V. UKUZALWA KUKALEPOQO

Umkhatshane uzeke uTodu (Kholu) intombi kaNtsukynyane.

Kuthelekelelwa ukuba kukweli thuba kanye iqela labaFukeni lafikayo, ukuza kuma kwiintili zomlambo uMrhugwane (Caledon Valley) livela ngasentla.

Babesoloko benxulumene nabaKwena aaba baseNtshwana-tsati.

Isiphiwo anaso umntu akasifumani bumini, koko usifumana ebuntwaneni bakhe. Ngalinye uzalwa sel'enaso.

Ngamanye amaxesha zibakho zona ezinye izinto azenziwayo umntu ebuntwaneni engazi nto ngazo, athi ekhula nje zibe sezithene mba naye angabinakho ukuyichaza indlela azizuze ngayo.

Sidla ngokubona amaBhaca, amaZizi nabeSuthukazi bechaza ubuso babo okanye beenze intlangana, ingqithi neendlebe ezimaholo-holo kwezinye izizwe, ungade uthi wena wakubabona sebeyile nto, ufuman'ucinge okokuba bavele benjalo kwasekuzalweni kwabo, kanti hayi luphawu nje lwabumini.

Bakho ababehlutshezwa ngamarhamncwa anomsindo nakhaliphileyo, baze bathi xa base bekhulile, bangayenzi le nto ikukusaba edabini, kanti benziwa yinto yokuba baadliswa amayeza okanye iinyama ezithile zala marhamncwa aziwa ngokukhalipha, ize emva koko kudume ukuba loo nzala yasekuthini yonke, asikuko nokukhalipha; phofu bona bengenakho ukuzilanda, kuba baasetyenzwa ngabazali babo bezintsana bengazi nto.

Kukho izinja ezikhe zibenoburhalarhume gqitha, zilume abantu. Nakuleyo into sifumana zenziwe ngabomi.

Kuye kunqunqelwe ndawonye oozigcawu, oozibawu nezinye izilwanyana ezinobuhlungu nobukhali, zisilwe zibengumgubo owothi ugalelwe elubisini zandul'ukuxhatshiswa zingekakwazi ukutya okutyiwa ngoonina, kuba kaloku ooyise abaziwa, ngalaa mahilihili zingazanga zawalama loo mhla zazalwa.

Kukho bathile abajonge ubusela obu nje ngento yobulumko nentle, kuba naaba oongxawu bokupheka, bengasashenxi eziko. Ukuze le ntsebenzo ichume yomelele kwenziwa iinzame zokuba maze ingabuye inqamke nakwisizukulwana sabo esilandelayo. Aba ke kuthiwa iintsana zabo babesakuzisika ngobuchule apha entanyeni ezantsi koqhoqhoqho kancinci, bafake impukane kwelo nxetyana, bandul'ukulithunga. Lo mntwana ekusetyenzwe lo mcimbi onje kuye, woba yinkunzi yesela engenakuze ibuye isongwe mntu.

Umntu wolu hlobo akayazi le nto wayifakwayo, uzibona sel'eyile ngxaki ayiyo. Ngako oko ke asikuko nokuba baninzi abathi bezalwa nje babe sebezambethe kade iziphiwo zabo; kanti kusekwakho nabanye abazinikwayo ngabanye abantu, zibavume nje ngokungathi badalwe nazo kwasebuntwaneni. Baye bekho kanobomi aba ekuthi bakuba beshwatyulelwe bashwabuleleke, ngokungathi bavele sebenjalo kwasekuzalweni kwabo.

Amazwi laa odwa aphuma emlonyeni womnye umntu, kungekho yeza lenziweyo, abeya ngamanye amaxesha azaliseke kube njengoko kuthethiweyo. Le nto iqhelekile phakathi kwabaNtsundu, ngeso sizathu ke ayibothusi kuyaphi.

