UMfana ovela eBhayi

INTLALO YASELALINI

Ibhalwe ngu-T. U. H. T ngo-1887

UXamu nabalingane bakhe uBhashula, Ntengento noMaqhetseba, baaya kusebenza eBhayi, besuka kwisikolo esidala sakowabo, esimfundisi wayesand' ukuvela phesheya, eshumayela ngamandla nangobushushu obukhulu. Abantu ngelo xesha babeseshushu kakhulu eliZwini likaThixo, bembekile umfundisi. Idyakana yayingamagqala abekeke kunene, abuso bunzima, bushwabeneyo, bulungiselele ukukhalimela isono. Ngeli xesha iRonoskapu (Genoedschap) ibizithumela iingubo idyakana, ingubo ebezizenza zoyikeke kunene, umphantshwa omde omnyama, nebhatyi apha engujobela esikwe yabetha phezu kwenkaba ngaphambili. Abadala abo ubungababona ngeCawa beventshula kwakusasa. URholihlala, omnye wazo, ubephatha igqudwana elincinane, ewaka phakathi kwezitulo ngexesha lenkonzo ekhangela abangaba balele, mhlawumbi bayanqwaleka, mhlawumbi bayahleka. Amakhwenkwe asileyo ubemana ukuwanqothola ngalo etyalikeni. 

Kwaathi ngamini ithile , inkunzi yenkomo kaRholihlahla, yahlatywa yekaLobol'ekhetha, iqaba laselalini, yasel'inqunyulwa. Amadoda aahlanganisana kwaRholihlahla kuye kudliwa intloko. Ndaawabona apho amanene:-OoBusobengwe, u-Landingwe, uMatholengwe,  uNkomombini, uNgubombini, uDubulekhwele, uDumekude; namafaca uQobikhaba, uCandulwandle, noDlangamandla. Kumakhosikazi awayeze eluswini nesixhanti, inyama yabafazi, ndaaphawula, kubafazi abakhulu: UNosefu, uNosanti, uNosarha, uNosesi, uNobhesi, uNomesi, uNotasi, uNotesi, uNolasi, uNofasi, uNomanti, uNomonti; namaqegukazi: UNonibe, uNothonto, nonoSonti. kubafazana yayingunoaki, uNoenti, uNomanti, uNomonti, uNoventi, uNovili. Amadoda athe makaphendulelwe ingxolo; ide yophulwa nentloko, amakhwenkwe sele ewasazela.

URholihlahla imise uMatholengwe ukuba abe, yaye imbeko yokujola ibinikwe uDubul'ekhwele. UMatholengwe uyibeke kumahlahlana ngamahlahlana encediswa nguQobikhaba. uthe kuQobikhaba, "Thatha le, ubeke phaya kulaa madoda." "Thatha le ubeke kumananti lawa," "Thatha le ubeke kwelaa cala." ndithe ndisathe nqadalala ukuba amakhwenkwe wophiwa na, wavakala uRholihlahla esafake ilungu elinye emlonyeni, ebiza esithi, "Ntlanganiso" heyi! Ina kwedini; inkwenkwe, enkosi! UDubul'ekhwele- Fedi! heyi ina, enkosi.

Isuke yasisiphithi phithi ukuphiwa kwamakhwenkwe ngamadoda, abizwa macalana onke. Ndaamangaliswa loo mini kukupha kwesi sizwe samaXhosa. Kusile amadoda ahlanganisana kwakwaRholihlahla esiya esifubeni. P.171/2

Ndiphawule namhla ukuba kukho namanene ooMtyingizane, undabanganye, uMagumasholo, uBaliso, uKomani, uMdodana, noGebengana. Kumathamba ibe ngoo-magoduka, Somama, noMpathalala. Kuthe kwakusa kwayiwa emanqineni kanti namhla kuya kusuke kubekho isiphithiphithi ngokulwa kukaJosi Matholengwe noQobikhaba. UJosi lo ibigumfana ongevayo ongakhathalele namnye umntu esikolweni, nomfundisi engatheni nguye, noyise emdele kanye. Lo Josi wakhe wasiwa nasesinaleni, eDikeni, kuseloko waagxothwa nakhona ngokungeva nokudela abafundisi. Ebuyile eDikeni apho wangena kwiindlela ezininzi ezimbi, ungene wasela notywala basemlungwini. Uqale wathenga umnqwazi omaphiko abanzi, abesuke awugobe amaphiko awo phezu kwamehlo akubon'abantu, angabakhangeli. Waafuna neqhiya abefike abophe ngayo iindlebe nenqintsi, aze asuke abhotoloshe esikolweni akunxila. 

