Goldie Qayiya
Lobekatoba ngumyeni wami, Otto, wakhulela esigodzini lengivela kiso nami kepha besingatani nasisebantfwana. Ngacala kuhlangana naye nangibuya esikolweni sekufundzela buthishela ngesikhatsi semaholide. Bengihamba ngibuya etitolo wase uyangimemetela, ʹWota laphaʹ, asho kimi ngendlela lelungile wangibuta nekutsi ngihlala kuphi.
Kwatsi ngesikhatsi ngimubona futsi kungelilanga lesetsembiso lwetfu ngephathi. Otto abengibhalele incwadzi yekungisoma/kucela. Kwakumucoka kuye kutsi ngangifuna kumushada nami. Incwadzi yakhe yatsi umangivuma, utocela babe wakhe kutsi akhulume nababe wami. Kepha ngangikadze ngisekolishi ngesikhatsi ifika lencwadzi base nebatali bami bayayivula.
Abazange babuta nekutsi ngiva njani. Kwakungumunyaka wami wekucala ekolishi. Ngatsi ngesikhatsi semaholide ngibuyela ekhaya, babe wami watsi kimi, ʹGoldie, utobe ushada.ʹ
Lomshado Lowalungiswa
Lomshado wenteka eminyakeni lemibili muva, ngesikhatsi semaholidi enyanga yeNgongoni. Otto wabhadala tinkhomo letilishumi kanye nelihhashi nakalobola kwatsi kungakapheli inyanga sabe sishada. Ngangikadze ngingakajabuli nani. Bengingafuni kushada nje mhlobo wami. Sashadela eSontfweni le Anglican, sase siyahamba siya ekhabo Otto lapho khona bonkhe bantfu bebasimele khona ngaphandle, bahalalisa.
Sachitsa sikhatsi sibingelela bantfu siphindze sichawula tandla tabo, sase singena ngekhatsi siyodla. Ngemuva kwekudla, sonkhe sahamba saya ehholeni lwemphakatsi sayodansa, ebusuku sasidla lokudla bekusele, lebekuletfwe ngulabomake lehholeni. Sase sidansa busuku bonkhe kumculo we jazz, umculo lojabulisako wa Spokes Mashiyane, lomdlali wemfengwane lendze wase Afrika wesikhatsi setfu, sigubha kucala kwemphilo yetfu lesitohlephulelana yona.
Felicia Mfamana
Kunamibili imishado ngelisiko lesiXhosa, lendlela lecondzile nalendlela lobanjwa ngayo, futsi yomibili isenteka nalamuhla. Uma indvodza ibamba umfati wayo kute umshado lomkhulu kanye neliloko lelimhlophe. Kute lowesifazane langakwenta ngaloko. Ngaba nalowomshado kemine. Ngiyahleka ngako konkhe loko manje. Kepha ngaleso sikhatsi, bekungachazi nje mbamba. Umkhula wami, lobekahlala nemndeni wami nalobengikadze ngimetsemba, nguye lowenta emalungiselelo.
Wangicipha ngekungigibelisa ibhasi nemuntfu lengingamati. Abekheke kahle futsi anebuso lobuhle. Kute lobo ungakuvala ngaye. Yebo kona ngangesaba. ʹKwentekano? Ungiyisaphi?ʹ ngamubuta. Buso bakhe lobuchazako, lobusansundvu (khofi) salibala lelikhanyakhanyako bancibilika. ʹNgikumikisa ekhaya uyoba ngumkami,ʹ washo njalo.
ʹNgangifuna loku sikhatsi lesidze manje nyalo, emva kwesikhatsi lesidze, sekuyenteka.ʹ ʹKepha angifuni kuhamba nawe,ʹ Ngasho njalo. ʹNgiyacela, misa lebhasi ungiyeke ngihambe.ʹ Ngimemeta ngekwetfuka, ngase ngicala kukhala. Ngangingeke ngishiye babe wami ngalendlela. Bekayindvodza lebeyihamba lisontfo. ʹZama kungiva,ʹ lobekatoba yindvodza yami yatsi. ʹNgikufuna mbamba kutsi ubengumkami futsi angeke ngime sikhatsi lesidze. Khumbula, ngelisiko letfu ngivumelekile kwenta loku.ʹ
Umndeni Lomusha wa Felicia
Lebhasi yasitsatsa yayosibeka ekhaya lemndeni wakubo lapho khona bekunetindlu letine kulamasango. Yinye kwakulikhaya ladzadze wakhe Noyiswa, lapho ngahlaliswa khona liviki lekucala. Ngalobo busuku ngakhala tjo ngakhala. Ngabona ngemuvo wami wekugula kwekulahlekelwa kutsi kusekugcineni kwebuntfombi bami.
Ngemuva kweliviki lekucala, watfumela emadvodza lamabili kubabe wami nakubomfowethu kutsi bayobatjela kutsi ngikuphi. ʹUtsetse indvodzakati yami ngaphandle kwemvumo yami,ʹ kwasho babe wami, akwate avutsa emalangabi. ʹKutomele weleke lenye inkhomo ngetulu. Tinkhomo letilishumi temalobolo kanye nalena yinye yekuhlawula kungaceli imvumo yami.' Lomcimbi wenteka endlini yebatali ba Milton. Wonkhe muntfu lochamuka kumndeni wakhe bowukhona.
Babe wami akakhonanga kufika. Bekukudze kakhulu. Lomdzala wasemmangweni weta watosishadisa. ʹUngumfati lomusha nyalo ngako libito lakho lelisha ungu Nothozamile,ʹ wangatisa loko. ʹUnemndeni lomusha, nababe kanye namake lomusha nabo dzadzewenu labasha, kumele ukwemukele loko.
Awusasiyo intfombi nyalo. Kumele utaiphatsise kwemfati nyalo.' Ekugcineni kwemcimbi watsi, ʹNyalo niyindvodza nemfati, nkosikazi nemyeni.ʹ Kwase kuhlatjwa imvu kwentela lomgidvo, bomake bakulomndeni benta tibhido, lilayisi kanye nesitambu lobekutohambisana nalenyama. Ngemuva kwaloko, sasesishadile kahle. Imphilo yami njengemfati yacala.
Translated by Phindile Malotana