Registered under the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe

27 December 2013

2013 WIN Short Story Competition: Shona Language Section Winner (SENIOR CATEGORY)


We hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. We are glad to present this short story which won the 2013 WIN Short Story Competition First Prize in the Shona section of the Senior Category plus an exclusive interview WIN-Zim Director had with journalist Moses Magadza. The interview first appeared on Munyori Literary Journal and KwaChirere blog.
The winning story Munombozvitorepi? scored 70% marks. “A touching short story with a relevant sense of mischief,” commented the adjudicator, writer Memory Chirere. Enjoy!

Munombozvitorepi?

Na Elijah Mahwamba

Makore adarika nyika yakange yaomerwa. Zvinhu zvose muzvitoro zvakange zvisisawanikwe. Zvichitiwo mari yacho hayaitana kudonha. Nyangwe waive nayo waishaya chekuishandisa. Rainge ratove gwakumukwaku kurarama kworuzhinji. Nyope dzaitopona nekukwata.
Munharaunda yandaigara vakweguri vaive vasisina variritiri vaifumoonekwa vakagonya. Nzara yakanga yomera muswe.
Zvino izvi ndizvo zvaive zvakanyanya kuvengwa naAmai vaChido. Misi mizhinji vaifumobata jongwe muromo kugadzirira mwana wavo zvekuchikoro. Vapedza vaimuberekesa kabhegi kaive nezvokudya, kabhuku nekachinyoreso. Vaibva vati, “Chido chibuda uende, mhanya. Usanonoka wazvinzwa?”
Chido achingoti dhugu-u vaibva vatizve kuna baba vaChido, “Ndave kuenda kunotengesa zvandakabva nazvo Jobheki.”
Baba vaChido voti, “Ehoi.”
Amai vaChido vaibva vatsiga zibhegi ravo vobuda voenda. Baba vaChido vaisara zvavo varere.
Misi mizhinji kunyanya kumapeto kwemwedzi amai vaChido vaiwanzodzoka kumba pakati pousiku. Vainge vakatakura girosa zhinji kwazvo.
Baba vaibva vatanga kupopota, “Inguvai yaunopinda mumba munhu wemukadzi? Chirudzii? Unopindirana nesu mumba mapurisa vachengetedzi venyika ko ukapondwa?”
Amai vaChido vaibva vati, “Hamuzivi here kuti basa redu rinowanzofamba kunopera mwedzi kudai? Pakati pemwedzi munooona ndichiuya nezvingani? Kana zvichitofamba musi iwoyo ndinenge ndoti ndimbochovha.”
“Kuchovha kwokupinda mumba 12.00 dzino? Kuchovhai? Izvo zvinhu zvese izvi munombozvitorepi moga moga muzvitoro hamuna chichawanikwa? Kana kuwanda kwazvo hazvienderani nezvamabva nazvo pano.”
Amai vaChido hapana chavaizopindura. Vaibva vagara pasofa zvavo vakabata himu-bhuku yeSavadha. Votanga kuimba uru rwiyo:
“Kure kure kumusha
Nda-abvunza murindi ati,
Husiku huri kupera
Kuchasvika mukuyedza
Usacheme shingirira,
Kwakuda kuyedza”
Vapedza kuimba vaibva vapfugama pasi votanga kunyengetera. Vapedzazve votora bhaibheri ravo vorivhura nopakati paro. Vaibva vatora mari mukahendi-bhegi kavo voisa pakati pebhaibheri. Vadaro vaisimudza bhaibheri riya nemaoko maviri rakavhurika, mabvi akadya pasi vachiti, “Ndiyo mari yandauya nayo nhasi baba.”
Baba vaChido vaibva vamboramba zvavo vakamira vakati nde-ee kuuso. Pakarepo vaibva vasimudza bhodhoro ravo redoro raive kurudyi voriti kumuromo ndiye tsitsa. Mushure mezvo voti, “Aiwa tazviona Madhuwe. Chitibvisira zvedu yedu yedoro tigare nayo.”
Amai vaChido voti, “Chimbondibatsiraiwo kuinyengeterera musati mabvisa yenyu.”
Vadaro Amai vaChido vaibva vanyatsotsunzunya votanga kunyengetera. Naizvozvo baba vaChido vaibva vangotsunzunya vagara pasofa pakagara bhodhoro redoro.
Amai Chido vapedza kunyengetera vaibva vavhara bhaibheri riya voriisa paigara mabhuku avo ekusvondo. Vaibva vati, “Mozotora yenyu ipapa.”
Vadaro vaibva vabuda vondozvigeza vodzoka zvavo vorara.