Ndisakhumbula into eyakha yenziwa lelinye lamaxhegokazi kwintwazana ekwacaca ukuba iphangelwe ngamabele, ingekabiyiyo intanga eyayifanele ukuba inganjalo kuba iintanga zayo zazingekacingelwa ngalo ndlela. Lafika eli xhegokazi livela kuhlakula emini emaqanda ngexa kanye igqatsane yelanga imandla kwimini yehlobo. Ndaye nam ndibe ndikho ngenkqu. Lathula iqhiya ebisentloko laza lawabhula ngayo lithetha laa mazwi, "Tyhu! lo mntwana nide nathi unantoni bethuni? Yintoni le imhlileyo? Tshonani, tshonani mabele!" Athe emva kweentsuku ezingephi, ee shwaka kungekho yeza lakhe lasetyenziswa; alinda aweentanga zayo.

Izizwe zomnye umbala bezingaphantse zithi ngumprofethi umntu wolu hlobo, kanti abaNtsundu kuuphela kwento abangayi bekelanga ngqondweni yabo nakancinci, kuba lisiko lawo onke amaxhegokazi kwelakwaNtu, ukuthetha laa mazwi kulungile. Sesimke kakhulu masikhe sijike amabombo sigoduke.

UTodu lo oyinkosikazi kaMkhatshane wayekhe ngemvumelwano ethile wanga uzakwendela kuLisiya (Lesia) owayelunge kwakwisizwe sakowabo. Kulo eli thuba uvele uMkhatshane wanga uthe phithi ingqondo eyifuna nkqi le ntombi, ude waphetha ngokuyihlutha ngamandla kuLisiya, yangumkakhe.

Umntwana wabo wamazibulo yintombi uMatshwewunyana. Emva koko baye bazala inkwenkwe, yathiywa igama elinguLepoqo. Izalelwe eMenkhoaneng kwaMkhatshane.

Ngexa le nkwenkwe yayiselusana olungeni, kubonwe kufika amadoda amathathu kowayo. Yayingamadoda ayelunge kwisizwe sabaFukeni, ayesisizukulwana saabaya bantu baseNtshwana-tsatsi.

Aye ezingcamevu zamagqirha, ingengawo la siqhele ukuwabona ehamba ethwele ubungxowana bamayeza, adla ngokwenza iintlanga emalungwini emizimbeni yabantu, aze andule ukuhlikihlela kuzo umgubo nemisizi xa anyangayo, mhlawumbi aqinisa umntu, ukuze angangenwa ngamathumelo.

Imasi elibekhoyo ekufikeni kwawo kweli khaya libe ngummangaliso.

UMkhatshane uye akawathathela ngqalelo ingako, waza wathi kunjalo akawananza kuyaphi. Xa sukuba esiya etywaleni mhlawumbi ehambela izihlobo zakhe, ibimka mpela ingqondo yakhe, alibale shici ukuba unabantu abakhoyo abangabahambi kumzi lowo wakhe.

Olu sana lube ludla ngokuzibhija, nokutefa kube lapha, phofu unina lo ebengayiphakamiselanga mehlo le ndawo, kuba ilisiko leentsana zonke ukwenjenjalo.

Athe kanti laa madoda iwakhathazile le nto yolu sana, aza ngoko ngolunye usuku engekho uMkhatshane ekhaya abhunga, agqiba ngokuya kuzingela iyeza lokunceda olu sana.

Kuuphela kwendlela ababencedana ngayo le abaNtsundu ekufundisaneni amayeza ngaphandle kwexabiso. Koofika umhambi ngebhaqo kowakho umzi kufiwa ingamadaka-daka odwa, aze acebise ngeyeza elinokuhlangula, athi esitsho abe ekubonisa negqabi lalo. Yiloo nto umhambi ebesakwamkelwa nje angagxothwa, kuba esiza neendaba, namavo, namayeza nokucebisa.

Aye alibhaqa andul'ulisebenzisa ngemilingo awayeyazi, abuya alishiya, akalimba.

Uthe uTodu elele ubuthongo ebusuku, waphupha ebona iyeza ekuye kwathiwa xa kuthethwayo kuye, lilo eliyakumnyanga umntwana wakhe aphile.

Ekuvukeni kwakhe uthabathe ulugxa, naanko enyathela umhlaba, amabombo ewabhekisa ngasemathambekeni. Ufike wabona amagqabi eyeza afana kakhulu nalawa ebewabona ephupheni.

