Ukuthungatha umoya wentwasahlobo

Sekuphelile ukubanda kwasebusika. Kwase kuzoba yiNtwasahlobo emzini wakwaNdlovu. Umuzi wawusuzohlangana ukuze ugubhe isikhathi sonyaka esisha. UNkanyezi wayelangazelela umkhosi weNtwasahlobo ukudlula nanoma iluphi usuku onyakeni.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni okwakufudumele, uNkanyezi wezwa abantu abadala ababili basemzini bekhuluma ngomkhosi. “Abantu bakwaNdlovu sebelahlekelwe umoya wokugubha imikhosi,” kuphefumula omunye. “Singaba nawo kanjani umkhosi weNtwasahlobo emzini osukhohliwe ukuthi kugujwa kanjani?” kubuza omunye.

UNkanyezi wayekhathazekile. “Lizokhazimula kanjani ilanga futhi ngaphandle kokuba sicule ukuze livuke ebuthongweni balo basebusika?” ezibuza yena. UNkanyezi wabe esecabanga isikhathi eside. “Kumele ngithole lokho okusilahlekele,” kunquma yena. “Kumele ngihambe ngiyofuna lezo zinto ezizoletha umoya wokugubha emzini wakithi.”

Abantu abadala babusisela intombazanyana uhambo eyayizoluthatha. Babuye bayinika nesikhwama ezothwala ngaso zonke izinto ezozithola. Wahamba, uNkanyezi ezizwa enovadlwana, kodwa wayefuna ukusiza umuzi wakubo.

UNkanyezi wahamba usuku lonke. Wenyuka egqumeni, wase ehlela esigodini. Wawela ngesikebhe umfula omkhulu, wase ecaca phakathi kwamadwala amabili acijile. Wahamba wanqamula ithafa waze wayofika ethunzini lezintaba ezibomvu.

Kwathi lapho sekuhlwa, uNkanyezi wafikela emzini onamaphethini kanye nemibala angakaze ayibone phambilini. Waxoxela abantu abadala basemzini ngohambo lwakhe lokubuyisela ebantwini bangakubo umoya wokugubha umkhosi. Unina walesi sizwe wanikeza uNkanyezi isipho wase ethi kuye, “Sikunika lo pende ngothando ukuze uyobuyisela umbala emzini ongasenambala.” UNkanyezi wabonga abantu abadala wase efaka upende esikhwameni sakhe. Kusempondozankomo ngakusasa ekuseni wathatha uhambo lwakhe futhi, ethokozile ngalesi sipho sombala.

UNkanyezi wahamba usuku lonke, edabula kudukathole wehlathi elinezihlahla ezinkulu. Lapho isibhakabhaka sesimnyama kakhulu ukuthi angabona, wezwa umsindo wokukhala kwezigubhu. Washesha ebabele ngalapho kwakukhala khona izigubhu, ezwa umuzwa wokugida ufika ezinyaweni zakhe ezikhathele.

UNkanyezi wazithole esemzini wakwaBhubesi. Abantu babehleli bezungeze umlilo, beshaya izigubhu futhi becula. Wayengakaze ezwe umculo omnandi kangaka. Waxoxela abantu abadala basemzini ngohambo lwakhe lokubuyisela ebantwini bangakubo umoya wokugubha okuthile. AbakwaBhubesi bamcela ukuthi aphumule bese ehlala nabo ngalobo busuku.

Ekuseni inkosi yambiza uNkanyezi. “Ngane yami,” kusho yona, “nasi isigubhu esikhethekile. Sidlala iculo elisha njalo nje uma usishaya.” UNkanyezi wabonga inkosi wase efaka isigubhu esikhwameni sakhe. Wahamba futhi, ejabule nalesi sipho somculo kanye nokugida.

Ngosuku lwesithathu lohambo lwakhe, ngesikhathi uNkanyezi edlula edlelweni lezinkomazi ezikhuluphele, ikhala lakhe laqala ukukitaza. Iphunga elimnandi lamenza wahala kwaze kwaconsa amathe. Walandela iphunga, waze wafika emzini wathola abantu beme eduze kwamabhodwe esitshulu esibilayo. Lo muzi wawudume ngamadili awo. UNkanyezi wayengakaze azwe izinongo ezimnandi njengalezi. Ngemva kokudla ashaye esentwala, waxoxela abantu abadala basemzini ngohambo lwakhe lokubuyisela ebantwini bangakubo umoya wokugubha okuthile.

Ngosuku olulandelayo, umkhandlu wabapheki wamnikeza ingxube yezinongo ezikhethekile eziyimfihlo. “Ndodakazi yethu,” kusho bona, “ngalezi zithako, ziqinisekisiwe izisu ezithokozile! Sikunikeza isipho sokudla okumnandi.” UNkanyezi wabonga umkhandlu wabapheki wase efaka izithako esikhwameni sakhe. Wayazi ukuthi wayesenakho konke ayekufuna. Ngomdlandla omusha waqala uhambo olude ebhekise amabombo ekhaya emzini wakwaNdlovu.

Lapho uNkanyezi efika ekhaya, abantu basemzini bamngunga ukuze bezwe ngezigameko zakhe. Wabaxoxela izindaba ngalokho akubonile, akuzwile kanye nakudlile. Wase evula isikhwama sakhe ukuze abelane nabo ngezipho ayeziphiwe. Abantu bakujabulela ukuthola le ngcebo. Ngenxa yokuba nesandla esiphanayo kwabanye kanye nesibindi sikaNkanyezi, abantu basemzini baphinda futhi bathola umbala, umculo, nokugida nokudla okumnandi ezimpilweni zabo. Ngakho-ke kwabuyiselwa umoya wokugubha emzini wakwaNdlovu.