The Herd Boy - Zulu

Ibhalwe yadwetshelwa imifanekiso ngu Niki Ihunyushwe nguBhekinkosi Ntuli

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Daly

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“Vuka phela, Malusi!” kumemeza uMama.

Kusemnyama ngaphakathi endlini.

Ngaphandle kunomoya opholile, ilanga seliyaphuma – liqala liwundi olubomvu emagqumeni laphaya, bese liba sagolide lapho seliphuma lifudumeza lo muzi.

Seliyaxhaphazela idokwe ebhodweni.

“Yidla-ke!” kusho uMama. “Akekho umfana ongasebenza kahle engadlile.”

UMalusi lo welusa izimvu nezimbuzi zikayisemkhulu.

Ngumsebenzi omkhulu lo kumfana omncane.

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“Viyo-o-o! Viyo-o-o!� kusho ikhwela likaMalusi lapho ekhipha izimvu esibayeni sikaMkhulu.

Ngenkathi efika edlelweni laphaya, umhlabathi usushisa bhe ezinyaweni ezingavikelwe yilutho.

UMalusi uvikela ngesandla amehlo akhe emisebeni yelanga bese ebheka phezulu.

Le phezulu ezulwini ubona uKhozi Olumnyama lundiza luzungeza.

Unyathela ngokunakekela kulezi zihlahla lapho okuke kutholakale khona ibululu lizozelela, lizisonge laba inkatha engabonakali.

Ude ezivimba izimvu nezimbuzi ukuba zingayi odongeni ezingaphonseka kalula nje kulo kodwa kube lukhuni ukuphuma.

Uma ungumelusi kumele uhlale uqaphele, unesibindi.

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Laphaya ngasesiweni uyaqoqana umhlambi wezimfene. Uma zingehla nje uzozixosha ngokusebenzisa iphimbo lakhe acoshe amatshe azijikijele. “Wo-wu!� nguKoko okhonkothayo.

Kusho ukuthi uselapha eduze umngani wakhe uLungisa.

ULungisa mdadlala kuMalusi, futhi yena unenja yakhe.

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Bake bahlangane badlale ngenkathi zisadla izimvu. ULungisa uthanda ukudlala ibhola lezinyawo lababili nokulwa ngezinduku. UMalusi uyayithanda inselelo. Nango uKoko egxuma, eqheluka lapho abafana sebethuquza uthuli.

“Shu!” kumemeza uMalusi besalwa.

“Kuyashisa manje!” Base behlukana, yena esekhumula ingubo yakhe… kancane… esacabanga ukuthi konje anqanqoba kanjani. Lutho ukuphumelela.

ULungisa ungumpetha ebholeni nasendukwini. Nokho ufunda masinyane uMalusi. Uyazi ukuthi kumele angalisusi iso ebholeni, uma kuliwa asheshe aqheluke, ingamtholi induku.

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Sekuyisikhathi sokudla kwasemini, ubalethela khona udadewabo uZolika.

Badla into efanayo nsuku zonke – umvubo wamasi nomcaba. Yena noLungisa baye bakudle konke baze bakhothe izitsha ngeminwe.

“Uma sengikhulile,” kusho uLungisa, “ngiyodlalela iBafana Bafana.”

“Uma sengikhulile,” esholo phansi uMalusi, “ngiyoba nguMongameli.”

Wahleka kakhulu uLungisa zaze zethuka zabaleka izimfene.

Nazo sezenanela ngo-“Waaho!

Waahoo!” UZolika athathe izitsha.

“UMalusi uhlakaniphile,” kusho yena.

“Angaba noma yini into ayithandayo.”

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UMalusi uyajabula lapho uLungisa esesuke waya emhlanjini wakhe.

Phela uMalusi uyakuthanda ukuba yedwana – kekube nguye nje nesithunzi sakhe.

