Inhlanzi nesipho

Yusuf and Papa high-five each other.

Ngolunye uLwesihlanu olukhethekile, ubaba kaYusuf uyagqoka ngaphambi kokuba kube nokukhanya okukhanyisa isibhakabhaka. Ugqoka ibhantshi lakhe lokumvikela ezimeni ezahlukene zezulu kanye nekepisi lewuli elimboza izindlebe zakhe. Uvalelisa umfana wakhe. Amehlo kaYusuf ayakhanya ngesikhathi uBaba ethi, “Lolu usuku lapho ngizobamba khona inhlanzi bese futhi ngiza nesipho sakho ekhaya.”

Papa rides to the beach on his bicycle.

Inhlanzi kanye nesipho? O, kazi kuzoba yini? UBaba wehla ngebhayisikili eqonde eMuizenberg Beach. Nsege-nsege, kukhala amasondo, eshosholoza ebheke e-Surfer’s Corner.

Izinyoni zasolwandle zizungeza esibhakabhakeni. “Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala zona. “Uzomphathelani uYusuf?”

UBaba ushaya insimbi yakhe. “Lindani ukuze nibone ukuthi kuzoba yini!”

Papa waves to the fishermen, who prepare to go to sea.

Abadobi babheka ukuphuma kwelanga. Bahlola amanethi abo. Babheka namaphini okugwedla abo. Balalela umoya. Badonsa izikebhe zabo bazifake emanzini. Umkhulu kaYusuf, uMkhulu uSalie, wayengumdobi odoba ngamanethi. Ngaphambi kwakhe, uBaba kaMkhulu wakhe uRidwaan, naye wayelwazi ulwandle.

Papa heads out to sea with the other fishermen.

Isikebhe singena emagagasini. Izingalo zikaBaba zelulekela emaphinini okugwedla. Umlenze wakhe ugaxele ngasohlangothini lwesikebhe. Intambo yakhe iyadonseka, izinyama zakhe zasemhlane ziyanyakaza.

UBaba uyacula ngesikhathi esebenza, “Yehlisa bes’uyaluzisa. Thol’inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’uyibamba. Ungab’usayeka.”

Yusuf examines the gifts Papa has brought him.

Usuku lonke uYusuf ubheka esibhakabhakeni. Siyakhanya, asinamafu futhi akukho moya. Inhlanzi kanye nesipho! Kazi uBaba uzobe ephetheni lapho ebuya olwandle? Uke aphathe igobolondo elihle. Ngesinye isikhathi kuba yibhodlela eliluhlaza okotshani elihlanzwe amagagasi.

Papa stands on the beach with the turtles.

Ngezinye izinsuku ubaba kaYusuf uza nendaba. Njengalapho bathola khona izimfudu zasolwandle esihlabathini, amakhulu azo ekhafulwe ulwandle ngenxa yesiphepho.

“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle. “Nizokwenzani ukuze nisize izimfudu?

”UBaba wathi, “Sazihlenga lezo zimfudu, ngizokutshela nje ngingakufihleli. Sazibuyisela olwandle, ngisho nolokugcina imbala.”

Treknet fishermen on the beach.

UBaba uhlale eza nengoma. Ucula ingoma lapho edonsa amaphini. Ucula ingoma ngesikhathi edonsa amanethi. Ucula ingoma lapho egoqa izintambo. Ucula ingoma ngesikhathi eseya ekhaya ngebhayisikili. “Yehlisa bes’uyaluzisa. Thol’inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’uyibamba. Ungab’usayeka.”

Ouma Safiya and Yusuf walk to greet Papa.

UGogo uSafiya ufuna inhlanzi, ‘umsilophuzi’, emnandi ekhuluphele esidlweni sakhe sakusihlwa. UMama ufuna ingubo entsha.“Ungazikhohlisi,” kusho uGogo. “Uzobe unenhlanhla uma engabamba nenkalankalana yodwa le. Akusaphathwake njengoba kungoLwesihlanu lokudoba izinhlanzi nje, okuthiwa ‘olwemisila yezinhlanzi’. Akusenazinhlanzi eziningi ezingatholakala olwandle.”

UYusuf ubamba isandla sikaGogo. Banqamula umgwaqo ezindlwaneni zababhukudayo. “Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle zihlezi phezu kophahla olunombala ogqamile. “Sizoba yini isidlo sakusihlwa?”

Papa confronts a surfer on the beach.

Ngonyaka odlule abadobi balwa nabantweza ngamabhodi emanzini.

“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle.

“Ulwandle lubanzi, lwanele wonke umuntu,” kusho uBaba kaYusuf. Wabakhombisa imvume yokudoba okwakungekaMkhulu uSalie. “Amagagasi ngawabo bonke abantu. Amanzi amahhala.”

Ouma Safiya and Yusuf wait for Papa on the beach. Ouma Safiya looks through her binoculars.

UGogo uSafiya ubuka ngezibukakude zakhe, iminwe yakhe igobile, akasakwazi nokulinda. Kukhala insimbi exwayisa ngoshaka. Abebebhukuda babalekela esihlabathini bathathe amathawula abo. Abebentweza ngamabhodi babalekela osebeni begodle amabhodi abo. Bageza emashaweni bese bekhumula izingubo zabo zokuhlamba ezimanzi.

“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle.

“Ngabe uBaba kaYusuf uzoya nani ekhaya oluphuma olwandle?”

Papa finds a shark in the net.

Ubaba kaYusuf nomalume wakhe kanye nabazala bakhe bayabamba bese bedonsa. Kukhona ushaka omncane obambekile. Uyaphenduphenduka bese uzishayisa emagagasini. Ubaba kaYusuf uthukulula amanethi, eculela ushaka, “Yehlisa bes’ uyaluzisa. Thol’ inhlanzi. Donsa-ke bes’ ubamba. Ungab’usayeka.”

Ekugcineni lapho ushaka usukhululekile utshuza ubuyele emagagasini, ushiya umsilophuzi owodwa okhuluphele enethini. Akeve ezojabula uGogo Safiya!

Papa gift to Yusuf is a shark's tooth.

Amadoda akhipha isikebhe emanzini bese esonga amakhebuli. Bese kuba khona okusanxantathu okuqinile okumhlophe okubambeka emunweni kaBaba.

“Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i? Ini-i-i?” kukhala izinyoni zasolwandle. “Umphatheleni uYusuf?”

Lapho kushona ilanga, uBaba uphendula izinyoni zasolwandle, “Izinyo likashaka eliletha inhlanhla lomfana wami.”Ekhaya uYusuf uphakamisa isipho sakhe asibhekise ezinkanyezini.

Inhlanzi Nesipho

A Fish and a Gift in Zulu

Created by Liesl Jobson, Jesse Breytenbach, Andy Thesen

Translated into Zulu by Nal'ibali

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