UNkululeko, nonina noyise babeyizimfudu. Bebehlala ndawonye ezansi nengadi.

Phela, izimfudu azizidingi izindlu njengami nawe, ngoba zihlala emagobolondweni azo. Kanti enye into ngezimfudu ukuthi izinto zizenza kancane, ngokutotoba okukhulu.

Ebusuku, uNkululeko nonina noyise base beyolala, nalokho bekwenza kancane, ngokungenisa imilenze yabo namakhanda abo phakathi kwamagobolondo abo. Ekuseni, babevuka kancane, kancane, futhi, kuvame ukuba kuthi ezikhathini zehora leshumi kube yilapho bekhipha khona amakhanda abo emagobolondweni, bese bedla isidlo sasekuseni. Isidlo sasekuseni kwakuba yizimbali namaqabunga.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni, uBaba watshekela kuMama wase ethi, “Ingabe akulona kodwa usuku oluhle lokuthi sihlale nje singenzi lutho? Ngeshwa-ke uNkululeko uhlale eshesha, eyaluza yonke indawo.”

UNkululeko wayeshesha kakhulu kunezinye izimfudu. Wayehlola lokho okwenzeka ezihlahleni kolunye uhlangothi olungaleya nengadi. Abazali bakhe banikina amakhanda, kodwa wayematasatasa kakhulu edlala engqumbini yamaqabunga afohlozelayo ukuthi angababona.

UNkululeko wabona okuthile okucwebezelayo engqumbini yamaqabunga. Kwakuwuhlamvu lwemali olukhulu, olusagolide. “Yimali!” kusho yena emamatheka. “Ngizoyokwenza ngalo okuthile okungejwayelekile nje.”

Waqala-ke ukuhamba. Wahamba wadabula ingadi wase enqamula igceke elinotshani, waze wayofika esangweni elidala elaliyongena emgwaqweni. Wachusha ngaphansi kwalo.

Umgwaqo wawunobuyaluyalu. Wahamba kuphevumenti wase ezama ukuba anganyathelwa ngabantu ababephuthuma. Wama ekhoneni wabamba umoya. Yilapho-ke uNkululeko abona khona into ethile eyisimanga.

Endaweni yokupaka encane nje, amatekisi amakhulu ayethatha abantu bese ehamba nabo ebayisa ezindaweni okwakuzwakala sengathi ziyisimanga kakhulu – edolobheni, ebhishi, kanye nasezintabeni. UNkululeko wawela umgwaqo waya endaweni yokupaka.

Waya etekisini lokuqala elikhulu wabe esethi ngezwi lakhe elisholo phansi, “Sawubona, ngingathanda ukubona idolobha, noma ibhishi, ngisho nentaba imbala. Uthi ungakwazi nje ukungisiza?”

Umshayeli wetekisi wayesemusha nje, emude. Wagoba wase ebuka ufudu oluncane oluphethe uhlamvu lwemali olukhulu olusagolide. Umshayeli wahleka. “Lolu fudu lufuna itekisi. Ubuwula obunje!” kusho yena. “Ubani kodwa owake wezwa into efana nale?”

UNkululeko wagebisa ikhanda ngokudangala waqala ukuhamba esuka lapho. Kusenjalo, kwaba khona umuntu okhulumayo. “Ngizokuhambisa,” kusho izwi.

UNkululeko waphakamisa ikhanda wabona ikhehla elimi phambi kwetekisi lakhe.

“Gibela fudu oluncane,” kusho ikhehla, limamatheka, “ngizokubonisa yonke into.”

UNkululeko wamamatheka kakhulu, wase eya etekisini. Ikhehla lamqukula lambeka esihlalweni.

Yaba buhlungu intamo kaNkululeko ezama ukulunguza ngefasitela letekisi, kodwa laliphezulu kakhulu kuye. “Ake sikutholele amakhushini ebhuthini, ukuze ukwazi ukuhlalela phezulu, ukwazi ukubona kangcono,” kusho ikhehla.

Base beyishaya izula, beshayela emigwaqweni egcwele izimoto ezishaya amahuthi nabantu abaphithizelayo. Ikhehla lalikhuluma ngenkathi lishayela. Latshela uNkululeko ukuthi lalinguBra Will, nokuthi lase lishayele amatekisi iminyaka engamashumi amahlanu.

“Ubaba useneminyaka yobudala engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili, Bra Will. Thina zimfudu siphila isikhathi eside kakhulu,” kuchaza uNkululeko.

UBra Will wanqekuzisa ikhanda. Ngaphandle izindlu zaziya ngokuba nkulu. UBra Will wathi sebezofika edolobheni.

“Kungani ufuna ukubona zonke lezi zindawo?” kubuza uBra Will.

“Empeleni,” kusho uNkululeko, “izimfudu zihamba kancane, futhi ngike ngibe nesithukuthezi ngokulokhu ngihamba ngizungeza engadini nje. Bengifuna ukuba nohambo olunokungejwayelekile!”

Kwaba nenhlansana esweni likaBra Will. “Ngiyakuqonda lokho,” kusho yena.

