Isimanga sikaMomma Moeng
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Isimanga sikaMomma Moeng

Author

Umtloli nguJoan Rankin

Illustrator

Iinthombe nguTasmin no-Natalie Hinrichsen

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Koke kwathoma mhlazana uMomma Moeng apheka ijemu yelanga lamabeletho kaGogo Moeng. Umntwana uBeka wathola ibhaloni yakhe ehlaza sasibhakabhaka ehle khulu. Bekafuna ukuyipha uGogo ngelanga lakhe lamabeletho. UMomma wabhebhula umntwana uBeka ngengutjana ethambileko. Wathwala ibhodlelo lejemu ehloko wase uyakhamba aya kwaGogo Moeng. Ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka yabe ithi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phaca-phaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu wabe wahlangana noSipho aphuma ngevikilini iTip-Top. “Uyaphi Momma Moeng?” kwabuza uSipho. “Sinomntwana uBeka siya kwaGogo Moeng. Lilanga lakhe lamabeletho namhlanjesi,” kuphendula uMomma. “Nginepakana yamatjhipsi arhwamuzelako kaGogo Moeng. Ngingakhambisana nani?” kwabuza uSipho. “Kulungile,” uMomma wamomotheka base bayakhamba. Amatjhipsi kaSipho bekathi tjhwarha-tjhwarha, ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka ithi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phaca-phaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu babe bafika kuNomzana Chapalala, obekapha iinkukhu zakhe. “Niyaphi na?” kubuza uNomzana Chapalala. “Siya kwaGogo Moeng. Lilanga lakhe lamabeletho,” kuphendula uMomma. “Nginekukhu enonileko nasi kaGogo Moeng. Ningamphathela yona?” kwabuza uNomzana Chapalala. “Kulungile,” kwatjho uMomma afaka ikukhu ngekhwatjheni base bayakhamba, yena, umntwana uBeka noSipho. Ikukhu enonileko yathi gege-ge-ge-ge, gogo-go-go-go, ipakana yamatjhipsi yathi tjhwarha-tjhwarha, ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka yathi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phaca-phaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu bebafika evikilini lokubhaga likaMma Makabelo. “Kufanele sithengele ugogo ikhekhe lamabeletho,” kwatjho uMomma. Bangena ngaphakathi. Ting-ting, kutjho itlogo yomnyango. “Lotjhani, Mma Makabelo. Bewazi bonyana namhlanjesi lilanga lamabeletho likaGogo Moeng?” “Iye, ngiyazi,” kutjho uMma Makabelo. “Ngimubhagele ikhekhe elikhethekileko, kodwana angekhe ngikghone ukutjhiya ivikili. Ungangikhambela nalo?” “Kulungile,” kwavuma uMomma, kodwana bekunomraro – uMomma bekatlhoga izandla ezimbili zokuphatha ikhekhe. Kodwana wenza iplani. Wabeka ikukhu enonileko phezu kwebhodlelo lejemu egade alithwele ehloko. Wase uba nezandla ezimbili zokuphatha ikhekhe lamabeletho elikhethekileko. Nanguya uMomma, umntwana uBeka noSipho baphuma ngomnyango othi ting-ting bakhamba. Lokha umntwana uBeka nakezwa iphunga lekhekhe wabubula, “Naami, nammi, nam-nam.” Ikukhu enonileko yathi gege-ge-ge-ge, gogo-go-go-go, ipakana yamatjhipsi yathi tjhwarha-tjhwarha, ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka yathi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phacaphaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu bebahlangana noValecia. “Niyaphi noke nje?” kwabuza uValecia. “Siya kwaGogo Moeng. Lilanga lakhe lamabeletho,” kwahlathulula uSipho. “Nginesitjhutjana samathuthumbo wakaGogo Moeng. Ngingeza nami?” kwabuza uValecia. “Kulungile,” kwatjho uMomma bebafulathela bakhamba. Isitjhutjana samathuthumbo sabangela uValecia ukuthimula, “Eytjhu! A-A-A-Eythiya!” Ikukhu enonileko yathi gege-ge-ge-ge, gogo-go-go-go, ipakana yamatjhipsi yathi tjhwarha-tjhwarha, ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka yathi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phacaphaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu