USefudi uthanda ukumangala ngezinto, kanti ngaphambi kokuba inhliziyo yakhe igcwale Ukujabha, wayethanda ukudweba. Wayangenalo iphepha kanye nepensela yokudweba, kodwa wayedweba ngothi kanye nomhlanga, kanye nezinqamu zelahle. Wayedweba ezandleni zakhe. Wayedweba ezinyaweni zakhe. Wayedweba ematsheni ngaphandle. Wayedweba nasobondeni lwendlu yakubo lapho ubaba wakhe engabhekile.
Ngaphambi kokuba Ukujabha kumongamele, kwakukhona izinsuku eziningi lapho umama kaSefudi ayegula khona kakhulu engakwazi nokuvuka embhedeni. Nsuku zonke ukugula kwakuya ngokumunca umbala ebusweni bakhe kanti futhi bumunca nesikhumba sakhe emathanjeni kanye nokumunca impilo yakhe emzimbeni wakhe. Kwaze kwathi ngelinye ilanga uSefudi wezwa izwi elijabhe kakhulu ayengakaze alizwe ngaphambilini. Kwakuyizwi elizwakala lingavamile ngenxa yokujabha, kodwa kwakuyizwi likababa wakhe. Izwi lathi, ‘Intandokazi umama wakho usesishiyile’
Ngemuva kwalokho ilanga lashona enhliziyweni kaSefudi, kanti nokuhleka kwaphela ekhaya kubo, futhi wayengasafuni nakudweba.
Akaphindanga nakanye. Ubuhlungi enhliziyweni yakhe BABUBUKHULU, bedlula nobuhlungu ayebuzwa esiswini lapho engadlile lonke usuku. Ubuhlungu benhliziyo babubukhulu kangangokuba bathatha iminyaka emithathu ngaphambi kokuba umfula wezinyembezi ugcwale uphuphume.
Ngalelo langa uSefudi wayelele embhedeni wakhe ebheke ngaphandle kwefasitela. Wabona inyanga eyisiliva iqala ukuphakama phezulu esibhakabhakeni kanye nengubo yobusuku yenabela kuwo wonke umhlaba imemboza. Wayozela ephethwe ubuthongo, kanti kukhona okwakummangaza ngaloya mfana owayezenza ohlakaniphe kakhuku esikoleni. Lo mfana owayecabanga ukuthi wazi yonke into, wayethe, “Noma ngubani otheza izinkuni ngeSonto, uyothunyelwa enyangeni ahlale khona unomphela”.
USefudi wayemangele ukuthi ngabe ngempela abantu bangahlala enyangeni. Wayehlala emmangala ngezinto ezinjalo kanti futhi wammangala ngalento isikhathi eside waze wafikelwa ubuthongo. Lapho elele waphupha. Ephupheni lakhe wabona intombi enyangeni ithwele inyanda yezinkuni ekhanda layo. Ephupheni lakhe wamemeza wathi “NTOKAZI ESENYANGENI, NTOKAZI ESENYANGENI, NGABE UMAMA WAMI ULAPHO NAWE? UMA ELAPHO, NGICELA UMTHUMELE KIMI ABUYELE KIMI.”
Ngalobo busuku waphupha futhi ephupha intombi enyangeni. Manje ubuso bayo babucwebezela ngothando kanye nomusa ngendlela ubuso bukamama wakhe babuba ngayo lapho embheka Wayephethe ibhokisi elikhulu lamakhrayoni emibala-bala kanye namaphepha amhlophe acwebezelayo. Lapho evuka, wayengekho, kodwa wayeshiye ukumoyizela enhliziyweni yakhe. Izinsuku ezilandela lolo suku, uSefudi waqala ukuhleka kancane.
Kanti futhi waqala ukudweba. Kakhulu.
Wayedweba ezandleni zakhe, emikhonweni yakhe kanye nasezinyaweni zakhe kanye nasedeskini lakhe esikoleni, kwezinye izikhathi wayedweba nasebhodini elimnyama lapho uthisha engamboni. Ngelinye ilanga, uthisha wakhe wase ekhathele ukumtshela ukuthi akayozihlamba imidwebo, ngakhoke wamnikeza ibhuku lokudweba kanye nebhokisi lamapensela emibala-bala, uSefuda wamoyizela kakhulu ngendlela ayengakaze amoyizele ngayo. Lapho uSefudi ebona isithombe semibala- bala sikhula ephepheni elicwebezelayo, inhliziyo yakhe yaqala ukucula.
Njengoba uSefudi ekhula, imidwebo yakhe yaya nayo iba ngenhle ngokuyisimanga kakhulu. Othisha bakhe kanye nomamncane nomamkhulu kanye nobaba wakhe omncane, kanye nabangani bakababa wakhe bathi lomfana ngobalulekile futhi unesipho esibalulekile, ngoba lapho bebona izithombe zakhe, imibala yazo yayincibilikisa ukujabha ezinhliziyweni zabo. Kanti lapho belalela izindaba zezithombe zakhe, babeqondisisa izinto ababengazange baziqondisise ngaphambilini.
USefudi akazange abatshele ngamaphupho akhe angavamile nayisimanga. Akazange abatshele ngephupho elenza ukuthi umfula wezinyembezi zakhe ugobhozela ezihlathini zakhe. Akazange abatshele ngephupho lakhe elenza ukuthi amoyizele enhliziyweni yakhe.
Kodwa ngobunye ubusuku lapho inyanga iyinkulu icwebezela njengesiliva esibhakabhakeni, kanti ubumnyama buthule bugcwele izimfihlo, wayebheka phezulu ebheka Intombi eseNyangeni. Futhi acabange ukuthi uyibonile. Amoyizele.
