IIngcambu azifeli emoyeni.
Kukho indawo ephakathi kweentaba ezintathu, intaba ye Nkululeko, iNtab,Entle nentaba ka Nomabhongo apho ulwandle lweentyatyambo luhlala lushicileleka ngexesha lasehlotyeni, kwaye umoya udlala umngqusho phatkathi kwamasebe. Le ndawo ibizwa ngokuba yintinga eThala[1] eMpuma Koloni[2] apho kwakukhulele khona intombazana egama lingu Sisipho, egama elazalwa engekathethi kodwa landibhalela umhlalutyo wobomi kwangaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka elishumi. USisipho wayengumntu owayengamameli kakhulu, kodwa ebona kakhulu, wayebona imiqolo yabasetyhini abaya emlanjeni benxibe iingubo ezindala, bexokozela ngeentsuku ezazimanzisa imiphefulo yabo. Wayebona amadoda ehleli phantsi kwelanga ethetha ngezopolitiko, kodwa engesenalo ithemba elinje lamagama wabo. Wayebona abantwana bedlala emthatheni, kodwa kweso sidlo sehlabathi kukho abambalwa ababekhe batya iziselo zobomi, imfundo, ixesha okanye uthando.
Kwakukho into engacacanga ethi xa ubukela uSisipho, ubone ukuba le ntombazana ayisoloko ikhona apho ibiyinxalenye yaloo ndawo, kodwa ingathi ingumzuzu wesihlandlo esikhulu, Intombi ekwazi ukuhleka nangona awayeke afumane izihlangu ezintsha. Ekubeni umama wakhe wabulawa ngumhlaza[3] yaza intsapho yophuka, uSisipho wayefunda ukuqhuba hayi kuba ebefuna, koko kuba bephila kwakufana nokuba ngumchasi wehlabathi olishiya kwiingxangxasi. Ngelinye ilanga, uSisipho waya kugqirha omdala, ugqirha uNomathemba, owayesaziwa ngokuba akayikufumana amaphupha wakho, kuba uwathwele esifubeni. Wathi kuye: "Mntwan'am, kutheni ujonga emhlabeni ngathi ufuna into esele iyekile ukukhula?" USisipho wavuma kancinci, wathi "Andazi ukuba kutheni ndikhona, koko ndiyazama nje ukuhlala ndisaphila."
UGqirha wamjongela ngamehlo azolileyo, wathatha isandla sakhe wathi, iingcambu azifeli emoyeni nokuba umthi waphukile, ukhula kwakhona xa kusekho umhlaba. Wena ngumhlaba, uSisipho kwaye umhlaba akakhe waphoswa ugcinwa yindalo yonke. Amazwi lawo amxhokonxa, uSisipho waqala ukubhala ekufeni kwakhe waphila kwiphepha wazoba amanxeba ngepensela, watshiza iinyembezi ngephepha elinomlomo. Wabhala imbali yase Thala, ebhalela bonke abantwana abakhulu bengekho, kodwa bezama ukuba khona. Wabhala ibali lika tatomkhulu wakhe owayehamba ngeenyawo ukuya kufumana amanzi, ibali lika makhulu wakhe owafunda ukubhala eneminyaka engama- 67, ibali labahlobo abalahlekayo exesheni lokufunyanwa kwezibane eziphindaphindayo.
USisipho wakhula, wagqiba esikolweni waphumelela kwikholeji, wabuyela eThala hayi ngenxa yokuba engenandawo, koko ngenxa yokuba ingcambu yakhe isemhlabeni hayi emoyeni. Wavula iziko lwabafundi abalahlekileyo, walungisa izikolo ezazingasasebenziyo, wayila inkqubo yamabali asekuhlaleni. Wenza ukuba izwi lakhe, nelabanye, libe ngumsindo othambileyo ovusa ubuthongo bokulibala