Ngelinye ilanga ngavakashela abangani bami, uThabo noLudwe, ngamangala uma ngifika ngibabulisa bengitshela ukuthi wusuku lokuzalwa lwendodakazi yabo uLiyana. Nango-ke eseza egijima ezongibingelela. Wangigabisela, ethi yena useneminyaka emine. Saphela sonke yinsini, kodwa sizama ukuzifihla ukuze angaphoxeki.
Kuthe ngihlezi noThabo sinethezekile, weza uLiyana egijima ephethe imiqhathane emithathu, iMarie Biscuits. Wanika ubaba wakhe owodwa, wangipha omunye, naye wasala nowodwa. Wawugwinya ngokushesha ubaba wakhe, wase ezibongela. Ngashaywa uvalo lokuthi ngingase ngibonakale njengomalume ophangela izingane. Ngambuza uLiyana ukuthi uyithathephi imiqhathane. Wakhomba ekamelweni likamama wakhe, sengathi uyamceba. Wavela umama wakhe ngokushesha ezobika ukuthi ingane imvimbezele ifuna imiqhathane, iMarie Biscuit; ithi yona iwafunela ubaba wayo nomalume.
Le ndaba kaLiyana kanye nesencwadini, Isipho (2018), eyabhalwa okokuqala ngeSepedi nguKwena Richard Malebana, zingikhumbuza ukulunga kwezingane. Yahunyushwa ngesiZulu nguMbongeni Nzimande.
Le ncwadi iyisikwele, ubukhulu yi-220mm X 220mm. Yaqoshwa nguDaniella van den Heever. Imifanekiso yedijithali yenziwe nguKholofelo Mothle osebenzise umbala oyiphastela nemigqa emayephuyephu.
Zisuka nje, sibona uSilindile ekamelweni ebheke ewindini ecabanga icebo lokujabulisa umngani wakhe, uHlelo, ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa. Aphumele phandle, abheke engandini, asuke lapho aqonde esitolo, abone amatshane ayigugu. Uphansi-phezulu njalo, ufuna isipho esifanele umngane wakhe. Kungani uSilindile ezimisele ngale ndlela ukwenzela umngane wakhe isipho esiphambili sosuku lokuzalwa?
Uthe uma ephumela phandle kwesitolo, wabona ubucwebe esitiladini. Kwamfikela ukukhanya. Ngempela, ngelanga losuku lokuzalwa lukaHlelo wayesiphethe isipho. Ukujabula kukaHlelo kwaba ukujabula kukaSilindile.
Ubumnene abunamngcele. Yingakho uLiyana, oneminyaka emine, ekwazi ukuphana ngenhliziyo emhlophe. Ngabe ukuphana yisona yini isiphiwo wonke umuntu azalwa naso, kangangokuthi ukusicindezela akuyona indlela yokuphila?
Mhlawumbe ulwazi lukaSilindile ngoHlelo luphuma lapho umqondo ungafikeleli khona. Kuleyo ndawo engaziwa muntu, eyaziwa ngumnikazi wayo kuphela.
Ukukhathalela umuntu, wazi nokumfanele sekuyisenzo esingasajwayelekile kulezi zinsuku zamanje nakuba kuyinto enhle kakhulu.
A recipient of the David Koloane Arts Writing Award (2017), Siya has written reviews on arts and has authored and self-published graphic novels, uNjabulo: emkhathini (2018), uLanga (2019) and KwaNhliziyo-Ngise (2019).