IV. ABAKWAMGODELI

Izizwe zomnye umbalala asikuko nokuba ziyaxakwa ngamasiko abaNtsundu. 

UMohaneng uzele oonyana abaninzi, ngamakhosikazi akhe awayekwangako.

uMhlomi lo uzalwa nguMonyane, omnye woonyana bakaMohaneng.

Kanti ke bakho abanye oonyana abalibonayo tanci ilanga kunoyise kaMhlomi, kodwa baye abanakanelwa bukhulwini banto, kuba obona bukhulu yintshumayelo eyenziwayo esizweni, kuxelwe esidlangalaleni okokuba namhla kuzekwa umfazi waseBhotwe, nakuba base bekho abaphambili.

Kwinyakanyaka yoonyana bakaMohaneng abaziwayo, singakhe sikhankanye uMotloang noMgodeli (Mokoteli). UMotlaong livela tanci kuMgodeli. kubuye kwathi kuuphi kwajikwa kwathiwa kwinzala kaMotloang, ngabakwaMgodeli. Kube kungafanelekile ukuba kuguqulwe kutshiwo, kuba uMotloang akazalwa nguMgodeli, bangabantwana bendoda enye uMohaneng, waye uMgodeli esisinci. 

UMotloang uhlelwe lilishwa, wafela edabini ebulawa ngamaKwakwa (maKhoakhoa) ekunye nabaSiya, esandul'ukuzeka intombi yomDawini (Motaung) wesizwe sakwaSonkomo. 

Ngesiko lesi sizwe kufuneke uMgodeli evelisele umkhuluwa wakhe inzala kumhlolokazi lo. 

Uye wamangala umfazi, kulapho athe uMgodeli makasel'engenwa ngabenzala kaNtsane abanto nye nabo, kodwa umhlolokazi lo akazange ayelele nakancinci. 

Uye wazonyulela ngokwalathiswa yintliziyo yakhe unyana kaNtsele iHlubi, uMbuyeleli igama. Baacaphuka bajambajeka ngumsindo abaKwena sesi senzo.

Uthe umfazi lo ekuzalisekeni kwexesha lakhe, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe; wathiywa igama elinguMotshwane (Motsuane).

Bathe abateketisi ngokusoloko uyise umbuyeleli epitiliza isiSuthu nesiHlubi engakwazi ukuwatsolisa amagama xa athethayo, nguPete-"Peete-pete-pete le Tebele." Laalilo elavelelayo.

Lo mntwana waakhula esondliwa nguMgodeli, wamalusa. umzekele intombi yomDawini, oko kukuthi yayiyeyakulonina, kaloku sesona sihombo eso kubeSuthu, asichasekanga nganto phakathi kwabo.

Ngale ndlela azalwe ngayo uPete ibeligxeke elingelincinci ngesiko lesizwe, kuye kwacaca into yokuba ubukhosi mabuwele ezandleni zikaMgodeli nenzala yakhe. 
Makube igama likaMgodeli laaqalela kweli thuba ukuduma..

Ukudywidana ngobukhulu kule ndlu kuqhube kanobomi, kungekho mpumelelo isekuhleni.

Iinkomo ezilikhazi zizala umntu, zizale inkosi; makubeni uMotloang wafayo engashiye mntwana, kodwa umfazi wakhe njengokuba walotyolwayo kwaahlala kulindelekile ukuba mhla azalayo wozala umntwana owolunga kuye, elifeni nokuba kusebukhulwini bobukhosi xa bukho. 

UMgodeli waamgcina lo mntwana, wamondla nkqi, wamkhulisa, apho ange emgodusile wamsa kulonina, xa ngaba wayefuna ukumahlula kulo mlibo wakowabo. Naleyo into yayingamnqabelayo ngesizathu sokuba lo mfazi wayelotyolwe.

