Jestina Chineka was born in Chief Mutambisi’s area in Chivi. She went to Berejena, Gokomere and Lundi High. After graduating from Midlands State University she taught in schools around Gweru. Jestina is an environmental scientist and researcher in Gender, development and climate change with a strong passion in Shona literature.

Denga rakapwipwitika mhepo yegukurahundi. Dzibwa rikapararira nedunhu, rikabata kubva kurusvava kusvika kuvemidonzvo. Izvi zvainge zvotoera munzvimbo yaChivi umo zuva raingoti kubva muchando rododonya kusvikira rinyaradziwa nechimwe chandozve. Vana Sorojena vaiti kupanduka kwaiva kwaita pwere, dzataramuka pabwaridziro bwovunhu nechinyakare chaMakaranga. Ukuvo vana Mudyamagwaro vainenera mabatiro avanhu zvipo zvedenga, masango nemhepo chaiyo. Waiziva chaiye hapana. Kwaingova kuvhumuka kwezhara nokuvaraidza nhambo sezvo mapadza takanga tatorivara nepatakaacherera.  Kunopinda muna Gumiguru, hapana wakasara mumusha washe Manjongo. Takakoromoka tokwira makura. Savanhu vakanga vasina kumbokohwa makore matatu akanga apfuvura, vazhinji mbewu takanga takavirira mudumbu.

Musi wakana mahakurimwi, denga rakatinhira, rikadzvova vusiku bwose. Vaya vaiva varega kuvunganidza mwanda yovupwa vachiti mvura haichani , havana kudziti chata vusiku ubwu. Pamufuku zuva rakatevera, nyaya yaingova pamuromo ndeyemvura yovusiku bwaiva bwapfuvura. Vakati vasvika mai Sarai, migomo yakamira kuchereregwa. Chembere iyi muromo wayo hawaimhagwa nenhunzi; zvaiita kuti munda wayo uvate negore rezhizha. Vakarondedzera kuvata vamire kwavakanga vaita vachikupa mvura muhozi yavo.

“Asi vana mai Sarai munoita vune. Makadya mari yavabetseri muhondo nemurume wenyu kunge mutetenegwa  mugore rezhara, musina nechiruvi chehozi,” akaigurira nyaya iyi MaDube, simuka ndikupwatse yegadzi, achikwesha mugomo wake. Muromowo paiva pazhe, bopoto nezhowezhowe kwaiva kudya kwake, zvakava zvakamutegesa chifumi chezuva raakaperekwa. 

Vhiki haina kuzopera matenga azaruka zvakare. Ishe vakadira doro pasi vakati vanhu vangapinda havo muminda. Chakava chipiti-piti nhaka yamakozho. Pane gandiwa rakasara? Vaya vakanga vagova makandiwa voita zveJoni vamwe vachitevedza bhaga vakahwisa vanhu vusimbe nokupengera minda yavo. Dzimwe chembere neharabwa dzakanga dzaita chiduduvira kutegesa vakadzi vevana nokutovagurira makandiwa. Zvino wokubetsera kubata magejo waiva achabvepi, apa minda yava mishoma nechipani zvakare. Godo ranavamwene navaroora rakapfuta moto.

Mudhumeni zvaakazotutsira mahwira-hwira emvura zhinji, mapadza akapakatigwa, ikava tambatamba chidembo mwise takabata. Vana mazivazvose veraini vakativo vapinda mudariro, kwahi vanhu vasatambisa mbewu nokurima makandiwa ose, mvura yekwaChivi haina kumbozadza makuvi. Vakagopiwa zheve nani?

Zvedu zvakanga zvaita. Matenga akanga azaruka zveshuwa. Nguva iya yamaguta nokutengesa mabagwe akagochewa namakavhu paNgundu yakanga yotonhuwira. Pakanodyiwa Kisimusi, manhanga enhopi takanga totoverengerana muminda. Zvaigotivo vaya vakaita sana mai Sarai ndivo vaiva neminda ichivete, vachamboita maricho echipani. Asizve yaingova garoziva kuti ivo havo vaiti gore chairo ravarima chaizvo, vaizadza bhara rimwe remhunga kana kukohwa vuvise bwuya bwokupedzisira bwunenge vutamba. Vanhu vakamboti mvura yawandisa, zviyo zvichabitirigwa, asi mushana waipisa zuva rose, pakunodziturika dzechirairo mvura inenge yotangavo.

