulu etintsambeni, uletsa emacembe lomile phansi. Inkhungu yavala etintsabeni, emaphiko etinyoni andiza emakhateni. Kwavakala umoya lomnyama. Lilanga belisibatsekile.

Bobatsatfu babukana ngekumangala nekwesaba.

– Singaya kuphi manje? – kunhhinhhitela munye asebuhlungwini.

– Asati!

EBelgrade, 1901.
Umsebenti wa“Radoje Domanović” uhumushwe ngu Sibusiso Khoza ngesiSwati, 2021.