Chitsauko 1
Varume vatatu vakanga vambonyarara kwechinguva chakatirebei, umwe noumwe amborashikira mufungwa dzake.
“Kriiiiiiieeeeeeeiiii!,” zizi rinorira riri pedopedo. Muzanenhamo anoridza tsamwa yakakora kwazvo. Anoteta-teta marasha mumoto wakanga woda kudzima achiubaya-baya nedanda romupani raitsva pachiveso achishandisa rumwe rukuni, ndokuzopedzisira okanda rukuni gwacho mumoto wavaidziya uyoyo.
“Kriiiiiiieeeeeeeiiii!,” zizi rinopamha zvakare kurira noruzha gwaibaya kusvika muzimai rezheve chaimo. Muzanenhamo anokweva zvimadzihwa zvaipota zvichidongorera kubva mumhino dzake obva adzungudza musoro murima imomo.
“Hazvina kunaka izv-” Mashoko ake anovhiringwa nezizi riya parinorira zvakare.
Muzanenhamo anobudisa chibako munhava yake ombokweva fodhla yake yemumhino. Mukuwasha wake Chafunga akamboramba akanyarara akatarira mumoto achiratidza kuti fungwa dzake dzaiva kure kwazvo. Muzanenhamo akazoindirira mberi achiti, “Masikati pandainda kundogeza kugwizi uko ndaona nyoka huru mbiri dzichigwa. Ndashaiwa chero simba rekuti ndidziuraye chero zvadzo dzanga dzichigwira pedo nezhira yangu chaipo. Ndabva ndangoziva kuti zviri kushura chete. Iyezvino zizi iri riri kuratidza kuti ratumwa.” Murume akaindirira mberi achitaura zvakawanda zvekusimbisa shoko rake remashura aiva pedo. Muzukuru wake Chengetai aingobvumira chero chose chataugwa nasekuru vake. Dzimwe nguva Chafunga aimboterera zvaitaugwa asi pasina nguva waidzokera kune zvaibikana mufungwa dzake.
Izvozvi paiva pakati paho husiku, huku isati yatombotanga kurira. Chero hazvo aiva mazuva echirimo, kwaiva nechimhepo chairova chichitonhora kumisana yevarume vatatu ava. Moto wavo waidziya kumberi asi hawaisvika kumisana yavo. Muzanenhamo ndiye aitombopota achifuratira moto kuti musana wake umbodziyigwavo. Chafunga wakambomuruka achiinda kundotora dzimwe huni, akatora chinhambo asati adzoka. Izvi aiitira kuti pamwe paaizodzoka aiwana tsano vake votaura dzimwe nyaya. Paakangodzoka chete, Muzanenhamo akasimudzira nyaya dzake, otaura zveshiri dziya dzinonzi mashavishavi. Aiti shiri idzi dzakasvika nepamba pake dzikaimba kwenguva refu mazuva akanga apfuura. Chafunga akazongosiya zvakadero akangozotereravo hake.
Musi uyu, zuva risati rashanyira mumakanda amai varo, Nyaradzo, mudzimai waChafunga akanga atanga kugwadziwa nepamuviri pake zvichiita sekuti nguva yake yekutumbuka yakanga yasvika, chero hazvo paiva pachine umwe mwedzi wakazara wakanga wasara kuti nguva yake yokupona isvike. Musi uyu, Chafunga aifanira kudzokera kudunhu rekwake kuDangadema asi akaona kuti hazvaibvira kuti asiye mudzimai wake achigwara saizvozvo. Akanga auya kuzosungira mukadzi wake sezvo pamuviri pacho paiva pekutanga. Vakuru vemumusha manaMuzanenhamo vakabva vakurumidza kuronga zvekuti Nyaradzo aindiswe kwambuya vake avo vaiva nyamukuta mukuru munyika iyi yekwaMusita. Zvakarongwa kuti Chafunga nemudzimai wake vaperekedzewe naMuzanenhamo, uyo aiva hazvanzi yaNyaradzo. Vakazosara kusvika pamusha paMbuya Nyamukuta Chafunga atobereka Nyaradzo kumusana. Zvainetsa kubereka munhu akanga ane pamuviri pakanga pakura zvakadai asi hapana zvimwe zvaaigona kuita kuzhe kwekutodaro. Kubva zvavakanga vadanana naNyaradzo, Chafunga akanga asina kumbobvira aona mumwe wake achigwara zvakadai. Izvi zvakamuvhundusa chaizvo. Uku aishama kuti tsano vake vaingotaura zvisina kuzorora kana kuratidza kuvhunduka, iyo hazvanzi yavo yaiva panguva yakanga yakaoma kudai.
Panguva dzino mishonga yakanga yamwiwa naNyaradzo yakanga yotanga kushanda. Mbuya Nyamukuta vakanga vataka-taka mudzi wemugwatikwati vakamuvhenganisa nemamwe mashizha akasiyana-siyana vakazodira zvose izvi muhari yaiva nemukaka wembudzi. Vakapa Nyaradzo kuti amwe mushonga uyu, mumwe vakamuzora panhengo dzake dzainanga kuchibereko. Mushonga uyu waibetsera kugofa chibereko kuti chipfire mwana pazhe chero nhambo yake yakanga isati yakwana. Vakazviita izvi nekuti vaiti mwana waNyaradzo aigona kuzofira mudumbu ramai vake pasina nguva refu.
