THE

I-WORD

ITHEMBA NOKWESABA

ITHEMBA lahlala emasangweni eZulu labheka phakathi emikhandlwini yezithixo.

“Ngena, oh sidalwa esimangalisayo!” wamemeza ibutho lasezulwini, futhi usitshele ukuthi ungubani nokuthi ufunani ngathi.

Wangena uThemba. Umoya omayelana naye wawujatshuliswa ukukhanya kanye nenjabulo ngaphambi kokungaziwa eZulwini. Kuyo, kwakhanyiswa ubuhle, udumo lwaphakamisa umqhele walo, amandla anikela ngentonga yawo, kanye nemibono yazo zonke izinto ezifiselekayo kuvuleleka ekubukeni kwesixuku esingafi. Ukukhanya okungaphezu kwamandla okuphuma emehlweni kaThemba. Waphefumula iphunga elimnandi elingavamile. Ukushukuma komzimba wakhe kwaphakamisa amagagasi empilo ngesigqi esijabulisayo futhi kwaveza inqwaba yezinhlobo zobuhle. Iphimbo lakhe lakhulisa imizwa, lalola izinzwa, lenza inhliziyo ishaya ngokujabula, lanikeza amandla amasha emazwini, futhi kwakuwumculo omnandi kunowabaculi basezulwini.

“Mina, Hope, ngazalwa futhi ngaqanjwa nguMcabango, uyihlo, futhi ngakhuliswa u-Desire, iNdlovukazi yase-Underworld, nombusi wezifunda ezimaphakathi nendawo yonke. Kodwa nakuba ngabizwa kanjalo umzali wethu ongafi, ngikhona ngaphambili, anginamzali, futhi ngingunaphakade njengobaba omkhulu wabo bonke.

“Ngahlebela uMdali lapho kwakhiwa indawo yonke, futhi wangiphefumulela ebuntwini bakhe. Ekufukameleni kweqanda lendawo yonke, ngalijabulisa igciwane futhi ngavusa amandla alo angase aphile. Ekukhulelweni nasekubunjweni komhlaba, ngacula izilinganiso zezimpilo futhi ngahambela ukumiswa kwezifundo zabo zibe amafomu. Ngamathoni ashintshiwe emvelo ngahlabelela amagama eNkosi yabo ekuzalweni kwezidalwa, kodwa abazange bangizwe. Ngihambe nabantwana bomhlaba ngisebuhlungwini benjabulo ngizwakalise izimanga nodumo lukaMcabango umdali wabo kodwa abamazi. Ngikhombise indlela ekhanyayo eya eZulwini futhi ngacupha umgexo wendlela, kodwa amehlo abo awakuboni ukukhanya kwami, izindlebe zabo azihambisani nezwi lami, futhi ngaphandle uma imililo engapheli yehlela phezu kwabo ukuze ikhanyise isibaso engizobanika sona, izinhliziyo ziyoba ama-altare angenalutho, ngiyongaziwa futhi ngingabonwa yibo, futhi bayodlulela kulokho kungabi nasimo ababizwe kukho, ngaphandle kokuzuza lokho ababedalelwe kona ngoMcabango.

“Kulabo abangibonile, angisoze ngakhohlwa. Kimi, oh madodana eZulu, bhekani zonke izinto! Ngami ungakhuphukela ngale kwezingosi zendilinga yakho yasezulwini, uye ezindaweni eziphakeme ezikhazimulayo nezingakahloliwe ongakaphuphi. Kodwa ungakhohliswa kimi, kungenjalo uzolahlekelwa ukuzola kwakho, uphelelwe ithemba, futhi ungase uwele emanzini aphansi kakhulu aseSihogweni. Nokho, esihogweni, eZulwini, noma ngale kwalokho, ngizoba nawe uma uthanda.

“Emhlabeni obonakalisiwe, umgomo wami uwukukhuthaza zonke izidalwa kokungafinyelelwanga. Angifi, kodwa amafomu ami azofa futhi ngizophinde ngivele ngishintsha njalo kuze kube yilapho uhlanga lwesintu lugijima. Emhlabeni obonakalisiwe ophansi ngizobizwa ngamagama amaningi, kodwa bambalwa abayongazi njengoba nginjalo. Abangenalwazi bayongidumisa njengenkanyezi yabo futhi baqondiswe ukukhanya kwami. Abafundile bazongibiza njengenkohliso futhi bangigwebe ukuba ngigwenywe. Ngizohlala ngingaziwa emazweni aphansi kuyena ongakatholanga lutho kimina.”

Esekhulume kanjalo nonkulunkulu ababejabule, uThemba wama kancane. Basebesukuma befana munye.

“Woza, muntu ofiswa kakhulu,” kwakhala ngamunye, “ngithi wena ungowami.”

“Yima,” kusho uHope. “O, madodana oMdali! izindlalifa zeZulu! othi mina ngingowami ngedwa kancane uyangazi njengoba nginjalo. Ungasheshi kakhulu. Holwa ekukhetheni kwakho Isizathu, umlamuli wonkulunkulu. Isizathu singitshela ukuthi: 'Ngibheke njengoba nginjalo. Ungangiphazamisi ngamafomu engihlala kuwo. Ngaphandle kwalokho ngilahlwe nguwe ukuzulazula phansi naphezulu emhlabeni, futhi uyobe usuzilahlekele ngokungilandela futhi uhambe emhlabeni ngenjabulo nosizi ngokuhlangenwe nakho okuhlala njalo uze ungithole ngisebumsulwa bokukhanya, futhi ubuye, sihlengiwe. nami siye eZulwini.'

