Chillin ’Ekhitshini

Umxholo

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Njengabafazi abaninzi, nanini na ndiziva ndixinezelekile, ndikhathazekile, ndixhelekile, okanye ndingazolanga, ndiye ngqo ekhitshini. Ukugqogqa ifriji kunye neekhabhathi, ndinento nje enye engqondweni yam: Yintoni ebonakala ilungile? Kodwa andikhangeli into yokutya. Ndikhangela into yokupheka.

Kum, ukupheka ayingomsebenzi kodwa kukukhupha iimvakalelo. Xa ndandineminyaka esi-8, ndafumanisa ukuba yayilelona nyango lifanelekileyo lokukruquka. Ndibambeke ngaphakathi endlini iveki nerhashalala, bendiqhuba umama amantongomane. Ngokuphelelwa lithemba wakhupha iOven ebhaka-lula awayeyigcinela usuku lwam lokuzalwa wathi mandenze into. Ndithathe isigqibo sekhekhe yetshokholethi. Ungakhathali ukuba ndifumene ityuwa kunye neswekile exutywe kwaye ndazama umzamo wam wokuqala wokupheka-yayimnandi kwaye ithatha ngokupheleleyo. Kungekudala ndiphumelele kwiiresiphi zabantu abadala njenge-piecrust kunye neebhola zenyama.

Ukupheka kwaba yinto yam yokuzonwabisa, ewe, kodwa ekuhambeni kweminyaka ndiye ndathembela kuyo ukuze ndincede ukuzisa ukuzola kubomi bam obuphambeneyo. Ndiphelelwe ngumonde wokucamngca, kwaye ndisebenzisa ixesha lam lokunyathela ukwenza uluhlu lwezinto ekufuneka ndizenzile, ke ezo zinto zokunciphisa uxinzelelo lwesintu azindisebenzeli. Kodwa njengokusebenza kwegadi, ukupheka kunokukunika ukugxila okufana neZen. Ibandakanya zonke izivamvo: ukungcamla, ngokucacileyo, kodwa nokubona, ukuvumba, ukubamba, kwanokuva. (Okunene ungamamela ixesha elifanelekileyo lokujika inyama yehagu--ulindele ukuba umphunga wehlise isantya.) Ndingangena ekhitshini ndiziva ndixinezelekile kuhambo lwam oluthatha iyure yonke okanye ndinexhala lokuya kugqirha kukaMama. Kodwa njengokuba ndiqala ukunqunqa, ukushukumisa, kunye nokushukuma, ukubetha kwentliziyo yam kuyacotha kwaye intloko yam iyakhululeka. Ndikumzuzu ngokupheleleyo, kwaye ngaphakathi kwemizuzu engama-30 andinasidlo sangokuhlwa nje esisempilweni kwaye simnandi kodwa ndinombono omtsha.

Okuvuyisayo ngokulinganayo kukuba ubuchule bokupheka bunokuba nentlantsi. Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo bendisendlwini yomhlobo Wokubonga, kwaye wakhonza lemiqolomba imnandi yesomina kunye neerasentyisi kunye nembewu yefennel awayeyithenge kwivenkile yokubhaka. Ngosuku olulandelayo ndafumana iresiphi yesonka semolina, ndayihlengahlengisa kancinci, kwaye ndavelisa eyam iresiphi yeerisin-fennel rolls. Ndizingca kakhulu ngesiqu sam, kwaye ndibakhonze rhoqo ngeeholide ukusukela.

Ngokuqinisekileyo ayilulo lonke uvavanyo lwam lube yimpumelelo--ikeyiki ye-Easy-Bake ibikude kwimpazamo yam yokugqibela. Kodwa ndiyaqhubeka ndizama. Ukupheka kuye kwandinceda ukuba ndithabathe iimpazamo ngokuthe ngcembe kunokuba ndithintelwe zizo. Emva kwayo yonke loo nto, nkqu neenkosi ziye zaphazamisa. Ndigqibile ukufunda imemori yomntwana kaJulia, Ubomi bam eFrance. Ubalisa indlela xa wayefunda ukupheka, waphakela umhlobo wakhe “awona maqanda mabi uFlorentine” ngesidlo sasemini. Nangona kunjalo ugqiba incwadi yakhe ngale ngcebiso: "Funda kwiimpazamo zakho, ungoyiki, kwaye, ngaphezulu kwako konke, wonwabe!" Ngoku eso isaci sobomi ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwekhitshi.

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