Ngako oko ke lo mntwana uhlale esaziwa engokaMotlaong, unwele nozwane. Amawabo ayeman'ukumnyembenya, phofu engasenakuzisa lutho. Le nto imhlale kakubi uMgodeli. Asingeyazi eyona mbangeli nokuba wayelilela ukwaliwa, mhlawumbi egqitywa bubukhwele kusini na? Waasel'eman'ukuzingela uMbuyeleli ngokwenyamakazi, ezama ukumtshabalalisa. Akukho nto eyayizokubuye iyivuse nokuba wayephumelele ekumtshabalaliseni.

Ngentombi leyo yomDawini, uPete uzele uLibe noMkhatshane (Mokhachane). 

Ekufeni kukaMgodeli iintambo zobukhosi ngakwicala lakowabo, zazifanelwe kukubanjwa nguPete, kodwa kwaafumaneka engenakho, ngokujonga ingqondo yakhe  kwezombuso, kwaye nokuzalwa kwakhe kuvusa amaxoko-xoko egxeke macalana onke.

Kuthiwa umbhinqo wakhe ube wenziwe ngezintsu zeembila. Ube engumrhwebi erhweba ngengqalo, owofika umbone ezithe thande-thande ngomtya, aze azithi tyu emhlana , encediswa ngomnye umtyana ofika uhle kuhle egxeni, ubeth'esifubeni ubuthambeka, ude uye kubhijela ngaphantsi kwengalo yokhohlo, wandule ukubuya uphathelele kwakuzo.

Ubesaziwa ngabantu abaninzi ngenxeni yalo msebenzi wakhe. 

Eyonanto ebengayinabele kuya phi bubukhulu belo cala lakowabo.

Eli xesha ibe lelona libalulekileyo kwelaseLusuthu, kuba ubukhosi babungakhathalelwe bani. Oyinkosi nongeyiyo bekufana. Oyinkulu kwindlu yakowabo, ebeyinkosi kuloo ndlu, engenanto yokwenza nezinye. Ngaxa lithile, athi eyinkulu nje, suka angabunanzi obo bukhulu, kuhlalwe loo ntlalo yokungaphathwa mntu nankosi. 

UMhlomi ubeyinkosi ngegama kuphela, kodwa eyintloko kwindlu kaMonaheng. Eyona nto ebangele ukuba ahlonelwe ngabantu, kungesizathu sokuba wayengumhambi odume kunene, oza neendaba zamazwe ngamazwe; ekwaligqirha elinamandla.

Ilizwe eli lona laseLusuthu wayengazange walibumba lanto-nye. 

Ngokunjalo ke noPete ebephila loo ntlalo yokungazigwagwisi ngabuni bakhe. "Apho kungekho nkosi akukho mthetho."

Oonyana aba babini bakaPete, yayingabantu abahlukileyo kuyise. Babekuzalelwe ukwazi ukuphatha abantu, ingqondo yabo ibityekele ikakhulu kwezombuso. Umzi okokwawo ubukholelwe kuLibe ngeendawana ezithile nangenxa yokuba ezelwe wayinkulu. 

Makathi apho azakuwa khona, suka ngolunye usuku axhele inkomo, aze abize umninawa wakhe uMkhatshane, oyakuthi akuva ilizwi elivela kumkhuluwa wakhe, anduluke kwaoko angadendi, ephelekwa ngamadoda azukileyo. 

Wosuke uLibe abonwe engena endlwini aze okanye anike umninawa wakhe yedwa loo nto ityiwayo, ize kuthi kunjalo laa madoda abekunye naye ahlale njeya, angafumani sabelo santo, oko kukuthi angacholi naphantsi.

Le nto uyenze amaxesha amaninzi eba akabonwa, kanti bagqibile ukumfunda oku. 

Ulibe lo ke uthathwe ngokwenkosana engenasandla sokupha, waba ke ngoko uyathenwa ebukhulwini, kwaphakanyiswa umninawa wakhe, owathabatha isikhundla sokuba yeyona nkulu. 

Ngathi usathe nqa nje mlesi libali eli, kuyahlengwa ngoku.

