"UCaptain"
(Ibali elifutshane elichasene neMfazwe)
by
Irat R. Feiskhanov
Safumana umphathi egumbini lakhe. Wayesishiyele umbongo omncinci:
Ndiyakwazi ukujonga iwaka leyadi
Kwaye andinuki kamnandi;
Kukho into endigqunyiweyo
Andiyi-in-in-covered-kufanele.Andikwazi ukulala mna
Nokuba bendimelwe kukuthini na;
Bendicinga ukuba ndingakwazi, bahlobo bam:
Kuyavela ukuba andinako.Mhlawumbi imozulu idlala amaqhinga;
Mhlawumbi yimini nje;
Ukuba ufumana ithuba lokufumana eli nqaku:
Yazi nje ukuba kulungile.
Ewe, yayiyimvakalelo.
“Kulungile,” ndatsho emzimbeni wakhe.
Kamva samculela ezulwini, okanye naphi na apho akhoyo ahlala esixelela ukuba sicula abantu ngakubo.
Besidiniwe sonke. Ekuphela kwesizathu sokuba nabani na angazishiyi ngaphandle kokucingela amaqabane akhe; kodwa loo maqabane ayengenaso isizathu sokungazikhuphi ngaphandle kokubuyisela.
Umphathi, kubonakala ukuba wayefumene indlela yokuphuma: shiya umbongo, kwaye uthi kulungile.
Liqhinga eliqhelekileyo: umntu ubonakalisa ukuzithemba, nangona kungekho kufumaneka ngaphakathi; uluvo kukuba ukubonisa inkxalabo kuya kujongela phantsi impumelelo yobuthunywa.
Kodwa, akukho nanye kwezi eyenzelwe ukumgweba ngqwabalala, okanye ithi inqaku lakhe alinanjongo: nokuba abantu bebengathanga “Nil nisi bonum,” bekungayi kubakho sizathu sokubetha ihashe elifileyo; nto leyo ethetha ukuba ndiqinisekile ukuba ukapteni ubenazo izizathu zakhe, kwaye uninzi lwethu sabelana ngazo. Abanye bethu, ukuze baphephe ikamva likakapteni, babambelele kwingcamango yokuba kufuneka siqhubeke siphila. Abanye baqonda nje ukuba liya kuhlala likho ixesha lokufa.
Kuyo nayiphi na imeko: umntu uyabaleka kwezi meko: lelinye iqhinga. Yaye sakuba sijamelene noKufa kwakhona ngosuku olulandelayo, sonke ngequbuliso safumana isizathu sokubambelela kuBomi.
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Hayi, ndithini bahlobo bam? Umntu unokuphulukana nazo zonke iimfazwe kwaye aphumelele imfazwe: uPyrrhus wasifundisa oko. Wayevela e-Epirus. Kwaye uRus wokwenene wayeqhelene nomzekelo wakhe.
Ngemini elandelayo sonke samqalekisa umthetheli-mikhosi ezintliziyweni zethu sisithi: “Akwaba ebelapha!”
Kodwa wayengenjalo.
Yaye iimbumbulu zazithintelwa yimfumba yemizimba, yaye iimbumbulu zazidinwa kukuhlatywa.
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Kodwa kwakukho ubuhle obunjalo! Zonke iingqiqo zalolwa.
I-reveille eyenziwe ngevoli yokuqala yokusa yenza uninzi lwethu lugqabhuke yimincili. Eminye, yenza ukuba iqhume kumdaka ogazini. Sazicula naphi na kamva, ngokunjalo; nangona singenako ngokwenene ukubeka igama kwabaninzi, njengoMphathi.
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Kwaye yaphela, kwaye iminyaka emininzi yadlula. Kwaye sasicinga ukuba kuphelile ngonaphakade.
Kwaye sicofa kunomathotholo, kwaye sikhumbule uMphathi.
