The Herd Boy - Xhosa

Ibhalwe yazotwa ngu Niki Daly Iguqulelwe esiXhoseni nguGcina Mlhope

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“Vuka! Vuka Malusi!” kutsho uMama.

Ngaphakathi indlu isemnyama.

Ngaphandle, umoya upholile nelanga liyaphuma – kuqala kuvele umgca obomvu phaya ezintabeni, kulandele imitha ebugolide ngokuya liphuma lifudumeza ilali. Isidudu siyavutshwa embizeni.

“Yitya!” kutsho uMama. “Inkwenkwe ayikwazi ukusebenza kungekho nto esiswini.”

UMalusi welusa iigusha nebhokhwe zikayise mkhulu. Ngumsebenzi omkhulu kwinkwenkwe esencinane.

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“Vityo! Vityo!� ikhwelo nemfiyo ka Malusi iyazikhupha ibhokhwe negusha esibayeni sikayisemkhulu.

Apho sebefika khona emadlelweni umhlaba uyatshisa ngaphantsi kwenyawo zakhe.

UMalusi usitha Amehlo akhe kwimisebe yelanga emphandlayo xa ejonga phezulu. Phaya esibhakabhakeni ubona Ukhozi olumnyama lubhabha lujikeleza phezulu.

Unyathela ngobuchule kwaye ulumkela amarhamba angathi kanti alele apho ematyolweni, engabonakali.

Uqhuba ibhokhwe negusha kakuhle zingeyeli ezindongeni apho kulula ukuwa zitshone khona kodwa kunzima ukuphuma.

Kufanele uhlale uvule amehlo, ube nesibindi xa ungumelusi.

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Ezixhotyeni kukho umhlambi weemfene. Xa zingathi zehlele ngezantsi, uzakusebenzisa ilizwi lakhe kunye namatye ukuzigxotha. “Hawu!� uva ukukhonkotha kuka Koko.

Loo nto ithetha ukuba umhlobo wakhe uLungisa sele ekufuphi. ULungisa mdala kuMalusi yaye unenja yakhe.

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Ngamanye amaxesha bayadibana badlale imidlalo ngelixa igusha zisitya. ULungisa ufuna badlale ibhola ekhatywayo yababini, okanye babethe iintonga. UMalusi yena uyavana nobunzima. UKoko uyashenxa apho besusa uthuli bengcweka.

“Shu!” kukhwaza uMalusi phakathi komlo, “Ndafa bubushushu!” Bathathe ikhefu ngeli lixa ekhulula ingubo yakhe kancinci, loo nto imnika ithuba lokucingisisa ukuba angawafumana kanjani amanqaku. Kodwa akuncedi nto.

Ujongene nencutshe yebhola ekhatywayo ekwayiyo nasekubetheni iintonga! Noxa kunjalo, uMalusi ufunda msinya. Uyazi ukuba abeke iso lakhe ebholeni aphinde alumke angonzakali zintonga!

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Lixesha lesidlo sasemini, udade wabo omdala ubazisele, ukutya. Mihla le, yinto enye – umvubo, amasi nomphokoqo.

Yena noLungisa batya baqwele, bade bakhothuluze isitya ngeminwe.

“Xa sele ndimdala,” kutsho uLungisa, “ndizakudlala ibhola ekhatywayo, ndidlalele iBafana Bafana.”

“Xa sele ndimdala,” kutsho uMalusi ngeliphantsi, “ndizakuba nguMongameli.”

ULungisa ayithule phezulu intsini, uhleka kude kothuke neemfene.

“Bhokrom! Bhokrom!” ziphendula zitsho.

UZoleka uzolanda izitya. “Ke tana uMalusi ulumkile,” uvakala esitsho, “angaba yiyo nantoni na ayinqwenelayo.”

