“Ilanga likaAbiy” Ilotshwe nguLinda Yohannes

UAbiy wacabanga, ehlezi engumuntu wesithathu esihlalweni sabantu ababili emtshoveni esiya emsebenzini ikuthi isifundo salelolanga kwakuzakuba ngolwangeni. Waloba phansi izihloko ezazizafundwa mayelana ngalokho njalo ngemva kokuzilungiselela okwemizuzu emihlanu wazizwa eselungele ukuyafundisa. Esesuswe kunqwaba zemilandu ayelayo, ingqondo yakhe yalithola ithuba lokugxhila ekuthini wayezaphila njani lokuziphakamisa ayekuzwa ngaphakathi kwakhe. Wehla emtshoveni esefike kweyinye yezakhiwo ezintsha enzikini yeAddis Ababa wangena phakathi. Wathola ikheji ingelamuntu weqela phakathi yamenyusa esiyafika kumduli wesitshiyagalo mbili walesosakhiwo. Wazikhangelisisa esibukweni esasilapho wazibona ukuthi ungumuntu olesithunzi. Wayengakaze azizwe engahlalisekanga uma emile loba nje wayemfitshane, kodwa owayekwazi yikuba indlela acabanga ngayo yayiqakathekile kulendlela ayekhangeleka ngayo.

Wayetshona engumuntu okwaziyo ukwedlula ontanga bakhe njalo eziphakamisa uma ehambahamba ezenza umuntu osethole indlela elula yokuya lapho abanye bakhe abangaphiwanga ababethwala nzima ukuya ,khona. Ezalelwe emulini elingeneyo eAddis Ababa, eyindodana phakathi kwabafowabo ababengelandaba laye wakhula ebukela opopayi belungu kumabonakude kwaze kwathi lapho esesenelisa ukuzigezela wayesesenelisa ukuhlabela njengo Tupac. Ngokuya kwesikhathi esezuze ubuciko besikhiwa obabungenza umuntu abhadalwe, waba ngumbalisi kwesinye sezikolo eziqakathekisa ulimi lwesikhiwa ezazithe gqa gqa eAddis Ababa.
Ekilasini wayefundisa abafundi ngokuzethemba egcizelela langezandla. Wayengathwali ngwalo kumbe amaphepha nxa esiyafundisa; ukuthembela kulezizinto kwakungasokwentshantshu enjengaye.

Ekhipha ulimi lwakhe phakathi laphakathi kwamazinyo esenza umsindo ka th, wayebafundisa ngolwangeni.

“Khangelisisani kuhle ukuthi ngifaka njani ulimi lwami emazinyweni ngiyekele umoya uphume ngesikhadlana ezikhona. Theatre, thin, thank! Le yindle okhuluma ngayo nxa usithi through,” watsho ebaxwayisa “hatshi u sru! Angithi?”

Ikilasi yayigcwele abantwana abakhula bekhuluma ulimi lwe Amharic ababengakulindele ukuthi ngelinye ilanga kuzathiwa bakhulume kanje. Lobu ngobunye ubuciko obabusenza uAbiy ahlonitshwe ensukwini ezedlulayo. Isikhiwa sakhe sakweleMelika sasisenza abanye abafundi bamhlahlele amehlo lapho eqeda ukuphendula umbuzo. Wayesithi nxa ebala ibala elithi water wayegcizelela u r kulokuthi kuzwakale kusithi wa-tar. Wayesithi bau-ttle kulokuthi bo-tl. Babesala bekhamise imilomo befisa lokuthi baqhubeke belalele ukukhulunywa kwesilungu esasiphuma emlonyeni womunye wabo. Wathi esebone ukuthi emehlweni abanye abafundi wayengasabambeki nxa kufika esikhiweni waqhubeka esbenzisa isikhiwa sakhe kuzo zonke izinto ayefisa ukuzenza.

“Kulungile ke, ngicela ukuzwa futhi wonke umuntu esithi th-rough,” watsho ekhalisa iminwe yakhe phezu kwamakhanda abafundi abasebemkhangele lolimi lwabo lusemazinyweni.

