uBeauty Skefile
Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ndidibene no Victor, ndine minyaka eyi 20, satshata. Yayingu mtshato omhlophe bonke abantu ekuhlaleni beza, ngamakhulu khulu. Yayintle kakhulu lomini. Kwiminyaka elishumi emtshatweni wethu, sasine mali eyaneleyo sonwabile. uVictor wayethenga iimpahla ethengela mna nabantwana, esixhasa kwinto yonke.
Ndandicinga kuyakuhlala kunjalo unaphakade. Wawushiya umsebenzi, efuna ukubuyela eQunu, eMpuma Koloni, apho wayesuka khona. Zaqala apho iingxaki. Okwe xeshana izinto zahamba kakuhle eQunu. Sasihlala kwindlu eyenziwe ngezitena, silima umbona namathanga. Sasilima ukutya okuninzi kwaye asizange silambe. Kodwa uVictor waye ngasasebenzi.
Mhlawumbi lonto yamenza abenomvandedwa. Waqala apho ukundibetha. Wayefika endlini enxilile, xa endibona ndihleli nabantwana, wayendibuza krwada, ‘kuphi ukutya kwam’? aqale ukundichukela , ebuza imibuzo nje ukuzama ukuqala umlo, aphele endibetha, rhoqho.Wagqiba ekubeni atshate umfazi wesibini, unkosikazi kabhuti wakhe owaswelekayo.
Lisiko lesiXhosa eli, ukuqinisekisa okokuba umhlolokazi nabantwana bajongiwe. Kodwa ke kwakunga nyamezeleki. Xa ndiphendula wayendibetha. Kwakungasekho thando emtshatweni wam kungasento indilungeleyo eQunu. Ndapakisha impahla zam, ndayokuzama eKapa, kwikhaya lam, kuna phaya.
uFelicia Mfamana
Oobhuti bomyenam uMilton, odadewabo, nomama wakhe yayingabantu abalungileyo, kodwa wayesonqena, engumxhaphazi. Wayesenza imali ngokulungisa izindlu zabantu, engandiniki kwa mali. uMamazala wam wayemazi unjani kwaye wayengathandi. Wayendinika ukutya nemali yabantwana.
uNomanani, umntwana wethu wokuqala wazalwa, kwalandela uNoxolo, Nonkosi no Phumla, kunjalo uMilton akazange asinike nto. Wayesela kakhulu afike ngobusuku, esivusa sonke, ebuza, ‘nilele lentoni? kuphi ukutya kwam?’ Ukuqala kwakhe ukundibetha, intombi yethu yesibini uNoxolo wayelusana. Kwiminyaka elithoba ndamshiya.
Wayemka imini nobusuku bayo bonke, ezinzulwini zobusuku andinkqonkqozele. ‘Ndilambile. Kuphi ukutya kwam? Watsho. ‘Akho kutya kuba awundinikanga imali yokukuthenga, Ndatsho. ‘Sukundixokisela. Uthengisa ilekese kwaye unayo imali, watsho. ‘La mali yeyokondla abantwana, ‘ndaphendula ‘ayomali yakho.’ Aqale ukundibetha angayeki. Wandibetha ebusweni, xandiphantsi aqale andikhabe. ‘Ndizaku bulala,’ wakhwaza uDadewethu uNeliswa wayehlala nathi.
Waqala ukulila nokungxola, ezama ukungena phakathi kwethu, amtyhale.’ Hayi, bulala mna kuqala,’ wakhwaza kuye. ‘Bulala mna phambi kokubulala udadewethu.’ Abamelwane babeyiva lengxolo beze bebaleka. ‘Yeka! Ngu nkosikazi wakho lo!’ wangxola, esusa uMilton kum. Watsalela umxeba amapolisa. Aweza. Kodwa uMilton ekunxileni kwakhe, wehla. Kwintsasa elandelayo, ndahamba.