ILETA YOTHANDO: I-VIRGINIA WOOLF KUNYE neVITA SACKVILLE-WEST
Umdlali ophambili ojikela kwisini kwinoveli yobuvulindlela kaVirginia Woolf, iOrlando, ethe yabhukuqa ukubalwa ukuze kutshintshe ipolitiki yothando lobugqwirha, yayisekwe kwimbongi yeNgesi uVita Sackville-West, isithandwa sikaWoolf esasifudula sinomdla kunye nomhlobo osenyongweni wobomi bonke. Aba bafazi babini batshintshiselana ngeeleta ezimnandi zothando ebomini bokwenyani. Nantsi enye isuka eVirginia isiya eVita ukusukela ngoJanuwari ka-1927, kwakamsinya nje emva kokuba abo babini bewile ngothando:
“Jonga apha Vita — jikijela umntu wakho, siye eHampton Court siyotya emlanjeni kunye sihambe egadini kukukhanya kwenyanga sibuye late endlini sitye ibhotile yewayini ndifumane tipsy, mna ke ndikuxelele zonke izinto endinazo entlokweni yam, ezizigidi ngezigidi, aziyi kushukuma emini, kube sekumnyameni emlanjeni. Yicinge loo nto. Ndithi, mphosa phantsi umntu wakho, nize.
Ngomhla wama-21 kaJanuwari, uVita uthumela uVirginia le leta inyanisekileyo, isuka entliziyweni, kwaye ingagadwanga, eme kakuhle ngokuchasene neprozi yaseVirginia:
"... Ndincitshiswe kwinto efuna iVirginia. Ndikubhalele ileta entle ngeeyure zokungalali ebusuku, kwaye zonke zihambile: Ndiyakukhumbula, ngendlela elula yokuphelelwa lithemba. Wena, nabo bonke oonobumba bakho abangathethiyo, awunakuze ulibhale ibinzana elisisiseko njengalo; mhlawumbi ngewungayiva nokuziva. Kwaye ndiyakholelwa ukuba uya kuba nengqiqo kwisithuba esincinci. Kodwa ungayinxibisa ibinzana elimnandi kangangokuba kufuneka ilahlekelwe yinyani yayo encinci. kanti ke kum yona leyo inqabileyo okunene; kwaye bendizimisele ukukukhumbula kakuhle. Ngoko le leta ngenene isikhalo nje sentlungu. Iyamangalisa indlela oye wabaluleke ngayo kum. Ndithi uqhele abantu abathetha ezi zinto. Yeha, wena sidalwa sibhuqiweyo; Andizukwenza ukuba undithande ngakumbi ngokuzinikela ngolu hlobo — Kodwa owu sithandwa sam, andinako ukuba krelekrele kwaye ndimelane nawe: Ndikuthanda kakhulu ngaloo nto. Ngokwenene kakhulu. Awuyazi ukuba ndingahlala njani nabantu endingabathandiyo. Ndizise kubugcisa obuhle. Ke wena uzityhobozele iinqaba zam; Kwaye andicaphuki ngokwenene.”
Ngomhla wokupapashwa kwe-Orlando, u-Vita wafumana ipakethe equlethe kungekuphela nje incwadi eprintiweyo, kodwa kunye nombhalo-ngqangi waseVirginia, ebotshelelwe ngokukhethekileyo esikhumbeni saseNiger kwaye ekrolwe ngoonobumba bakhe bokuqala kumqolo.
Shiya iMpendulo