“Ngikhuluma ngolwazi, isibusiso, ukungafi, umhlatshelo, ukulunga. Kodwa abambalwa kulabo abayozwa izwi lami bayoliqonda. Kunalokho bayongihumushela olimini lwezinhliziyo zabo futhi kimi bayofuna izinhlobo zengcebo yasemhlabeni, injabulo, udumo, uthando, amandla. Nokho, ngenxa yezinto abazifunayo ngizobakhuthaza; ukuze bathole laba futhi bengakutholi abakufunayo, bayoke bathwale kanzima. Lapho behluleka, noma kubonakala sengathi sebezuzile kodwa behluleka futhi, ngizokhuluma futhi bayolalela izwi lami futhi baqale ukufuna kabusha. Futhi bayohlala befuna futhi balwe baze bafune mina ngokwami ​​hhayi imivuzo yami.

“Hlakaniphani nina eningafi! Lalela Isizathu, kungenjalo uzohlanganisa iwele lami uFear, ongakaziwa wena. Ebukhoneni bakhe bokwesaba kunamandla okuthulula nokuthulisa izinhliziyo zenu njengoba engifihla emehlweni enu.

“Sengizimemezele. Ngazise. Ungangikhohlwa. Nangu mina. Ngithathe ngokuthanda kwakho.

Isifiso savuka kunkulunkulu. Yilowo nalowo wabona kuThemba kodwa into ayeyifisa. Izithulu Ekuzicabangeni futhi behlatshwe umxhwele ngomklomelo, baqhubekela phambili futhi ngamazwi anomsindo bathi:

“Ngiyakuthatha Themba. Kuze kube phakade ungowami.”

Ngentshiseko yilowo nalowo wenza isibindi sokusondeza uThemba kuye. Kodwa nakuba kwakubonakala sengathi uwuwinile umklomelo wakhe, uHope wabaleka. Ukukhanya kweZulu kwaphuma noThemba.

Njengoba onkulunkulu benza ngokushesha ukulandela uThemba, ithunzi elibi lawela emasangweni aseZulwini.

“Suka, uBukho obubi,” besho. "Sifuna Ithemba, hhayi iShadow engenasimo."

Aphefumulele phezulu uMthunzi wahleba:

“NginguFear.”

Ukuthula koKufa kwahlala kubo bonke ngaphakathi. Isikhala saqhaqhazela njengoba ukuhleba kwegama le-dread kunanela emhlabeni wonke. Kulokho kuhlebeza kwabubula usizi losizi, kwakhala izinsizi ezinqwabelene zezwe lisezinhlungwini kanye nokuphelelwa ithemba okudabukisayo kwabafayo abahlushwa iminjunju engapheli.

“Woza,” kusho uMesaba, “uxoshile uThemba futhi wangibiza. Ngikulindile ngaphandle kwamasango eZulu. Ungalifuni Ithemba. Ungukukhanya okudlulayo, ukukhanya kwe-phosphorescent. Usheshisa umoya emaphusheni akhohlisayo, futhi labo abakhangwa nguye baba yizigqila zami. Ithemba seliphelile. Hlalani eZulwini lenu elinesizungu, nkulunkulu, noma nidlule emasangweni nibe yizigqila zami, futhi ngizoniqhubela phezulu ngehle emkhathini ngokufuna okungenazithelo kweThemba, futhi anisoze nimthola. Njengoba ekuncenga futhi ulula isandla ukumthatha, uzongithola esikhundleni sakhe. Bheka mina! Ukwesaba.”

Onkulunkulu babona ukwesaba bathuthumela. Ngaphakathi emasangweni kwakukhona ukuphila okungenalutho. Ngaphandle kwase kumnyama, nokundindizela kovalo kwaduma emkhathini. Kwacwayiza inkanyezi ephaphathekile kwase kuzwakala izwi elincane likaHope ebumnyameni.

“Ungakuxwayi Ukwesaba; uyisithunzi nje. Uma uzofunda kuye angeke akulimaze. Lapho senidlulile futhi nimxosha ukwesaba, niyobe senizihlengile, nangithola, futhi siyobuyela eZulwini. Ngilandele, futhi uvumele Ingqondo ikuqondise.

Ngisho uvalo akakwazanga ukubamba abangafi abalalela izwi likaThemba. Bathi:

“Kungcono ukuzulazula ezindaweni ezingaziwa noThemba kunokuba seZulwini elingenalutho unovalo emasangweni. Silandela uThemba.”

Nganhliziyonye ibutho elingafi lasuka eZulwini. Bengaphandle kwamasango uvalo lubabambe oqotsheni bakhohlwe konke ngaphandle kukaThemba.

Beqhutshwa ukwesaba nokuzulazula emazweni amnyama, abangafi behlela emhlabeni ezikhathini zakuqala futhi bathatha indawo yabo yokuhlala futhi banyamalala phakathi kwabantu abafayo. NoThemba weza nabo. Kusukela kudala, sebekhohliwe ukuthi bangobani futhi abakwazi, ngaphandle kokuthi ngoThemba, bakhumbule ukuthi baphumaphi.

Ithemba liyandiza enhliziyweni yentsha, ebona ebusheni indlela egcwele ama-rose. Abadala nabakhatheleyo babheka emuva emhlabeni bebheka Ithemba, kodwa ukwesaba kuyeza; bezwa ubunzima beminyaka kanye neThemba elinomusa bese libhekisa amehlo abo eZulwini. Kodwa uma bebheka eZulwini ngeThemba, uvalo lubagqolozele futhi ababoni ngale kwesango, ukufa.

Beqhutshwa ukwesaba, abangafi bahamba emhlabeni ngokukhohlwa, kodwa uThemba unabo. Ngolunye usuku, ekukhanyeni okutholakala ubumsulwa bokuphila, bayosusa ukwesaba, bathole Ithemba, futhi bayozazi bona neZulu.