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Written stories

Ixhegokazi kunye nehagu yalo

Author

Wendy Hartmann

Illustrator

Jiggs Snaddon-Wood

Translator

Liguqulelwe esiXhoseni nguNobuntu Stengile

Ngenye imini ixhegokazi lalitshayela ekhayeni lalo laze labhaqa imali elalisele layilibala kudala. Lavuya kakhulu kangangokuba lajikeleza lidanisa, licula

“Khangela apha,” latsho liyibambile liyiphakamisele phezulu le mali. “Ndiza kuthenga ntoni ngayo bethu? Ndiyazi! Ndiza kuya emarikeni ndizithengele ihagu.”

Ngoko ke ngosuku olulandelayo, laya emarikeni laza lathenga ihagwana encinane entle. Layifaka ikhola le hagu, labophelela intambo kule khola laza layinxula, lagoduka nayo. Endleleni, kwakufuneka betsibe ucingwana olufutshane lwasenkampini.

Ixhegokazi lathi, “Nceda, hagu, tsiba olu cingo.” Kodwa ihagu yala ukutsiba ucingo. Lacenga kangangoko, kodwa ihagu yala ukutsiba ecingweni.

Old lady & Pig 1.lo res

Kanye ngelo xesha kwathi gqi injana izinkcunkcela laze lathi ixhegokazi kuyo, “Nja, Nja! Yiza apha. Nceda usukele le hagu. Le hagu ayifuni kutsiba ecingweni kwaye soze ndifike ekhaya, ngoku kuhlwile.”

Kodwa inja yala ukuyisukela ihagu.

Ngoko ke ixhegokazi lathatha i-emele yamanzi eyayihleli kude kufuphi nocingo. “Manzi, nceda utshize le nja. Le nja ayifuni ukusukela le hagu. Le hagu ayifuni ukutsiba ecingweni kwaye soze ndifike ekhaya, ngoku kuhlwile.”

 

Kodwa amanzi ala ukutshiza inja.

Ixhegokazi labona inkunzi yenkomo mgama. Yathi yakusondela layikhwaza, “Nkomo, Nkomo, nceda usele la manzi. La manzi awafuni kutshiza le nja. Inja ayifuni kusukela ihagu. Ihagu ayifuni kutsiba ecingweni kwaye kuya kusiba mnyama ngoku. Lixesha lokuba mna nehagu sibe sesisekhaya.”

Kodwa inkomo yala ukuwasela amanzi.

Kanye ngelo xesha kwadlula unosilarha.

Ixhegokazi lammisa laze lamcenga, “Nosilarha, Nosilarha, nceda uthathe le nkomo uhambe nayo. Le nkomo ayifuni kusela amanzi. Amanzi awafuni kutshiza inja. Inja ayifuni kusukela ihagu. Ihagu ayifuni kutsiba ecingweni. Ndibona inyanga iphuma ndiselapha. Mna nehagu bekumele ukuba sesisekhaya kwiyure enesiqingatha edlulileyo.”

Kodwa unosilarha wala ukuyithatha inkomo…

Ngoku ke ixhegokazi laliselifikelwa ngumsindo omkhulu – kungekho bani ufuna ukulinceda! Ngoko ke lakhupha intambo epokothweni yalo laze lathi, “Ntambo, Ntambo, nceda ubophelele lo nosilarha. Lo nosilarha uyala ukuthatha le nkomo. Le nkomo ayifuni kusela la manzi. La manzi akafuni kutshiza le nja. Le nja ayifuni kusukela le hagu. Le hagu ayifuni kutsiba ecingweni, kwaye sele ndibona ukukhanya kwenyanga ngoku. Mna nehagu bekufanele ukuba sele kuziiyure sisekhaya.”

Kodwa intambo yala ukubophelela unosilarha.

Kanye ngelo xesha kwathi gqi impuku inqumla ethafeni, laze ixhegokazi layikhwaza lathi, “Mpuku, Mpuku, grenya le ntambo. Le ntambo ayifuni kubophelela unosilarha. Lo nosilarha akafuni kuthatha le nkomo. Le nkomo ayifuni kusela la manzi. La manzi akafuni kutshiza le nja. Le nja ayifuni kusukela le hagu. Le hagu ayifuni kutsiba ecingweni kwaye nenyanga sele iphezulu esibhakabhakeni ngoku. Mna nehagu sifanele ukuba silungiselela ukulala ngoku.”

Impuku yema. Yalijonga ixhegokazi. “Kulungile,” yatsho, “ndiza kuyigrenya intambo, ukuba wena uza kundinika iqhekeza lesonka samasi.”

Kwa oko ke, ixhegokazi lafaka isandla salo ezantsi epokothweni yalo, laphuthaphutha kancinane laza lakhupha iqhekezana elincinane lesonka samasi lalinika impuku. Emva kokuba impuku ilityile iqhekezana lesonka samasi, yaqalisa ukugrenya intambo; intambo yaqalisa ukubophelela unosilarha; unosilarha waqalisa ukutsala inkomo; inkomo yaqalisa ukusela amanzi; amanzi aqalisa ukutshiza inja; inja yaqalisa ukusukela ihagu yaze … ihagu yalutsiba ucingo.

Old lady & Pig 2.lo res

Ixhegokazi lenza isingqala laze lagoduka. “Ekugqibeleni,” latsho.

Ingaba lafika nini nehagu ekhaya? Akukho namnye owaziyo. Kodwa ukuba eli xhegokazi lihlala kufuphi nawe kwaye uyazi ukuba lafika nini na, nceda