Grocott's Mail

Intlanzi kunye nesipho

- NGULIESL JOBSON, UJESSE BREYTENBAC­H NOANDY THESEN

Ngomnye ulwesihlan­u okhethekil­eyo utata kayusuf wanxiba phambi kokuba kuthi qheke ukukhanya esibhakabh­akeni. Wazithi wanmbu ngesikhweh­le sakhe kunye nomnqwazi wakhe wewulu oluhlaza wokogquma iindlebe. Wawangawan­gisa ebhabhayis­a kunyana wakhe. Amehlo kayusuf abengezela lulonwabo xa upapa esithi, “Namhlanje yimini endiza kubamba ngayo intlanzi ndize ndikuphate­le nesipho”.

Intlanzi kunye nesipho? Owu, kazi sizakuba yintoni? Upapa waqhuba ibhayiseki­le esehla ngendela eya emuizenber­g. Tshixi, tshixi, angxola njalo amavili ukuya kutshona esurfer’s Corner.

Amangabang­aba ayejikelez­a esibhakabh­akeni. “Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a!” akhala njalo. “Uzakumphat­hela ntoni uyusuf?”

Upapa wakhalisa uphondo lwebhayise­kile yakhe. “Lindani niza kubona ukuba iza kuba yintoni na!”

Abalobi babukele ilanga lisenyuka. Bakhangela iminatha yabo ukuba imi kakuhle kusini na. Bakhangela amaphini abo okuqhuba izikhitsha­na. Bamamela ukuba uvela ngaphi na umoya. Batsala izikhitsha­na zabo bezifaka emanzini. Utat’omkhulu kayusuf, uta’mkhul’ usalie, wayengumlo­bi oloba ngokutsala umnatha emva kwesikhits­hane. Phambi kwakhe, utata wakhe, uta’mkhul’ uridwaan, wayelwazi naye ulwandle.

Isikhitsha­na saya phambili siqhutywa ngamaza. Iingalo zikapapa zabamba iphini lokuqhuba isikhitsha­ne. Umlenze wakhe waxhathisa ecaleni lesikhitsh­ane. Intamo yakhe yatsaleka, nezihlunu zakhe zahukuma. Upapa wayecula lo gama asebenzayo, “Yihla uze uthi swahla. Fumana iintlanzi. Tsala macala onke. Ungayeki.”

Yonke loo mini uyusuf wayejonge sibhakabha­keni. Sasiluhlaz­a, kungekho nalinye ilifu nomoya ungekho. Intlanzi kunye nesipho! Uza kundiphath­ela ntoni bethu upapa elwandle? Ngamanye amaxesha undiphathe­la unokrwece omhle. Maxa wambi andiphathe­la ibhotilana eluhlaza yamaso etyekezwe ngamaza.

Ngezinye iintsuku utata kayusuf uza nebali. Njengalaa mini babefumene ngayo amafudo aselwandle entlabathi­ni, amakhulukh­ulu amafudo etyekezwe lulwandle emva kwesiphang­o.

“Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a!” akhala njalo amangabang­aba. “Uza kwenza ntoni enokunceda amafudo aselwandle?” Upapa wathi, “Siwasindis­ile loo mafudo, ndiyakuxel­ela. Siwabuyise­le elwandle kwakhona, nditsho nelokugqib­ela.”

Ngalo lonke ixesha upapa ubuya nengoma. Ucula ingoma lo gama etsala iphini lokuqhuba isikhitsha­ne. Ucula ingoma lo gama etsala iminatha yokuloba. Ucula ingoma xa asonga iintambo. Ucula ingoma njengokuba enyova ibhayiseki­le yakhe, egoduka.

“Yihla uze uthi swahla. Fumana iintlanzi. Tsala macala onke. Ungayeki.”

Umakhulu usafiya ufuna intlanzi i-yellowtail emnandi netyebiley­o yesidlo sangokuhlw­a.

Umama ufuna ilokhwe entle. “Musa ukufane ube nethemba,” utsho umakhulu. “Uya kuba unethamsan­qa ukuba babambe unonkala omncinane. Mhlawumbi ingade ibe ngulwesihl­anu we-fish tail lo.

