Beauty Skefile
Tinhweti nyana endzhaku kaloko ndzi hlangane na Victor, andziri na 20 wa malembe, hi tekanile. Akuri nkhuvo wa nguvo yo basa naswona vanhu hinkwavo ava tile, hi madzanadzana. Aswiri kahle swinene. Eka malembe ya 10 ya vukati bya hina, ahiri na mali yakuringana naswona ahi tsakile. Victor uxavile mpahla ya vana na mina, xikanwe naku hi seketela hiti ndlela hinkwato leti ahiti ehleketa.
Andzi ehleketa leswaku swita tshamisa xiswona kuya hilaha kunga heriki. Kambe uvuye a tshika ntirho, a lava kutlhelela ekaya e Qunu e Eastern Cape, laha a humakona. Laha hilaha swiphiqo swinga sungula kona. Kuringana nkarhi nyana swilo a swifamba kahle e Qunu. Ahi tshama eka yindlu yo endliwa hi switina naswona ahi rima masimu hi byala mavele na makwembe.
A hibyala swakudya sworinganela naswona ahingari na ndlala. Kambe Victor angaha tirhi. Kumbe leswi switise ntshikelelo eka yena. Nkarhi wihi na wihi usungule kundzi bukutela. Uvuya kaya a dakwile naswon loko a hi vona hitshamile na vana, atavutisa, hiku karhiha, Swikwihi swakudya swa mina?' Kutani ata sungula ku holova na mina, andzi vutisela swivutiso leswaku kuta suka nyimpi kutani andzi bukutela. U vuye a teka xiboho xo teka nwasati wa vumbirhi, nsati wa boti wa yena lavanga lova.
Lawa i maendlelo ya xi Xhosa, kutiyisisa leswaku muferiwa na vana vanga Sali va hlupheka naswona vahlayisiwa. Kambe eka mina, aswi tika swinene eka mina. Loko ndzi hlamula, andzi biwa. Aku ngahari na rirhandzu eka vukati bya mina naswona aku ngahari na nchumu ya xakahle xa mina e Qunu. Ndzi longe swamina ndzi famba. Andzi vona swiantswa kuya hlupheka ndziri ekaya e Cape Town, kaya ra mina, kungari evukatini.
Felicia Mfamana
Va boti wa nuna wa mina Milton, vasesi na mhani wayena avari vanhu vakahle swinene, kambe yena a loloha no karhata. A endla mali hiku lunghisa tindlu ta vanhu, kambe anga ndzi nyiki na peni. Mhani nwingi wa mina ava switiva leswaku arinjhani naswona avanga swiseketeli. Avandzi nyika mali na swakudya swavana.
Nomanani, nwana wa hina wosungula utswariwile, kuta Noxolo, Nonkosi na Phumla, hambi swiritano Milton anga endlanga nchumu ku hlayisa ndyangu wa yena. An’wa ngopfu byala naswona ata vuya ekaya exikarhi ka vusiku, ahi pfuxa hinkwerhu avutisa hiku huwelela, 'Xana u etlelele yini? Swakudya swa mina swikwihi?' Rosungula loko andzi ba nwana wa hina wa vumbirhi, Noxolo, ahari xinwanani. Endzhaku ka nkaye wa malembe, ndzi hambanile na yena.
Angari kona ekaya siku hinkwaro laha ata vuya exikarhi ka vusiku tani hintolovelo, a fika a gongondza e nyangweni. 'Ndzi twa ndlala. Swikwihi swakudya swamina?' Aswi koxa.
'Akuna swakudya hikuva awu humesangi mali yo xava,' Ndzi hlamula. 'Unga ndzi hembeli. U xavisa malekere naswona una mali,'A hlamula. 'Mali yoleyo yi hanyisa vana,' Ndzi hlamula. 'A hi mali ya wena.' A sungula kundzi bukutela naswona anga yimi. Andzi be exikandzeni naswona loko ndzi wele ehansi asungula kundzi rahetela.
'Ndzi taku dlaya wena,' a huwelela. Sesi wa mina Neliswa a tshama na hina. A sungula kurila naku huwelela laha a ringeta kuhilamula a nwi susumeta. 'Hayi, sungula u dlaya mina,' a huwelela.
'Dlaya mina loko unga se dlaya sesi wa mina.' Makhelwani wa hina utwile huwa laha anga fika hirivilo. 'Yima! Loyi i nsati wa wena!' a huwelela, a susa Milton eka mina. A fonela maphorisa. Ava fikanga, kambe Milton, leswi aha dakwile uvuye a enhlisa moya. Siku leri landzelaka na mixo, ndzi fambile.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni