Kwesukasukela, kwakukhona imbuzi eyayihlala eTranskei. Njalo ngonyaka le mbuzi yayihamba iye emagqumeni ezinyangeni zokuqala zehlobo. Yayiya kule ndawo ngoba kwakunokudla okuningana futhi yayikwazi ukudla ngendlela ethanda ngayo.

Ngahlobo limbe yahamba yaqonda emagqumeni. Yayisazihambela ngendlela nje ngenkathi kuthi memfu phambi kwayo ingangamela yengwe.

“Sawubona, Nkz Mbuzi,” kwasho ingwe. “Ubabele kuphi?”

“Awu, Mnu Ngwe,” kuphendula imbuzi, iphethwe wuvalo, iqhaqhazela ukusuka ekhanda kuya onyaweni, “ngisaya laphaya emagqumeni ukuze ngidle ukudla okumnandi khona.”

“Yebo-ke,” kusho ingwe. “Ngiyakudabukela kodwa, ntombi, ngoba name ngilambile. Ngakho, uxole, akukho lapho oya khona! Kufanele ngikudle khona manje, futhi khona lapha!”

“Kahle bo, Mnu Ngwe,” kwasho imbuzi. “Ungakwenzi lokho. Cha, cha, cha! Ungangidli manje. Linda ngize ngikhuluphale ngokwanele. Linda nje kwedlule ihlobo. Ngizobe sengikhuluphele kakhudlwana lapho, uzobe usunokudla okuningi impela ongakudla.

“Hhaaa,” kwasho ingwe. “Wumqondo omuhle lowo. Kulungile-ke, ngeke ngikudle manje, inqobo nje uma uthembisa ukuthi uma usubuya, uzongithola khona lapha esime khona.”

Nebala imbuzi eyethukile yathembisa, yayisiqhubeka nohambo lwayo. Yathi uma isifika emagqumeni, yakhohlwa yikho konke mayelana nengwe. Lonke ihlobo yachitha isikhathi idla izimila eziluhlaza ezimnandi ezisemagqumeni. Kwathi uma kufika ukuphela kwehlobo, yayisiyinhle futhi ikhuluphele. Nebala kwase kufike isikhathi sokuthi ishiye amagquma ibuyele ekhaya.

Kungalesi sikhathi isihamba ibuyela ekhaya lapho yakhumbula khona ukuthi yayiyethembiseni ingwe. Isinyathelo ngasinye eyayisithatha lapho ihamba, uvalo oluyiphethe lwaluya lukhula. Akuphelanga sikhathi esingakanani yayisilapho eyayithe izohlangana khona nengwe.

“Ngizokwenze njani?” isho iphumisela.

Kusenjalo kwaqhamuka unogwaja ugxumagxuma, wawusuma usuyibingelela.

“Sawubona, Nkz Mbuzi,” kusho unogwaja. “Ubukeka uphilile futhi ukhuluphele. Kodwa yini ubukeka ukhathazekile ngosuku oluhle kangaka?”

“O, Bhuti Nogwaja,” kwasho imbuzi, “indaba yami ibuhlungu. Ngenkathi ngikhuphuka lapha

ekuqaleni kwehlobo, ngahlangana nengangamela yengwe engangobaba. Yathi izongidla. Ngayincenga ukuthi ingangidli, ngathi ingilinde ngize ngikhuluphale ngokwanele. Ngayitshela ukuthi ayilinde kuze kwedlule ihlobo lapho ngizobe sengidle konke ukudla okuhle laphaya emagqumeni.”

“Yathini-ke yona?” kubuza unogwaja.

“Yavuma ukuthi izolinda,” kwasho imbuzi, “yayisithi kumele ngihlangane nayo endaweni efanayo uma sengibuyela emuva. Manje sengiseduze kwaleyo ndawo futhi ngiyazi ukuthi uma ingibona, vele izongidla!” Imbuzi yavele yakhala izinyembezi.

“Nkosi yami! Kwakubi bandla!” kusho unogwaja. “Yindaba ebuhlungu lena. Kodwa khululeka wena. Nginesu. Yekela kimi konke. Wena linda lapha nje.”

Unogwaja wagijima ngokushesha waya ekhaya. Wafike wagqoka izimpahla zakhe ezinhle ukuzedlula zonke. Wafaka isigqoko esikhulu esasinophaphe kanye necici elide elilengayo. Emva kwalokho wayesethatha iphepha, ipeni nesihlalo somgibeli esincane, wayesegijima ebuyela lapho kunembuzi khona.

Wathi uma efika embuzini, wayigaxa isihlalo emhlane maqede washo phezulu sengathi isilihhashi. Ekugcineni bafika endaweni lapho imbuzi eyayizohlangana khona nengwe. Nebala ingwe yayimi ithe phuhle phakathi nendlela, ilindile.

“Ungubani wena?” kubuza unogwaja. “Wenzani lapha?”

“NginguMnu Ngwe kanti lapha ngilinde uNkz Mbuzi,” kwasho ingwe, icasukile. “Senza isethembiso. Ngitshele-ke, ngempela wena ungubani?”

“NginguMnu Nogwaja. Ngithunyiwe lapha ngenhloso ekhethekile yiNkosi Enkulu uSingewe, yobukhosi obukhulu kunabo bonke kwelase-Afrika. Ingicele ukuthi ngiyiqoqele izikhumba ezilishumi zezingwe ukuze zibe yisipho senkosikazi yayo entsha. Sengibe nenhlanhla nje ukuhlangana nawe. Isikhumba sakho sizoba sihle kakhulu.”

Unogwaja wayeka ukukhuluma wayesekhipha ipeni lakhe nephepha, wabhala phansi, Eyodwa enkulu … Emva kwalokho wayesema ebuka ingwe.

Ingwe yayethukile ngekuzwileyo ngangokuthi yavele yafulathela yemba yembulula iphephisa impilo yayo.

Imbuzi yayithokoze kakhulu futhi yabonga unogwaja ngokuyisindisa kwakhe. Emva kwalokho imbuzi nonogwaja base beyahlukana ngezindlela. Unogwaja waphindela emzini wakhe kanti nembuzi yabuyela kowayo. Yayijabule kakhulu, futhi yakhuluphala kakhulu kunakuqala.