IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

Lomsebenzi wobugqweta uyadlokova nonyaka kuti bantsu- ndu. Site sisakangele obuka Harry Mtombeni wase Hewu, xa besisapulapula ukuba kode kuti kupi, kube kupina, qata elase Dutywa ipepa lisiza nendaba zokuba omnye ontsundu kwakona, ukwazonele ebugqwetweni bake, ebe selelilo ka yena. Bati igama lalowo uzoneleyo ngu Abraham K. Malo wase Xesi (Knapp's Hope) ikaya lake. Kutiwa uzonele nge- tuba lokunxila, akavunywa ke ngoko ngamanye amagqweta ase Dutywa, kwane Mantyi yakona kwangeso sizatu, nange- zinye ezite gqi ngase Ngqushwa apo ebeke wakona. *** Lonyaka we 1885 uyakupela undzabele indzeku ezininzi kunene zaba mkileyo, besinga kwe lingapaya kwe ncwaba, nge zifo, nange ndlala, njalo njalo, Kwaye kubonakala nokuba i Nkosi iyabaputuma kanye nonyaka abayo. Sebe linani esiba- ziyo aba sebe mkile kuwo lonyaka, singazike ukuba yoti ifika i Christmas ne Nibidyala bekuyi ntonina. *** Ubugora obusimanga be nkwenkwana!—Ati amapepa kuhle into embi kunene, yokuzibulala kuka Mrs. Hiram Pfautz kunye nosana lwake nomnye umntwana. Lomntu kutiwa ubete piti, wangenwa kakulu ngu Moya. Abantwana bake bebonke bebe sixenxe. Kute ngamhla utile waya nabatandatu kwi dama lelitye lokusila (mill-dam) esiya kuka intyatyambo kona. Omkulu wasala ekaya kuba uyise wayehambile engeko ekaya. Waselequba amakwenkwana amabini, nentombazana zikwa mbini nosana oloke. Asivanto ngomnye ukuba watini- na yena. Befikile kweli dama, ite inkwenkwana engu Harry isatobile ukucola uluti obelukufupi ne dam elo ngomteto ka nina, suke unina wamvela ngasemva wamtyala, weyela umntwana. Wasel'ekaulezisa kwaoko eposa nabanye kwako- na, wati ekugqibeleni waziposa yena ngokwake kunye nosana olo. *** Buvel'apoke ubugora nobuntlambi buka Harry ondololwane, udade wabo wapuma naye kwa oko, wamkupa omnye umninawe wake, obudala buyiminyaka esixenxe, waziposa kwakona, wa- puma nomnye kodade wabo, ominyaka isitoba. Waziposa kwakona, waqubisana nonina esenosana, wenza imizamo emi- kulu ukubakupa, waye unina engavumi, esiti ufuna ukufa yena, koko wamcenga-cenga wade wamoyisa. Wabakupa ngamandla awavela apezulu kupela. *** Zaye ezantwana zimi elunxwemeni, zifane ze nqa ukuba kutenina namhlanje. Upindile kwakona u Harry esiya kufuna omnye udade wabo ominyaka mitatu, wapuma naye emba- ndezele esifubeni sake, wamane emqengqa, kanti sel'efile. Waselesibeka isililo kwa lapo. *** Unina ngeloxa ubesel'engenwe nayingqele kunye naba- ntwana, wavakal'emcenga u Harry ukuba mabaputumele inqwelo kumzi okufupi, wati u Harry kuba esamranela unina wamyala ngeliti azancede angabi sayenza into yokuzibulala. Hayi naye watembisa njalo; kodwa ke u Harry wemka nabe odade wabo abo basapilileyo babini, kwasala unina nosana nalowo selefile. Bagoduka ke abo bantwana, bafike bawa ngazo kuyise. Wasel'egitshima esinga kona