UThembi noThulani bayathanda ukuya
epakini noTamkhul’ uNathi.
Bayamthanda uTamkhul’ uNathi.
Kodwa uTamkhulu’ uNathi uyagula usesibhedlele. Amehlo akhe avaleke mbhaa!
Umatshini osecaleni kukaTamkhul’ uNathi umane usithi pipipip, pipipip, pipipip.
“Mama, kutheni engaculi nam nje uTamkhul’ uNathi?” uyabuza uThembi.
UMama uthi, “UTamkhul’ uNathi uyakuva.
Ucula nawe entliziyweni yakhe.”
Balindile ekhaya ngasefestileni
uThembi noThulani.
Lide eli xesha uMama noTata besesibhedlele.
Aze uThembi ababone uMama noTata
besiza ngakwindawo yokupaka imoto.
“Babuyile!”
UMama no Tata banxunguphele kakhulu.
“Kwenzekeni?” uyabuza uThembi.
Isisu sakhe siyaxuxuzela.
Ilizwi likaMama litsholo ezantsi.
“UTamkhul’ uNathi ebemdala
kwaye egula. Oogqirha abakwazanga ukumenza abengcono.”
Amehlo akhe awangazele ziinyembezi,
“Asisayi kuphinda simbone kwakhona uTamkhul’ uNathi.”
UThulani uhleli phandle phantsi komthi obuthandwa kakhulu nguTamkhul’ uNathi.
Akanamdla wakudlala noThembi. Unqwenela ukuba uTamkhul’ uNathi ebengamfundela ibali.
UThembi unomsindo aze alahlele unodoli wakhe pha kude.
“Uswelekele ntoni kodwa uTamkhul’ uNathi!”
UMama amtsale uThembi amsondeze kuye.
“Kulungile ukuba nomsindo,” utsho uMama.
“Nam ndiyamkhumbula uTamkhul’ uNathi.”
Namhlanje uMama, uTata, uThulani
noThembi banxibe iimpahla zabo
zikanokutsho balungele ukuya ecaweni kumngcwabo kaTamkhul’ uNathi.
Bonke abantu bazele ukuzokhumbula uTamkhul’ uNathi.
UMama ubamba isandla sikaThembi njengokuba becula iingoma ebezithandwa nguTamkhul’ uNathi.
Bonke abantu bayacula baze badanise nokudanisa.
UThembi akakwazi kulala. Ukhwaza uMama.
“Mama, ndiyamkhumbula uTamkhulu.
Intliziyo yam ibuhlungu!”
UThembi noThulani batya isidlo
sakusasa ngethuba kungena uTata ephethe umthi omkhulu, omkhulu kakhulu
owenziwe ngekhadibhodi.
“Lo ngumthi weenkumbulo,” utsho uTata. Uncamathisela lo mthi wekhadibhodi edongeni.
UMama uphethe ibhokisi eneefoto. “Thathani ezona foto nizithandayo zikaTamkhul’ uNathi nize nizincamathisele emthini.”
Bekunye ke bancamathisela iifoto zikaTamkhul’ uNathi emthini. Bakhumbula amaxesha amnandi ababenawo noTamkhulu.
UThembi uqhwaba izandla
ngokuvuyo. “Lo ngumthi wam omtsha endiwuthanda kunene!”
Ancume uTata. “Nanini na ngoku xa sifuna ukukhumbula uTamkhul’ uNathi, singeza
kulo mthi wethu weenkumbulo.”
“Asisoze simlibale uTamkhul’ uNathi.
Uyakuhlala ehleli ezintliziyweni zethu.”
The Memory Tree Xhosa