UAbiy wayezijabulele okweminyaka emibili efundisa kulesi sikolo. Wayefuna ukujabula okwedlula lokhu. Wayefuna ukuphumelela kwakhe kuqale njalo wayezibona eseseduze lento ayetshona eyibona uma ekhangele esibukweni sakhe. Wayetshona etshela abangane bakhe nxa behlezi ebhawa bebhema legwayi ukuthi uzibona engumuntu onothileyo kwelizayo.

Wayengumuntu ocabanga ukuthi ukufihla izifiso lamaghinga akho okunotha kwakuyizinto zakudala. EseUiversity wayebala kodwa wayekhangwa zingwalo lezi ezifundisa ngendlela zokunotha okwenza abone angathi ukuba lemali enengi kufana lokwenza isikepe samaphepha.
Wayetshona ethwele nzima ezama ukuthola umsebenzi obhadala imali enengi. Wayekwazi ukuthi angavela ahlangane lezikhulu lezi ezikhuluma ulimi lwesikhiwa wayezathabisa abaqhatshi ngokulandelanayo aze acine esedumile kuye wonke umuntu omsebenzelayo.
Wayetshona ebala amaphephandaba edinga umsebenzi waze wabona omunye owawusesikolo esiphakemeyo esasifunda abantwana basemazweni eAfrica labezikhulu. Wawubona kuyiwo ongcono wasehamba kumambule edinga ifomu ayezabhala kiyo edinga lowomsebenzi kumambule.

Wabhala ngokuzethemba esithi, “Ngingumuntu okwazi ukukhuluma isikhiwa ngokuqondileyo. Ngingumqeqetshi wezingeni eliphezulu kuprogramu yeBA kuEnglish Major.”

Ngemva kweviki ekhangele umakhalekhukhwini wakhe ethembele ngokuzimisela lalapho ephendula abantu abamtshayele ucingo wangaludobhi ekucineni wezwa esebizelwa I interview.

Wayilungiselela I interview kodwa kazange ayilungiselele kangako. Endlini yakhe eyalezindlwana ezimbili ayezirenta ngalobobusuku wayehambahamba engahlalisekanga ezilungiselela imibuzo ababengambuza yona ngelilangdelayo.

Ngemva kokubatshengisa isithupha sakhe sokuzalwa omahobho besikolo wahamba umangwana esuka esangweni esiya emahofisini ilanga litshisa okumangalisayo. Wayezame ukugqoka kuhle elungiselela lelilanga, izicathulo zesikhumba,ibhulugwe elingumdaka lebrifukhesi ukuze kugcwaliseke isifiso sakhe. Wathi engena enyango wazesula nganxanye emakhaleni ebona ukuthi yikuginqa eminweni yakhe. Wayesefikile lapho oya khona. Abantu babemi iziqunjana kodwa abanengi bakhona babekhanya bebadala kulaye. Babegqoke kuhle labo njengaye kodwa kuye kwakungasonto emangalisayo. Amadoda ayebophele izikhwanyana emabhantini amnyama labomvana. Wathi ekhangela abesifazane indlela abalungise ngayo inwele zabo wahle wazi ukuthi umsebenzi lo usungowakhe.

Abantu laba labo, basebemkhangele ngelihlo elithi, ‘wena kawusikho lokho abakumeleleyo’ yena laye esithi, ‘ngendlela engikhangeleka ngayo bazahle bazi ukuthi ulungele mina lowomsebenzi.’

Kwakumele awuthole lowomsebenzi. Kwasekuyisikhathi esiqakathekileyo ukuthi umuntu akubone ukuthi nguye oqakathekileyo, isikhathi sokugcwaliseka kwephupho lakhe. Kwasokuyisikhathi sakhe ukuthi angene. Phambi kweshelufu eyayigcwele ingwalo ezihlalweni ezimbili kwakuhlezi abantu ababili athi ebabona kwahle kwaphela sonke isibindi wazibona ephuma phandle esiyanceda labanengi. Kwakulendoda lomfazi ababegqoke kuhle bengabantu abamhlophe. Babefake amaphepha phambi kwabo lensiba zokuloba zisezandleni zabo. Wayetshona engelandaba lokukhuluma labantu balapha kodwa ukukhuluma labanikazi bolimi kwakungeyinye indaba.