Ubenoqhovuqhovana apha  lwehashe athi ukulibiza ngu-Gob'isongololo, abehlala elikhwela esinga enkanti abuye selel'ifunze lalala phantsi.

Nangalo mhla kwakudliwa amanqina ufika emnandi ebevela enkanti. Uthe uyafika wasel'ethuka uQob'ikhaba ngobufaca, wamhlutha nenyama yakhe. Athe onke amadoda amngxolisa. Usuke yena wathi,-"Ayinakunikwa ifaca inyama eyifuna." UQob'ikhaba ubonakele sele esangene, waphendula ngokuthi:- "Andifaca lakho mna!" Unge akatshongo waselegalela uJosi kuQob'ikhaba; uhlanganisile omnye wenyamba uduma entloko kuJosi wabeka phantsi. 

Ahlula amadoda, evuya kodwa kuba oselwe uJosi, waye edinisile ngokunxilela ebantwini. Kuse UJosi intloko eyibophe ngeqhiya ngenxa yokubalikhulu koduma lwakhe. Uthe egqitha kwaRholihlahla, (kuba le nto yokubethwa kwakhe ibisel'igqibe ilali) abafazi bahlola emnyango, bathi, "Kwowu! ubulewe uJosi yilaa nto uQob'ikhaba, ezi ziquku zizakubagqiba abantwana bethu." Uthe egqitha kumadodana wawavela esithi,-"Kwowu! lufunyenwe nguQob'ikhaba, yinkabi le nto uQob'ikhaba." Athe amadoda amakhulu:-"Namhla inkewu ibulewe nguQob'ikhaba." Amakhwenkwe aahleka akumbon'edlula, esithi:- "Kwowu! woyisiwe nguQob'ikhaba, unoduma, into enkulu." UJosi uhambe engena elalini equmbe wasisifu kuba esuke wasicululwane sentsini kule mpi yasesikolweni.

Ithe ilali isahlafuna le nto yakoJosi noQob'ikhaba, ngabusuku buthile, xa kudliwayo, inyanga imhlophe, kwavakala isililo kabukhali. bagilene kwangoko abantu ukuphuma ezindlwini, abanye beshiya nokudla. Bephumile isililo sivakale kunye nesithonga sentonga ngakwaBusobengwe. uvakele umntu esithi:-"Waphela umntu sizani!" Aphalazeka amadoda ukusinga kwaBusobengwe, amakhwenkwe elandela, ecicitheka kukuhleka. Abafazi babekhala besithi, "O! wafa umntakanantsi amadoda ekho."-

Afike amadoda asel'eluvala ucango, waphuma uNomesi umkaBusobengwe, elila ethetha esithi, "Myekeni andibulale." Izinja zazikhonkotha kuyo yonke ilali kuphithizela nabebesebelele behamba ngemibhalo. UHlolihlahla uthe, "Yintoni na mfondini Busobengwe, pheza! UBusobengwe, "Unani ukuba umfazi asuke izwe nemihla ndingathetha naye aphikele ukundithuka? Ibuziwe imbangi, uthe:-"Ndibuza umfazi ukuba lisiko lini na eli lokumana evotshoza elalini imini yonke, abeke imbiza ebusuku, ize kudliwe apha sekulelwe yonke le lali, nabantwana sebede balala bengadlanga, ekubeni kudala ndithetha ngale ndawo, ndisithi, "Makaliyeke eli siko." Namhlanje uyibeka imbiza sekusebusuku nje, ndithi ndisathi, Nomesi eli siko a-, aselesuka endithuka esithi, "Unani na, uyafa, uyabhuda, uyanxila, uyaphupha?" Ndithathe intonga yam ndaphuma, usuke ndiphandle ndimve esithi, "ndidiniwe ke bethu zezingxolo zithe gongqogongqo ngathi zezehashe lidiniwe." "Ndiqale apho ke ukusuka ndimbethe." Iphelisiwe ke le nkathazo kwasa iLali lento iyihlafuna, abafazi bemvel'usizi uNomesi, aye amadoda evelana noBusobengwe. UBusobengwe nomkakhe babezicululwane nondabamlonyeni elalini apho iveki yonke. 

