Moráyọ̀

By Sarah Ladipo Manyika

First published in English in Still: Short Stories Inspired by Photographs of Vacated Spaces (September 2012)

Translated into Shona by Zukiswa Wanner with contributions from Patricia Mumbure

Gore rino, atenga shangu tsvuku nyowani. Dzinodhura asi dzine runako runonwisa mvura. Shangu idzi i gogo dzisinganetsi kufamba nadzo uye dzakavhurika kumberi zvekuti unoona munwe mukuru wetsoka. Gore rino rakakosha nekuti nderekupemberera kuzvarwa kwake, ndosaka paatenga shangu atengawo rokwe reshifoni dema nechuma chepera. Kunyangwe asina hake girazi rinoratidza muviri wose mumba yekugezera azokwira padivi pebhavhu akabatirira divi resuwo kuti asapunzike. Afunga kudero kuti anokwanisa kuona zvose shangu nerokwe mugirazi. Anotarisa divi nedivi achizviyeva chimiro chake pagirazi.

Vanoti aita mhanza yakanaka nekuti vavakidzani vake vamunzwa achipunzika. Aita rombo rakanaka kuva achiri mupenyu. Kuti ndaita rombo rakanaka, hariziro izwi kwaro, anofunga nechemumoyo. Hapana zvekuti mhanza yakanaka apa nekuti atyoka musana zvekuti achapedza nguva yakareba akarara mumubhedha kuimba yezvirema inonzi Good Life Residential Home. Iye zvino, anopedza mazuva ake ose achisuwa uye nekufunga zvese zvaimufadza mumba make. Usiku huzhinji haawani hope. Ukuwo vavakidzani vake vano mumutsa vachizhambatata neku shungurudzwa nehope tyiso. Ukuwo manesi achiita ruzha nemidhebhe yavo yejira redonje neshangu dzavo dzerabha. Anombozama kuvhara nzeve asi zvinoshaya basa. Paanenge onzwa kuti aakubatwa nehope, obva amutswa nekurira kwepombi dzemumba make mvura painenge yotanga kumhanya. Anoshuvira kuti pave nemunhu anovhura fafitera kuti mhepo ipinde mukati, kuitira kuti maziso nemhino dzake dzisaome. Semunhu anoshaya simba akarara nemusana, haakwanisi kukumbira rubatsiro.

Anozongomirira kuti kunze kuyedze, zuva parinenge richikwezva tsoka dzaro, zvichiteverwa nemunhuwi wechingwa chatsva, unopinda nepasi pe goni remukova wemba yake. Anovhara maziso otura mafemo kuti anganzwe munhuwi wemoi-moi ne akara, ogi kunyangwe bota zvaro. Bota ringange rakanaka, anozvizevezera, apo Goldilocks obva auya mupfungwa dzake. Kudya kwavo kwemasikati hakuwanzoita mutzauko. Kazhinji vanopihwa mbatatisi dzakakwatiswa. Izvi zvichinokonzera kuti azviitise kuti afunge kunge ari kudya zvimwe zvinhu. Anofunga fettucine neParmesan, kana muto wenyama yehuku une mhiripiri wekwaMai Koto, nemupunga we jollof nemabhanana ekumadokero kweAfrica anodyiwa akafurayiwa anonzi plantain. Kozouyazve chikafu sema curry aMai Sen, pilaf, nan, roti, tumitakunanzva seapple crumble ne crème fraiche opedzisa nesvutugadzike yechamomile yaPeter Rabbit. Anoshuvira kuti dai hake anga ane mabhuku ake ekuverenga.

Muimba yake yukunyorera kumba kwake mune mazana nemazana emabhuku akaturikirwa kubva pasi achienda kuzvika kudenga remba. Mabhuku akange ari aamai vake, ari pamusoro. Pamusoro soro, pamasherufu madukusa akahwandiswa nemikova yegirazi, pane mabhuku ake ekare akanyorwa naanaBeatrix Potter naTeddy Robinson. Mushure memakore makumi matanhatu achakamirira, kuti pave nevana vanoverenga. Mabhuku ekubika nemamagazini ari pasi, zvimwe zvose zviri pakati. Aimbochengeta mamwe mabhuku ari kwawo ega kusherufu yepadivi asi zvakazosanduka apo vatambi vakarondedzerwa, ivo ana Ezinma wemubhuku reThings Fall Apart naNyasha wemubhuku reNervous Conditions pavakasvetuka kubva pasherufu vachinyunyuta pazuva rakasvitsa nyika yeNigeria makumi mashanu emakore ekupemberera rusununguko. Vakamuudza kuti vanga vaneta kugara mumutsetsa mumwe nevamwe vanhu vemumabhuku ane nyaya dzinongosiririsa. Chavaida, kudarika chimwe chinhu, kwaiva kugara pedyo nevamwe vakadzi vanofara, vasingakendenge vemumabhuku epasi rese. Audzwa naEzinma naNyasha, akapedzisira arega kuisa mabhuku nehurongwa hwe arufabheti, akazoaronga zvichienderana nevatambi vemumabhuku.