Esethithibele, waqalisa ukugcizelela u r esithi, “ngize lapha ku interview,” kumbe waphambanisa mbijana? Wayephambanisa kwesinye isikhathi indlela akhuluma ngayo lapho esetshekise umlomo angi litamatisi eliphekiweyo lihlubeka. Lababantu kabazange bakhanye belendaba lalokho njalo kabazange bakhanye bekhathazekile ngalokho ayekukhuluma.

“Kulungile. Ngena,” watsho lowomfazi. Embiza ngesandla esiphethe usiba. “Selam,” wengezelela ngemva kokuhlala kwakhe phansi. Amharic? lumfazi wayezama ukuzithoba. Ukuqhubeka kukaAbiy ezibika ekhuluma ngokufundisa kwakhe okwemizuzu elitshumi kwenza lababantu betshekise ubuso bezama ukucabanga into azama ukubakhombisa yona kodwa bengasoze bakwenze.

Wasesithi ngesikhiwa, “I have given in-rodu-tory courses to beginners many time,” esitsho ukuthi wayefundisa izifundo zokuqala kubafundi abaqalisayo okwesikhathi eside.

“Ngiyaxolisa, utheni? Ngicela uphinde njalo okukhulumileyo?” Watsho lumfaza esondela efuna ukuzwisisa.

UAbiy waqalisa ukuluma inzipho zesithupha. Wakubona ukuthi kuzamele akhulume njengalabo ayebafundisa ukuze bamzwisise. “ah introductory courses. Kulungile.”

Lumfazi wambuza ngamaqhinga okufundisa ulimi lwesikhiwa njengolimi lwesibili ebantwini bakuleyondawo okwamenza wakhathazeka. Wayesefisa ukuthi nga lendoda iyatsho olunye ulutho nje. Wayethi mhlawumbe nxa kukhuluma yona kungaba ngcono.

“Okutshoyo yizinto eziqakathekileyo nxa ufundisa ulimi lwesikhiwa kubafundi abakhuluma indimi ezinye?” Watsho emhlahlele amehlo. Waqala ukukhulumela phansi ngapha ecabanga yiphi impendulo eqondileyo ayengayitsho. “Njengalokhu, siyananzelela ukuthi abantu abakhula bekhuluma imisindo yolimi lwabo baba lobunzima bokubala isikhiwa njengabantu abakhula bekhuluma sona,” waqala lowomfazi. “Lokhu kwesinye isikhathi kuyabenza bangabilendaba lalololimi.”

UAbiy into ayengayenza yikunqekuza ikhanda. “Yikho sikholwa ukuthi ukuzwisisa kungcono kakhulu kulokuzama ukukhuluma ulimi ngendlela eqondileyo,” wayesephinda njalo ukubobotheka lowomfazi.

Esengaphandle uAbiy wananzelela ukuthi abantu laba abadala babeze lapha belengise entanyeni izithupha zokuba yizisebenzi. Babeyizisebenzi zalapha kulesisikolo bebuye ukuzodinga lesosikhundla.

Waphuma kuleso sakhiwo egijima duku duku kwasekusina izulu. Wayethe ebuya kulendawo kulelanga ngemva kwesikhatshana sokusina izulu yena wayengazimiselanga ukuthenga isambuleni. Waphuma esikolo elandela abanengi ababegijima lezulu selisina ngamandla. Wezwa ukwehla kweqhubu elalisesiswini sakhe. Waqhubeka ehamba lapho amathonsi ezulu esegeleza ezicathulweni zakhe.

Original story in English “Abiy’s Day” by Linda Yohannes

Translator’s Bio:
Junior Moyo was born in Lupane, Zimbabwe. She holds a BA Honours Degree in Language and Communication Studies from Lupane State University. She has worked as a journalist for Southern Eye Newspaper, and was a participant at the Minds Youth Dialogue Conference in Rwanda in 2014.

Linda Yohannes is an Ethiopian fiction and non-fiction writer. Since in secondary school, she has written for and edited several publications. She has an MA in English Literature from Addis Ababa University where she taught English and Literature courses for four years. In 2012, she won the Burt Award for African Literature and her short novel for young readers titled The School Newspaper was published. She is manager and writer at The Writing Company, her own enterprise, and is currently working on short stories and a novel.