Nyaradzo wakatanga kubuda ziya, meso akati dhe-e, kubuda pazhe. Pakaita rutsinga gwakaonekwa gwakaganhura huma yake, iyo yaipenya nekuda kweziya nemoto waiva mumba mavakanga vari. Nyaradzo wakaridza mhere yakangotanga iri pamusoro akabata musana noruoko gwake gweruboshwe, rudhli gwakatsamira pasi.
“Nhainhai, muera Shumba uyu watifungireiko husiku huno? Svokwadi ungada kutikokera varoyi kuti vauye pano panonhuwa nyama yomunhu kudai? Ndapota hangu chitibetsera nekutidzikamira izvozvi unyarare kuti zi-i!” Mbuya Nyamukuta vakazama kunyaradza mugwere wavo asi izvi zvakaita sekuti vakanga vatomukumbira kuti atowedzera kukwama.
“Iwe! Ndati ita uchiyeuka kuti takakomberedzewa nevanhu vane nhomba yenyama yevanhu pano. Dzikama kani mwana iwe. Hezvo nhandi!”
Chafunga achihwa mhere yakabva kumukadzi wake, akabva angomuruka ipapo. Tsano vake Muzanenhamo ndivo vakazomuyeuchidza kuti basa raivapo rakanga riri ravakadzi, naizvozvo iye aifanira kungomirira kusvika atumigwa shoko. Murume akanga achipata zvino, oshaya zvokuita. Mhere yakapota ichiti ikakwira yombonyarara kwenguva yakati rebei, yozotanga zvakare. Izvi zvakaramba zvichiitika kusvika utonga hwotoda kutsvuka.
Nyaradzo waiti akafugama namabvi, ombovata norutivi, ozama kumuruka, ovata nemusana achingodaro, uku madzimai achingomubata uye vachizama kuti adzore hwi rake pasi. Yaingova bataibatai mumba umu usiku ihwohwo. Kana chinhu chatanga, chinenge chasara kupera. Huku yekutanga ichangorira, Nyaradzo akazosununguka mwana mukomana. Madzimai akafara chaizvo nekuti pakanga pabuda chikomana chaisaratidza kuti chaiva chichine umwe mwedzi wekugara mudumbu ramai vacho kana. Mhere yose yakabva yangopera pakarepo. Mudzimai waiva wechiduku akabva ainda kundozivisa varume vaiva pachiveso kuti kwakanga kwava naMukanya vaduku. Chafunga wakauruka nomufaro mukuru chaizvo. Akagwinhana maoko zvakasimba naMuzanenhamo vachikorokotedzana.
“Saka wafunga kutanga nekundizvarira chikomba chomukadzi wangu haikona,” akadaro Muzanenhamo, apa mhino yose yatutigwa bute. Varume vakaseka zvavo, nyama dzasununguka hino.
Nyaradzo akakumbira kubata mwana kubva kuna mbuya vake. Vakamugashidza, iye akamubata pamaoko. Pari zvino akanga akatsamhira pamadziro emba nemusana. Akasekerera akaramba akayeva kamwana kake. Akazokumbira mbuya vake kuti vaqhwedere pedo sezvo pane zvaaida kuvaudza. Akavazevezera muzheve, ivo vakaita semunhu abatwa nebuka. Semunhu wakanga achena mvi, Mbuya Nyamukuta vakakasira kudzikamisa hana yavo. Hapana akahwa zvavakaudziwa. Nyaradzo akazongoudza madzimai ose kuti aida kumbobatiwa nezvihope kwekanguva kadukuduku. Akabva angotsinzimwa akabata mwana kudaro ndiye zii. Mwana akabva angobatwavo nehope. Madzimai aiva mumba umu akambotora majana kubuda mumba vachimborohwa havo nemhepo nekuita zvimwe.
Rusvava gwakatanga kupfakanyika, ndokuzotanga kuchema guchiratidza kutsvaka mukaka wamai.
“Iwe muera Shumba iwe, chimuka upe mwana mukaka, hauzivi here kuti hope hadzina ndima,” vanodaro Mbuya Nyamukuta vachizunungusa Nyaradzo. Nyaradzo hadaviri. Vanozama zvakare asi hakuna shanduro inouya. Apa rusvava gonyanya kuchema.
“Zvauchawisa mwana nhaiwe!” Mbuya Nyamukuta vanodaro vachitora mwana asi Nyaradzo haazununguki. Mbuya Nyamukuta vanobata ruoko gwaNyaradzo vohwa chiri chando. Vanobata pedo nehana yake vohwa yakati zii, apa muviri wake wose watova chando. Chembere inomuruka yakabata mwana ichiridza mhere nekutenderera mumba ichimhanya. Nenguva isipi, vamwe vakadzi vaya vanogashira mhere vachizvirovera pasi. Ko vadzimu vakanga vafungeizve…
(Kubva mubhuku: Mazai Emheni naDaniel Mutendi)
