Ndakakomoka munaMuriranyenze ndichinzwa kuneta kwemuviri wangu. Tsoka dzairwadza nekumhanya kwatanga taita masikati. Bendekete rangu rekurwudyi ndanga ndisingatomborinzwa, bodo. Zvaiita kunge pasina chinhu, kunge ruoko rwangu rwava rwechitunha chaicho. Basa redu raida ana nhingirikini, vaya vachiri kunzwa, isu vakwegura tainga tisisazvikwanisa. Dai ndakadzidzawo, pamwe ndaiwana remumahofisi zvakaita vamwe. Asi apo ndozvifadza nenhema. Hapana mawaniro andaiita chinzvimbo muZRP. Yanga iri tsaona yemapindiro andakaita basa.
Maraini ekuno aiva netumba tutukutuku. Dzimwe dzaitove dzakabatana, yeapa neyeapa, zvokutoti vavakidzani vemo vainzwanana, uyu achinzwa zvinoitika mumba memumwe. Dzakawanda dzacho dzaiva nematenga easbestos. Tainge takanzwa kuti yaikonzera zvirwere zvemumapapu, asi ndopataiita sei – taizopfira dzimba dzemuguta nehuswa here, vakomana? Zvimwe tongorarama nesimba raKristo.
Mukuneta kwangu, ndakatanga kugaya kuti dai zvaiita ndicharegera basa hangu. Ndaida kudzokera kumusha kwedu, kuManhenga, uko kwandanga ndakavaka kamba. Amai vangu nababa vakanga vachiri vapenyu. Munyika medu maifa vaduku, vakuru vachisara. Mumba yemuguta taisiya vana hedu. Ndaiva nemunda wangu wandaida kurima chibage, mhunga, nzungu, nyimo, mbambaira, nemuriwo. Zvimwewo maizongobuda ipwa, magaka, nembeva.
Kumusha ndakange ndine miti yemichero, taiva nemitsubvu, mimango, migwavha, nemahabirosi, apo mumasango muzere mizhanje nemitohwe. Hapana asinanungo aifa nenzara kwedu! Hapana chinofadza moyo kunge kudya chikafu chawakarima nemaoko ako ukadiridza neziya rako wega. Maborn-rukisheni havazvinzwisise izvi, ukavati tora dura utswe vanokuti handei kuchigayo, kana kutoti tinotenga Roller Meal muchitoro.
Asi mumafungiro angu ekusiya basa, ndaiziva kuti ndaizvifadza nenhema. Ndanga ndichinemakore maviri chaiwo kuti ndikwanise penje- eh, mudyandigere wangu. Mudenga mangamusina makore, saka ndaiona nyenyedzi dzichipenya. Asi hadzina kuwanda sedzaunoona kumusha kusina magetsi. Ndinoyeuka ndichiri mudiki kuti mumwedzi waMbudzi denga raizara nemasvosvobwa zvaifadza maziso, zvichiisoshamisa moyo.
Tara yaiva pamusoro-soro, apo isu pataifamba pamavhu pari pasi, nekuti madzimai aitsvaira paruvanze mangwanani ogaoga. Ndakasvika pamba munaMucheresesa painonosangana naMushuma. Ghedhi rakanga ravharwa apandisina svumbunuro, saka ndakaridza muridzo, ndikanzwa mitsindo, kamuzukuru kangu, Chamunorwa, kachimhanya kuzondivhurira.
“Manheru, Sekuru?” kakandikwaziza kachiuchira.
“Manheru, mwana wehanzvadzi.” Ndakapindura, ndichikapa maplastic bag.
Ndakapinda mumba, umo Mai Ano vakanditambira nomufaro. Ndakagara pachigaro chababa ndikakwazisana nemhuri yangu yaivemo. Taigara tiri vanomwe; taive nevanasikana vatatu, apo taichengeta vazukuru vatatu – vana vasisi vakashaya, nevamwe tsano – hama yaMai Ano.
