Inhlanzi nesipho

Le ncwadi ngeka

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Inhlanzi nesipho
Illustrated by Jesse Breytenbach
Written by Liesl Jobson
Designed by Andy Thesen
Translated by Nal’ibali
with the help of the Book Dash participants at Cape Town on 28 June 2014
Thanks to John Hishin for the photographs of the Muizenberg treknet fisher-men that sparked this story.
ISBN: 978-0-9946520-4-1
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Liesl Jobson Jesse Breytenbach  Andy Thesen

Ngolunye uLwesihlanu olukhethekile, ubaba kaYusuf uyagqoka ngaphambi kokuba kube nokukhanya okukhanyisa isibhakabhaka. Ugqoka ibhantshi lakhe lokumvikela ezimeni ezahlukene zezulu kanye nekepisi lewuli elimboza izindlebe zakhe. Uvalelisa umfana wakhe. Amehlo kaYusuf ayakhanya ngesikhathi uBaba ethi, “Lolu usuku lapho ngizobamba khona inhlanzi bese futhi ngiza nesipho sakho ekhaya.”

Inhlanzi kanye nesipho? O, kazi kuzoba yini? UBaba wehla ngebhayisikili eqonde eMuizenberg Beach. Nsege-nsege, kukhala amasondo, eshosholoza ebheke e-Surfer’s Corner.  Izinyoni zasolwandle zizungeza esibhakabhakeni. “Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala zona. “Uzomphathelani uYusuf?”  UBaba ushaya insimbi yakhe. “Lindani ukuze nibone ukuthi kuzoba yini!”

Abadobi babheka ukuphuma kwelanga. Bahlola amanethi abo. Babheka namaphini okugwedla abo. Balalela umoya. Badonsa izikebhe zabo bazifake emanzini. Umkhulu kaYusuf, uMkhulu uSalie, wayengumdobi odoba ngamanethi. Ngaphambi kwakhe, uBaba kaMkhulu wakhe uRidwaan, naye wayelwazi ulwandle.

Isikebhe singena emagagasini. Izingalo zikaBaba zelulekela emaphinini okugwedla. Umlenze wakhe ugaxele ngasohlangothini lwesikebhe. Intambo yakhe iyadonseka, izinyama zakhe zasemhlane ziyanyakaza.
UBaba uyacula ngesikhathi esebenza, “Yehlisa bes’ uyaluzisa. Thol’ inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’ uyibamba. Ungab’ usayeka.”

Usuku lonke uYusuf ubheka esibhakabhakeni. Siyakhanya, asinamafu futhi akukho moya. Inhlanzi kanye nesipho! Kazi uBaba uzobe ephetheni lapho ebuya olwandle? Uke aphathe igobolondo elihle. Ngesinye isikhathi kuba yibhodlela eliluhlaza okotshani elihlanzwe amagagasi.

Ngezinye izinsuku ubaba kaYusuf uza nendaba. Njengalapho bathola khona izimfudu zasolwandle esihlabathini, amakhulu azo ekhafulwe ulwandle ngenxa yesiphepho.
“Ini-i-i? Ini--i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle. “Nizokwenzani ukuze nisize izimfudu?”
UBaba wathi, “Sazihlenga lezo zimfudu, ngizokutshela nje ngingakufihleli. Sazibuyisela olwandle, ngisho nolokugcina imbala.”

UBaba uhlale eza nengoma. Ucula ingoma  lapho edonsa amaphini. Ucula ingoma ngesikhathi edonsa amanethi. Ucula ingoma lapho egoqa izintambo. Ucula ingoma ngesikhathi eseya ekhaya ngebhayisikili.
“Yehlisa bes’ uyaluzisa. Thol’ inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’ uyibamba. Ungab’ usayeka.”

UGogo uSafiya ufuna inhlanzi, ‘umsilophuzi’, emnandi ekhuluphele esidlweni sakhe sakusihlwa. UMama ufuna ingubo entsha.
“Ungazikhohlisi,” kusho uGogo. “Uzobe unenhlanhla uma engabamba nenkalankalana yodwa le. Akusaphathwake njengoba kungoLwesihlanu lokudoba izinhlanzi
nje, okuthiwa ‘olwemisila yezinhlanzi’. Akusenazinhlanzi eziningi ezingatholakala olwandle.”
UYusuf ubamba isandla sikaGogo. Banqamula umgwaqo ezindlwaneni zababhukudayo.
“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle zihlezi phezu kophahla olunombala ogqamile. “Sizoba yini isidlo sakusihlwa?”

Ngonyaka odlule abadobi balwa nabantweza ngamabhodi emanzini.
“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle.
“Ulwandle lubanzi, lwanele wonke umuntu,” kusho uBaba kaYusuf. Wabakhombisa imvume yokudoba okwakungekaMkhulu uSalie.
“Amagagasi ngawabo bonke abantu. Amanzi amahhala.”

UGogo uSafiya ubuka ngezibukakude zakhe, iminwe yakhe igobile, akasakwazi nokulinda. Kukhala insimbi exwayisa ngoshaka. Abebebhukuda babalekela esihlabathini bathathe amathawula abo. Abebentweza ngamabhodi babalekela osebeni begodle amabhodi abo. Bageza emashaweni bese bekhumula izingubo zabo zokuhlamba ezimanzi.
“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle. “Ngabe uBaba kaYusuf uzoya nani ekhaya oluphuma olwandle?”

Ubaba kaYusuf nomalume wakhe kanye nabazala bakhe bayabamba bese bedonsa. Kukhona ushaka omncane obambekile. Uyaphenduphenduka bese uzishayisa emagagasini. Ubaba kaYusuf uthukulula amanethi, eculela ushaka, “Yehlisa bes’ uyaluzisa. Thol’ inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’ ubamba. Ungab’ usayeka.”
Ekugcineni lapho ushaka usukhululekile utshuza ubuyele emagagasini, ushiya umsilophuzi owodwa okhuluphele enethini. Akeve ezojabula uGogo Safiya!

Amadoda akhipha isikebhe emanzini bese esonga amakhebuli. Bese kuba khona okusanxantathu okuqinile okumhlophe okubambeka emunweni kaBaba.
“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle. “Umphatheleni uYusuf?”
Lapho kushona ilanga, uBaba uphendula izinyoni zasolwandle, “Izinyo likashaka eliletha inhlanhla lomfana wami.”
Ekhaya uYusuf uphakamisa isipho sakhe asibhekise ezinkanyezini.