Ngaphasi kweentatjana zeMpumalanga ezilihlaza kwakuneplasi. Esimini yeplasi leli ipera uKamuzu wayehlala adla khona ngokuthula. Zoke iimbandana zeplasi le zazibangani. Bekukunenngi ebezikutjho kwesinye nesinye isibandana, kodwana uKamuzu wayeneenhloni. Bekafuna ukukhuluma nazo, kodwana bekaphelelwa magama. Lokhu kwambangela kobana azizwe anesizungu nokudana.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni, uKamuzu wayefuna ukuthi “lotjhani” kuBhasi, umnganakhe ongudumbana. Wavula umlomo … kodwana akhenge kwenzeke litho. Ilizwi lakhe elikhulu lobupera, belingekho.

“Kwenzenjani?” kubuza uKamuzu. “Ngikghona ukuhleba kwaphela.” Wazama godu.

“Utheni?” Kwabuza uBhasi adla utjani, akhotha iindebe zakhe zobudumbana ezinoboya, waqala uKamuzu. Isizathu esisodwa esenza kobana abuze, kukobana, nanyana uKamuzu avula umlomakhe, kwaphuma ilizwi elizwakalela phasi elihlebako. Elalilimbi.

“Ilizwi lami,” kuhleba uKamuzu. “Likhambile.”

“Ilizwi lakho likhambile? Kodwana awukhulumi vele, manjesi likhambe njani?” kubuza uBhasi. “Ungatshwenyeki. Ilizwi lakho ngizayolifuna ngaphatjheya komlambo.”

UBhasi wangena indlela weqa umlambo wayamela ngaphetjheya. Kodwana, kuthe nakafika lapho wase unukelela utjani obumnandi, walibala ngokufuna ilizwi likaKamuzu, wathoma wangenela utjani abudla.

Emuva ngaphetjheya komlambo, uKamuzu bekacabanga ngeendlela zokubuyisa ilizwi lakhe elikhambileko. “Ngizakwehlela edanyaneni,” uyacabanga. “Ngizakuvula umlomami, ngiphakamise ilimu bese ngibawa iimfesi kobana ziqale ilizwi lami ngaphasi kwelimu lami.

UKamuzu wajama edanyaneni wase uvula umlomakhe. Iimfesi zamqala phezulu.

“Awa, Kamuzu, siyacolisa, akunalitho ngaphasi kwelimu lakho. Kodwana, ungatshwenyeki, sizakuliqala ilizwi lakho ngaphasi kwamathuthumbo nahlangana namatjana phasi ngedanyaneni.”

Iimfesi zaduda zakhamba, kuthe nazingaphasi kwamathuthumbo, zathola ukudla okumnandi zadla bezalibala koke okumayelana nelizwi likaKamuzu.

UKamuzu wadosa ummoya waragela phambili nekhambo. Waqalisisa koke afuna ilizwi lakhe lokha nakakhambakhambako. Wase uhlangana noMlonyana, isavukazana, noMabalabala ikomo ebhondo.

“Ufunani?” kwabuza uMlonyana.

“Ilizwi lami. Likhambile,” kuhleba uKamuzu.

“Utjho zami! Ukukghone njani lokho?” kwatjho uMlonyana. “Ungatshwenyeki, ngizakusiza ukulifuna.”

“Nami!” kwatjho uMabalabala. “Sizakufuna etjanini ngaphetjheya komlambo.”

UKamuzu wabantu – uMlonyana banoMabalabala bathe nabafika etjanini obumnandi ngaphetjheya komlambo, bajama baruthula, badla, bakhohlwa koke ngokumsiza kobana athole ilizwi lakhe.

Imiqasa beyinganasizo nayo. Yathembisa ukufuna ngamehlo wayo amakhulu azotho. Yathembisa ukulalela ngeendlebe zayo ezikulu, ezibuthakathaka. Kodwana ithe ingeqa umlambo, njengazo zoke ezinye iimbandana, into ezaziyicabanga kwakukunambitheka kotjani obumnandi.

UKamuzu waqala abangani bakhe. “Akekho noyedwa ongisizako. Akekho noyedwa ofunako. Omunye nomunye uyaluma, uyadla, uyahlafunya, uyaphanga, uyetjisa,” wahleba ngehliziyo edanileko. Waphenduka wakhamba wabuyela emuva eplasini ukuyokuthoma ukuzifunela ngokwakhe. UKamuzu wafuna ehlatjhaneni. Wafuna ngemva kwetjhede. Waqala phezulu emafini, waqala nokuyela ngeentatjaneni.

“Bababe, kunamawuruwuru! Seliyana eentajaneni. Lokhu kutjho kobana umlambo uzokuba neenrhurhula.” Waphenduka wagijimela ngemlanjeni. “Kufanele ngiyelelise iimbandana. Kodwana ngikghona ukuhleba kuphela, angekhe bangizwe.”

Wajama lapho kwesikhatjhana wezwa amathosi wezulu wokuthoma athontela emgogodlha wakhe. Umlambo besele unedaka ukhuphuka. Omunye nomunye bekasaluma, adla, ahlafunya, aphanga begodu etjisa.

UKamuzu wavula umlomo, kodwana akhenge kuzwakale litho. Ngitjho nokuhleba akhenge kukghonakale. Besele asaba khulu kwanjesi. Bekufanele kubekhona akwenzako. Nangabe abangani bakhe bazama ukweqa umlambo, bazakutjhingela boke. Wanyikinya ihloko, wathintitha umhlwenga wabetha phasi ngeenyawo. Akekho noyedwa umnganakhe ombonileko. Amanzi phambi kwakhe bekaphakama ngokurhaba.

Kusese njalo izulu lathoma ukuna ngamandla. Zoke iimbandana zaqala phezulu zabe sezigijimela ngemlanjeni.

UKamuzu wakhohlwa ngelizwi lakhe elikhambileko. Wakhohlwa ngokuba namahloni, nangokudana. Waqalana nomlambo orhabileko, wagijimela kiwo ngendlela angakhona ngayo, weqela ngaphakathi komlambo okwatileko. Lokha nakafika ngaphetjheya komlambo wavula umlomakhe warhuwelela, “JAMANI! NINGEYAMI!”

Iimbanadana zethuka. Akhenge khezilizwe ilizwi elikhulu, eliphezulu kangaka liphuma emlonyeni kaKamuzu.

“Buyelani emuva!” kwarhuwelela uKamuzu. “Buyelani phezu kwamadwala.”

Omunye nomunye wabalekela phezu kwamadwala ukuzivikela ezulwini. Babuthelelana ndawonye.

“Usisindisile, Kamuzu,” kwatjho uBhasi. “Siyathokoza.”

“Libuyile ilizwi lakho,” kwatjho uMlonyana.

“Iye,” kwatjho uMabalabala, “kumnandi ukukuzwa. Bewuhlala uthulile ngaso soke isikhathi, besicabanga kobana awufuni ukukhuluma nathi nje kwaphela.

“Ngineenhloni,” kwatjho uKamuzu. “Ngihlala ngingazi kobana ngithini.”

“Kodwana sibangani,” kwatjho umqasa. “Akudingeki kobana ubeneenhloni kithi.”

“Ukusukela kwanjesi,” kwatjho uBhasi, “sifuna ukukuzwa ukhuluma. Thembisa kobana uzakwenza!”

“Thembisa! Thembisa! Thembisa!” Batjho kanye kanye.

UKamuzu, ipera, waphakamisela ihlokwakhe phezulu wase uyarhuwelela, “IYE! IYE! IYE!, NGIYATHEMBISA!”