Beauty Skefile
Tinyanga letimubalwa ngihlangene na Victor, nanginemnyaka lemashumi lamabili, sashada. Kwaba ngumshado lomhlophe futsi bonkhe bantfu basemmangweni befika, likhulu labo. Bekukuhle kakhulu. Iminyaka yekucala lelishumi emshadweni wetfu, besinemali lebeyenele futsi sasijabulile. Victor watsenga timphahla tebantfwana netami, waphindze wasinakekela ngendlela lebesingayifisa. Ngangicabanga kutsi tintfo titohlala tinjalo ingunaphakadze
. Kepha ke wase uyayekela kusebenta, afuna kubuyela emuva eQunu lese Eastern Cape, lapho avela khona. Ngulapho ke kwacala tinkinga khona. Sikhashana tintfo tatihamba kahle eQunu. Sasihlala endlini lebeyakhiwe ngetitini futsi sasilima ummbila emasimini etfu kanye nematsanga. Sasilima kudla lokuningi futsi sasikadze singalambi. Kepha Victor besekanganamsebenti.
Kumbe ngiko lokwamenta wakhatsateka. Ngakusiphi sigaba, ngulapho ke acala kungishaya khona. abebuya ekhaya adzakiwe bekatsi nakangibona ngihleti lapho nebantfwana, abengibuta, ngeludlame, ʹKuphi kudla kwami?ʹ Abese ke uyacala kulwa nami, angibute imibuto entela kucala umsindvo aphindze, sonkhe sikhatsi, angishaye. Wase ucolela kutsatsa umfati wesibili, umfati wemnakabo lowashona. Lisiko lesi Xhosa kelelo, kuciniseka kutsi lomfelokati kanye nalabantfwana bayanakekeleka.
Kepha kimi, bekungahlali kahle. Bengitsi nangiphendvula, bekangishaya. Besekute sibili lutsandvo emshadweni wami futsi bekute lokuhle kwami eQunu muva nje. Ngapakisha tikhwama tami. Ngatsi kuncono kuyohluphekela eKapa, ekhaya kitsi, kunalana.
Felicia Mfamana
Bafowakhe kanye nabodzadze bakhe, bekhabomyeni wami kanye namake wakhe – bebabantfu labalungile, kepha yena bekakadze avilapha futsi aneludlame. Abetfola imali ngekulungisela bantfu tindlu tabo, kepha bekanganginiki ngisho senti. Make-tala wami bekamati kutsi ungumuntfu lokanjani futsi bekangakuvumeli nje loko. Bekanginika kudla kanye nemali kwentela bantfwana.
Umntfwanetfu wekucala Nomanani watalwa, kwase kuba nguNoxolo, Nonkosi kanye na Phumla, kepha solo Milton bekangenti lutfo kwalabantfwana. Abenatsa kakhulu futsi bekabuya ekhaya phakatsi nebusuku, asivuse sonkhe aphindze abute ngekumemeta, ʹNentani nilele? Kuphi kudla kwami? Ngesikhatsi angishaya kwekucala kungalesikhatsi umntfwanetfu wesibili Noxolo aseluswane. Iminyaka leyimfica muva, ngamushiya.
Bekabangekho lilanga lonkhe kanye nebusuku bonkhe bese kutsi phakatsi kwebusuki, ngalokujwayelekile, bekefika anconcotse emnyango wami. ʹNgilambile. Kuphi kudla kwami?ʹ asho ngeludlame. ʹKute kudla ngoba awukanginiki imali yekutsenga,ʹ kwasho mine. ʹUngangikhulumeli emanga. Utsengisa emaswidi ngako ke unayo imali,ʹ kwasho yena. ʹLeyo mali yekunakekela noma yekondla labantfwana,ʹ ngaphendvula. ʹAkusiyo imali yakho.ʹ Wacala ke wangishaya wangemi.
Wangishaya ebusweni ngatsi nangiphansi kusemende noma esiyilweni, wacala wangikhahlela. ʹNgifuna kukubulala,ʹ washo amemeta. Dzadzewetfu Neliswa abehlala natsi. Wase ucala kukhala futsi amemeta, wazama nekungena phakatsi kwetfu entela kumufusha. ʹHhayi, bulala mine kucala, amemetela yena.' ʹBulala mine ngaphambi ubulale dzadzewami.ʹ Makhelwane wetfu weva wase uyeta agijima. ʹYekela! Ngumkakho lona!ʹ akhweshisa Milton kimi. Wabita emaphoyisa. Kepha akafikanga, kepha Milton, ngekudzakwa kwakhe, wabuya phansi. Kwatsi ngekusa lokulandzelako, ngahamba.
Translated by Phindile Malotana