kanye, wafika kute mu, kanti ute u Harry esiti tshiki waye unina eziposa kulo uselefile wumposa kwakona, wand'ukuziposa yena nosana elo. Injalo imbali elusizi kunene, yokububa kuka Mrs. H. Pfautz nabantwana ababini, nobugora buka Harry bokuzisindisa kwake, nabantwana bakokwabo. Uninzi Iwabantu lukolisa ngokuti ezinqina apa lufe nama nqwa, lugoduke intliziyo zine zinqala, zokumosheka kwe nxawa zalo, ngokuti kanti ludubula ntoyimbi endaweni ye nyamakazi. Kwake kwati nga nqina itile, kule minyaka idluleyo, umzi ontsundu usenayo imipu yawo, kuxa kuncokolelwana kunene ngamacula enyamakazi, yapuma i Midange kunene kwano Mnqalasi kwakuyiwa, kula mahlatana e Dywarana, yati into ka isate vu ndaweni, yabona unkonka ete tu ngentloko, yasel'ibasa, 'Ndzwanga!' yatsho kwabanda namahlati, yatsho yakumbula kona, ayitsho awakowayo kwade kwatshona ne nkaba, yaye nayo itsho yat'akazela, izikali zika Ngconde, ziko Tshiwo, kanti sisipunzi somti, sasitshisiwe; kekaloku kuye sisuke safana no ngece kanye. Wadana wazirola lomfo wase manantsini, yamosheka nalo nxawa, nezo zibongo. Yinto okwakbyo kanjalo le yokuti umntu ebezonda utile, kanti uyakubulala wumbi, mhlaumbi uya kuzibulala kwa yena, nokuba ngumhlobo wake obuhlungu. Kwayo kuta amazwe esaxolile, kwa kuko umntu odumbe idolo, elolo ngendlu lilo. Kute ngabusuku butila, ebeke wati ncwaba ubutongwana, ute akuti balulu, Yo! nanku umntu oselemi pezu kwake. Wati yena mayibe ligqwira, wasel'puta-puta induku yake, le anquzela ngayo, watsho nku kunene kulonto, kanti utsho kweli dolo alele ngendlu lilo. Ulibele ukuba kanene ubelele ngomhlana, engxongxile. Wapena-pena ngakumbi Zintlungu azenzele ngokwake eba usika igqwira, *** Into ka Xelewa u Xashimbana, wase ma Kwayini, wake wati ngale mfazwe ka Mlanjeni, egibisela u Dyakopn, umfana Wakwa Nquka ngembokotwe, we nku kunene ku mkake, watsho wapola, kuba umtsho entloko. Ya ngama nxatshi-nxatshi, ukuhanjwa nokugalela amanzi, kuba umntu kubonakele ukuba akasokubuye avuke. Kodwa ke wavuka kungasenini. Waba uyakululeka u Xashimbana. * * * Ezindawana sizenza nje sizikunjuzwa lipepa lase Qonce Imvo Zabantsundu, elifekete ngenxawa yalo ngoluhlobo, lafane lazitsho kwade kwatshona ne nkaba, waye u Mhleli welo pepa ekala ngeliti: ' Tsi ! izikali zika Bungane, zika Dlomo, zika Ngob'izembe.' Kanti esitsho nje ubinze u Mguye, esiba ubinza u Ntlebi, kanti udubula isipunzi, uba ngu Ngece, kanti nxuluba u Nonantsi esiba ngu Dyakopu. *** Site sakukangela kwezo Mpawana ze pepa lika 12 ku August saqonda ukuba umfo lowo ub'etiye wade wacula ngelake, wada wati ngenxa yengqumbo ab'enayo ukuqumbela Isigidimi no Mhleli waso, wasel'egqiba kweliti. ' Kunjenjenje sendiya kunxasha inkanunu, nokuba na ndiza kudubula imbuzane akuse nanto, ukuze eyakowetu iti ukundibonga kwayo yenze mgqwetesha wumbi. kuba seloko ndayeka ukuxubushana ne