Endvulo, lomunye make bekahlala nemndeni wakhe emmangweni weSive Senkhosi yakaZulu. Njalo ngemaSontfo lomndeni bewuhamba uye entasi elwandle. Labantfwana bebagubha enhlabatsini babuye badlale emagagasini. Lomake bekapheka kudla emlilweni ngesikhatsi indvodza yakhe ihamba ifunana netinkhuni lebetikhukhulwe lwandle lwatilahla elugwini, kute abate tintfo letinhle: tinyoni, bantfu nato tonkhe letinye tinhlobo tetilwane.
Emkhastini weliviki lomndeni bewusebenta ngekutikhandla bese kutsi kusihlwa uhlale utungelete umlilo. Bekumnyaka kakhulu kutsi bebangakhona kusebenta noma badlale noma babate kantsi futsi bekusengakabi sikhatsi sekulala kutsi bebangahamba bayolala. Lesi-ke ngiso sikhatsi labantfwana bebacela make wabo kutsi abacocele inganekwane.
“Make,” bamncenga, “sifuna tinganekwane. Sicela kutsi usicocele yinye.
Kepha nanoma etama kakhulu kangakanani kucabanga inganekwane, kute leyefika engcondvweni yakhe. Yena nendvodza yakhe bebete tinganekwane bebangaticoca.
Ngalelinye lilanga lomake wancuma kucela lusito kubomakhelwane bakhe.
“Ngabe tikhona yini tinganekwane leninato?” wababuta.
“Cha-cha-cha,” banikina tinhloko tabo, “site.”
Bekute tinganekwane. Bekute emaphupho … futsi bekute tinganekwane temlingo.
Indvodza yakhe yabeka umbono, “Nkhosikati, ngicabanga kutsi kufanele uhambe uyofuna tinganekwane. Ngitawubagadza labantfwabetfu futsi nginakekele nendlu. Tfola tinganekwane futsi ubuye nato.”
Ngako-ke, lomake wacabuza umndeni wakhe wuwuvalelisa wabese uyahamba. Wancuma kuhamba abuta konkhe lokusilwane bekahlangana nako endleleni kutsi kute yini inganekwane lokungamcocela yona. Silwane sekucala lahlangana naso bekungulogwaja. Wachamuka ahamba, abhadzatela-bhadza ngetinyawo takhe letinkhulu.
“Logwaja!” wamemeta. “Ngabe tikhona yini tinganekwane lonato?”
“Tinganekwane?” kwabuta Logwaja. “Hho, nginemakhulu, tinkhulungwane, hhayi … tigidzi tato.”
“Logwaja, ngicela ungiphe tinganekwane kute kutsi ngijabulise bantfwabami.”
“Ummm…” kwasho Logwaja. “Ngite sikhatsi. Nanoma ngingaba naso … tinganekwane emini? …Cha!” Futsi watsi,bhadza, bhadza, bhadza asho ahamba.
Ngemuva kwaloko wabona sahhukulu. Watsi nakasicela tinganekwane savele sanikina tinsiba taso ngentfukutselo.
“Unguuuu-baba-nnni … wena … kutsi ungangivusa? Ngite tinganekwane. Hamba uye kunkwazi lenkhulu. Nguye longalali emini. Buta yena.”
Wesuka-ke lomake wahamba waya lapho uMfula iTugela uhlangana khona nelwandle lapho inkwazi beyitingela khona. Watsi nakayibona wavele wamemeta ligama layo.
Lenkwazi lenkhulu nayo yavele yaphendvula ngekumemeta. “Hamba! hamba-hamba-hamba! Ungiphatamiselani ngisatingela ?”
“Hho, Nkwazi lehlakaniphile,” kwasho lomake, “Ngifuna tinganekwane. Uyati yini kutsi ngingatitfola kuphi?”
“Yebo,” kwasho Inkwazi, “Ukhona lengimatiko longakusita. Hamba uye lapho emadvwala ahlangana nelwandle khona. Ume lapho bese umemeta lufudvu lolukhulu.”
Lomake wambonga wabese uyahamba ushona entasi elwandle. Bekasalumemete kabili lolufudvu lolukhulu ngalesikhatsi luvumbuka lukhaphata emanti kakhulu.
“Ungesabi,” kwasho Lufundvu Lwaselwandle. “Bambelela kulolugobolondvo lwami. Ngitawukuyisa kubantfu baselwande labati tonkhe tintfo netinganekwane tonkhe.”
Phasi, phasi, phasi bashona elwandle, phasi ekugcineni, bacondza ngco enkhosini nendlovukati yaselwandle.
“Manje ngubani lona?” kwabuta inkhosi.
“Lona ngumake lovela emihlabeni leyomile ngetulu kwemanti etfu,” kwahleba indlovukati.
“Ufunani, mfati wasemihlabeni leyomile?” kwabuta indlovukati.
“Tinganekwane, Silosikhulu. “Unato yini lengingahamba nato ngiye kubantfu bakitsi?”
“Sinato,” kwasho indlovukati. “Kepha unako yini lokutsite longasintjintjisela kona ngaletinganekwane?”
“Ningatsandza ini?” kwabuta lomake.
Inkhosi nendlovukati bamamatseka. “Asikwati kuya letulu emihlabeni yenu leyomile. Singatsandza kubona kutsi kunjani. Siletsele lokutsite lotawusikhombisa ngako kutsi luhlobo luni lwetilwane nebantfu labalapho.”
“Ngitawenta njalo,” kwasho lomake.
Lolufudvu lolukhulu lwamtsatsa lwambuyisela emhlabeni lowomile futsi lwammela ngesikhatsi aphutfuma ekhaya ayotjela indvodza yakhe yonkhe intfo.
“Hho,” washo ngenjabulo. “Nginetilwane letinyenti lengitibatile, tinyoni nebantfu. Ungatitsatsa tonkhe.”
Masinyane nje lomake wabuya ebhishi nemgodla wetintfo letibatiwe. Lwaphindza futsi lufudvu lwantjweza lwatiyisa phasi, phasi, phasi.
Inkhosi nendlovukati batsi nababona letintfo letibatiwe, bajabula kakhulu bate bamupha lugobolondvo loluhle.
“Lwakho nebantfu bakini, sininikana sipho setinganekwane. Batsi, “Nanoma ngabe kunini nawufuna inganekwane, bamba loku ukuphakamisele endlebeni yakho bese uyalalela.”
“Kepha khumbula loku,” inkhosi yamhlebela endlebeni, “inganekwane yakho yekucala icale ngeluhambo lwakho lwekuta lapha.”
Ekugcineni lomake nakabuyela elugwini, indvodza yakhe, bantfwabakhe nabo bonkhe bantfu bemmango wakhe bebamlindzile. Bebabase umlilo lomkhulu lebewuhhuhhuma ubuye uchuchumbe ebumnyameni.
“Manje,” bamemeta, “sicocele inganekwane. Sicocele inganekwane!
Lomake wamamatseka. Wabamba lolugobolondvo wabese utsi, “Yebo … Nal’ibali … nayi inganekwane.Ssshhh. Manje lalelani.”
Yacocwa kanjalo-ke inganekwane yekucala.
Ngemuva kwaloko lomake wabeka lolugobolondvo ngasendlebeni yakhe wabese ucoca letinye letinyenti tinganekwane. Futsi nangabe lena yinganekwane yekucala loyivile, khumbula, tinyenti kakhulu letinye letiseta.
