Isiqalekiso

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Esikhathini eside esidlule,  kwakukhona idolobhadana elincane ngasemaphethelweni ehlathi. Leli dolobhana lalinokuthula esikhathini esiningi, kodwa abantu balo babesaba amaLobizon, okwakuthiwa ahlala ekujuleni kwehlathi. AmaLobizon kwakuyizilwane ezimnyama, ingxenye wumuntu, ingxenye impisi. Njalo uma kuvela inyanga egcwele kwakuthiwa lezi zilwane ziphuma ehlathini zifuna inyama yomuntu.

Kodwa kwenzeka njani ukuba isilwane esinjalo sibe khona? Lokho kulula: isiqalekiso siba phezu kwendodana yesikhombisa ezalwa kunoma yimuphi umndeni. Lesi siqalekiso angeke siwele kumadodakazi,  kodwa uma umama ezala amadodana ayisikhombisa, lapho indodana yokugcina izakuba yiLobizon nakanjani.

Ngenkathi kuzalwa uFilipe, umama wakhe wayesaba. Wayenethemba lokuthi uzothola indodakazi, hhayi indodana yesikhombisa. Kodwa umama kaFilipe wayenomusa futhi enothando futhi wayengeke ajikele eyakhe ingane nanoma izakhamuzi zingathini ngesiqalekiso.

Iminyaka eminingi yadlula ngokuthula. UFilipe wakhula waba umfana onamandla owayethandwa kakhulu ngunina, uyise, nabafowabo abayisithupha. Kodwa uFilipe waqala ukuqaphela ukuthi wayephathwa ngokuhlukile kunabafowabo. Wayengayi esikoleni ngoba uthisha wayengakuvumeli loko. Lokhu kwakungalungile ngoba lomfana osemncane wayethanda ukufunda izinto ezintsha futhi efisa kakhulu ukwakha ubungani nezinye izingane.

Uma kwakwenzeka uFilipe athunywe ngunina ukuyolanda isinkwa, abantu bedolobha babengeke badlule eduze kwakhe, futhi bebahlale bemubheka ngeso lokwesaba nokunyanya okwakwenza umfana engakhululekile. Ezinye izingane zazingenakudlala naye  futhi wayengavunyelwe ukuphuma egcekeni uma kunenyanga egcwele.

Leliphuzu lokugcina mhlawumbe lalilibi kunawo wonke ngoba uFilipe wayeyithanda kakhulu inyanga, kukhona into ethile ngayo, ikakhulukazi uma igcwele futhi izungeza esibhakabhakeni ebusuku – yayikhuluma noFilipe ivusa umoya wakhe futhi  imenza afune ukucula, ukudansa futhi agijime.

Yize impilo yayinokuthula, yayikude nenjabulo. UFilipe wayehlala ezizwa ehlukile futhi enomzwa ngedwa njengoba iminyaka ihamba. Wayengenabo abangani futhi akukaze amenywe ukuthi azodlala nezinye izingane. Ngezinye izikhathi wayenokuzwa ukuhleka kwazo, abese aqagele ukuthi zidlala muphi umdlalo nokuthi zijabule kangakanani. 

UFilipe waphinde waqaphela ukuthi unina ngisho nabafowabo sebeqala ukumbheka ngendlela engaqondakali.

‘Yini engalungile kimi?’ uFilipe wayevame ukuzibuza. ‘Angiyena umfana ongamameli. Ngiyawenza umsebenzi wami wasekhaya, futhi angikaze ngiziphathe kabi. Kungani ngiphathwa ngendlela ehlukile kunezinye izingane?’

Njengoba kusondela usuku lwakhe lokugubha iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, uFilipe wayezizwa edabuke kakhulu kunakuqala.

Unina wayevame ukungamvumeli ukuthi aphume endlini futhi wayehlala ebukeka ecasukile mayehleli naye. Izingane ezinenhliziyo embi zazimphonsa ngamatshe uma zimbona edlala yedwa eduze nendlu yakibo, kodwa uma ephenduka ezama ukuziphikisa zazibaleka zikhale sengathi zibona isilwane. Ngezinye izinkhathi, uFilipe wayefisa ukubaleka aye ehlathini elikhulu angaphinde abuye.

Ngelinye ilanga unina wamhlalisa phansi wabe esemchazela isizathu sokuhlupheka kwakhe. Wathi ‘wena uyindodana yami yesikhombisa, futhi kunesiqalekiso phezu kwakho ngane yami.’

UFilipe wayedideke kakhulu. 'Yisiqalekiso esinjani?' Wamubuza.

'Ngosuku lwakho lokugubha iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu uzophenduka ube iLobizon, isilwane ingxenye ekuwumuntu ingxenye ekuyimpisi.'

UFilipe wayekwazi konke ngeLobizon, wakuthola ezincwadini zakhe nasezindabeni ezazixoxwa ngabafowabo ebusuku, uma becabanga ukuthi ulele embhedeni wakhe.

