UMvulo isoloko ilusuku olunevasi eninzi kakhulu kwaMakhulu. Rhoqo ngoMvulo, kwakusasa kakhulu, uMakhulu ukhupha ibhafu yenkcenkce ze ayixhome phezu kwetafile elapho eyadini. Emva koko uthi abilise amanzi ngeketile. Kufuneka abilise iiketile ezininzi ukuze ibhafu leyo ibe nokuzala qhu.

Emva koko uMakhulu ugalela isepha engumgubo aze azamise ngelo phini lakhe likhulu de amanzi akhephuzele ugwebu. Emva koko ufaka ebhafini onke amashiti neepilo, kulandele ilaphu letafile nempahla yakhe eninzi yangaphantsi, aze ke azinyanzele ngephini lakhe elikhulu ukuze zitshone apho emanzini aze azamise zijikeleze, jikelele, jikelele njalo.

Xa yonke into sele icocekile kwaye ipuliwe, uKoketso uncedisa umakhulu ekwanekeni loo mpahla emanzi nenzima elucingweni.

Ngenye intsasa ebandayo yangoMvulo, uKoketso wajonga iimpahla azinxibileyo.

“Mhhh,” wacinga, “iikawusi zam ezimhlophe zicoceke kakhulu, kodwa zona izihlangu zam ezizuba zimdaka. Ilokhwe yam epinki icocekile, kodwa ijezi yam enemigca nemibala eqaqambileyo ibhontibhonti yonke nje sisidlo sakusasa! Khawujonge nje – iqanda, itumatososi, ubisi, intwana yebhanana kunye NENTLANINGE yengququ yesonka. Ndiyayithanda le jezi yam intle kwaye ishushu, kodwa iyakufuna ukuhlanjwa kakuhle!”

“Makhulu!” wakhwaza. “Ndingayifaka ijezi yam enemigca kunye nezihlangu zam ezizuba ebhafini yakho yokuhlamba iimpahla?”

UMakhulu wakrukrutheka yintsini, “Hayi, mzukulwana wam, la manzi sihlamba ngawo ASHUSHU kakhulu! Akufuneki tu ukwenze oko!”

UKoketso wayengayiqondi ncam loo nto. Kutheni engazukuyifaka ijezi nezihlangu zakhe ebhafini yokuhlamba iimpahla kamakhulu nje? Ngoko ke, uthe xa uMakhulu esaye kuthenga iitapile kunye netswele evenkileni, uKoketso wangena eyadini. Wakhulula izihlangu zakhe ezizuba kunye nejezi yakhe enemigca nemibala eqaqambileyo, wathatha iphini elikhulu waze wazinyanzela ngalo, ezifaka apho ebhafini kunye nezinye iimpahla ezihlanjwayo.

Yonke into apho yayishushu kakhulu kwaye inzima. Amaqampu esepha amenza wathimla uKoketso, kodwa ekugqibeleni wakwazi ukuzinyanzela, zaya ezantsi iimpahla zakhe – kude lee ezantsi, nzulu, ngaphantsi kwawo onke loo mashiti kunye nezo pilo, ngaphantsi kwelo laphu letafile kunye naloo mpahla yangaphantsi kaMakhulu ininzi.

“Nantso ke,” watsho ebhekisa kwijezi nezihlangu zakhe, “ngoku niza kucoceka ninuke kamnandi.”

Wathi akubuya evenkileni uMakhulu, waqaphela ukuba uKoketso unxibe nje ilokhwe elayilayi kunye neekawusi nje kuphela ezinyaweni.

“Koketso,” watsho, “kuyabanda nje namhlanje. Kutheni unxibe ezo mpahla kuphela? Ingaba ufuna ukungenwa yingqele?”

“Owu, Makhulu,” watsho uKoketso, eziphekuza ngesandla sakhe ebusweni bakhe ngathi usebenzisa iphiko lokuphozisa ubushushu, “NDISHUSHU kakhulu. Andigodoli konke konke.”

Waqakatha-waqakatha ukwehla ngendledlana waze wawangawangisa kuMakhulu. “Usale kakuhle, Makhulu,” watsho. “Ndisaya kubona uPinky.”

“Khawume umzuzwana ke ntombazana ...” watsho uMakhulu. Kodwa uKoketso zange amve kuba wayesele engabonakali kuba sele ejikele ekoneni.

Endleleni eya kwaPinky, uKoketso waqalisa ukuziva egodola ngokwenene. Umoya wawuvuthuza ngamandla, uphumela kuloo lokhwe yakhe ilayilayi, kwaye nendlela yayibanda ngathi ngumkhenkce phantsi kweenyawo zakhe. Wasonga izandla zakhe ezambathisa ngazo waze wabaleka yonke loo ndlela ukuya kwamzala wakhe.

“Pinky!” wakhwaza uKoketso exhuma-xhuma esitupini sakuloPinky. “Pinky, ndivulele, NDIYAGODOLA!”

UPinky weza emnyango. “Utheni Koketso, ugula ngengqondo?” watsho emangalisiwe. “Kutheni unganxibanga nenye into eyiyimpahla yasebusika nje?”

Indlu yakuloPinky yayifudumele kamnandi.