Inge ingadamba le nto, kwabonwa ngamini ithile uJosi matolengwe ethwelwe esisiwa kowabo, xa limkayo ilanga, ezele ziinduma engenakho nokuthetha, eyinto ebomvu nobuso obu. UPonoyi noShweni ababemthwele (amaqaba) bathe bakubuzwa:- "Ubesilwa enkanti namaXhosa, amgqebha amshiya efile. Isizathu abasazi bafike enkanti kungasekho mntu, inguJosi lo yedwa efile. Bamgalele amanzi. Exesheni ude wathi balulu wawavul'amehlo. Yaba lixesha elikhulu egula uJosi egcuma. Waba ngumzekelo omnandi kumfundisi nabadala xa bayala abantu ngesono sokunxila.

Phambi kokuba ndibuyele embalini yoMfana ovela eBhayi, makhe ndenze impawu ngokufutshane ngofilisho lukaMagumasholo, unyana kaLandingwe elinye lamanene elalikho ekudliweni kwentloko nasezifubeni, kumadoda, kwaRholihlahla. Umfana lo wayefilisha eXesi, esaye kwakanye, enamhla ebeza kuphinda, bekufuneka ehambe nendoda ethe nkqi ukuthetha udaba olo. - ULandingwe ebeyile ntanga ixubayo. Ilizwi ulamkele sele mdala kade, akaphika nanto ininzi yasemlungwini. ubengazi nto ngofilisho lwasesikolweni, kuba yena mhla wazeka uNondaba waalobola, waduda, yaphela intetho, umfazi wamzuza. UMagomasholo ibingunyana wakhe onkhulu. Ubefuyile uLandingwe iinkomo, ubechase kanye ukuba uMagumasholo aye emsebenzini. Umfazi wakhe nonyana bebezama ngako konke ukuba amvumele unyana ayekusebenza, bebonisa intswelo kaMagumasholo, kanti uyafilisha. Ukubancamisa uLandingwe ubuze wathi, "Nihlala nindifundekela nje ngale ntsebenzo yasemlungwini, - ufuna wena Magumasholo ukudungudela, undilahle, - Uphina uNkohla noMbhali oonyana bakaBaliso, abemka nawe useyinkwenkwana?

"Hayi ukuba unyula ukundilahla, nokudungudela ungahamba, mna ndide ndibe yingwevu nje andizange ndiwugqithe umyalelo kabawo." Kanti ke noko esenjenje ukuthetha, uLandingwe, ukuba unyana ubekhe wachukumisa ekubeni  kuthengiswe inkomo afune impahla zokufilisha, ilinga elinjalo ngecala likaMagumasholo belakuyithoba mpela ingqumbo kayise, ukude abonakale ewuchitha umzi esekho, elo linga belakubanga ukuba uLandingwe ahlanganise amadoda athi, -"Khaniyale lo mfana, ungxamele ukuchitha umzi."

ULandingwe akalanga, mandithi waavuma ukuba uMagumasholo afilishe. Kodwa akayibonanga imfanelo yokuba abenengubo ezintsha, ngenxa yalo msebenzi. ubesazi ukuba yimfanelo yakhe ukuba alobole, kuba laliyakubizwa ikhazi, gqibi ke. Zazimi ngolu hlobo ke izinto. Suke ngamini ithile uLandingwe wacela uMatholengwe  ukuba apheleke unyana wakhe aye eXesi. uMatholengwe uvumile, UMagumasholo ulungiselele nzima uhambo olu ngokuswela impahla yokunxiba. Kodwa ilali noko yamnceda ekupheleni. Ihashe waalikhupha uDubul'ekhwele nomyalezo othi, - "Yabona ke mfana wam ihashe lam uligcine ungafekethi ngalo, uyaqonda ke? URholihlahla wayikhupha isali nomyalelo wokuba, - "Ugcine isali yam, ungayonakalisi." Umkhala uwukhuphile uMtyingizane nomyalelo okwanjalo. Ibhatyi uyikhuphile uStephen Rholihlahla nomyalezo othi, - "Wethu, ibhatyi yam ungayonakalisi, kuphela kwayo yeyeCawa."

Ibhulukhwe uyikhuphile uTom Busobengwe kwanomyalelo ofana nalowo webhatyi. Itophu yokukhwela netasi zikhutshwe nguWillie Nkomombini (itsolo ebelisebenza eBhayi). umnqwazi ingowakhe wona. 
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