isiXhosa

Kudala-dala kwakukho indoda eyayihlupheka kakhulu egama layo yayinguMzi. “Abantwana balambile, kwaye asinamali yokuthenga ukutya,” walilisela ngelitshoyo umfazi wakhe uPumla. “Siza kwenza njani?” “Ndiza kuya kuzingela,” utshilo uMzi. “Ukuba ndinokubamba impangele, siza kuba nokutya okumnandi.” Watsho ehamba esiya ethafeni, ephethe isilingi sakhe namatyana amancinane. Kungekudala wahlangana nempangele etyebileyo kwindawo elibala ephakathi kwengca ende…

Mandulo phaya, ngethuba imithi yayisakwazi ukuthetha, neentlanzi zisakwazi ukubhabha, uSelesele wayesesona silwanyana sikhulu kunazo zonke. Wayekuthanda ukugonyamela zonke izilwanyana, nazo ke izilwanyana zaye zidiniwe nguye. Ngenye imini, xa uSelesele wayeye kuqubha, ezinye izilwanyana zabamba intlanganiso apho kwakuza kuthathwa isigqibo sokuba kwenziweni na ngaye. “Masimgcine exakeke kakhulu ukuze alibale ukumane esitshonisa ngapha nangapha,” watsho uNgonyama. “Licebo elihle...

Kudala-dala, ngethuba izigebenga zazizula-zula neenkukhu zikwazi ukuthetha, kwakukho umfazi ohluphekayo owayehlala nentombi yakhe uTselane kwindlwana yabo encinane. Njengokuba kwakungekho mntu wokugcina uTselane, lo mfazi wayenyanzeleka ukuba amshiye yedwa umntwana xa esiya kulima emasimini yonke imihla…

Kudala-dala, kwaye kukho umfama owayebizwa ngokuba nguVusi nowayenamandla kakhulu. Akukho mntu wayesazi ukuba wenza njani, kodwa kwakulula kuye ukuba athwale iinkomo ezimbini ngaxesha nye. Ngenye intsasa, wathi xa avukayo uVusi, wabaleka, esehla enyuka ngenxa yenkxalabo yakhe. “Intsimbi yam yomqala! Ibiwe ngubani intsimbi yam yomqala yobugqi?” wakhwaza esitsho. “Ngaphandle kwayo ndakuba ndilahlekelwe ngawo onke amandla...

Kudala-dala ilizwe liselitsha, uNkwazi, ukhozi lohlobo olungunomakhwezana, lwabiza zonke iintaka. “Njengoko nisazi,” watsho, “uBhubesi ingonyama ngukumkani wezilwanyana. Kodwa kutheni kufuneka ethethele nathi zintaka? Kufuneka sikhethe owethu ukumkani… kwaye njengokuba ndinobungangamsha, ndithi mayibe ndim lowo!” Zonke iintaka zaqala ukuxokozela zingxola kwade kwavakala ilizwi lisitsho ngaphezulu kwamanye …

Mandulo phaya, kwakukho ilizwe elalizaliswe zizo zonke iintlobo zemithi yeziqhamo. Isiqhamo esingazange sabonwa okanye sangcanyulwa mntu, yayililamuni kuphela. Ngenye imini, intombi yekumkani eyayithandwa nguyise, egama linguBokang, yahlaselwa kukugula. Oogqirha abaninzi kwanamagqirha bazama ukumnceda, kodwa uBokang zange abenabungcono konke-konke. Ekugqibeleni, kwabizwa igqirha elalilidala kakhulu. “Kwindawo ethile kweli lizwe kukho umthi weelamuni,” laxelela ukumkani eli gqirha. “Ukuba...

Kudala-dala, kwakukho ixhegokazi elalihlala lodwa kufutshane nencopho yentaba ende eyayingasentla kwelali ethile. Wonke umntu kule lali wayeloyika eli xhegokazi. Babelibiza ngokuba “Ligqwirha”. Ngenye imini intombazana egama linguPhumla yahamba yaya kuqokelela iingcambu zasendle namachiza ethambekeni lentaba. Engaqondanga, iingqimba zamafu zaseziqokelelene ngephanyazo, kwathi kungekudala yana ngamandla imvula. Waqonda uPhumla ukuba kufuneka efumene indawo yokusithela ngokukhawuleza, kodwa indawo...

Kudaladala, kwakukho umfazi owayehlala nosapho lwakhe elalini ekumhlaba wobuKumkani bamaZulu. Rhoqo ngeCawe olu sapho lwalusihla luye kulwandlekazi olukhulu olwalukufuphi apho. Lo mfazi wayepheka ukutya emlilweni lo gama umyeni wakhe wayekhangela iinkuni ezityekezwe lulwandle, ukuze aziqingqe enze izinto ezintle: iintaka, abantu nazo zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana. Phakathi evekini usapho lonke lwalusebenza nzima luze ukutshona kwelanga luhlale...

Ngenye imini kudala kakhulu, intombazana eyayibizwa ngokuba nguLerato yayihamba icanda edlelweni xa yathi yabona ihagwana encinane ilele cum phantsi kwetyholo. “Heke,” watsho uLerato. “Siza kutya kamnandi ngokuhlwa nje.” ULerato wayixhakamfula ihagwana, kodwa wamangaliswa kukutswina kwayo ithetha, “Nceda undiyeke ndihambe! Ndiza kukuhlawula – ndiyihagu enemilingo.” ULerato wayiqwalasela le hagu emangalisiwe, “Uza kundinika ntoni?” wabuza. “Mhhh,...

Mandulo phaya, isigebenga esikhohlakeleyo seba abantwana ababini sabenza amakhoboka aso. Yonke imihla, imini yonke babepheka, becoca baze bahlambe iimpahla zaso ezinukayo. Isigebenga sasingazange salutshixa ucango, kuba sasizazi ukuba unomyayi, osisilo-qabane sesigebenga wayengasoze abayeke abantwana bazimele. Le ntaka yayinamehlo abukhali kakhulu, kwaye yayisixelela isigebenga yonke into eyibonayo. Kwesikabhadakazi ngabusuku buthile, xa isigebenga sasirhona ngamandla kobunzulu ubuthongo,...