IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

Lembali siyibone kwelinye ipepa la Mangesi:— U Rabbi Akiba wakutshwa yintshutshiso kwizwe lakowabo, wahamba ebadula entlango, kwanti zitshile. Impahla awahamba epete yona yayi yi lampu ebimkanyisela ebusuku, nokuze amane efunda umteto ; way'enenkunzi ye nkuku, yokumtyela amaxesha, nawokusa; waye no ndlebe-nde abe kwela kuye. Kwatike ngomnye umhla, kwabonakala ukuba kuyahlwa, ilanga liyatshona, ubusuku buyasondela ; lwaye olu dwayi lungazi apo namhla intloko luya kuyifaka kona; nomzimba odiniweyo apo luya kuwulalisa kona. Ute esel'eqauka epelile kukudinwa, wafika mzin'utile, wavuya kunene, kuba ufike unabantu, wacinga ukuti boba nenceba nemfesane ngaye. Kanti akunjalo. Wacela indawo yokupumla kwizindlu ngezindlu zalomzi, akwabiko noko amnye ompa indawo yokulalaWati ukuncama kwake wasel'esinga ehlatini elalikufupi nalomzana, wavakal' esiti: ' Kwowu! kunzima ukuba kungabiko namnye ondivelayo usizi, kanti nezulu linje ukuba libi kwalo. Kodwa u Tixo u Lilunga, konke akwenzayo kokona kulungileyo,' Wacutulala pantsi komti, walumeka ilampu yake waquba kwa ukufunda umteto. Ute engekasigqibi neso kuqala isahluko, kwafika isaqwiti esikulu sayicima lolampu yake. Wavakel' ekwaza esiti: ' Kwowu! gxebe andivunyelwe nokuba ndiqube esisifundo sam ndisitanda kangaka? Kodwa u Tixo u Lilunga, konke akwenzayo kulungile kanye.' Wazolula kaloku, walala pantsi, enga angake ati nqwa imizuzwana etile. Ute esati ncwaba kwagaleleka intshovu- ntshovu yencuka yafika yabulala la nkunzi yake yenkuku. 'Yinile!' wavakala esitsho u Akiba, ete nqadalala lelinye ilishwa. Wati, Umlingane wam okuteleyo undipulukile, namhla gxebe ndiyakuvuswa ngubani, ukuze ndiqube kwa imfundo yam yomteto? Kodwa u Tixo u Lilunga, konke akwenzayo kulunge kanye. Uyayazi into esilung- eleyo tina' nto zingabantu zimelwe kukufa.' Ute engekaligqibi nelo, kwagaleleka ingonyama eyoyike- kayo, yafika yabulala undlebe-nde Iowa wake, yamtya. ' Kwa kutwani ngoku?' Lwavakala lusitsho udwayi. 'Ilampu, nenkuku yam zindipulukile—kwano sizana olungundlebe-nde wam lukwa mkile, ewe konke kumkile! Kodwa makazukiswe u Tixo; konke akwenzayo kulungile kanye.' , 'Watwabaza bonke obo busuku engena butongo. kwati kwa kusasa, waya kula mzana, esiya kulinga ukuba angefumani hashe na, nokuba yenye into ebu qegu yokumquba eluhambeni lwake. Kodwa into eyamkwanqisayo yile yokuba engafumananga namnye umntu osapilileyo kulomzi, wafika befile bonke. Kubonakala ukuba kwagaleleka ugxuba lwama nyangaza ngobo busuku, ababulala bonke abantu balo mzi, azipanga kwe tu zonke izindlu zalomzi. Kute ke akuqabuka koko kumangaliswa, wapakamisa izwi lake, wakalima u Akiba ngeliti, ' Wena Tixo umkulu, Tixo ka Abraham, no Isaac, no Jacob, ngoku ndiya qonda ngenxa yamakade-ndibona, ukuba lento ingumntu iyimfama, ukubona kwayo kufutshane, idla ngokuti into eye yokubanceda, bayibalele ukuba ibu bubi. Kodwa nguwe wedwa oli Lunga onobubele. Ukuba ababantu bango ntliziyo-tye, bebenga ndigxotanga, ngenxa yokuswela kwabo ububele, ngenene 'ngenditshabalele kunye nabo. Ukuba umoya ubunga sicimanga isibane nam, amanyangaza ange etsalwe kuku kanya kwano, aba ebendibulele nam. Ndiyaqonda ukuba, bububelo bako obundipangileyo abalingane bam, ebendinabo,'' (uteta nge nkuku, no ndlebende wake) 'ukuze kungati ngenxa yengxolo ababeya kuyenza, bandihlabele umkosi walo manyangaza. Malibongwe ke igama Lako kude kuse emapakadeni kanapakade!'