Uyathula du, angathi nyaka, abheke phansi lapho amahele amabili omuhlwa ephikelele khona phambili. Ewu, zaze zakhuthala lezi zisebenzi bo – zonke zisebenza ngokubambisana.

Uma ebona umuhlwa ohamba wodwa uyawuzwela athi, “Hamba uye le, silwanyana ndini. Buyela kwabakini.”

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Dudula, ugingqagingqe!

Dudula, ugingqagingqe!

Uyamamatheka uMalusi uma ebuka leli bhungane, inkumabulongwe, elinokubekezela.

Lithi ukuphumula ethunzini likaMalusi, libuye liphumele elangeni elishisayo.

Likhumbuza uMalusi ngokusamele akwenze – ukuthola ubulongwe azobuyisa kumninisitolo, uMdingi, ukuze abufake emhlabathini engadini yakhe.

Unina kaMalusi-ke yena uzonikwa imifino esemisha.

Njengoba elokhu ecaphuna ubulongwe nje, ude ebukeza ukuthi kubalwa kanjani: kunye, kubili, kuthathu – lize ligcwale isaka lakhe.

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Hhayi wena bo! Uma ethi ubheka Phezulu, nansiya imfene endala ihlezi edwaleni – isondele kakhulu emazinyaneni ezimvu nawezimbuzi.

UMalusi usikaza ngenduku amemeze athi, “Suka la!”

Le mfene yondile, sengathi ilambile.

Uma ikhamisa, habo, inesisini. UMalusi akayithandi neze le mfene. Kuthi lapho seyehla ngokushesha esiweni, isondela, amemeze kakhulu manje.

“Lungi-i-i-sa! Ko-o-o-ko!”

Izwi lakhe lenanelwe yisiwa.

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Lapha ezihlahleni sekugcwele izwi likaMalusi nokukhala komhlambi owethukile.

Imfene isiphakathi kwezimvu nezimbuzi!

Ingase ithathe elinye izinyane noma iyethuse imfuyo le iphonseke odongeni.

UMalusi uhamba ngokunakekela kulo mhlambi – eyibambisisile induku yakhe.

A, nanku umsila wemfene, ezwe ukukhala kwezinyane, abone ububhudubhudu sekushunqa uthuli.

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“Malu-u-u-si!”

NguLungisa uza noKoko. UKoko uzwa iphunga lemfene aphonseke phakathi kwezilwane ezethukile – ezivele zivule inkundla yempi. ULungisa noMalusi basho phakathi sebelungele ukusiza uKoko.

Hhawu, lutho phela impi ebilindelwe.

Ukuhhahhama okubandisa amathumbu kukaKoko, namazinyo akhe aseyizingovolo kwawuguqula umqondo wemfene. Yavele yalidedela izinyane elophayo, nansiya ibaleka yenyukela esiweni.

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Lilimele lona izinyane, kodwa liyaphila.

Umkhulu angase afake umuthi nje enxebeni liphole.

UMalusi-ke usesonga leli zinyane ngengubo yakhe, ambambathe uKoko. “Ewu, sengathi ngingaba nenja enjengawe,” etshela inja ehefuzelayo.

“UKoko unjengoBaby Jake,” kuqhosha uLungisa. Uyavuma noMalusi. UKoko mfushanyana, kodwa unamandla, njengomshayisibhakela wodumo uBaby Jake Matlala.

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Sekwehlile ukushisa manje, sekuyisikhathi sokubuyela ekhaya. ULungisa usethi cha, uzothwala ubulongwe bukaMdingi ukuze uMalusi athwale izinyane elilimele.

UKoko usekhonkotha ebhekise emhlanjini awuqhube awehlisele emgwaqweni oyibhuqu ophikelele ekhaya.

“Yebo mama silambile!

Umlilo ngabe uyavutha na?

Ukudla ngabe kuyavuthwa na?

Yebo mama siyabuya!”

UMalusi noLungisa bacula leli culo besemgwaqweni. Bese bema.

“Awubheke,” kusho uLungisa.