Pakanovhugwa zvikoro, mvura yakaramba yangoputira makomo. Nzizi dzakadira dzadirazve.Taiva tongotyira kukukugwa kwavana muvukova vachiinda kuchikoro. Ukuvo vaya vebhaga vakadzoka kuti tyoo muraini, denga rainga ravhara mwena yavo. Mahwira-hwira aiti chero mvuvu nengwena muna Tugwi naRunde dzaiva dzototsvakavo vupoteri. Kunoti Kukadzi, denga rakaramba kuzorora. Nzizi dzakadzvova, Tokwe-Mukosi rikashinyira.

Deno yainaya sezvizvi mwaka nemwaka, nyangwe madhamu taigoadii? Vavakidzani vedu vaiva vaita dzungu vapihwa tumari nehurumende twokutamisigwa dhamu, ndokunozviti kumazvirasha eMasvingo bvoo. Vaya vanaChenjerai, vanaNgwarumapundu vakangoigashira ndokuiti bvoo musamba, imwe ndokutenga n’ombe , handiti nhasi vavakusunga chipani chavo navamwe tichirima. Chete munhu akangozvara mwana akaita ticha, iye watova mazivazvose. Hezvo mbaranga mbaranga tumitundu, kufuratira nemakuva edzinza. Kwavo kurikuda kuva mujinga nedhorobha, a a! Zvimwe zvinosekesa negozho rakavandira dovi muberevere. Bvavo nhaka pachasvika zhizha redu moyo ichatsva.

Ndakapepusiwa nokugwedebudziwa kwembiya mubikiro. Hazvina kundivhundusa izvi, kubva zvakadzokwa Joni, kwaiva kwanotsvagwa basa rikaramba, rugotwe gwangu ugu kumirawo somurume kwainga kwatoramba. Kutevedza ndhari yainga yava mhare, naivowo vaimwa nomunhu usina kana nenguva yokugeza. ZvaRazaro, kuchiwana bodo tsvoo! Asi wati kuvhurira meso makuru iwawo mbiya dzangu! Ndakaridza tsamwa yakazungunusa mutsamhiro. Pfungwa iyi haina kuzoinda kure. Chihuri chomuhozi matainga takavata chakakwetsuka, pakunomutsa musoro, saisai remvura rakatihwetura ini nezvizukurumvi zvangu. Takandorashigwa paruvazhe. Ndichiri kudana shura, ndakakochokegwa pachitata, ndokutura femo, ndonjeva-njeva kutsvaga vazukuru.

Pwere dzaichemera kure kure kunga dzaiva mumwena. Ndakazvuva shoka, mvura iri muchivuno ndoinda pasi pedhingo kwaibva mhere. Mumachakwi iwawo, ndakavhovhonyora vana pakati pevhu nembariro. Ndakandunduruka ndodzokera kuchitatangare, pfungwa dzavapakunokwira pamusoro pacho. Mubvunzo waiva wokuti, chichagona kutisenga tose navana here? Ndichiri kuronga zano iri, ihwi guru rakadanidzira, “Simudzai mavoko tivone pamuri, Mbuya vaSvodai toziva murimo, toda kukubatsirai, Mbuya vaSvodai, simudzai ruvoko!”. Ndakaita nguva somunhu wabatwa nechiveve.

Ihwi iri rakaramba rongozhozhotera muzheve dzangu. Ndakashaiwa kuti ndosimudza ruvoko gwedivi ripi, sezvo ose aiva akasenga vana. Ndichiri muchiveve ichi, ruzha gwechikopokopo  gwakazara muzheve dzangu. Yohwee, zvangu baba Chibwa iwee. Pfungwa yakadzokera kuhondo yavapambevhu kwakatsakatira murume wangu. Dzungu rakandibata, rima ndokundimomotera, ndakazeya ndokuzeya, ndokuvona ndowira mumwena une bwanzvo bwusingaperi, ndakazhambatata pasina waihwa. Ndakatanga kuvona ngirozi dzandikomba chimokotera. Hanzu dzadzo dzaiva novuchena bwunotosvora meso.  Vuso bwengirozi idzi bwaisava vutsva kwandiri, mumwe wavo wakandikwazisa.