Masikhe siqhube senjenje:
UTonyane (Khonyane) lo uzalwa nguNtsane kaMonaheng. Ukhe akavisisana naba bakwaMgodeli ngokusuka babahluthe uMamosongoa ngamandla, umhlolokazi lo kaRalati, baze basuka bathi bakuba benjenjalo, baphikele ukuyakuvela phezu kwamawa, bakhwaze bathi, "Udanile ndoda ndini, enembala esiswini!" Bakwenze oku imihla emininzi, wada uTonyane ngenxeni yokudikwa ngabo, wakha waya kufuna icebo kuMhlomi esithi, aba bantu bakwaMgodeli badlala ngaye, okokuba babengezizo izilumko, njengkoko benjalo, ubeya kukha abenze into embi.

Uphendule uMhlomi esebushushwini wathi, "Laa maNdebele makabulawe onke, aphele." - kaloku utsho kuba uPete ebesoloko egxekwa ngesizathu sikaMbuyeleli. "Wagcayisele!" uhambise watsho uMhlomi. 

Efikile ekhaya, ukhawuleze wamema iphulo, khon'ukuze aze akwazi ukubagqiba. 

Okunene weenje njalo, wayimema impi ngegama likaMhlomi.

UThamaye (Thamae) indlalifa kaMgodeli, uvumele phezulu, nabakowabo baye balisabela eli phulo. Baya balalisa kwaMhlomi komkhulu. Ibe nguThamaye yedwa oye akafikelela apho. Ulalise endleleni. 

Ekuvukeni kwakhe udibene nomntu wakwaTonyane, ngokusuka aphambukele emzini wakhe. Umbuzile apho aya khona, uthe uya ephulo.

Athi lo mfo, "Akukho phulo lwalutho, kuya kubulawa nina, kuba nisoloko niphikele ukukroba phezu kwamawa nandule nithuke uTonyane." Emva koko usinge ephulo sel'endwebile. Amaqela aye aqukana ngeentloko, aza awuqala umcimbi wokunga ayazingela, azirhangqa iinyamakazi.

AbakwaMgodeli babephethe umphako wotshongo, abakwaNtsane, abakaTonyane babephethe umgquba osiliweyo; uyelele kakhulu etshongweni ngenkangeleko.

Ngomqondiso ababese bewuqukumbele, bawuthi jwi njeya loo mgquba, baza bakhawuleza babangqinga, bengabalindele babumpi. Babenza into embi, ngangokude esi senzo bathi ukusibiza "Isihluku somgquba."

UMgodeli ubhubhe ewafincile amashumi alithoba eminyaka walibonayo ilanga. Isidumbu sakhe saangcwatywa eMalokong.

Emva kwalo eli xesha unyana kaPete uMkhatshane ukhe wahlaselwa ngabakwaSekake. Bazithimba iinkomo zakhe, baza yena bambamba bamenza umbanjwa kwikomkhulu labo eMawa-mafobelu. 

Ukuzukisa olu loyiso lwabo, baaxhela inkabi yenkomo, kwadudwa kwanje, elixa uMkhatshane evalelwe entangeni - elindisele ukubulawa ngosuku olulandelayo.

Uthe kanti umnyanya wakowabo uhleli awulalanga.

Makuthi besabanjezelwe ziziyolo, kufike ngebhaqo mfazi uthile oye wasikwa yimfesane, wabe ebevile ngento eza kwenziwa; wagqobhoza indlu leyo yodaka abefakwe kuyo. Kwaale ngokukodwa nje ukuba kuvele isithuba esilingeneyo, suka weephundlu ngaphandle uMkhatshane, naanko ebhebhetheka esinga kwingxingwana ethile, iinyawo zakhe zanga azisawuchukumisi umhlaba. Ufike wabona ndawana eye yamkholisa, wasel'eziqhusheka kuyo. 

Bamfune, bamfuna abaza bamfumana abo babemsukela, baye beegwiqi bencamile. 

Ngentsasa elandelayo ubonwe efika kowabo ephile qete, kwaluvuyo kwizihlobo zakhe kuba bezise zimncamile ukuba zobuya zimbone esaphila.