UmKristu Bobin
Ihlabathi lizaliswe ngabangcwele, ndithetha abafela ukholo, kuba andinako ukuwohlula la magama mabini. Bayanda, yonke imihla baba baninzi. Babizwa ngokuba zizigulane ze-Alzheimer. Ngokuphindaphinda, basinika isipho sobomi obuncitshisiweyo kwiziseko ezisisiseko, ezidinisayo, ezenza nzima, ezikhululekileyo kuyo yonke imilinganiselo yobomi banamhlanje: thenga, thumela, uphumelele…kutyumza. Kwaba bantu, obu bomi bungebobomi, obungazange bubekho, buphelile. Amehlo akhe avuleke ngokoyikeka kwabo bangenakuqondwa. Bangamabanjwa esifo semetaphysical esichitha ihlabathi. Simele sibajonge njengobutyebi obuphilayo. Bahlala bebuza indlela, belahlekile kwihlabathi, bekhanyiswa ngokungaqhelekanga kukuzonwabisa okulusizi. Bafuna ngesandla esingcangcazelayo sesithunywa sezulu, kuba bayazi ukuba iingelosi zikho. Maxa wambi bathetha nabafileyo babo. Abo balibala yonke into, bangabalibali abo babekhe babhadula ngaphambili. Utata wayelila qho xa ethetha ngobhuti wakhe owasweleka ebuntwaneni. Kwintliziyo yakhe ecocekileyo, yajika yaba yiglasi, isiganeko satsha: engazi ukuba isigulo somntakwabo sasosulela, wakhwela ebhedini yakhe, wenyuka intaba yeeqhiya ezibomvu ukuya kwanga indoda eyayisifa, wafumana impama kugqirha. Le mpama ingaqondakaliyo kagqirha yatshisa iminyaka emininzi kamva.
Utata wahlala unyaka kwenye yezo zindlu zifanele ukuba yinxalenye yelifa lehlabathi. Ubuso bakhe abuzange buphele. Andikholelwa kwinto ethethwayo ukuba "abaqapheli ngakumbi". Ukuqonda kukuthanda, kwaye ukuthanda kukusendle, akuthetheki. Xa utata wayengasazi ukuba ungubani, wayesazi ukuba ndikhona, ndaziva, ndiyiqinisekisile kwaye into oyiqinisekisayo inkulu ngaphezu kwayo yonke into esinokuyixelelwa yinzululwazi. Engalifumani igama lam, wasebenzisa ubuqhophololo. Xa ndimbuza wathi: "Nguwe ongalibali" wathi ngomama "She is the best". Ezi zidalwa zilibalayo, azilibali nantoni na ebalulekileyo.
Sonke siya kuphelela kwiimvuthuluka. Ndibhadule edabini, ndabona imiphefumlo ephenjelelweyo. Ndiyivile inzolo ngaphezu kwayo yonke into, i-alamu yokuthula. Into endiyibonileyo yayintle, i-banal kwaye iyoyikeka. Ubuso, buvaliwe. Amagama akakho. Malunga namadoda amadala amalunga neshumi elinesihlanu. Bazisa ukutya ngenqwelo. Abantu babonana etafileni kabini ngemini. Abakhethwanga. Ukususela ebuntwaneni basendleleni eya kolu manyano. Izikrini ziwile, izikrini zobutsha, ubuhle kunye nendawo efunyenweyo. Ukubona into, kufuneka ulwe, ushukumise amasebe ngaphandle kwendawo ebetha ubuso bakho xa ubayeka bahambe ngokukhawuleza.. Indoda igalela iswekile kwikomityi yommelwane ongayaziyo. Omnye umfazi unceda omnye uqhekeze isonka. Ngamnye kula maxhego mkhulu, kodwa wona awayazi loo nto, yaye ayenokuhleka ukuba siyawaxelela. Kuya kuthatha umntu ukuba aye kubakhangela ngamnye ngamnye, kwaye abakhuphe kwi-torpor yabo, abayiqondayo njengokufa, umyalelo ovela phezulu. Sonke siya kuphelela ekubeni yimvuthuluka. Ndinomsindo abasenawo. Zilahliwe ngakumbi kunemiyolo yasendle emahlathini apho kungekho mntu uhambayo.
Ubuntwana bakhe bathembisa ukukhanya okungenakulinganiswa kunoko kwezi ntyatyambo. Kwaye ngoku? Umoya ungcwele obuso bakhe bungabonakali. Akayeki ukuthetha namajoli. Naxa engathethi, baqhubeka bephulaphula. Kwaye apha, kweli gumbi, uphi umoya? Amalangatye amabi, amadangatye amabi, iinkwenkwezi ezibhibhidlayo. Into encomekayo ngaba bantu kukuba bayaphila phezu kwayo nje yonke into, nangona kunjalo, kwaye abona batshatyalaliswe kakhulu ngabona basemthethweni. Igolide andibonanga nto, ubuso obungamatye anqabileyo aphoswe eludakeni. Sonke siya kuphelela kwiimvuthuluka, kodwa ezo imvuthuluka ziyigolide, kwaye ingelosi, xa ixesha lifika, iya kusebenza kunye nabo kwaye yenze isonka esitsha..
UmKristu Bobin
Inguqulelo: Teresa Campoamor