Ku tisa kuvonakala
Ndzi etlel e mubedweni ni songana, na miri wunga twi nchumu hikawalaho ko twa kuvava. Lahaya, evunyamini bya kamara ra mina, ndzi pfumelela munyama lowunga e kamareni wu tlakuka, wunghenelela laha ndzi nga teka xiboho xa leswaku ndzi fanele kuva ndzi herisa vutomi bya mina.
Ndlela yo antswa ku endla leswi kungava ku etlela exiporweni kusuhi na kaya ra mina e Khayelitsha kutani ndzi yimela xitimela leswaku xita hundza hile henhla ka mina. Eku heteleleni, andzi ta wisa. Kambe aswivangi tano, hinkarhi walowo, n’wana wa mina wa jaha Anthony utile ata gongondza enyangweni wa mina. Kutani a cinca miehleketo ya mina hiku tisunga.
Akuri hi lembe ra 2001, kuringana nkarhi woleha andzi tsandzeka ku endla xan’wanchumu kambe ndzi rila, ndzi rila swinga heli. Andzi vabya hikwalaho ka gome leri andziri narona leringa tshama ri gandlelana kuringana malembe lawa yotala.
Andzi nga ha rhandzi vutomi lebyi bya Alicia Mdaka, vutomi lebyi atava anga ti hlawulelanga byona, loko alova na nkateko wo hlawula. Andzi byi zondhile xikan’we naku tizondha kuva niri eka byona, kambe andzi nga voni ndlela yinwani.
Awu vonanga mhana mina?
Ndzi khiyile nyangwa wale mahlweni, ndzi pfala makhetenisi kutani ndzi titumbeta eka vunyama bya yindlu ya mina. Kutani, hile fasitereni, kuta rito ra Anthony a vulavula na makhelwani, mukhegulu loyi na vito ra yena ndzi nga ritsundzukeki sweswi. 'Awu vonangi mhani wa mina ke?' A vutisa. 'E-e,'ku hlamula mukhegulu loyi. 'Ndzi vone ntsena vatukulu, Thuthukani na Juliette, loko vaya exikolweni, kambe sweswo i swa khale.
Andzi tivi leswaku angava ari kwihi.' 'Andzi n’wi xavele mapoto yantshwa yosaseka swinene,' A byela mukhegulu, rito rakwe rivoningile no vevukisa swilo onge hinkwaswo aswi lulamile emisaveni. 'Ndzi ringete nyangwa wakwe wu khiyiwile. Ndzi ehleketa ku tshova rivanti, kutani ndzi veka mapoto lawa endzeni ka yindlu.
Ndzi ta lunghisa rivanti endzhaku.' Leswi swindzi pfuxile. Ndzi tsutsumele eka nyangwa wale mahlweni kutani ndziya wupfula. Loko kuriku uya ku tshoveni ka nyangwa swa antswa ndzi n’wi olovisela ntirho naku hlayisa nyangwa wa mina. 'Hayi, unga tshovi nchumu, Ndzita kupfulela unghena,' Ndzi huwelela kutani ndzi pfula. Undzi langute kan’we exikandzeni lexi axi pfimbile kutani a vutisa aku, 'Mhani, kasi ku humelela yini ke? Xana u rilela yini ke?' Andzi boheka kun’wi byela ntiyiso.
Eka kutikeriwa hinkwako ka ndyangu wa mina, Anthony u endle hinkwaswo leswi aswikota ku pfuneta. Loko a ha tshama na mina, a endlela swakudya swa nimixo swa vatukulu va mina ni mixo, kutani ata tisa na mali nyana loko akume xintirhwani. Una mbilu ya kahle naswona ndza n’wi tshemba. ‘Anthony, Andzaha swikoti,' Ndzi nwi byela. 'Andzi ehleketi hi ndlela yinwana sweswi handle ka ku landzela vana va mina vanhwenyani.
Ndzi lava kuva na vona. Ndzi lava kuya eka ndzhawu yo antswa. 'Andzi switivi leswaku ndzi swivurisa kuyini eka wena hi ndlela ya kahle — i khale ndzirikarhi ndzi ehleketa ku swiherisa hinkwaswo leswi ndzi hluphaka. ' Andzi khoma hi voko, andzi tshuneta ekusuhi na sofa kutani loko hitshamile e hansi andzi languta e matihlweni. Andzi languta anga jiki. 'Maswitiva i yini?' Andzi vutisa. 'Uve ka nghozi ya movha kuringana ka nharhu, u vavisekile eka hinkwato, kambe Xikwembu xiku ponisile.
Uve na stroke kanharhu naswona Xikwembu xiku ponisile. Waswitiva leswaku hikokwalaho ka yini? 'Axiswitiva leswaku siku rin’wana xita teka vasesi wa mina Olive na Prudence, naswona vana va vona vatasala. Axi lava leswaku wena uva muhlayisi wa vona. Va lava wena vana lava, mhani. 'Loko wo famba sweswi, xana kuta humelela yini hi vona? Swita vava swinene, kutava xilondza lexikulu eka vona.
U fanele ku tshika ku ehleketa hindlela leyi.' Marito yayena aya fana naku cheriwa hi mati yotitimela, leswaku ndzita kota ku pfuka. Eka gome leri, vatukulu vamina ava nyamalarile emi ehleketweni ya mina. Kambe ava hanya — ku hanya, hambi leswi mina andzi ngaha lavi vutomi — xikan’we na ntshembo naku chava loku andzi kutsundzuka kusuka eka vuhlangi bya mina. 'Ahi khongeleni,' Ndzi byela yena. Hi khinsama hi matsolo kutani ndzi rila, ndzi rilela eka hosi.
Eku heteleleni, Anthony aku, 'Amen.' Kutani a jika andzi languta. 'Mhani, mingaha swiendli leswi, ndza kombela. Ndzi kombela leswaku mingaha swiehleketi nakan’we.' Ndzi pfula nyangwa xikan’we na makheteni leswaku kutava na ku vonakala. Leswi akuri ku hela ka mihloti ya mina siku leri.
Sweswi se i malembe kusukela loko ndzi lave ku herisa vutomi bya mina naswona swilo swaha tika nyana. Ndzaha teka mapilisi yantshikelelo nasweswi masiku hinkwawo, xikan’we na mapilisi yaku sivela leswaku ndzi nga ha biwi hi stroke. Kambe masiku lawa tipilisi ahitona ntsena leti endlaka leswaku ndzi tikuma ndza ha tiyile.
Masiku lawa hina vakokwani hisungula kuvona leswi humelelaka evuton’wini bya hina xikan’we naku seketelana leswaku hi tiya, ekerekeni xikan’we nale ka nhlangano lowu hinga wusungula kun’we, Grandmothers Against Poverty and Aids, lowu hiwu vitanaka Gapa.
Vasesi wa mina va Gapa avata burisana na mina xikan’we naku ndzi thova. Loko akungari vona, andzi tava ndzi lovile sweswi; sweswo aswi kanakanisi. Hindyangu lowukulu wa vakokwani lava seketelanaka, hi susa ntshikelele, xikan’we naku dyondzisana ku hleka nakambe.