Khapo Verde Iindaba: ICape Verde Ayikhulumi Emabalazweni—Idilika Eentambweni ZeMorna

Indiza yehlela esikhumulweni sePraia Airport esiqhingini saseSantiago, kanti iCape Verde ayikubingeleli ngezakhiwo eziphakemeyo. Ngaphandle kwefasitela: amagquma aphasi ansundu, umoya owomileko nokukhanyako. Into ekutjela khona ukuthi ufikephi ifika ngesikhathi uphuma esakhiweni sesikhumulo — umsindo. Ikhehla lihlezi phezu komthangala ophasi, lidlala isiginci esidzilikileko. Kunosawoti we lwandle eentambweni; ukulungiswa akukapheleli, kodwana isigqi sikhona.

Iphimbo likaCesária Évora liphuma emsakazweni we tekisi. Wafa ngo-2011, kodwana eCape Verde iphimbo lakhe lifika ngesikhathi ukudlula nanyana yiyiphi indiza. Umqhubi ukhomba umsakazo ngesilevu aphinde akhulume okuthileko ngesiPutukezi esihlanganiswe nesiCreole — angizange ngizwe woke amezwi, kodwana ngazizwa ikoro elikuyo. Morna, kusho yena. Wase aphakamisa ivolumu.

ICape Verde ikude nge-570 amakhilomitha entshonalanga yeSenegal e-Atlantic, iziqhingi ezilitjhumi ezentaba-mlilo, abantu abalinganiselwa ku-600,000. Ilizwe lincani kangangokuthi amabalazwe amanengi womhlaba awaliphawuli. Kodwana nange ukhe wezwa imorna nanyana ngaphi — lowo mculo oswabisako olenga phakathi kwefado yesiPutukezi nesamba yaseBrazil — uyazi ukuthi indawo le ayinakuba ncinane.

Ngobusuku bami bokuthoma esikhumulweni seemikhumbi saseMindelo, ngangena ebharini ebizwa ngeCafe Musica. Iimbonda bezinamaphepha weposita likaCesária Évora elinzefileko, isithombe seqembu lebholo leenyawo lendawo, kanye nemenyu ebhalwe ngesandla: Cachupa, inhlanzi eyosiweko, irum legrogue. Umculi bekungowesifazana oseminyakeni yamashumi amane, anganazo izikatjhulo, amehlo avalekile. Ukutshintjha kwephimbo lesiginci emoyeni onomswani, kodwana akhuna okhathazekileko. Abasebenzi besikhumulo seemikhumbi bayekela ukudosa iintambo bese bayama ngomthangala wolwandle ukulalela. Umntwana wagogobala emnyango abukele — ezinyaweni zakhe, ibholo leenyawo elinzefileko.

Ngelanga elilandelako ngiye ePico do Fogo. Ngaphansi kweenyawo: ilava emnyama, irhabaxa nephukekako, iinsolo zezikatjhulo zami zibuthelela ithuli elimnyama elihle. Umkhambeli wathi intaba-mlilo yaqhubeka nokuqhuma ngo-2014, yabhubhisa imizi emibili, kodwana cishe boke abahlali babuyela emuva. ‘Sisi lesi siqhingi sethu,’ kusho yena. ‘Intaba-mlilo ngumakhelwana onesihlungu — kodwana awusuki ngombana umakhelwana wakho anesihlungu.’ Ukusuka esiquntwini, ngibheke phezu kwe-Atlantic, ngazwisisa okokuthoma ukuthi kutjho ukuthini ukuba siqhingi esingenasiphetho — ukuhle amehlo angabona, akhuna lutho ngaphandle kolwandle nolwandle olunengi.

ESanta Maria Beach eSal, abantwana bakhahlela ibholo banganazo izikatjhulo. Ibholo belilidala, isikhumba salo sigugile, kodwana indlela abaliphasa ngayo ibifana nomunye umhlobo wemorna. Ihembe elimbhince lesana lomfana lalinomboro onzefileko ngemhlana — akusiMessi namkha uRonaldo, kodwana nguRyan Mendes, umdlali weqembu lesitjhaba leCape Verde ophambili. Wakhomba ihembe: ‘Wazalelwa eMindelo. Njengathi.’ Akukudepha, ifulegi yeBlue Sharks yaphephezela kancani phezu kwesitendi sasolwandle.

Ukudla bekungukhiye wokugcina. ICachupa — isitjhuku esiphungulako samabele, amabhim, iinyosi, nenhlanzi namkha inyama — besiphekwa kusukela ngehora lesithandathu ekuseni. Emarikeni, abomma bahlezi phezu kwezihlalo eziphasi bethungula amabele ngesivinini amehlo angakwazi ukusilandela. Babekhuluma ngesiCreole, ngezinye iinkhathi bagandeleleka ekuhlekeni. Isalukazi esasithengisa iinyosi sangipha isitya esincani sesitjhuku secachupa, mahala. ‘Woza, zwa,’ kusho sona kancane ngesiPutukezi. ‘Ukunambitheka kweCape Verde kufuna isikhathi.’ Ngadla ihora nengxenye ngiqeda leso sitya, ngase ngizwisisa ukuthi bekangakhulumi ngokudla.

Ekuse nini ngisuka, ngabuyela eCafe Musica eMindelo. Ibhari belingakavulwa. Umoya wolwandle wathithiza iposita elidala esivalweni. Kudephaneni, umsindo wepholi yesikhumulo seemikhumbi wezwakala e harbeni. Ikhehla elihamba nenjalo lidlula, langibona ngibukele iposita likaCesária Évora, lema. NgesiNgisi lathi: ‘Uyawazi umugqa wakhe odumileko? Sodade — ukukhumbula okungenawo umumo othize.’ Ngemva kwalokho lahamba. Ngema phambi kweharba engenalutho ngase ngizwisisa umqondo opheleleko wemorna: iCape Verde akusilo ilizwe elingachazwa ngebala. Lingaphawulwa ngomsindo kwaphela, ngokunambitha, ngomoya wolwandle. Njengesodade ngokwayo — uyazi ukuthi ikhona, kodwana awukwazi ukuthi inamumuphi.