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UMalusi uyavuya xa uLungisa eyosithela esigiqini elandela imfuyo yakhe. UMalusi uyathanda ukukhe abe yedwa – yena nje nesithunzi sakhe. Kuthuleke cwaka kuhle kweentaba, ujonga phantsi abone imigca emibini yembovane zilandelelana. Iyho! zisebenza nzima – yaye zonke zisebenza ngokubambisana.

Apho ebona enye ihamba yodwa, uyivela usizi, aze athi: “Hamba, uyasala, khawuleza ulandela ezinye.”

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Tyhala, tyhala – qengqa, qengqa.

Tyhala, tyhala – qengqa, qengqa.

UMalusi uyamncumela uqongqothwane osebenza ngokuzinikezela.

Uyaphumla nje kancinci esithunzini sikaMalusi, aphinde athathise kwakhona kwelo langa litshisa kunene.

Lo nto ikhumbuza uMalusi ukuba aqokelele ubulongwe ayobunika unovenkile utata uMdingi, ukuze atyebise intsimi nezityalo zakhe.

UMama ka Malusi yena uzakufumana imifuno emihle kakhulu. Uzikhumbuza nokubala apho eqokelela khona ubulongwe.

Inye, zimbini, zintathu… lide lizale isaka.

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Hamba wena! akujonga phezulu, nantso imfene endala phezu kwelitye, yaye isondele kakhulu kumatakane ebhokhwe negusha.

UMalusi utyityimbisa intonga yakhe akhwaze athi, “Hamba!”

Imfene ibhityile kwaye ibonakala ilambile.

Apho ivula imihlathi, kunezinyo elingekhoyo. Noxa kunjalo, uMalusi akayithandi tu, ithe kona ukuba yehle elityeni isondele kufuphi, wabona kulixesha lokukhwaza kanobom.

“Lungiiisaaaaa! Koookooooo!”

Ilizwi lakhe lihlokoma emaweni.

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Ngoku amatyholo azele sisikhalo sikaMalusi kunye nengxolo yemfuyo eyothukileyo.

Imfene seyiphakathi kwazo! Ukuba akayithathi encinane, uzakuzityhalela ngasezindongeni. UMalusi wasondela kancinci naye ephakathi kweegusha, intonga sele eyilungisile.

Ubone nje ngomsila wemfene, ukukhala kwetakane, nothuli apho zijijisana.

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“Maluuusi!�

NguLungisa lowo esiza noKoko.

UKoko usezela ivumba lemfene, atsho phakathi kwezilwanyana ezothukileyo, zimvulele isangqa zilungiselela umlo. ULungisa no Malusi basondelela ukumncedisa uKoko.

Kodwa akubanga kho mlo.

Ukugragrama okuhlasimlisa igazi kunye namazinyo oyikekayo enze imfene iguqule ukucinga. Incame yaliyeka itakane elophayo, yanyoshozela inyuka iqhina.

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Itakane lonzakele, kodwa lisaphila.

Mhlawumbi, uTatomkhulu angaliqaba iyeza emanxebeni ukuze libe ngcono.

Okwangoku, uMalusi ulisonge ngebhayi lakhe itakane elo, ephulula noKoko.

“Akwaba nam bendinenja efana nawe,” utsho enjeni ekhefuzelayo.

“Ufana nqwa noBaby Jake,” kuqhayisa uLungisa. UMalusi uvumelana naye.

UKoko mfutshane kodwa womelele, kanye njengembethi manqindi eyaziwayo – uBaby Jake Matlala.

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Ubushushu bemini sebehlile noko, ngoku lixesha lokugoduka. ULungisa uncedisa ngokuthwala ubulongwe buka tata uMdingi lo xa uMalusi yena ethwala itakane elonzakeleyo.

UKoko uyakhonkotha, eqhubela imfuyo kwindlela yothuli, ejongise ngase khaya.

“Ewe, mama, silambile!

Ingaba umlilo uyavutha?

Ukutya kuyavuthwa?

Ewe, mama siyabuya!”

UMalusi noLungisa bacula le ngoma endleleni yothuli. Basuke beme. “Jonga,” kutsho uLungisa. “kukho imoto ezayo!”

