IMPILO KATHEMBA(1)
EMMANUEL NYONI
UThemba lijaha elihlala lonina omncane uMaZondo. Nanku uyise kaThemba yindoda ehlezi ingekho ekhaya uvele uyasebenza, yindoda esebenza ukugebha igolide ngakho ulokuthatha isikhathi eside engabuyanga ekhaya njengoba esebenza. UThemba watshonelwa ngunina esasemncane usekaThemba wasethatha-ke uMaZondo. UThemba uleminyaka elitshumi lanhlanu, kufanele ukuthi ngabe usesikolo kodwa kasakwazanga ukuthi aqhubekele phambili ngemva kokuqeda ugwalo lwakhe lemfundo ephansi, kwahle kwathiwa akhangele izifuyo ekhaya. Impilo kaThemba ayizange yabanhle neze ngenxa yokuthi uMaZondo kamphathi kuhle uThemba, uze amkhumbuze ukuthi kamzali njalo unina watshona.
Ilanga libalele kusesigabeni seMadlanduna phansi khonale ekucineni komhlaba eMgabadela. UThemba uzwakala etshaya umlozwi egeza uMaZondo asondele lapho okugezela khona uThemba, ame emnyango alunguze. Ambone unqunu umfana uyageza, abambe owangaphansi uMaZondo agijime angene endlini yakhe akhulule izigqoko athandele ithawulo. Ahle ayevula lapho okugezela khona uThemba. Ayethuke uThemba azivale ngaphambili.
"Mama wangena ngigeza kuhamba njani?" Abuze uThemba. Athule kancane uMaZondo. "Usukhulile Themba sungakwazi ukugoqoza imbiza loba kuthiwa inkulu kangakanani, ukhumbule phela angikuzali njalo asihlobananga."
"Angikuzwisisi mama."
"Sondela Themba ubambe lelithanga ngiyakwazi awukaze ulibambe elinjengaleli, angisoze ngitshele muntu mina ukuthi silalile." Atsho emphulula lapho uThemba ethuke kakhulu.
"Themba ukhumbule lapha kusemzini wami, nxa ungafuni ukwenza lokhu engikufunayo uzaphuma uphele lapha uyehlala kubomalume bakho ababekutshaya baze bakose eziko." Atsho uMaZondo esekhulule ithawulo wayibeka le. UThemba acimeze okokuthi kafuni kubona lutho.
Amkhiphe isandla ngaphambili uMaZondo amdlalise kodwa kwale ukuvuka.
"Themba nxa lento ingavukanga namula uzangazi kuhle, akungidlalise lami into leyi ize ivuke angeke ube uhlala lapha emzini wami mahala ungenzi lokho engikufunayo." Athathe isandla sakhe laye uThemba ngokwesaba abambe ithanga likaMaZondo. Wakewakwenza lokho uMaZondo kuThemba wabaleka lelo langa wamtshaya waze waqaleka uThemba yingakho sekumele avume manje ngoba esesaba ukutshaywa. Amfulathele uMaZondo athi uThemba amenze ngemuva lapho kubebuhlungu kakhulu kuThemba ukudunuselwa ngumuntu omdala ongangonyoko ongakuzala.
Abantu bahlala besala besemba phansi ngokuthi abantu besifazana bayadlwengula kodwa eqinisweni kuyinto ekhona ephilayo futhi.
Selibekezelela ukuyangena kunina uThemba khona efika kugogo wakhe uMaMoyo onguye ozala uyise.
"Gogo ngicela ukuhlala lawe njengoba wena ungela mzukulu ohlala laye uzihlalela wedwa." Atsho uThemba.
"Ngingajabula kakhulu mzukulu wami, kodwa nxa uzahlala lapha kulendlu engemuva ngale eme yodwa ungangeni kuyo ngitsho loba kuthiwani, alithenjwa phela lina liyafika selitshontsha inhlanyelo yami." Atsho uMaMoyo ekhombela.
"Kulungile gogo angeke ngingene kodwa kulendaba engihluphayo gogo engifisa ukukutshela yona." Ahlengezele inyembezi uThemba. UMaMoyo ahlale anabe athi thwitshi sethiye undlebe ukuthi azwe lendaba afuna ukuyitshelwa nguThemba.
"Ngitshela phela mzukulu wami kuhamba njani?"
Adonse isikhehlela uThemba anyikinye ikhanda, aphinde alikhangelise phansi. UMaMoyo selindile ukuthi azwe ukuthi uThemba ufuna ukuthini kuye ngoba izwakala iyindaba enkulu sibili.