bebabona uNomzana Sithole ahlakula ngengadini yakhe yemirorho. “Niyaphi noke nje, Momma Moeng?” uNomzana Sithole wabuza. “Siya kwaGogo Moeng. Lilanga lakhe lamabeletho,” waphendula. “Nginemirorho yakhe ezele itroli,” kwatjho uNomzana Sithole. “Ungangikhambela nayo uyomnikela?” “Kulungile,” kwaphendula uMomma. Kodwana uMomma wazithola anomraro OMKHULU – besele zizinengi khulu izinto ekumele aziphathe! Kwafanela bona aluke amano. Kokuthoma, wehlisa umntwana uBeka emhlana, wabophelela ikukhu enonileko emhlana wakhe ngengutjana ethambileko. Umntwana uBeka WARHUWELELA! UMomma wase ubeka ikukhu enonileko phezu kwetroli, wabhebhula umntwana uBeka emhlana ngengutjana ethambileko. Umntwana uBeka kwamthabisa lokho nekukhu enonileko nayo yathabela ukuqhobolaqhobola yoke imirorho engetrolini. Kodwana uMomma akhenge kumthabise lokhu, ngalokho-ke, wase ubeka ikukhu enonileko ehloko kaValecia. Iinsiba zakghwatha ipumulo kaValecia wathimula khulu, “EEEE-EEEEEYTHIYA!” UValecia akhange kumthabise lokhu, uMomma wase uthatha ikukhu enonileko wayibeka ehloko kaSipho, wamnikela namathuthumbo kaValecia bonyana awaphathe. Kwanjesi izandla Amavilo wetroli enza itjhada athi tswiri-tswiri-tswiri. UValecia bekaneswigiri yekhekhe emhlathini ilimu lakhe lazwakala lisithi, hlwa-hlwa-hlwa. Umntwana uBeka wabubula, “Nammi, nammi, nam-nam.” Ikukhu enonileko yathi gege-ge-ge-ge, gogo-go-go-go, ipakana yamatjhipsi yathi tjhwarha-tjhwarha, ibhaloni yomntwana uBeka yathi bhopibhopi-bhooo namaphacaphaca kaMomma athi phaca-phaca, phaca-phaca endleleni elibhudu bebayokufika kwa Gogo Moeng. UMomma wakokoda emnyango wangaphambili. USipho wabetha umlozi, uValecia warhuwelela, kodwana KWANGABA NEPENDULO. UMomma wasunduza umnyango wangaphambili wavuleka, boke bangena ngaphakathi. Kodwana KWAKUNGANAMUNTU. Bafuna ngephunyaneni – AKUNAMUNTU. Bafuna ngelawini lokulala – AKUNAMUNTU. Bafuna yoke indawo. Ingabe uGogo uyephi? UMomma wathi, “Asiphekeni mhlamunye uGogo uzakuvela.” Lokho-ke, ngilokho okwenziwa ngomunye nomunye – woke umuntu ngaphandle komntwana uBeka. Wahlala etafulaneni yangephunyaneni eduze nefesdere, bewabona uGogo kude akhamba ngendledlana ngaphasi kwentatjana edephileko. zikaValecia zombili zaseziyatjhaphuluka bonyana zingaphatha ikhekhe. NoMomma izandla zakhe zombili zatjhaphuluka bonyana zingasunduza itroli. Boke babethabile base bayakhamba batjhinga kwaGogo Moeng. “Gogo! Gogo!” kubiza umntwana uBeka. Boke baphakamisa amehlo baqala. “GOGO! GOGO!” boke barhuwelela ngesikhathi sinye. “GOGO!” Kude le phasi entatjaneni edephileko uGogo wathi, “EE EE EE. Kunomuntu ongibizako, manjesi angisakghoni ukuya eentolo ngiyozithengela ukudla kwentambama kwelanga lami lamabeletho.” Ugogo wajika wanqopha phezu kwentatjana edephileko. Amasliphasi wakhe akhamba asithi, tjhofo-tjhofo endleleni elibhudu. Ekugcineni wafika emnyango wangemva. Lokha nakavula umnyango, woke umuntu wathoma wabhina ingoma yethabo yelanga lamabeletho. Phezu kwetafula bekunephayi yemirorho, netarti yejemu eyenziwe nguMomma, amaqanda amatjha abekelwe yikukhu enonileko, ikhekhe lelanga lamabeletho elikhethekileko namatjhipsi wamatapula arhwamuzelako. Itafula beyihlotjiswe ngamathuthumbo nangebhaloni ehle ehlaza sasibhakabhaka yomntwana uBeka. “LELI LILANGA LAMI LAMABELETHO ELIHLE KUNAWO WOKE!” kwatjho uGogo. Kufanele akwazi lokho ngombana uGogo sele abe namalanga wamabeletho amatjhumi abunane nanyana alithoba ngaphambi kwaleli! VEZA UBUKGHWARI BAKHO! Tlola irhelo lazo zoke izinto abantu abasendabeni abaziphe uGogo ukwenza ukugidinga ilanga lakhe lamabeletho kube yikethelo. Bese ungezelela ngezinto ezintathu egade ungathanda ukuzipha uGogo nangabe gade ukhgonile ukumvakatjhela ngelanga lakhe lamabeletho.