“Ukaputeni”
(Indaba emfushane emelene nempi)
by
Irat R. Feiskhanov
Simthole ukaputeni egumbini lakhe. Wayesishiyele inkondlo encane:
Ngingabuka amayadi ayinkulungwane
Futhi anginuki kamnandi kangako;
Kunento engimboziwe ngayo
Angifihlekile-kufanele.Angikwazi ukuzilalisa
Noma mhlawumbe kufanele;
Bengicabanga ukuthi ngingamelana, abangane bami:
Kuyavela ukuthi angikwazi.Mhlawumbe ukudlala kwesimo sezulu;
Mhlawumbe usuku nje;
Uma ungathola ithuba lokuthola le nothi:
Yazi nje ukuthi kulungile.
Yebo, bekungumbono.
“Kulungile,” kusho umzimba wakhe.
Kamuva samculela ngasezulwini, noma kwenye indawo lapho abalokhu besitshela khona ukuthi siculela abantu sibheke.
Sonke besikhathele. Isizathu esenza ukuthi noma ngubani angazisoli ngokwabo kwakungokubhekelela amaqabane abo; kepha lawo maqabane ayengenaso isizathu sokungazikhiphi ngaphandle kokuphindisela.
Ukaputeni, kubonakala sengathi wayesethole indlela yokuphuma: shiya inkondlo, bese uthi kulungile.
Kuyindlela ejwayelekile: umuntu ubala ukuzethemba, kepha akukho okutholakalayo; umbono uwukuthi ukuveza ukukhathazeka kuzodicilela phansi impumelelo ye-mission.
Kodwa, akukho kulokhu okuhloselwe ukumehlulela kabi, noma ukusho ukuthi umbhalo wakhe wawungenamqondo: noma abantu bengasho ukuthi “Nil nisi bonum,” besingeke sibe khona isizathu sokushaya ihhashi elifile; okusho ukuthi ngineqiniso lokuthi ukaputeni wayenezizathu zakhe, futhi abaningi bethu babelana ngazo. Abanye bethu, ukugwema isiphetho sikakaputeni, babambelela embonweni wokuthi sidinga ukuqhubeka siphila. Abanye baqonda nje ukuthi siyohlala sikhona isikhathi sokufa.
Kunoma ikuphi: eyodwa iyahamba kulezi zimo: lelo elinye isu. Futhi lapho siphinde sabhekana nokufa ngosuku olulandelayo, sonke ngokuzumayo sathola isizathu sokubambelela kuPhila.
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Ngingathini-ke bangane bami? Umuntu angahlulwa kuzo zonke izimpi bese ayinqobe impi: UPyrrhus wasifundisa lokho. Wayevela ku-Epirus. Futhi uRus uqobo wayejwayelene nesibonelo sakhe.
Ngakusasa sonke saqalekisa ukaputeni ezinhliziyweni zethu ngokudumisa: “Ukube ubekhona nje!”
Kepha wayengekho.
Futhi izinhlamvu zazvinjiswa inqwaba yemizimba, futhi ama-bayonets adinwa ukugwazwa.
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Kodwa kwakukhona ubuhle obunjalo! Yonke imizwa yalolwa.
I-reveille eyenziwe yivolley yokuqala yokusa yenza iningi lethu laqhuma ngenjabulo. Abanye, yenze yaqhuma ngenxa yokuchitheka kwegazi. Sasiwacula noma kuphi lapho kamuva, futhi; yize besingakwazi ukubeka igama iningi, njengoKaputeni.
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Futhi-ke yaphela, futhi kwadlula iminyaka eminingi. Futhi besicabanga ukuthi kuphelile unomphela.
Futhi sichofoza emsakazweni, bese sikhumbula uCaptain.
