Kwakukho inkwenkwe eyayiyinkedama kwaye ingenayo nendawo yokuhlala, kuloko ke abantu belali ekufutshane abamthiya igama lokuba nguMolahlehi, gama elo lithetha “umntu olahlekileyo”. Le nkwenkwe yayingalikhathalelanga eli gama yayithiywe lona kuba yayiqinisekile ukuba ngenye imini iyakuze ibenalo ikhaya kunye nosapho.

Yonke imihla uMolahlehi wayesiya kuloba iintlanzi emlanjeni ukuze abenento yokutya. Ngezinye imini wayehlala iiyure ezininzi enethemba lokuba kuza kude kubekho intlanzi etsala loo lobi yakhe. Ngezinye imini ebengabambisi kwanto. Ze ke xa kunjalo, akhangele iziqhamo kunye namaqunube ukuze atye. Xa engafumananga nto wayelala elambile.

Ngenye imini, lo gama wayehleli, enethemba lokubambisa intlanzi yesidlo sangokuhlwa, kwafika abafazi abambalwa apho emlanjeni, beze kuhlamba iimpahla zabo. Bajonga kweli cala wayehleli kulo.

“Khawujonge laa nkwenkwe,” kwatsho omnye waba bafazi. “Ubhitye ngathi loluya luthi alubambe ngesiya sandla sakhe.” Wahamba waya kuMolahlehi lo mfazi, wafika wahlala ecaleni kwakhe.

“Ukhangeleka ulambile,” watsho lo mfazi. “Nasi isitya somphokoqo, ungatya.”

UMolahlehi wavuyiswa kakhulu kukufumana ukutya. “Enkosi,” watsho.

Emva kwaloo mini, nanini na xa lo mfazi esiya kuhlamba iimpahla zakhe emlanjeni, aze abone uMolahlehi, wayesiya kuye aze amnike isitya somphokoqo.

“Enkosi kakhulu,” watsho uMolahlehi. “Ngenye imini ndiya kuze ndiyifumane indlela endinokukuhlawula ngayo ngobu bubele bakho.”

Lwafika usuku lokungena ebudodeni kuMolahlehi. Ngoku wayesazi ukuba womelele ngokwaneleyo kwaye mdala ngokwaneleyo ukuba angazikhangelela ikhaya elilelakhe ngokwakhe. Ngoku, ekugqibeleni, kude kwafika ixesha lokuba ayishiye loo ndawo azikhangelele ikhaya elilelakhe. Mnye kuphela umntu awathetha naye phambi kokuba ahambe, yayinguloo mfazi wayesoloko emphathela ukutya.

Wathi ndlelantle kulo mfazi waze waphinda wathi, “Ndiyathembisa ukuba ngenye imini ndiya kuze ndiyifumane indlela endinokukuhlawula ngayo ngokundenzela ububele obungaka.”

UMolahlehi wapakisha oko kuncinane wayenako engxoweni yakhe, waze wathatha umkhonto wakhe omde awayezenzele wona. Emva koko wahamba ngendledlana eyamngenisa ematyholweni nakumahlathi amnyama ase-Afrika.

Kwaqengqeleka iinyanga ezininzi uMolahlehi ehamba-hamba njengokuba wayekhangela indawo anokuyibiza njengekhaya lakhe. Wahamba iinyanga ezininzi kakhulu, kwade kwafika usuku apho wacinga ukuba akasoze ade ayifumane indawo enokuba likhaya kuye. Wayediniwe kwaye elambile, ngethuba abona ngalo iqela lamadoda lihleli emthunzini womthi omkhulu. Loo madoda ambulisa kwaye abonakalisa ububele ngakuye. Naye uMolahlehi wawabulisa waze wawancumela. Wathi xa eza kuqhubeka nohambo, enye kuloo madoda yamnqanda.

“Yima! Ungubani igama lakho?” yabuza loo ndoda.

“Andilazi,” waphendula. “Abantu bathi ndinguMolahlehi, umntu olahlekileyo.”

“Hamba nathi uye elalini yethu,” yatsho le ndoda. “Ukhangeleka ngathi ufuna ukutya okumnandi kunye nendawo yokuphumla.”

UMolahlehi wahamba naloo madoda waza wonke ubani wamamkela ngezandla ezishushu kuloo lali. UMolahlehi wayesazi ukuba kule lali, ekugqibeleni, wayeza kuba nekhaya kunye nabahlobo. Wasebenza ngokuzimisela okukhulu. Wayenceda nabani na ofuna uncedo. Wayesoloko enobubele kuye wonke umntu kwaye wayesoloko enento emnandi ayithethayo emntwini. Ngolo hlobo ke waba yintandane yomntu wonke elalini, ngokunjalo wathandwa nangukumkani omdala walapho, owayengenanyana yena. Wathi akusweleka ukumkani, bonke abahlali belali leyo bamcenga uMolahlehi ukuba abe ngukumkani wabo. Wathi akuvuma, kwabanjwa umsitho omkhulu kakhulu, baze abahlali belali leyo bathiya ukumkani wabo omtsha igama elitsha lokuba nguKumkani Lebohang, othetha “ukuba nombulelo”.

Into yokuqala uKumkani uLebohang awayenzayo, kukuthuma igqiza lamadoda ukuba liye kukhangela laa mfazi wayemenzela ububele ngethuba eseyinkwenkwe. Ekubuyeni kwawo loo madoda, ayehamba nexhegwazana. Eli xhegwazana lalisoyika kangangokuba laguqa phambi kokumkani lingcangcazela. Ukumkani walinakana ngoko nangoko. Waphakama waya kulo. Emva koko ke, uKumkani uLebohang, waguqa phambi kwalo ephethe isitya. Wasinika eloo xhegwazana eso sitya.

Ixhegokazi elo lasithatha isitya laze lothuka kakhulu lakubona ukuba eso sitya sizele yigolide. Ixhegwazana lawaphakamisa amehlo alo, lajonga kukumkani.

“Molahlehi,” lasebeza njalo.

“Kunjalo,” watsho ukumkani. “Ndandikuthembisile ukuba ndiya kuze ndikuhlawule ngenye imini. Wonke umntu kufuneka asikhumbule isithembiso sakhe kwaye wonke umntu kufuneka abe nombulelo xa omnye umntu emenzele ububele.”