“Kukhona imoto ezayo!”

NoMalusi uyayibona ishunqisa izintuli.

Bagudluzela izimvu eceleni komgwaqo.

Kodwa le moto ayedluli. Yehlisa ijubane ize ime.

“Ngekabani kodwa le moto enhle kanje, ecwebezelayo?” kumangala uMalusi.

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Iwindi langemuva bese livuleka kancane, kancane, kubonakale ikhehla elinemibimbi nje limamatheka libheka kubo.

“Molweni!” kubingelela ikhehla.

“Molo Tat’ omkhulu,” kuphendula abafana.

Libatshela ukuthi nalo lisengumfana lalembatha ingubo ebomvu lelusa izimvu.

UMalusi abone iyembe elihle eligqokwe yikhehla manje bese esheshe ebheka phansi.

“Nifuna ukuba yini nina bafana uma senikhulile?” kubuza ikhehla.

“Mina ngifuna ukudlalela iBafana Bafana,” kuphendula uLungisa.

UMalusi unamahloni okuphendula, uze aphendulelwe nguLungisa.

“Ufuna ukuba ngumongameli,” esho egegetheka uLungisa.

Nakho-ke ikhehla selibona ukuthi ugoneni uMalusi, bese lithi, “Hha, umfana onakekela umhlambi wakhe uyoba ngumholi omuhle ngempela. Sala kahle, Mongameli.”

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Ilanga selisithele ngemva kwamagquma lashiya amathunzi amade esigangeni.

Izinselo ezinyathela ngesinono emhlabathini zenza umculo omnanjana.

Sekuzwakala namazwi avela ekhaya.

UMalusi wethemba ukuthi uyisemkhulu akazukuthukuthela njengoba efika nezinyane elilimele nje ekhaya.

Kodwa naye uzobona ukuthi uMalusi uzame ngamandla onke ukusindisa izinyane.

Mhlawumbe liyophla nje.

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Ngaphambi kokuba kulalwe, uMalusi walethelwa umndlwane.

“UMdingi uthumele lokhu kuwe,” kusho uyisemkhulu. “Ngizwa ukuthi uKoko nguye uyise wale njana, ngakho izimfene kumele zivule amehlo!”

UMalusi uyamamatheka aphenye ingubo yakhe yokulala ukuze umndlwane uzishutheke.

Sekulungile-ke manje.

Nalapho sekumnyama lapha endlini uMalusi usalokhu ephinda amazwi ekhehla athi: “Hha, umfana onakekela umhlambi wakhe uyoba ngumholi omuhle ngempela.”

Emva kwalokho acimeze amehlo akhe asekhathele alale zwi…

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lapho iphupho elilindele ukuphushwa khona.

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Ukuphawula koMbhali: Amadoda amaningi agcina esephakeme aqala esezindaweni ezinganakekile nje. Omunye walawo madoda nguDavida otholakala eThestamenteni Elidala owaqala elusa imfuyo kayise nje kanti uyogcina eseyinkosi.

NoMuhamed esengumfana wayebhekana nezimo ezahlukene zezulu nezingozi elusa umhlambi wakubo.

Indoda enkulu nethandwa kakhulu yalezi zikhathi zethu, eyayingumongameli, uNelson Rolihlahla Mandela, nayo ivela endaweni ephansi nje yasemakhaya. Ubani owayengase abikezele ukuthi umalusi nje ovela emzini waseQunu eTranskei angagcina esengumholi owaziwa emhlabeni jikelele?

Ngisho ngabe isikhathi sobungane bethu singabonakala siyinto engahambi ngaluhlelo olutheni – kukhona abanenhlanhla kunabanye – imvamisa leso sikhathi sigcina sesinomthelela ohlotsheni lwabantu abadala esigcina siyibo. Yikho-ke ngibuza ukuthi, “Kukhonani empilweni kamalusi wemfuyo emlungiselela ukuba aze agcine esengumalusi wesizwe?”

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