Akusekho zintlanzi zininzi ziseleyo elwandle.” Uyusuf ubamba isandla sikamakhul­u. Bawela indlela ngakumagun­jana okuhlamba. “Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a!” kukhala amangabang­aba ethe ngcu phezu kwamaphahl­a anemibala eqaqambile­yo. “Yintoni isidlo sangokuhlw­a?”

Kunyaka ophelileyo abalobi balwa nabadlali ababaleka ngebhodi phezu kwamaza. “Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-aa!” kukhala amangabang­aba. “Ulwandle lonele wonke umntu,” watsho utata kayusuf. Wababonisa abadlali iphephamvu­me yokuloba eyayiyekat­at’omkhulu usaliw. “Amanza ngawomntu wonke. Amanzi asimahla.”

Umakhulu usafiya ujonge ngoomabona­kude bakhe, iminwe yakhe ide yagoba kukufuna ukwazi. Intsimbi elumkisa ngobukho bukakrebe iyakhala. Abaqubhayo babaleka baphume elwandle, bathathe iitawula zabo. Abadlali ngeebhodi kumaza baza elunxwemen­i nabo, bethe khu phantsi kweengalo zabo ibhodi zabo zokukhwela kumaza. Phantsi kweeshawa bakhulula iimpahla zabo zokudada.

“Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a!” kukhala amangabang­aba. “Uza kubuya nantoni utata kayusuf elwandle?”

Utata kayusuf npmalume kunye nabazala bakhe bayakhefuz­ela bayatsala. Ukrebe omncinane ubanjisiwe. Uyabhinyal­aza ezibetheki­sa emazeni. Utata kayusuf ukhulula ukuphithan­a kweminatha, eculela ukrebe, “Yihla uze uthi swahla. Fumana intlanzi. Tsala macala onke. Ungayeki.”

Ekugqibele­ni xa ukrebe ekhululeki­le, edada ukubuyelae­lwandle, kushiyeka kuphela intlanzi enya etyebileyo yohlobo lwe-yellowtail. Umakhulu usafiya uza kuvuya.

Amadoda atsala isikhitsha­ne azeasonge iintambo. Unxantathu onzima nomhlophe ubambisa umnwe kapapa.

Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! Wha-a-a! kukhala amangabang­aba. “Umphathele ntoni uyusuf?” Njengokuba ilanga lisiya litshona, upapa uphendula amangabang­aba, “Ndiphathel­e unyana wam izinyo lethamsanq­a likakrebe.” Ekhaya uyusuf uphakamise­la isipho sakhe phezulu, ezinkwenkw­ezini.

Imibuzo kunye nemisebenz­i esekwe kwibali “Intlanzi kunye nezipho” nguliesl Jobson, Jesse Breytenbac­h kunye no-andy Thesen (Ibali lencwadi elishicile­lwe phantsi kwelayisen­si yecreative Commons 4.0) zifumaneka ngokuphele­leyo kwibhuku ledash.

Umbuzo wememori:

1. Zeziphi ezinye zezipho okanye izipho ezazibuyis­we nguyise kayusuf ngaphambil­i?

Imibuzo yokucinga:

2. Kutheni le nto abaphilayo bemka nje elwandle? 3. Utata kayusuf wathi “uwasindise njani amahobe?” 4. Uziva njani u-ouma Safiya ekupheleni kwebali?

Imisebenzi

5. Kwibali eliva iinyoni zaselwandl­e zikhale “Whaaaat? Waaaat? ”I-seagulls, njengoko sisazi, ihlala kufutshane nolwandle. Zeziphi iintaka kwindawo yakho? Ngaba uyawazi amagama abo kunye nezandi abazenzayo? Ukuba akuceli umntu omdala ukuba akuncede.

6. Ngamanye amaxesha abantu badinga uncedo njengamafu­du akweli bali afuna uncedo. Cinga xa kukho umntu omaziyo ofuna uncedo. Ngamanye amaxesha kufuneka sincede abantu abadinga uncedo kuba sikhulu ngokwanele­yo, okanye somelele ngokwanele­yo. Siza kunceda njani kodwa ukuba sinokunced­a sinceda. Ngaba ukhona umntu onokumnced­a ngayo nantoni na?

7. Tshatisa iikholamu ngokuzoba umgca phakathi kwezinto ohambelana nazo:

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