Uncumo luka Sizwe

Sizwe sits on his bed. He is smiling.

Kwakunetha kangangee ntsuku ezininzi, kwaye wonke umntu wayenobunjalane. Wonke umntu ngaphandle ko Sizwe, ovuka ngoncumo njalo ekuseni.

“Yoh! Sizwe! Oloncumo lingumlingo!” watsho Umakhulu.

“Ingaba yeyam?”

U-Sizwe waqhwaba izandla zakhe ngaphezulu komlomo wakhe.

“Kodwa luncumo LWAM, Makhulu,” wasebeza.

Sizwe and his mother look in the mirror. They are both smiling.

Wahleka umama wakhe. “Sizwe! Uncumoyinto onganikezela ngalo ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa lulo. Jonga!”

Wamphakamisela esipilini. Nalo ke oloncumo lwakhe, luqaqambe njengangaphambili.

Zanele and her dog look out the window. Zanele is not smiling.

Yayilixesha lokuphumela ngaphandle. U-Mama waqhobosha idyasi yemvula ka Sizwe nabo ke behamba, emvuleni, ukuya kutsho kwindlu yeencwadi.

Kumazantsi esitrato, umhlobo omkhulu kaSizwe ongu Zanele ume efestileni yendlu yakhe, ujonge ngokudanileyo emvuleni.

U-Sizwe uve ngoncumo lwakhe luthwethwa, luthwethwela phezulu. Ngaphambi kokuba azi, uncumo lwakhe LWAPHUMELA ngaphandle, kwaye wabaleka enqumla isitiya ukuya kutsho ku Zanele.

Zanele holds up the letter. She is smiling at the postman.

U-Zanele wabambelela ngokuqinileyo kuncumo – lwalu xabiseke kakhulu ukuba aluyeke luhambe.

Njengokuba uSizwe ehambela kude ukuya kutsho kwindlu yeencwadi, intsimbi yokuvula umnyango ka Zanele yakhala. Yayingunoposi, eneleta esuka kumzala wakhe amthanda kakhulu.

U-Zanele wayevuya kakhulu, kangangokuba uncumo lwakhe lwaphuma, kwaye lwasasazeka kunoposi.

“Ndiyabulela, Mnumzana uNoposi!” watsho.

The postman smiles at the barking dog.

Uncumo luka Zanele yayiyeyona nto yakhe yaqaqamba eyabonwa ngunoposi okoko kusile. Lwamgcina efudumele njengokuba ehamfula emvuleni.

Wafikelela kwindlu enkulu. Ngaphakathi egeyithini, inja yayijikeleza ngokungqongileyo isenza izangqa, ikhonotha, ikhonkotha, ikhonkotha. Yayigeza, kangangokuba unoposi wayengenako ukuzibamba ngokuncuma.

Uncumo lwabetheka lugqitha egeyithini lunokumenyezela kovuyo.

The dog wags its tail. The old man smiles.

Inja yayeka ukukhonkotha. Wayithi mvi ezindlebeni zayo kwaye wayibungezela umsila wayo. Emva koko wajika kwaye wabaleka ukubuyela endlini enoncumo oluxabisekileyi, olufudumeleyo.

Indoda endala enomqolo ogobileyo yavula umnyango. “Oh, hayi! Nguwe awunako ukungena ngaphakathi. Umanzi wonke!” wayixelela inja. Kodwa ngoko nangoko, uncumo lwakhazimla kwindoda endala.

The old man and the dog walk together. Mrs Makabela stands at the pedestrian crossing. She is not smiling.

Indoda endala yema ngokuphakamileyo kancinane. “Eish,” yatsho, “Ngubani okhathalayo ukuba kuyanetha? Masithathe uhambo mfana!” Nabo ke behamba begxampuza eludakeni.

Apho, kwindawo yokunqumla abahambi ngeenyawo enemibala yeqwarha, kwakume ngobunjalane uNksz Makabela, ipolisa lendlela. Wayekhangeleka egodola, kwaye emanzi, kwaye engonwabanga.

Indoda endala yayisazi ukuba mayithini. “Molo, Nksz Makabela!” Yambiza, kwaye yancuma olona ncumo lukhulu, oluqaqambileyo kakhulu.

Kodwa uNksz Makabela… zange alubuyisele uncumo.

Mrs Makabela is smiling. The children cross the road.

Ukuma emvuleni kangangee ntsuku ezininzi kungenza ubuso bubelusizi, bubelusizi, bubelusizi. Kodwa uncumo yinto enomlingo, ukuza kutsho ngoku uncumo lwaluqine kakhulu, kwaye luqaqambile kakhulu, kangangokuba kwakunzima kakhulu ukulugcina ngaphakathi.

Zange lusebenze ngoko nangoko, kodwa kancinane kancinane, lwaqalisa ukuphumela ngaphandle de, ekugqibeleni…!

Uncumo olukhulu kakhulu lwakhanyisa ubuso buka Nksz Makabela!

Yakhala intsimbi yesikolo, kwaye abantwana babaleka ukunqumla indlela. Unksz Makabela wabeka umqondiso wakhe, kwaye wancuma, kwaye wancumela wonke umntwana.

Everyone is smiling!

Abantwana bancuma koomama kunye nootata babo, nakoomakhulu babo kunye nootata kunye nabanakwabo kunye noodade babo. Bancumela umqhubi webhasi kunye nomthengi wezinto eziluhlaza kwaye uMama Makau, wehla ukuyakuncumela umyeni wakhe, owancumela usodolophu…

Uncumo lwaxhuma kwaye lwaqengqeleka kwaye lwamenyezela de WONKE UMNTU wayencumile kwaye begigitheka kwaye behlekel phezulu emvuleni.

Sizwe and his mother are at the library. Sizwe is not smiling.

Kwindlu yeencwadi, yonke into yayithulile ngaphandle kwesandi semvula.

“Lixesha lokuhamba,” watsho umama ka Sizwe, etsho evala incwadi yakhe.

“Aw, mama!” watsho uSizwe, owayephelelwe luncumo

Everyone is in the street. They are all smiling.

Kodwa njengokuba bephumela esitratweni…

OWONA MBONO UMHLE!

Wonke umntu edolophini wayelapho!

Wonke umntu

Kwaye BONKE babencumile.

The sun is shining. Sizwe is smiling.

Uncumo lwalubetheka ngokujikelezayo kwaye lwamenyezelela ku Sizwe.

Lwamfudumeza, kwaye lwamnyumbaza, kwaye lwarhubuluza ukunyuka, ukunyuka, ukunyuka ukusuka kwiinzwane zakhe… ukuya kutsho PHEZULU kwintloko yakhe. Wayegcwele lulonwabo kangangokuba uncumo lwadubulela ngaphandle, ngokubengezelayo nangokumenzezela okuqaqambileyo.

Kwaye into ethile yatshintsha. Imva kwemini emnyama, enongcwalazi,enemvula ayisaphindanga yabonakala imnyama kwakhona.

Ingaba mhlawumbi…? Ewe!

Amafu ahamba, kwaye ilanga elifudumeleyo lakhazimla ukwehlela kubo, ngolona ncumo lukhulu, luqaqambileyo olona lwakhe lwakrelekrele kunalo lonke.

Uncumo luka Sizwe

Sizwe's Smile in Xhosa

Created by Vianne Venter, Genevieve Terblanche, Lauren Rycroft

Translated into Xhosa by Nal'ibali, Zolile Tricarter Kalashe

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