“Kwanga kuri sei kubasa?” Mai Ano vakandibvunza.
“Aiwa, nhasi kwanga kune basa guru. Tashanda sembongoro chaidzo,” ndakavapindura.
“Mbavha dzemuHarare dzawandisa, mabata vanganiko?”
“Nhasi dzanga dzisiri mbavha, adzimai,” ndakabva ndamira ipapo nekuti ndanga ndisina simba rekunyatsotsanangura nhorondo yezvanga zvaitika.
“Todya here, Museyamwa?” Mai Ano vakandibvunza. Tanga tagara tose makore akawanda zvokuti ndivo shamwari yangu yaiziva zviri muninga, mukati-kati memoyo wangu.
“Hezvo, manga makandimirira, vana vachifa nenzara.”
Vakaunza mvura, vakapfugama, vakandichingura kuti ndigeze maoko. Vapedza vakandiunzira ndiro yaive nesadza, muriwo, nematemba akabikwa mumafuta enguruve. Ndakavatenda ndikatungamira munamato tisati tadya. Kubika kwaMai Ano kunodadisa, pamusha pano ndaidya senge ndini Munhumutapa chaiye. Zvaindifadza kunzwa mazwi evana, tichidya tose semhuri pamwechete.
Pamadziro, mberi kwangu tanga tine mifananidzo yakawanda yemhuri. Panga pane wepamuchato wedu tichiri jaha nemhandara. Pazasi pacho taive nemufananidzo waMakomborero, mwanakomana wedu wekutanga. Aive asiri pano nesu nekuti anga atumirwa namauto kunorwa hondo yaKabila kuDRC. Zvaindishungurudza mumoyo paakatanga kutumirwa kuhondo, zvokuti ndaishaya hope.
Ndainge ndisingade kuti apinde muchiuto. Dai akaita hake mudzidzisi kana mabharani, asi ainge ava pazera rekuzvionera, zviya zvinonzi pachiNdevere, “Indoda kufanele izibonele”. Nepamwe, mumoyo mangu ndaimuremekedza nekuti airwira nyika yake. Ini baba vake handina kurwa muhondo yerusununguko. Pamwe ndiwo mamiriro apasi kuti vana vairwa hondo dzisina kurwiwa namadzibaba awo. Ndakadya ndichitarisa mufananidzo wake, akapfeka hanzu dzake dzemavara-mavara echiuto, ngowani yebhareta iri mumusoro. Aive nemakore makumi maviri nerimwe asi ainga avakutoita kunge murume mukuru. Ndiwo mafambiro enguva.
“Muzukuru Tanaka, waita homework yako here?” Ndakabvunza.
“Hongu, Sekuru.”
Ndaifarira kuti kana ndagara nevana ndizive zviri kuitika kuchikoro. Ini ndakangogona kusvika standard six nekuti vabereki vanga vasina mari yekundiendesa mberi. Ndiko saka ndichikurudzira vechidiki vanemukana kuti vashande nesimba. Chinongondishungurudza chete ndechokuti isu taiwana mabasa nedzidzo iri pasi-pasi, asi vana vemazuvano vanoshaya mabasa ivo vane dzidzo yekumusoro kunyangwe yekumauniversity chaiyo.
Pakazorira ngoma dzenhau, vanga vapedza mabhuku avo nekudya, ndakaudza vana kuti vaende kundorara. Joseph Madhimba naColin Harvey vakanga varipanyanga. Vakatanga nekutiudza kuti mutungamiriri wenyika anga ashanya kuAmerica, uko aienda kumusangano weMubatanidzwa weNyika Dzose kuNew York. Dzapera kwakauya nhau dzemhirizhonga yakaitika pakati peguta.
Harvey akati povo yaipaza zvitoro ne mahofisi muguta saka mapurisa namauto akaita basa rakaisvonaka kudzosa rugare muguta guru reZimbabwe. VaChimutengwende vakabuda vachikurudzira vanhu kuti vadzokere kumabasa avo. VaDabengwa ndivowo vakati mauto enyika anga apihwa shoko rekuti vabatsire mapurisa uyezvo, “Havamire kupfura kana pane anoda kukonzera misindo.”