Kodwa babengakaze bamutshele uFilipe ukuthi yena uqobo unalesi siqalekiso. Wayengafuni ukuba iLobizon. Wayengafuni ukuba nolaka noma abe nenhliziyo embi, futhi wayengaqinisekanga nhlobo ukuthi angathanda ukuba namazipho amade nezinwele eziningi emzimbeni wakhe wonke.

Ngosuku olwandulela usuku lwakhe lokugubha iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu, uFilipe wayedabuke kakhulu kunazo zonke izinsuku. Wahlala embhedeni wakhe ebumnyameni wakhala yedwa. 'Soloko Ngangihlezi ngingedwa' ecabanga. 'Ngihlala ngiphathwa ngendlela ehlukile.' Manje sengiqalekisiwe ukuphenduka iLobizon. Ngizokwenzanjani? Engangikufuna wukuphathwa ngendlela efanayo njengabanye. Engangikufuna wukudlala ehlathini nabangani, ngibheke inyanga enhle ebusuku.’

Khona lapho-ke uFilipe wabheka ngaphandle kwefasitela lakhe wabe esebona inyanga ikhuphuka esibhakabhakeni esiluhlaza esigcwele izinkanyezi. Kwakuyinyanga egcwele yagcwalisa inhliziyo yakhe ngenjabulo. Kodwa kwenzeka okuthile okungajwayelekile: uFilipe wezwa ukunyakaza esiswini sakhe, nokuluma esikhumbeni sakhe sonke. Kwaphakama umsindo wokuhlaba umkhosi kusukela esifubeni sakhe, wabe esephakamisa ikhanda wabiza inyanga ngendlela engakaze wayenza ngaphambili.

Ngokuphazima kweso, umzimba kaFilipe waqala ukuhluma uboya kuyo yonke indawo. Amazipho ezandleni nasemilenzeni yakhe aguquka aba ngamazipho amade anombala wezinhlamvu zezinyo. Izingubo zakhe zadabuka zaze zawela phansi ezinyaweni zakhe. Ngesikhathi uFilipe ebheka esibukweni, wabona isithombe somfana-wempisi omude embhekile, enoboya obuningi emzimbeni wonke kanye namehlo abomvu ayebonakala akhanya ebumnyameni.

'Ngempela sengiyiLobizon!' kumemeza yena.

UFilipe wezwa ubizo lwenyanga kanye nehlathi, wayazi ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuphenduka umuva empilweni yakhe endala, amukele isiphetho sakhe.

Umfana-mpisi omncane wavula ifasitela legumbi lakhe. Ngaphambi kokweqa aphume ebusuku, wama wabheka okokugcina igumbi lakhe, wacabanga ngonina, uyise, nabafowabo abayisithupha. 'Ngizonikhumbula njalo, nina nonke, mndeni wami onothando kodwa manje kufanele ngamukele ukuthi ngingubani, ngiqale impilo entsha.'

Wabe esegxuma waphuma, weqa efasiteleni wagijima waya ehlathini, ehamba ehayiza enyangeni, inhliziyo yakhe igcwele ithemba elisha ngekusasa.

Ngesikhathi uFilipe esekujuleni kwehlathi elikhulu, wama endaweni enhle evulekile, wabe esebheka izihlahla ezindala phezulu nenyanga enhle esibhakabhakeni. Wahlaba umkhosi, wagxuma, wadansa, wahleka... kwathi ekugcineni lapho eyeka ukuhlaba umkhosi nokudansa, wabheka wabe esebona ukuthi kwakukhona nabanye aboLobizon abaqoqene kuleyo ndawo evulekile. Ezinye zazisencane njengoFilipe, ezinye sezindala.

Zasondela kuFilipe zamugona futhi zamamukela.

'Manje usekhaya, ehlathini elikhulu phakathi kwabangani,' kusho eyodwa ngelizwi elinomusa nelithambile. Futhi lapho-ke uFilipe waqonda ukuthi wayengeqalekisiwe nhlobo.

'Ngiyingxenye yamaLobizon futhi ngisekhaya!' kusho uFilipe emamatheka, ephakamisa ikhanda lakhe ebheke inyanga egcwele wakhala ngamandla akhe onke. Wonke amanye amaLobizon amulandela ahlabelela ndawonye, kwaphakama umkhosi omkhulu waphakanyiselwa phezulu ebusuku ngenhlonipho enyanga.

Kude kakhulu, unina kaFilipe wayemi engadini yakhe, egqoke ingubo yakhe yokulala, elalele lo mkhosi wamaLobizon osuka kancane ehlathini elikhulu uphephetheka nomoya omnene. Le salukazi samamatheka sodwa, ngoba sasazi ukuthi indodana yaso yesikhombisa ekugcineni isithole ikhaya — lapho yamukelekile khona, lapho izothola abangani abaningi, iphile impilo ende ngenjabulo.