Sikhatsi Sekuvakashela iRichtersveld

Umbuto wemadDollar-Wetigidzi

©David Fleminger

Kwekucala nje, kukhona timbale letingito mnyaka wonkhe. Timbale-Teluhlobo (letifana nema crassula) yengeta libala lelincane ngesikhatsi setinyanga tekushisa kusuka ngeLweti kuya kuNdlovana.
Incumbi yetitjalo letimila ngaphansi kanye naletitigadla (kufana nemndeni we Amaryllis) lochakata njengesimo lesicala kubandza, ngekuphela kwelikwindla-ekucaleni kwebusika. Lembali yeLiphunga iCandelabra, Brunsvigia bosmaniae, ifaka kubukisa kwemoya lotsite, ikhokhe timbale emaviki lamatsatfu ngemuva kwetimvula letinkhulu ngetinyanga teNdlovu kuya kuMabasa (noma loku kungenteki njalo ngemnyaka). Ngakoke, ebusika, emacembu lamaningi enhlaba acala kuvela noma kuchakata.
Lomsebenti lokunguwona, nomakunjalo, ukhahlela ngesikhatsi lesimo selitulu sicala kufutfumala ekupheleni kwebusika-ekungeneni kwentfwasahlobo. Ngako, ngekukhuluma ngesibindzi lesikhulu, letimbali tentfwasahlobo letatiwako tiphuma emkhatsini wekucala kwenyanga yeNgci kanye nasemkhatsini weNyoni, yipha noma tsatsa emaviki lambadlwana ngakulinye luhlangotsi. Emkhatsini kuya ekupheleni kweNgci lekunguyona itsatfwa njengesikhatsi sekutsela, kepha kukhona letiningi longatibuka.

Litulu Leliningi, Kubonisa Lokukahle

©Jacques Marais

Kwekucala, kukhona tinkhobo letehlukene tetimbali tesiganga, kufaka teminyaka (letifana nema daises), vygies (mesembs), letitsatsa sikhatsi, sitjalo lesitsatsa sikhatsi kanye netitjalo letimfisha, letonkhe tichakaza ngesikhatsi sentfwasahlobo. Lawamacembu lamaningi lahlukahlukene anetindlela letehlukene futsi achakata aphindze afe ngetikhatsi letehlukene kulesosikhatsi.
Kwesibili, kumele utfole kutsi litulu lasebusika lina nini. Letimbali tibese ticala kuphuma inyanga yinye noma timbili ngemuva kwetimvula letiningi, futsi loku kungenteka ngetikhatsi letehluekene etincenye letehlukene talesigodzi. Lomsebenti walemvula uhambisana nalomsebenti wekuchakata – buningi bemvula, buncono bembukiso.
Bese, uyatibuta, ukuphi wena? Letimbali tivame kuchakata ngekucala kwesimo selitulu. Loku kukhulisa kuvame kwenteka ngasentindzaweni letisemnceleni kanye nasenyakatfo, ngaphambi tisuke tibheke ngasendzaweni lekhombe emphumalanga lewelela eNamaqualand. Lilayini nalo lidla indzima lenkhulu, njengekuphakama kwakho, lokubandza kutobakuningi bese muva lokuchakata kuyacala. Kuphakama kweNtsaba ye Kamieskroon nayo ingaba nekubonisa timbale ngenyanga yeMphala.

Bhuka Kusenesikhatsi

Kumele unake lesento sesimo sangentfwasahlobo. Uma kukhona kukhwesha lokwenteka ngekushesha lokuphuma ebusika lobubandzako kuya kuntfwasahlobo leshisako, letimbali titokufa ngekushesha. Umangabe, nomakunjalo, lesimo sentfwasahlobo siphansi, nebusuku lobbandzako, letimbali titohlala tikhona sikhatsi lesidze. Timo letijwayelekile tingulenye incenye lenemandla, umoya loshisako lohhushela phansi etintssabeni ungakhukhula tonkhe timbale ebusuku, ngako kumele umemantontolwane.
Ngaloko, kushiyane ngekutsi ukuphi nekutsi ngutiphi tinhlobo tetimbali lofuna kutibona, lesikhatsi singacala ngekushesha njengasemkhatsini wa Kholwane bese kuhamba kufike ekupheleni kweLweti. Ingci nguyona incono, ikakhulu eNieuwoudtville ne Springbok. Nomakunjalo, kukhona inking. Ungeke ukhone kuma tize letimbali ticale kuchakata bese uyogibela imoto yakho ugijimele eNamaqualand.
Loku kwentiwa kutsi, ngesikhatsi setimbali, lesigodzi sonkhe sibhuke tinyanga kusenesikhatsi. Loku ngakutfola kucala ngesikhatsi ngifika eVanrhynsdorp ngesikhatsi ngingakabhuki indzawo yekufihla inhloko, ngatfola kutso lonkhe lihhotela, tindlu tekulala kanye netindzawo tekukhempa betigcwele, ngisho kugcwala kwekubhoma. Lamadolobha ladvutane ase Nieuwoudtville nawo abetfusa-tfusa.
Kuyintfo lebuhlungu kakhulu kushonelwa lilanga edolobheni longalati, ebusuki, ushaya tincingo tekutsi uhluphekile etiteshini tekwetsa gasoline, utfole kutsi kute ngisho linye ligumbi nakulinye lemahhotela, nangelinani noma nguliphi. Ngashayela ngaya eKlawer (20 km ngekukhwesha) ngabhuka indlu yekugcina lenayo beyikhona, kwatsi muva, sikolwa selipulazi.
Ngatsi ngihleti kulendzawo yekujimela, ngidla sidlo sami sasekuseni, ngabona kutsi bekubulima kutsi ngicabange kuvele ngichamuke ekuphakameni kwalesikhatsi bese ngivele ngichamukela ehhotela. Kepha ngatsatsa kutsi ngiwentile emaphutsa ami esikhundleni sakho.

Kuhamba Lokulungisiwe

Sizatfu lesinye sekushoda kwendzawo yekulala ngulamacembu etivakashi. Uyabobona noma ngukuphi; emabhasi lamakhulu latfwele tinkhulungwane tebantfu lesebakhulile ngase Namaqualand lapho kuboniswa khona timbale.
Lelihhotela lelise Vanrhynsdorp belicatfuta nabo, bonkhe bafake tipeneti letinemagama abo kulamasudi abo; ematinyo lamakhulu kanye netinwele tiwelela elambini. Kwakukadze kuyintfo lenhle kakhulu kuma lapho njengoba bebayaluka lesikhadlana, bakhuluma ngekujabula nebaholi babo labatiwako basendleleni leya ekudleni.
Manje ungangitsatsi kabi. Kubantfu labaningi, kulungiselelwa luhambo nguyona ndlela lencono yekutfola iNamqualand kanye netimbali tayo, manje ke ngingubani mine kutsi ngingabukela phansi injabulo injabulo yabo? Nabo bangaba yintfo ledule kakhulu.

Translated by Phindile Malotana