Ipapo ndopakaita kuti Ophelia, mutambi wemubhuku raShakespeare agare pedyo na Anna Karenina waTolstoy, uyuwo Ora waGrossman achibva ashamwaridzana nevakadzi vemumabhuku aGordimer. Hurongwa hutsva uhwu hwakaita kuti awane pfungwa rebhuku rake dzva. Aizotora vatambi vese vaduku vaaifarira mumabhuku, vana Ezinma nevamwe vatambi, ovaita kuti vave vatambi vakuru vane chiremera, vaizobvunzurudza twudhara twakakavara twakanyorwa navanaBarnes, vanaRoth naCoetzee vaakanga aisa zvino pasherufu yepasi. Asi chekutanga, aifanirwa kuverenga mabhuku ake zvekare kuti awane mitsara mikuru yaakatara nepenzura mazuva aakanga achiri mudzidzi mudiki netumitsara mitete twaakazowedzera nguva yaapfuura akura. Aifanira kuzosangana mumabhuku imomo nemareciepts ake ekare, makadhi ake eposvo nemaruva akaomeswa aaimboshandisa kuti amuratidze kuti asiyira kuverenga papi. Aida kumabata mabhuku aya ose, mamwe anga asanduka rudzi nekuchembera, mamwe achiri matsva achipenya, sezvaaimbovewo mazuva ake achatemwa dzinobuda ropa.

Kuna Tom Harris, kunyangarara kwakaita mabhuku emuchembere, ndokunyangarara kunoratidza kusarongeka kwepfungwa dvavamuchembere. Mabhuku akangoiswa pese pese, mamwe ane misana inotarisa kunze, mamwe mukati. Hapana mabhuku akarongwa nearufabheti, uye mamwewo anomawana akatsvetwa mumadhirowa nemumakabati embatya kunge zvitambiswa zvepwere. Zvinonyatsoratidza, kune mushandi wezvemagariro evanhu uyu, social worker, kuti basa raakapihwa nedare rekutarisira upenyu wemukadzi uyu zvinoenderana nemitemo yakatarwa nehurumende, ibasa rakagara radiwa. Hapana nzvimbo yekuisa mabhuku ose aya pamusha waakugara mukadzi waari kubetsera, asi achamuchengetera mashomana kuti aise mumba make yekuGood Life. Mushandi wezvemagariro evanhu anoedza kumbofunga kuti mukadzi wezera iri ane nhorowondo yeupenyu hwake angafarira kuchengeta mabhuku api. Anotora mabhuku maviri aMaya Angelou nekuti iye pachake akambonzwa zita raMaya, achibva atorawo mabhuku akati wandei emazuva eCivil Rights airwirwa kodzero dzevanhu vatema kuAmerica, anogutsikana kuti ndizvo sezvo aienderana nezera remukadzi waari kubetsera. Anobva aisawo mubatanidzo wemabhuku ose aShakespeare raawana rakagara patafura yemukadzi uyu. Mamwe ose, achamatengesa. Anopinzawo basa mumwe musikana mudzidzi kuti amubetsere achibva amuudza, sezvo mudzidzi uyu ane runako runoyemurika, kuti kana achida, anogona kuchengeta bhuku rimwe kana maviri. Anoudza mudzidzi waapa basa kuti mukadzi waari kubetsera aimbova nyanduri. Anowedzera kuti nyanduri ine mukurumbira, achifunga kuti angafadze mudzidzi uyu zvezuva iroro, sezvo ari kudzidza zvesainzi dzemitambo ku univhesiti yedunhu reSan Franscisco. Paita kamufambo kenguva, anonzwa mudzidzi achizevezera murunhare mbozha yake, ‘Vanofanira kuva munyori we mandorokwati nekuti vanemabhuku akasainwa nananyaduri nendimi dzakasiyana siyana. Shaa!’ Mushandi wezvemagariro evanhu anonyemwerera achifarira kuti abetsera kuti mudzidzi anakidzwe nebasa raari kuita.