Ndakaona ndakanyarara, ndikati kuna Mai Ano, “Handei hedu tinorara.”
Takaenda kumba yedu yekunorara, nokuti chero mumba mekudyira mataionera terevhizhoni maiva nevana vairaremo. Kamba kedu kaiva kadiki. Ndakakatanura hembe, ndikapinda mugudza ndiri musvuu. Mai Ano vakanditsvoda tikaenda pabonde chinyararire. Tapedza vakandinyemwerera, vakandidetemba nomutupo, ndikavakumbira kuti vandimutse makuseni-seni nokuti pane mota yaiuya kuzonditora kundiendesa kubasa. Manheru iwawo, ndakarara ndakavabvumbamira, shungu dzaiva mumoyo mangu dzikatonhorerwa. Mukadzi uyu chipo kubva kuna Mwari. Dai pasina Mai Ano, pfungwa dzangu dzakatenderera kare, nekuti mararamiro apasi pano ava kuvhiringidza chero vanozviti vakasimba.
Ndakamutswa mangwanani zuva risati rambobuda naMai Ano. Ndaitonyahwaira pamba kuti ndisamutse vana, ndikageza, ndokupfeka. Mai Ano vakandipa kambuva kekuzodya magwanani ndava kubasa. Ndakavatsvoda ndikandomira paghedi, ndakamirira mota yebasa.
Sezvinei ndakanzwa kutinhira kweLandrover. Mushure manga muna Magaisa, Chiutare, Sibanda naMangwiro, vandakakwazisa ndichipinda imomo. Kwaitonhora asi Magaisa anga aunza kagumbeze katakafugatose, takafuratira kwaienda mota kuti tisarohwe nemhepo. Taingondzwa mota ichigujumuka ichikwira mahump azere mumigwagwa yekumarukisheni. Kaitano aityaira taimuziva nenyaya yekumhanya, asi hapana zvataigona kutaura nekuti aiva pamusoro pedu. Magaro edu ndiwochete aigununguna nekukuvara pamusaka pematyairiro ake aiita kunge tiri mungoro.
“Unofunga kuti chichatsva zvakare nhasi, Zuze?” Sibanda aive pedo neni akabvunza.
“Ndiri munhu wenyama, ndingaziveiko hangu,” ndakapindura.
“Nekurohwa kwakaita munhu nezuro unoti vangabude futi?” Sibanda akaenderera mberi.
“Handizive,” ndakapindura.
Mangwiro akati, “Vanenge vachitopenga vakabuda nhasi. Vanhu imbwende, takavagadzirisa. Uyezve nyaya yacho yapindirwa nemasoja, saka anenge achitsvaga rufu rwake ndiye chete angabude.”
“Ndakanzwa kuti nhasi tinenge takazara pakati peguta zvekuti hapana anotogona kupinda. Kune vakomana varikubva Bindura, nekumaprovince kuzotisimbisa,” Sibanda akataura.
Magaisa akabvunza kuti, “Ko chikatsva kumaprovince?”
“Maya, haitambike iyoyo, vemuHarare neBurawayo chete ndiwo vane misindo. Hapana anoti bufu kunze uku.”
Vachikurukura nyaya, ndakafunga hangu matangiro andakaita basa muna1976 hondo yerusununguko ichipisa. Ndanga ndichiri mujaha ainzwa, ndikawanirwa basa muchipurisa nasekuru vangu, VaMarange, vaigara Haifiridzi, vaiva Sub-Inisipekita. Makore iwawo ndicho chinzvimbo chikurusa chaigona kusvikwa nemunhu mutema mumapurisa aSmith. Ndichochokwadi chemagariro edu muRodhizha.
