Ugogwakhe kaGcina wabe amtjela iindatjana ngendlela yokobana naye abone iinthombe zazo engqondweni yakhe.UGcina wabe ahlala alalelisise kuhle lokha ugogwakhe nakamcocela indatjana.Lokha uGcina nasele aneminyaka elitjhumi ubudala, unina wamthatha wayokuhlala naye e-Eastern Cape.

UGcina wakhulela endaweni enesizungu tle kungekho nezinto zokuzithabisa ngitjho nomabonakude imbala. Wathoma ukuba nethando lokufunda iincwadi.Wathoma ukutlola iindatjana neenkondlo ngesiXhosa.Ngaleso sikhathi wabe enza umsebenzi wakhe wesikolo begodu asiza nesondweni.

Ngelinye ilanga, umfundisi wamumema ukobana eze azobakweriyela banomkakhe ekhaya.Elangeni elilandelako nabaqeda ukudla ukudla kwekuseni, umfundisi wabawa uGcina ukobana akhambe naye emhlanganweni esigodini esiseduze nabo.Umhlangano wabe ubanjelwe endlini yekosi.

Umhlangano wabe umayelana nokuthi iinkomo zivunyelwe ukobana ziye emasimini.Lokha nakalapho, wabona indoda yembethe ivunulo yerogo elirhanyazelako.Indoda le yabe iyimbongi. Imbongi mumuntu obongelela ikosi abuye abe mvumi ovuma eminyanyeni yama-Afrika.

UGcina wakarwa yindlela imbongi eyasebenzisa ngakhona ikghono layo kanye nelimi layo. Wathulwa waziswa ekosini kanye nembongini.Lokha imbongi nayimqhawulako, wazizwa naye ayimbongi.UGcina wathatha isiqunto sokobana abe yimbongi.

Ngomnyaka we-1979, uGcina wafudukela eJohannesburg, lapha afike wasebenza njengonomakhwitjhi khona. Wabe atlhogomela abantwana abane abalelesa komhlolo!Ngelinye ilanga, wabona kungcono ukobana abathulise ngokubacocela indatjana.Indatjana le yabe ikhuluma ngoNanabuhlele, isilwana esikhulu esisabekako esasihlala emanzini esasinemibala eminengi.

Wabe angazi bona abantwana laba bazazithanda iinolwana zama-Afrika, kodwana msinyazana nje besele barhuwelela basithi, “Sitjela enye godu indatjana!”Wabona kungcono alandele ibizelo lokutlola iindatjana.Wabe afuna ukukhuthaza abantwana ukobana babe nethando leendatjana zabogogo babo.

Wathoma watlola iindatjana zabantwana, imidlalo nezinye iindatjana ezinengi kanye neenkondlo.Enye yeendatjana zakhe zokuthoma kwabe kungile ethi, ‘My Dear Madam.’Indatjana le imayelana nepilwakhe nabe angunomakhwitjhi. Enye indatjana eqakathekileko ukusukela lokho ngile ethi. ‘Love Child’, emayelana nepilo kaGcina.

UGcina wabe afuna ukuvikela ubukghwari bokucoca iindatjana. Ngokuba nomnqopho lo emkhumbulweni wakhe, wathoma iHlangano iZanendaba.IZanendaba ligama lesiZulu elitjho bona ‘iza neendaba’ namkha ‘ngicocela indatjana’.Ihlangano iZanendaba ibandula abantu abanethando lokucoca iindatjana nelokutlola.

UGcina wathoma ijima le-Nozincwadi Mother of Books ngomnyaka we-2001.UGcina ukhuthaza ukufunda ngokucoca iindatjana nangokutlola iincwadi zabentwana.Wathoma ngokuvakatjhela iindawo zemakhaya eSewula Afrika akhamba atjela abantu ngokuqakatheka kokufunda.Wanikela esinye nesinye isikolo asivakatjhelako iincwadi ukobana bazibeke elayibhrari.

UGcina wadlala indima yokuba mdosiphambili emdlalweni athumba unongorwana kiwo obizwa ngokuthiwa yi ‘Have you seen Zandile?’Umdlalo lo ukhuluma ngomntazanyana ohlala nogogwakhe eDurban, ngemva kwalokho unina kaZandile wamthatha wakhamba naye emaplasini we-Eastern Cape.UGcina watlola umdlalo lo awuqalise kilawo malemuko wakhe wepilo.

Nakhu lokho uNokugcina Mhlophe akutjhoko ngebizelo lakhe:“Ngicoca iindatjana ukuvuselela iindatjana kwabanye abantu, ngombana ngikholelwa ekutheni woke umuntu ophilako unendatjana angayicoca.”Ingabe unayo indatjana ongasicocela yona?