Igaroziva kuti misi haifanani. Mumwe musi baba vaChido vakashama kuona munda wadyiwa nembwa sevakarima nyama. Vakaona mukadzi wavo achiti pindikiti mumba pakati pousiku ari musvo zvawo. Akange achijuja ropa mukanwa, mumhino nomunzeve.
Baba vaChido vakabvunza mukadzi wavo kuti chii chakange chaiitika ivo vakati vainge vapona neburi retsono kubva munjodzi yematsotsi ainge oda kuvaponda mushure mekuvatorera zvinhu zvavo zvose.
“Ndaimboti kudii?” vakadaro baba vaChido mushure mekumboti zi-i kwekanguva vakatarira mukadzi wavo. Asi apa mukadzi wavo haana kudaira, akaramba achifikura-fikura.
“Chipfeka tiende kuchipatara,” vakadaro Baba VaChido asi mudzimai wavo akatsika madziro. Aiti arinani anokwanisa kumirira kuedza kwokunze. Aitizve anoda kuzonotenga mishonga ku pharmacy bedzi.
Rave rechimangwana Amai vaChido vakatanga kupopotedzana nemurume wavo. Vakange vachibva kunotenga mishonga ku pharmacy.
“Munenge makachata nedoro sei imi? Pose pane bhawa ngatimire. Munombonzwa sei imi?”
“Ndati ndinoda kungotenga hwani bhodhoro reLion Lager chete tobva taenda,” vakadaro vachitotsaurira motokri yavo pamagirosa painzi paRed Bull muMabvuku.
Pamagirosa apa usiku hwapfuura painge paitika mashura makuru. Painge pabatwa mukadzi nemurume vakarara vese kuseri kwebhawa. Pavakabatwa nemupurisa vakarohwa senyoka yapinda mumba. Pavakazongowana kamukana kekupoya nako vese vanonzi vakatiza vasina kupfeka vachimhanya semapenzi. Zvokutoti kana mapurisa acho akatosara otyoka havo mbabvu nekuseka.
Mumwe mupurisa aivepo akati mukadzi uyu aimuziva, achireva Mai Chido. Aiti akambomubatazve kuBeitbridge akarara nemumwe mutyairi wegonyeti raienda kuDurban.
Saka pavakasvika pamagirosa aya amai vaChido vakararisa seat remota. Pakarepo vakabva vazvambarara vakafuga zambia ravo.
Apa baba vaChido havana chavakazotaura. Chinyararire vakangobuda mumotokari vachinotenga zvavaida. Vadzoka vakaivhetemesa vakananga kumba kwavo kuTafara.
Kwapera mwedzi mumwe rimwe zuva baba vaChido vakasvika riri jwi-i chwi-i. Paive pakati pousiku. Vachingoburuka mumota vaingonzwa mhere mhere yamadzimai chete.
Ipapo vakabva vamira pakare vachinyatsoteereresa. Vainge vakaribata bhodhoro redoro. Vakanzwazve dititi rekurohwa kwemunhu mumba mavo. Chinguvacho vakanzwa muvakidzani wavo amai vaKuda vachiti, “Nhasi murume wako anosvika tichikunhadzira. Chawanga uchitsvaga mandinorara nemurume wangu nguva dzino chi-i?”
Nguva yakareyo baba vaChido vakanzwazve izwi remwana wavo Chido achichema achiti, “Mhama vangu kani!”
Ipapo baba vaChido vamboriti kumuromo bhodhoro redoro ndiye tsitsa. Chinguvacho vakabva vangopinda mumota yavo ndokuimutsa. Vakaivhetemesa vakananga kubhawa.
Uyu ndiwo musi wakabva wapedzisira kuonekwa amai vaChido vari pamba pavo. Vakangonyangarika.
Mukaona mukadzi wechidiki anorera mwana ega pasina baba vomwana ndivo amai vaChido. Vaudzei vadzokere kwavaive vakaroorwa pakutanga nogwara. Nezita raJesu hakuna chitema chinotadzikwa kucheneswa. Akatifira. Asi mukange mavashaya Mai Chido bva hatichaziva pada chakavadya...(Magumo)

(Elijah Mahwamba was born in Murehwa in 1987. He did his early education at Makunde Primary School before he proceeded to Tafara High School in Harare for his secondary education. He has a Shona novel manuscript Pasi Dema which WIN is assisting him with assessment. Mahwamba also writes Shona poetry.)
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(click text above to go to the interview)

Beaven Tapureta, WIN-Zimbabwe Director
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WE WISH YOU A FRUITFUL 2014.
THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT IN 2013.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU.



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