UMalusi uyibona iseza isusa olukhulu uthuli olu. Baqhuba iigusha zisuke endleleni. Kodwa imoto leyo ayigqithi.

Kunoko yehlise isantya yama.

“Ngubani lo utsho ngomnyobo wemoto enje?”

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Kancinci ifestile yangasemva iyavuleka, ligxego elinobusho obushwabene okwamawa liyabancumela. “Molweni,” kubulisa ixhego.

“Molo Tatomkhulu,” kuphendula amakhwenkwe. Uyabaxelela ukuba naye eseyinkwenkwana wayembatha ibhayi elibomvu esolusa neegusha zakowabo.

UMalusi ujonga ihempe enhle ayinxibileyo ngoku, akhawuleze ajonge phantsi.

“Khanitsho makwedini, ninqwenela ukuba zintoni xa nikhulayo?” kubuza ingwevu.

“Mna ndizakudlalela iBafana Bafana,” kuphendula uLungisa. UMalusi uneentloni, akaphenduli.

ULungila uyamphendulela. “Ufuna ukuba ngu Mongameli” atsho egigitheka.

Ixhego liyabona ukuba uMalusi uthwele ntoni na, landule ukuthi, “Ah, inkwenkwe eyalusa kakuhle imfuyo yayo, ingaba yinkokheli yokwenene. Sala kakuhle Mhlekazi uMongameli.”

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Ilanga seliyosithela ngaphaya kwentaba namathunzi anabile emathafeni.

Isandi samanqina enyathela umhlaba oludongwe sitsho kamnandi ngathi ngumculo.

Kuvakala amazwi avela ngasesibayeni ekhaya. uMalusi uyathemba ukuba utatomkhulu wakhe akazi kucaphuka ngoba ubuya netikane elonzakeleyo.

Qinisekileyo uzawukwazi ukuba uMalusi wenze ngako konke okusemandleni akhe ukulisindisa.

Mhlawumbi itakane elincinci lawusinda.

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Ngaphambi kokuba kulalwe, uMalusi uziselwa injana encinci.

“UMdingi ukuthumelele yona.” Kutsho uyisemkhulu. “Ndiva kusithiwa uKoko ngiyise. Ngoko ke eza mfene kolunga zilumke.”

UMalusi uyancuma avule indawo ngaphansi kwengubo ukuze injana ingene nayo.

Yonke into ilungile.

Ebumnyameni apho endlini uMalusi uphinda amazwi exhego elidala, “Inkwenkwana eyalusa kakuhle imfuyo yayo, ikhula ibe yinkokheli yokwenene.”

Avale amehlo akhe adiniweyo, aye ngobuthongo…

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apho iphupho lilindele ukuba aliphuphe.

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Umyalezo osuka kumbhali: Amadoda amaninzi ahloniphekileyo avela ebugxwayibeni nasentluphekweni. Omnye okwanjalo, kwakuyinkwenkwana, uDavide, esiva ngaye kwi Testamente endala. Wayesolusa imfuyo kayise, wakhula waba yikumkani.

NoMuhammad naye, wakhula esolusa imfuyo ezingqeleni nakumaxesha anobungozi. Nendoda eyaziwayo nethandwa Kunene kumaxesha ethu, uMongameli wokuqala utata uNelson Rholihlahla Mandela, naye wakhula ehlupheka elalini yase Qunu, phesheya kweNciba, Transkei. Ngubani owayesazi ukuba ngenye imini uyakukhula abe yingangalala yenkokheli ehlonelwa umhlaba wonke jikelele?

Noxa ubuntwana bethu bungabonakala bungaqinisekanga, abanye banamathamsanqa kunabanye, kaninzi kubakho abakhula babe ngathi babezidalelwe kakade izikhundla zabo. Ndiyazibuza ke, “yintoni kanye esempilweni yomalusi emlungiselela ukuba yinkokheli nomalusi woluntu?�

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