Aabanomtsalane ongummangaliso, kangangokude asuke kwa oko alimbe agoduke neengcambu zalo. Uthe kanti engazi nje umba elaa yeza amagqirha aye afika aphelelisa zonke iintsikelelo zawo azaziyo kulo.

Ekufikeni kwakhe ekhaya, uye walipheka layimbiza yokuselwa lolu sana, nokumana luhlanjwa ngalo. Wenjenjalo ukuluseza nokuluhlamba, yonke imihla, lukhawuleze lwadlamka, lwampilo-ntle, alwasoleka.

Kaloku uthe yena uMkhatshane kuba eyindoda zathi kanti ezinye izinto ezibe zisenziwa ngumfazi elusaneni ezinje ngonyango lolu hlobo akazinabela kangako.

Abuya emka laa madoda, akwaze kuhlale kuqondakala okokuba ayekhe akho ngekhaya elo. Suka kwanje ngephupha lona ungewulandi kakuhle umkhondo walo.

Emva koku, umzalikazi uye wamdlalisa, wamhlekisa, wamteketisa, nkqi lo mntwana wakhe, ephatha kumxhumisa esithi, "Morena."

Igama elo abengeze alichaze apho alizeke khona, phofu ebesuka azive sel'etshilo. Ubeya angxole uyise athi makangasoloko ethetha laa mazwi emntwaneni. Ubethotha okwaloo mzuzwana, aale ngokukodwa nje ukuba athi khwitshi uyise, umve sel'esithi, "Lo mntwana wam yinkosi - Nguana eena oa ka ke morena."

Uthe xa akule ntanga iqalayo ukuhlanganisa intetho evakalayo, wangumalusi wamathole akowabo, esithi ke sisiqalo somsebenzi nesawuphina umntwana oyinkwenkwe ozelweyo. Angade abe akakho amathole kowabo, kodwa woya aluse aweminye imizi esondeleyo.

Uye wawazi onke amagama awo. Ubonisele izindlu zeentaka ezizintlobo ngeentlobo, waphawula kakuhle nenani lamaqanda ezibe ziwazalela ngokwemvelo yazo.

Amagama ezi ntaka ube ewazi cace.

Ngeli xesha ingqondo yakhe uyibekele ekwazini abantu nokuswela uhloni ukuba athi izinto ezimxakayo akhe azibuze.

Ngolunye usuku umntu wakwaSekake waabulala uwabo. Inkosi ikhuphe igqiza lamadoda akowayo ukuba aye kubulala umbulali lowo.

Aba bantu badlule kuLepoqo esalusa amathole. Ubabuzile engenaloyiko lwalutho apho baya khona bexhobe bephelele nje.

Abamphendulanga ngokumdela kuba eyinkwenkwe, into engazelwe ntweni.

Kuthe kusenjalo kwabuya kwegqitha abanye kwangawo loo Umcimbimcimbi, ubeke kwalo mbuzo. Baange bangaxelisa abaya bokuqala, kodwa omnye wabo uye waphendula wathi, baya kubulala umntu obulele omnye.

Kulapho kanye uLepoqo akhuze akalibala esithi, "njengokuba niya kubulala umntu obulele omnye, makube nina nothiwani na?" Baye bacacelwa okokuba nabo boba sesichengeni sokubulawa. Ibe sekuhleni indawo yokuba isizwe singaphela pam okokuba kungaqhutywa ngeli khondo. Baye beexhwenene, baye besithi , "Le nkwenkwe ithini?" Baye babuza kuye icebo elifanelwe kukwenziwa.

Impendulo yathi ngekuthuthuzelwa aabo bafelweyo ngeshumi leenkomo. Bajikile ukuya kubikela inkosi yabo isimanga esithethwa nguLepoqo.

Imthumele kwaoko ukuba akhe eze kuyo. Efikile, uthethe kwalaa ntetho abeyinike laa madoda.

Laa mazwi achukumise intliziyo yayo, yasel'ihamba ngokwecebo lakhe.

Bekusithi kwakuthi nkqi ngento ekusukuba kubanjenwe ngayo ematyaleni kugidinywe kuyiwe kuLepoqo kuye kufunwa icebo.