Wayeba ngathi uyayibona imifanekiso yawo uNokugcina ngenxa yendlela awayewabaliselwa ngayo la mabali ngumakhulu wakhe.Wayemamela ngenyameko uGcina ngeli xesha wayebaliselwa ibali ngumakhulu wakhe.Xa wayeneminyaka elishumi uGcina, umama wakhe wamthatha waya kumhlalisa eMpuma Koloni.

UGcina ukhule zingazininzanga iindlela zokumonwabisa, wayengekho nomabonakude. Waya wakuthanda ukufunda iincwadi.Waqalisa ukubhala amabali nezibongo ngesiXhosa.Kwangelo xesha linye, wayexakekile ngumsebenzi wakhe wesikolo, kanti wayencedisa nasecaweni.

Ngenye imini umfundisi wakwaLizwi nomfundisikazi bammemela kwikhaya labo.Ngentsasa elandelayo emva kwesidlo sakusasa, umfundisi wacela uGcina ukuba makahambe naye baye entlanganisweni yelali.Intlanganiso yayibanjelwe kwikomkhulu lenkosi.

Intlanganiso yayimalunga neenkomo ezavunyelwayo ukuba zingene emasimini ekwakulinywe kuwo umbona.Eselapho uGcina wabona indoda eyayivathe ngezinxibo eziqaqambileyo zakwaNtu.Yayiyimbongi le ndoda. Imbongi liciko kwizibongo zomthonyama nezosiba, ikwayimvumi ethatha inxaxheba emicimbini yesiNtu.

UGcina waba nomdla kakhulu kwindlela le mbongi yayisisebenzisa ngayo isakhono nolwimi oluthethwayo. UGcina waziswa enkosini nakwimbongi leyo.Isandla sembongi esamxhawulayo uGcina samenza waziva eyimbongi naye.UGcina wagqiba ekubeni abe yimbongi naye.

Ngo1979 uGcina wafudukela eRhawutini.Kulapho wafika wasebenza njengomgcini wekhaya. Wayegcina abantwana abane ababegeza bengalawuleki!Ngenye imini wagqiba ekubeni makabenze bathi cwaka ngokubabalisela ibali.Eli bali lalingoNanabuhlele owayeligongqongqo elikhulu elimibalabala elalihlala emanzini.

Wayengazi nokuba abo bantwana bangawathanda na amabali esiNtu, kwamsinyane wabeva bekhwaza, “Sibalisele elinye ibali!”Wagqiba ekubeni alandele ikhondo lokubhala amabali.Wayefuna ukukhuthaza umdla ababenawo abantwana kumabali oomakhulu babo.

Waqalisa ukubhala iincwadi ezifanele abantwana, imidlalwana, amanye amabali kunye nemibongo.Elinye lamabali akhe okuqala lalisithi, ‘My Dear Madam’ (‘Nkosikazi endimthandayo’). Eli bali lingobomi bakhe njengomgcini wekhaya.Elinye ibali elibalulekileyo ukususela kweli ixesha lithi ‘Love Child’ (‘Mntwana Wothando’), lingobomi bukaGcina.

UGcina wayefuna ukubukhusela ubuchule bokubalisa amabali. Enale njongo engqondweni yakhe, waqalisa iZiko eliyiZanendaba.UZanendaba ligama lesiZulu elinentsingiselo ethi ‘yiza neendaba’ okanye ‘ndibalisele ibali.’IZiko iZanendaba liqeqesha abantu abanomdla wokubalisa nowokuwabhala amabali.

Ngo2001 uGcina wasungula iPhulo elinguNozincwadi Mother of Books. Ukhuthaza ukuba kufundwe ngokubalisa amabali nokubhala iincwadi zabantwana.Waqalisa ukundwendwela kwimimandla esemaphandleni eMzantsi Afrika ngeenjongo yokuxelela abanye ngokubaluleka kokufunda.Kananjalo wayenikezela ngeencwadi kwisikolo ngasinye awayetyelela kuso esenzela ithala leencwadi.

UGcina wayengumdlali ophambili kumdlalo weqonga wokuwina ibhaso othi ‘Have you seen Zandile?’ (‘Nikhe nambona uZandile?’).Lo mdlalo umalunga nentombazana encinci ehlala nomakhulu wayo eThekwini, emva koko yafuduselwa kwiphandle iMpuma Koloni ngumama wayo.Lo mdlalo uGcina wawubhala ewusekele kumava akhe.

Naku awakuthethayo uGcina Mhlophe ngekhondo awalilandelayo:“Ndibalisa amabali ukuze nabanye abantu bafune ukuwabalisa, ngoba ndikholelwa ekubeni wonke umntu ngamnye ophilayo unebali anakho ukulibalisa.”Likhona ibali onokulibalisa wena?