uGoldie Qayiya
Owayezakuba ngu myeni wam uOtto, sakhula kwilali enye, kodwa singazani sisengabantwana. Ndandibana naye ukuya kway kwi kholeji yokufundela ubutitshala ngenye iholide. Ndandihamba ndisuka evenkileni wakhwaza, ‘yiza apha,’ esitsho kamnandi wabuza ndihlala phi. Ndaphinda ndambona kumbhiyozo wengeji yethu.
uOtto wayendibhalele incwadi ecela umtshato. Kwakubalulekile kuye okokuba atshate nam. Incwadi yakhe yathi okokuba ndiyavuma, uyakucela utata wakhe athethe no tata wam. Kodwa incwadi yafika ndise kholejini abazali bam bayivula incwadi.
Zange babuze ndicinga ntoni, yayingu nyaka wam wokuqala ekholejini. Xandiphinda ndibuya kwi holide elandelayo utata wathi kum, ‘Goldie, uzakutshata.’
uMtshato oLungisiweyo
umtshato wenzeka kwiminyaka emibini emveni koko, nge holide zika December. uOtto wabhatala iinkomo ezilishumi nehashe njenge lobola, kwakula nyanga satshata. Ndandingaqinisekanga. Ndandingafuni ukutshata kwaphela. Satshata kwi cawe yase Anglican, saya kulo Otto apho wonke umntu waye silinde ngaphandle, besivuyela.
Sachitha ixesha sibulisa abantu, sibaxhawula, sangena ngaphakathi siyokudla isidlo sasemini. Emveni kwesidlo, saya kwi holo elikhulu ekuhlaleni sayokudanisa, ebusuku satya ukutya okushiyekileyo omama ababeze nayo eholweni.
Sadanisa ubusuku bonke kumculo obukufana nowe jazz, I happy kwela ka Spokes Mashiyane, uPennywhistle wethu apha eAfrika ngexesha lethu, sibhiyozela ubomi bempilo esasizokuyi phila sobabini.
uFelicia Mfamana
Zimbini iindidi zomtshato wesiko lesi Xhosa. Lo wenziwa kakuhle, nalo wokuthwalwa, yomibini isenzeka nanamhla. Xa indoda ithwala umfazi wayo akukho mtshato mkhulu kwaye akukho mtshato we lokhwe emhlophe. Akukho nto umfazi angayenza ngalonto. Ndandinalo mtshato unjalo.
Ndiyayihleka ngoku. Kodwa ngelaxesha yayinge mnandanga. Indodakazi yam, eyayihlala nosapho lwam, endandiyithemba yenza kwenzeka. Wandiqhatha wandikhwelisa isithuthi nomntu endingamaziyo.
Wayenobuso obuhle nomzimba omhle. Kwakungekho nto ikrokrisayo ngaye. Kodwa ndandisoyika, ‘Kwenzeka ntoni? Undisaphi?’ ndabuza. uBuso bakhe babune bala le kofu, obuhle bazimisela, ‘Ndikusa ekhaya uyokuba yinkosikazi yam,’ watsho. ‘Kudala ndiyifuna lento, ngoku ekugqibeleni iyenzeka.’ ‘Kodwa andifuni ukuhamba nawe,’ ndatsho.
‘Ndiyakucela, misa ibhasi ndiphume.’ Ekoyikeni kwam ndaqala ukulila. ‘Zama ukuqonda, ‘watsho lo wayezakuba ngumyeni wam. ‘Ndiyafuna okokuba ubeyi nkosikazi yam kwaye andikwazi kulinda kwakhona. Khumbula, kwisiko lethu ndivumelekile ukuyenza lento.’
uSapho Olutsha Luka Felicia
Ibhasi yasisa kwikhaya lakhe apho kwakukho izindlu ezine ebaleni. Enye yayi yindlu ka dadewabo uNoyiswa, apho ndandizakuhlala khona kwiveki yokuqala. Ngoba busuku ndalila, ndalila. Ndaqonda ngendlela ebuhlungu nje okokuba ubuntombi bam buphelile. Emveni kweveki yokuqala, wathumela amadoda amabini ku tata noo bhuti bam ukuba xelela ukuba ndiphi. ‘Uthathe intombi yam ungena mvume’ watsho utata, enomsindo kakhulu. ‘kuzakufuneka esinikeze enye inkomo ngaphezulu.
Iinkomo ezilishumi, nenye yokuba ungacelanga imvume.’ Umsitho wenzeka endlwini yabazali baka Milton. Bonke abosapho lwakhe babe khona. Utata zange akwazi ukuza. Kwaku kude kakhulu. Utata omdala ekuhlaleni wazokusi tshatisa. ‘Ungu makoti ngoku, ingama lakhe elitsha ngu Nothozamile,’ wandixelela.
Unosapho olutsha, umama omtsha, kunye notata omtsha noosisi abatsha kwaye kufuneka ukwamkele oko. Awuseyiyo intombi. Kufanele uziphathe njengo mfazi ngoku. Kumsitho wathi, ‘ngoku niyi ndoda nomfazi,’ kwaxhelwa igusha ukubhiyoza, abafazi bosapho benza isidlo, irayisi, umgqusho, nesaladi kunye nenyama. Emveni koko, sahlala emtshatweni kumnandi. Ubomi bam bokuba ngumfazi baqala.
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie