Umuntfu Lohloniphekile
Babe wami bekangumuntfu lobekahloniphekile emmangweni, ngenca yekutsi bekanguthishela futsi bekenta lokuningi kusita labanye. Bekavame kunika incenye yetibhidvo letiphuma kumasimu etfu kulabo labahluphekile, bafelokati basesigodzini setfu kanye nebesifazane le emadvodza abo abengekho, labekasebentela emayini eGoli.
Abevame nekucecesha bafana bendzawo labamavulandlela kanye nemantfombatana aphindze abanike likilasi lekudansa esikolweni lebesikhona lesigodzini setfu. Bekutsi nangabe kunekudansa ehholeni lemmanngo, bekusuke kungubabe wami negilamafoni yakhe lenhle lenkhulu lebovu nalokuluhlata sasibhakabhaka lebeyenta lomculo.
Emalanga lambalwa landlulile, ngaba nenkhulumo nekuhleka kancane na Mandisa Mendi, munye wabomake lobeketa kuleLicembu labo Gogo Labalwa Nebuphuya neSifo seMbulalave. Wakhula kusigodzi sinye nami futsi bekakhumbula indlela lebekavame kushwila ngayo le gilamafoni ya babe wami kulemidanso.
Umfundisi Weaver
Babe wami abeyinhloko esontfweni lasendzaweni iAnglican, St Mark’s, lebekusisekelo setimphilo tetfu kulesigodzi. Bekungulona lisontfo lebelincono kakhulu nangebubanti, futsi sigodzi setfu sabitwa ngemuva kwalo. Indvodva lemhlophe, Umfundisi Weaver, bekangumfundisi futsi bekavame kuvakashela agibele lihhashi, ayoshumayela.
Babe wami abesita Umfundisi Weaver ekucokeleleni bantfu basuke ebumnyameni, babagcugcutela kutsi bete esontfweni batolalela tindzaba telibhayibheli; baphindze bakhulule bantfwababo kumisebenti yasekhaya, kuze batokhona kuya etikolweni batofundziseka.
Bebavame kuhamba lendzaweni bakhuluma kubantfu, baphindze bakhulume nalabantfwana nakwenteka babatfola. Bekutsi nangabe Umfundisi Weaver afike atoshumayela eSt Mark’s, abefika endlini yakitsi ngelihhashi lakhe bese ufike uyahlala. Wacale wefika nanginelishumi nakubili ngemnyaka. Abemuncane futsi amudze, anetinwele letimnyama, ayindvodza lelungile, futsi bekangichaza lengaphakatsi.
Kuleto tikhatsi bantfu labamnyama bebangakavami kubona bantfu labamhlophe ngoba bebangavami kufika kutigodzi tetfu, ngakoke kwakuyintfo lengakajwayeleki kuba nemuntfu lomhlophe lota endlini yakitsi. Bantfu bebavame kubuta, ʹNimuvumelelani kutsi alale ekhaya kini? Kukhona lihhotela lebantfu labamhlophe.
Yini angaveli ayekhona nje?ʹ Kepha Umfundisi Weaver abevame kutsi kubabe wami, ʹAngeke ngikhone kuya ehhotela. Ngifuna kutinikela kubantfu labamnyama ngilale ekhaya lakho.ʹ Futsi kwakukuhle kakhulu.
Incenye yalo Mndeni
Umfundisi Weaver bekakadze anelikamelo lakhe endlini yakitsi, likamelo lebelipendwe ngapende lomhlophe nembhedze lomusha kanye nemakhethini lamasha. Besingakaze sake salala khona, noma nje bekenta kanye eSt Mark’s ngenyanga.
Lelikamelo lalivele libekelwe yena. Ngesikhatsi lafike ngaso, babe wami wasitfuma etitolo ngemabhayisikile etfu kutsi siyotsenga inyama sitojabula futsi sayidla netibhidvo letiphuma engadzeni. Wadla natsi etafuleni lekudlela. Lapho kwakulilanga lekucala sidlela kulelitafula ngoba kakugcinelwe tikhatsi noma imigidvo lemcoka.
Bekutsi lomfundisi nakangekho natsi, mine nabo dzadzewami besidlela kundishi yinye, siyengcisela kulomunye igegelete lendingilizi yemantfombatane, kantsi labafana nabo bebenta kona loko, ngendlela yesintfo. Besitsi nasicedze ngesidlo sakusihlwa, bantfwana bebacokelela tonkhe letindishi noma emapulete ngaphandle kwekubutwa bese bayatiwasha baphindze bashanyele siyilo.
Bekutsi nangabe lesiyilo sidzinga ipolishi, besivele sisipolishe. Sizatfu saloku kutsi uma ungabaniki bantfwana umsebenti, batogcwala siganga sakulesigodzi bese bangena etinkingeni. Lomfundisi bekafundza siXhosa futsi ngalesikhatsi ahamba abesakhuluma kahle, kepha besitsi nasisetafuleni, besikhuluma Silumbi. Abekhuluma natsi sonkhe, ngisho nebantfwana. Abebatsandza bantfwana kakhulu.
Kwatsi muva, waba ngumfundisi lobekashade babe wami kanye nami kulesigodzi setfu eSt Mark’s, kepha babe wami akazange eve kabi ngalentfo yeMfundisi Weaver ngoba bekakhule asondzele kulabanye bantfu labamhlophe. Umnumzane Groenewald, lobekanesitolo eDeckerts Hill Trading, lebekunguyinye yato.
Translated by Phindile Malotana