Idolobha lalilikhulu, kunomsindo. Izakhiwo ezinde zaziphikelele emafini. Kwakunabantu nezimoto yonke indawo, futhi kwakungathi kunomsindo omkhulu kakhulu!

“Kuyinqaba-ke lokhu,” kusho uNkululeko.

“Akulutho lokhu,” kusho uBra Will, “Yima wena uze ubone ebhishi. Kunomsindo kakhulu lapha edolobheni, kodwa khona kuyamangaza.”

Base belishiya idolobha.

“Vula ifasitela,” kusho uBra Will, “uzobe usukwazi ukuhogela ulwandle.”

UNkululeko wehlisa ifasitela kancane, kancane ngempela. “Kunuka usawoti nje,” kusho yena, emamatheka. “Ake ubheke lokhuya.”

Ngesikhathi bejika ekhoneni kwakukhona into ebanzi, eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka eyayelulekile phambi kwabo. “Yini leya?” kubuza uNkululeko, ekhexe umlomo.

“Ulwandle,” kusho uBra Will, ehleka.

“Kuyamangaza lokhu,” kusho uNkululeko.

Itekisi layoma endaweni yokupaka encane, eduze kwendawo ebanzi enesihlabathi esimhlophe eyehlela olwandle.

“Kusebhishi-ke lapha,” kusho uBra Will. “Ake sime lapha okwesikhashana bese sihamba esihlabathini esithambile.”

UBra Will welekelela uNkululeko ngokumbeka ebhishi. Eduze kwakhe kwakunabantu abadlalayo noma abethamele ilanga. Kwakushisa kakhulu. UNkululeko wakhasa ezungeza kancane, wagwedla emanzini angashonile, elokhu ebuka wonke amagobolondo amahle ayesebhishi.

Okulandelayo kwaba yisikhathi sokuya entabeni. UNkululeko wayeyibonile intaba esengadini yakubo, kodwa wayengakaze afike NGEMPELA entabeni. Kwakukhuphukela kakhulu ukushayela sekusukwa ebhishi. Kwakunomoya omkhulu phezulu entabeni. UNkululeko wabona nendoda ilahlekelwa isigqoko sayo esapheshulwa umoya!

Ekugcineni lapho selima itekisi, uNkululeko waphuma esehefuzela. Wayekwazi ukubona idolobha lonke eselaphaya phezulu. Wayekwazi ukubona ulwandle nebhishi kanye nekhaya lakubo elincane laphaya engadini. Wacabanga ngoMama noBaba.

“Lena indawo enhle kakhulu, Bra Will,” kusho ufudu,“futhi ukuhamba nawe ngemoto kube yinto engingenakuyikhohlwa; kodwa ngibona ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi ngiye ekhaya kuMama noBaba.”

UBra Will wacifa ihlo wase eshayela, bebuyela erenkini yamatekisi. UNkululeko wambonga, wakhipha uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali esagolide egobolondweni lakhe.

UBra Will wanikina ikhanda wathi, “Gcina imali yakho, Nkululeko. Bekumnandi ukushayela ngikuhambisa ezindaweni ezahlukene. Injabulo yakho yiyo ebe yiholo elanele kimi.”

UNkululeko wathathaza evalelisa, wase eqala ukutotoba eya ekhaya. Endleleni, wedlula umuntu othengisa izithelo wase esebenzisa uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali esagolide ukuze athenge ibhokisi lamastrobheri avuthiwe, alithwala ngegobolondo lakhe waya nalo ekhaya. Kwase kuhlwa ngesikhathi ethola indlela engenela engadini. Wayelindwe uMama noBaba wakhe.

“Kade ukuphi?” kubuza uBaba. “Bese sikhathazeke kabi.”

UNkululeko wabawola kakhulu ngamunye. Babelana ngamastrobheri, wase exoxela abazali bakhe konke ngohambo oluyisimanga ngetekisi.

“Kuzwakala kumnandi lokho,” kusho uMama, “kodwa mina ngiyajabula ngoba ususekhaya, Nkululeko.”

“Nami futhi,” kusho yena. “Uyazi, sengiye ezindaweni zonke manje – enyakatho, eningizimu, empumalanga nasentshonalanga kodwa ezindaweni zonke … ayikho indawo edlula ikhaya.”

Ngemva kokusho njalo wangenisa ikhanda lakhe nemilenze yakhe ngaphakathi kwegobolondo lakhe wase ezumeka walala wathi zwi.

* Vumela izingane zakho ukuthi zisebenzise amakhathoni amaqanda, amakhadibhodi, upende kanye neglu ukuze zenze izimfudu zasendabeni. Zingasebenzisa ezinye izinto ezingasenamsebenzi (ezifana nezivalo zamabhodlela kanye namabhokisi esiriyeli noma amabhisikidi) ukuze zenze itekisi. Zikhuthaze ukuthi zisebenzise izinsiza zendaba ezizenzile ukuze zixoxe indaba kabusha ngendlela yazo.

* Phakamisa ukuthi izingane zakho zidwebe ibalazwe ukuze zikhombise izindawo uNkululeko aye kuzo kulolu hambo olungajwayelekile nangokulandela ukulandelana kwezindawo azivakashele.