“Ngena, Koketso,” watsho umama kaPinky, onguMakazi kaKoketso, uSarah. “Ufike kamnandi, kanye xa siza kutya isonka esishushu nesiqatywe ijem.”

UKoketso wonwaba kakhulu kuloPinky kangangokuba wade walibala ngevasi kaMakhulu. Ngephanyazo wakhumbula waze waxhuma esitulweni, wema nkqo.

“Owu bantu bakuthi!” watsho. “Bekufanele ukuba ndincedisa umakhulu wam xa kusonekwa ivasi. Kufuneka ndigoduke KANYE NGOKU!”

“Kulungile ke, kodwa awukwazi ukuhamba unxibe njalo,” watsho uMakazi uSarah. “Noko thatha, unxibe nazi iimpahla.” Waza ke wanika uKoketso ijezi evulekileyo enkulu emdaka ngebala, neyayifikelela emadolweni kuye, kunye nezilipasi ezidala.

Wathi xa uKoketso efika ekhaya, wabe umakhulu wakhe sele emlindile, esonge izandla. Wayemqumbele kakhulu. Yonke ivasi yayisele ijinga ecingweni, kwaye kwelinye icala, ekugqibeleni kocingo kwakuthontsiza izihlangu ezizuba kunye nejezana encinane kakhulu nenokulingana usana.

UKoketso wathi ng’a umlomo. “Aaaa-aa” wathintitha, “aaaa-aa, a-a-a, a-a-a, andiqondi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni. Ikhangeleka ngathi yijezi yam leyaa, kodwa asiyiyo.” Waziva iinyembezi ezishushu ziqengqeleka emehlweni akhe. “Owu, Makhulu,” walila, “kwenzeke ntoni ejezini yam? Ndifuna ijezi yam endala njengoko ibinjalo!”

UMakhulu wamjonga. “Uze ungathi khange ndikulumkise, Koketso,” watsho. “Awukwazi ukufaka izinto ezenziwe ngewulu emanzini ashushu oluya hlobo. Ziyashwabana, zinciphe ukuba wenze loo nto. Yiyo loo nto ijezi yakho incinane kangaka ngoku.”

Ngentsasa elandelayo, xa uKoketso evuka, wafumanisa ukuba uMakhulu uzihlohle amaphepha izihlangu zakhe waze wazibeka kufutshane nesifudumezi. Zazisafumile ziqhuma, kodwa zona zazisenobukhulu bazo besiqhelo! Ijezi yakhe yayomile kwaye isongwe kakuhle, yabekwa ngaphezulu kwengqumba yeempahla ezicocekileyo zikaMakhulu. Kodwa yayincinane kakhulu.

UKoketso waphuma phandle ngejezi enkulu enombala omdaka evuleke ngaphambili kaMakazi uSarah kunye nezilipasi, waya kuhlala esitupini ngasemnyango. Wayondlala phezu kwakhe ijezana encinane. “Ndicela uxolo, jezi enemigca,” watsho, “ubumhle kwaye uthambile.” Wathi asakutsho, zathi chapha-chapha iinyembezi.

“Ukhangeleka ufudumele kamnandi kule mozulu ibandayo, Koketso,” kuvakele ilizwi lisitsho. Yayilixhego elinguTatomkhulu uKoos nowayetyhala itroli yakhe, esihla ngendlela. “Ndinomnye apha kum ophantse wafa yingqele phezolo.” Waza ke uTatomkhulu uKoos wavula idyasi yakhe, wabonisa uKoketso ukuba ufihle injana encinane nengcangcazelayo ngaphatsi kwaloo dyasi.

“Owu Tatomkhulu uKoos,” watsho uKoketso, “loo nja ayinabo ngokwaneleyo uboya bokuyigcina ifudumele. Mhlawumbi ifuna idyasi yoboya eshushu kamnandi.”

Kwathi qatha ingcinga ethile kuKoketso.

“Mhlawumbi inganxiba le jezi yam indala!” watsho. “Incinane kakhulu kum ngoku, ayindilingani.”

Ijezi leyo yayilingana twatse inja.

“Owu sisenzo esihle kakhulu esi, Koketso,” watsho uTatomkhulu uKoos. “Jonga ndlela ebonakala ivuya ngayo ngoku injana encinane. Ndiza kuyithiya ngegama lakho. Igama layo ngoku nguKetso.”

UKoketso wahleka kakhulu. “UKetso,” watsho. “Ndicinga ukuba ligama lenja elimnandi kakhulu elo!”

Inja encinane yajubalaza yaze yakhotha uTatomkhulu uKoos empumlweni.

“Ikhangeleka ngathi iyalithanda nayo igama layo,” watsho uTatomkhulu uKoos, “kwaye iyayithanda nedyasi yayo yoboya enemigca nemibala eqaqambileyo. Yiza ke Ketso, njana yam encinane, masihambe siye kukhangela isidlo sakusasa!” UTatomkhulu uKoos wawangawangisa, evalelisa kuKoketso njengokuba ehamba esihla isitalato.

“Yingcinga elungileyo leyo,” watsho uKoketso waza wangena ngaphakathi endlwini ukuya kukhangela umakhulu, kunye nesidlo sakusasa.