Ndavakuchipurisa, takadzidziswa kufora, bumbiro romutemo, kushandisa gidi, kubata mbavha nezvimwe zvinhu zvaienderana nebasa redu. Chero bhunu raitidzidzisa, Parkinson, rakandikurudzira richiti ndaishanda nesimba, uye ndikaramba ndakadero ndichakwirira. Mumusoro mangu ndaitozviona ndasvika chinhano chinenge chasekuru, ndava munhu anoonekerawo munharaunda. Handina hangu kuzokwirira nekuti pakazowana nyika kuzvitonga kuzere, vakarwa hondo ndivo waikwirira, isu veRodhizha tichisara tiri pasi. Asi iyo yatove imwe nyaya.
Motokari yakamira ichinhonga Ngwenya naKutyauripo vainge vakatimirira pamusika ndokubva tasimukazve. Takwazisana, ndakadzokera mundangariro dzangu. Ndichiri kuyeuka muna1978, kana kuti ndemuna1979 here – patanga tava pasi pehurumbende yechimbwasungata Muzorewa, handichanyatsoziva, kwavakare, asi ndinoyeuka kwakaita mhirizhonga kuMbare. Mazuva iayo mhirizhonga yaingoitikira kumarukisheni chete nekuti vatema vainge vasina mvumo yekuunganirana pakati peguta. Zveshuwa mazuvano kupinda kwebongozozo muguta kunoita kuti basa rinetse nekuti tinofanira kudzivirira dzimba nemabhizimusi evanemari. Mumarukisheni taingopaza, tichiita madiro aJojina.
Takatakurwa nemaLandrover, kwete emazuvano asi emakore iawo, tikamhanyiswa kuMbare. Munhu wese anoziva kuti makore iawo, varungu vaigara kumayard, vatema vachigara kumarukisheni. Mbare ndiyo rukisheni rwokutanga rwevatema. muSosibheri. Takasvika pane gurusvusvu revanhu vatema, ndinofunga vaitsigira mapato ekuzvitonga, vainge vakatakura zvikwangwani vachiti varikuda rusununguko.
“Right, boys, let’s show these bloody gooks just who’s in charge here,” akataura Bramford, bhunu raititungamira.
Takamwaya vanhu chiutsi ndokutanga kuvatinha netsvimbo dzedu. Vamwe varimukati vaikanda matombo, asi tanga takasimba, takawanda, tine zvombo. Tanga tisina matyira kuti arohwa anofa kana kuti anorarama here. Chedu chete chaiva chekuratidza masimba evapambepfumi. Ropa raiyerera munzira, vanhu vachimhanya vachichema kuti midzimu yavabatisa pasi. Makore iawo ndaive ndichiri kunzwa, ndaiti ndikarova munhu kamwechete ndaimuriga pasi. Vainditi “Tree cutter” kana kuti “Murigamiti” pachivanhu.
Chinhu chega chainyanya kutyisa patairova vanhu kumarukisheni tichirwira hurumende yevarungu changa chiri chekuti paishandiswa imbwa huru. Imbwa dzacho dzaingobatwa nemapurisa varungu chete, vachidzisikira mupovo. Imbwa yaiti ikaruma munhu yaimuita kanyama-kanyama. Chainyanya kutyisa ndechekuti imbwa idzi dzainge dzakarerwa dzichidzidziswa kuruma vanhu vatema saka wanga uchitotyawo newewo, chero uri mupurisa, kuti imbwa yacho inogona kukuruma.
Tototenda Mwari kuti hatichashandisa imbwa mazuvano. Zvinoratidza kuti nyika yedu yafambira mberi kubvira patakawana kuzvitonga kuzere muna1980.
About the Author
Tendai Huchu is the author of The Hairdresser of Harare which has been translated into several languages. His short fiction has appeared in various literary magazines and anthologies. In 2013 he was awarded a Hawthorden Fellowship and a Sacatar Fellowship in Bahia, Brazil. He is currently working on his next novel, The Maestro, The Magistrate, & The Mathematician.
Post published in: Arts