Uma sibheka esikhathini sakudala kwakungumthetho ukuthi umuntu wesifazane ashade esayintombi ephelele. Ngibe nengxoxo noBaba Mbongwa oneminyaka angama 61 ohlala endaweni yase Nanda, eStop 8 kodwa ngokuzalwa usuka endaweni yaseBhulwa. Wafika eThekwini ngokuzosebenza waze wakha nomuzi. Lapha sibheka indaba yeshidi elimhlophe elalibekwa izalukazi uma intombi isiganile emzini ngosuku lokuqala ifikile. Njengoba kuwumthetho ukuthi uma izinkomo sezishayiwe zonke ngononina bazo zaba ishumi nanye okuwuphawu lokuthi intombi isaphelele. Kuyaye kulindwe usuku lomshado ngaphambi kokuthi izithandani zihlangane.
Ngelanga intombi iqala ukufika emzini isizokwakha umuzi wayo, izalukazi zazihamba ziye elawini ekuzolala kulona umakoti bafike bandlale indwangu emhlophe lapho umakoti ezolala khona. Kuzothi ngakusasa, ngezikhathi zasekuseni zazihamba izalukazi ziye lapho endlini zifike ziyithathe indwangu ebeziyendle. Izobe seyithathwa ibhekwe ukuthi kungabe ngempela umakoti ubesayintombi ngempela yini. Abasuke bekubheka uphawu olusalayo ekuba yigazi elitshengisayo ukuthi ngempela intombi ayikaze imbathe nomunye umuntu wesilisa. Uma kuhambe kahle kwakuzwakala ngomsindo sezikikiza izalukazi zisho ukuthi intombi yasekutheni ifike ekhaya iphelele.
Uma kwenzekile kwatholakala ukuthi indwangu ayinalutho njengokulindela kwezalukazi. Kwakuhanjwa kuyiwe ekhweni kuyolandwa inkomo eyodwa kwezikhishiwe. Ngoba babesho ukuthi lokho kuyinkomba yokuthi intombi ayiqhoyiswanga emzini. Kuthiwa ezikhathini zakudala kwakungavamisile ukuthi ntombi igane kungabonwanga ukuthi akaseyona intombi ephelele. Ngoba lokhu kwakwenzelwa ukuthi abasekhweni bangaze babize inkomo yomqhoyiso abasemzini abasuke bengahlangene nawo uma ingaseyona intombi ephelele. Nabasekhweni noma ngabe basebenolwazi lokuthi ingane yabo ayiseyona intombi ephelele kwakungafanele bayibize inkomo yomqhoyiso ngoba kuyicala.
English Summary
A white cloth that was used by older women to make a bed for a new bride was done so that they can see or prove that their new bride was a virgin. This was done also to make sure that the lobola that was asked by the girl’s family was the right amount. If they find out that the girl is no longer a virgin they went back to her family to take one cow from the ones they have paid.
By: Nqobile Mdabe