Umklomelo wophume phambili emncintiswaneni wokubhala isiZulu ngokujulile ohlelwe umkhandlu weTheku ngaphansi kwabezomtapho wolwazi onyakeni ka 2008.
UThandi wayenabangani, amagama abo kwaku nguThabani, uLifa, uSmiso noHlengiwe. Wayebathanda abangani bakhe. Aphinde alale nabafana. Ugogo wakhe wayengakwazi lokho, kodwa wayekhuza ethi akangahambi ebusuku. Babebhema izidakamizwa bephuza utshwala badakwe baze balale. UThandi wayesebenzisa ucansi nabangane bakhe.
UGogo wayemnikeza ukudla athi, “Cha angikuthandi ukudla Gogo”. Nangempela angakudli amtshele uGogo ukuthi uyagula. Wayelokhu ekhwehlela kabuhlungu wambuza uGogo wathi, “Uyagula yini?” UThandi wathi, “Cha gogo ukukhwehlela nje kuphela”, uGogo wathi, “Kuyobangcono uma uqinisile.”
Wagula uThandi, uGogo wacabanga ukumuyisa kaDokotela. UDokotela wambuza ukuthi uyalala yini nabafana, uyalisebenzisa yini ijazi lomkhwenyana. Wahlolwa igazi, kwatholakala ukuthi kumele alale esibhedlela sofuba kwaBotha.
Udokotela wamtshela ukuthi unesifo sofuba (TB), kanjalo nemiphumela yegazi yayithi unesandulela ngculazi. UDokotela wamtshela ukuthi usencishelwa ngamasosha omzimba. UGogo wafikelwa izinyembezi uma ezwa lokho, wamyala ukuthi kufanele adle ukudla okuzomnika amandla.
UGogo wayekhala zonke izinsuku. Wayengalahli ithemba ecela kuNkulunkulu, wayelokhu ethandazile. Ngomthandazo waphuma esibhedlela engakabi ngcono. Ugogo wakhe wazama ukumphuzisa imbiza uGambu, okwabuye kwamenza agule kakhulu ngenxa yokuxuba umuthi wesiZulu namaphilisi. Esibhedlela babemfundisile uGogo ngokudliwa kwamaphilisi ngesikhathi esifanele.
Ukufa kwamqinisa kakhulu, wayengasakwazi ngisho nokuhamba. Omakhelwane babekhomba behleka. Nabangane basebemhlamukile. UGogo njalo uma emphuzisa umuthi wayethi, “Ngakutshela ukuthi hlukana nabangani ababi”, kwaba akokuqala ethi, “Gogo ngiyaxolisa”, esho zehla izinyembezi.
Kwahlwa kwalalwa . UGogo ngabo lobo busuku akabuthanga quthu ubuthongo. Kwala okungasiyo, uGogo wazama ukumnyakazisa kodwa lutho ukuvuka uThandi, kwazicacela ukuthi isiphelile impilo yakhe.
Emngcwabeni kaThandi uMfundisi wenza uhlelo wanxesezela abomndeni ngezwi elisebhayibhelini elithi, “Imbali iyabuna njengotshani”, “akwehlanga lungehlanga”. Wacela abazokhulumela abangani basukuma basho inkondlo ethi Mashayabhuqe.
“Safa saphela isizwe
Ziphelile izintombi
Ziphelile izinsizwa
Hhayi sekwanele”
UGogo wayelokhu ekhale njalo. Wayememeza ethuneni ethi, “Thandi, Thandi ,Thandi”, kwaba izinsuku ezimbi empilweni yaGogo ehlala yedwa ecabanga ngendodakazi yakhe. Wayehlala ehlala amemeze athi, “Thandi, Thandi”, sengathi uzomuzwa esabela.
Omakhelwane babehleba. Kwakulukhuni ukuphila kuGogo,wahlaselwa ukugula, wayekhwehlela omakhelwane babehleba bebona ukungaphili kwakhe. Kwafika abezenhlalakahle oNompilo babuza ukuthi wayezivikela ngani uma esiza uThandi, kwatholakala ukuthi wayengafaki lutho ezandleni base bemhlola igazi. Bathola ukuthi unesifo esabulala indodakazi yakhe.
Wayehlala ethule engadli, kungangeni makhelwane, engenamsizi ngenxa yamashayabhuqe. Wayenayo imithi ayiphuzayo. Isikhathi kwakuyi hora leshumi ekuseni kodwa sasize sedlula engayiphuzile imithi, lokho okwaholela ekuswelekeni kwakhe.
Emngcwabeni kaGogo omakhelwane babekhala. Nabangani bakaThandi . UMfundisi wayala abantu ngokuthi asiqashelwe lesisifo. Abangane bakaThandi basho inkondlo ethi:
“ Mashaya bhuqe
Ivaliwe imizi,
Siphelile isizwe
Asihlome kuliwe nomashayabhuqe”
Umuzi wasa wodwa, amathuna emabili ngezansi komuzi. Isifo sikhona, ziyosala izindonga.
Ibhalwe ngu Nokulunga Bhengu