Zuva rekutengesa zvinhu zvemukadzi, mutengi wemabhuku haazviratidzi kuti mamwe mabhuku aya anokosha sei. Akasainwa nenyanduri dzakasiyana kubvira kuna vanaBaldwin kuenda kuna vanaSartre chero naVirginia Woolf. Mutengi anoda kuziva kuti mukadzi uyu aibva kuAfrica here, nekuti kana zvirizvo zvingatsanangura kuwanda kwakaita mabhuku eHeinemann African Writers Series, ose akasainwa. VaHarris vanongozunza mapendekete voti havazivi, mutengi ongozvisiyawo zvakadaro. Mutengi anongobhadhara kamari kasina basa kuripa mabhuku gumi nematanhatu aatora, paanenge ave munzira kuenda kumba obva aridzira runhare sahwira wake anosevenza kuSotheby’s. Zvangosara naVaHarris mabhuku evana, ngano dzemazuvano nebhokisi rakazara madhikishinari. Jasper, anosvika mangwanani aakunopera, anofara kuti apihwa bhokisi remabhuku evana mahara. Achanomatengesa muna 24th Street kuvakadzi vemoyochena vanombouya vachimupa kamari nekuteerera nhorowondo dzemazuva ake kuVietnam. Anotorawo madhikishinari obva abuda zenze paanoona makumi maviri emadhora papeji rinotanga na’legacy’. Anozviona semunongedzero otarisa mamwe mapeji netariro.

Pamabhokisi maviri asara, rimwe rinozoenda kuchipatara kune vakadzi vakazvitakura vanovhura mabhuku nemamagazini vachingoda kupfuudza nguva vakamirira kuonekwa nachiremba. Bhokisi rechipiri rinosiiwa panze pemba rine mucherechedzo unoti ‘Zvemahara’. Hapana anotora nokuti hapana ane hanya nemabhuku ekubika kusara kwetukomana tunenge tuchishandisa bhokisi rizere nema bhuka kuita maminimini emasketibhodhi kusvika mapurisa atudzinga.

Morayo anonzwa mufaro mukuru Tom paanozounza mamwe mabhuku asi anomirira kusvikira Tom aenda kuti atange kutarisa zviri mubhokisi. Anokatyamadzwa paanoona mitambo yaShakespeare isiri yake, oshamisika zve paanoona nhorowondo dzevanhu vatema vekuAmerica dzaanga asingatombozivi kuti anadzo. Kuti pamwe Tom amuunzira mabhuku aya nekuti mwedzi weBlack History Month, nguva yekuyeuka nhorowondo yevanhu vatema veAmerica? Morayo haachazivi kuti gore rava papi mazuva ano asi, akayeuka, achabvunza mushandi wezvemagariro evanhu nezvemitambo yaShakespeare womuudza mabhuku ekuzouya nawo. Achamukumbira kuti awunze mabhuku ari pamasherufu maviri epakati, pedyo netafura rake sezvo ariwo aachada kushandisa kuti anyore bhuku rake rechipiri. Kuti agadzirire, anokumbira sherufu yemabhuku, achifunga kuti achapihwa yakafanana nemasherufu ake ekumba asi anonzwa kuora moyo paanounzirwa kasherufu kaduku duku. Anoedza kuhwandisa marwadzo acho asi anotadza, misodzi yotanga kuyerera. Papera nguva, kumunyaradza, mumwewo anomuunzira zvidhori zviviri zvekusonwa zvoiswa pasherufu itsva iyoyo isati yava nechinhu. Morayo anotarisa zvidhori izvi ozvibvunza kuti dzimba ngani dzechembere dziri kugara paGood Life dzakashanyirwa nezvidhori izvi, uye ichembere ngani dzakawedzerwa kusuwa nezvidhori izvi. Anotanga kufunga vatambi vake vechikadzi vemubhuku, sezvidimu zvenyaya itsva zvave kuumbika mumusoro make. Paachayeuka, achaudza Tom kuti aunze mabhuku aya ari pamasherufu maviri epakati.