Sigidimi, andisabongwa mntu. Oko kona benditi ndisalele, kuse mpondo zankomo, zibe imbongi zakowetu zinditsho, zisiti U-Qaqa walibamba nge mpumlo Wauti lotin' ukupefumla U-Benxa wali nqumla inzipo Wawuti lotin' ukupanda? ' Kanti ke asiyo nento ukuyitanda izibongo; kupelile ndiya kudubula ngo Bolowane nokuba yimbuzane na.' Sinosizi yilo nxawa ipaleleyo, kanti inje nokunqaba kwayo. Ute ebebinza u Tyala, suke watsho nko ku Soga, watsho yade yatyityimba ingqanda. Kwaye kungasancedi nto nokuti nxe wetu kwake, akuqonda ukuba ubinze u Ngcambushe. Akuko nxe wanto, kuba usiti undibinze undiqonda ukuba ndingu Tyala, asiyo ngozi ke ngoko. *** Kutiwa yati irapi ka Tshaka mhlana yangenela ama Bulu eyilali, pakati kwemilambo emibini ati akwenza inzwinini yokudubula, asuke ama Tshaka amemeza ngeliti, ' Yinja leyo! ' Atsho afunzela kona kwakupela, ade aya kungena. *** Kutiwa enza kwalonto ama Jingqi nama Ngcweleshe Emtontsi ngeka Mlanjeni. Yati yaku bola inkanunu kumacalana onke, amemeza ngeliti, 'Ngu Bolowane lowo, atsho kunene nge gwatyu, afunzela pakati,' kwafitye ne mbokotwe. *** Kutiwa xa sibaliselwayo nga manyange, wati mhla wanxusha u Bolowane, ekonje kwelilizwe kumhla kwayiwa e Ngqushwa ngeka Mlanjeni, kwadutyulwa u Nyanda um-Gqwashe ngo Bolowane, Akakapindi ke kude kube namhla nje, *** Makabe umnumzetu ubekangele ngotuzulu. Kuba xa bokunge njalo ange ebonile ukuba Nona lsigidimi siti kulongxelo yaso yentlanganiso yakwa Hleka, (utsho ke umfo obalisileyo kuso ongu Ntlebi uti xa ancoma ukuyola kwalo ntlanganiso. ' Yena esel'eneminyaka emihlanu elilungu nje layo, ayizange ibe ko eziwe kangako, iyolile.' Ke, xa kunjalo, lo umntu ubekisa kuye u Mhleli we Mvo kwazeka kubani wonke owayeko kulo ntlanganiso ukuba ngomnye wababe qala ukungena ngalomini. Kanti pofu nomhlobo wetu lowo, lonyaniso yaziwa nguye kanye. Nguye kanye awaye engu Mgcini-sihlalo kulo ntlanganiso. Lo ateta lenteto ayibekisa kuye ngowaye kwele naye nabanye ukuya kulontlanganiso, emazi kakuhle ukuba kumhla aya kuyingena. Noko kunjalo ukatazele kuye kuba emeyile. ' Ngu Bolowane lowo! ' *** Wosel'uziqondela ngokwako kambe mlesi, ukuba kokona kukuk'o nake oku. Akungakuba lowo ubonyelwayo unqene nto, fan'ukuba noko anxanyelwe kangaka nje ngu Mhleli lowo we Mvo, ebuta lamabibi eposa pezu kwake ne Sigidimi ade avakale emnyula lowo at'ande ukumnyula, ngokutanda ukunga angake enze udushe naye, amnyelise ngeliti, ' ungozi- tshoyo ngobuciko bake.' Ngati noko inkala ingaxing'etyeni eke wamvumela kulo nteto amnxamele ngayo, *** Mhleli we Mvo, musa ukuyenza lento. Makuviwane, kunje woz'uhlangane nenyoka ipung'umhluzi. Sifanele ukuba Yimbumba Yamanyama, sikangele ngacala nye, zipole ezindushe uzenzayo, sifelane, sibe ngamafela ndaweni nye kwezi mbandezelo zisibope ngabande nye, sonke tina bantsundu. ' Ngu Bolowane lowo! ' Bekutshiwo ngemfazwe ka Mlanjeni.