“Owu Nkosi yam,” wazicingela njalo umama kaLethabo ehleli etafileni yasekhitshini. “Ndiza kwenza njani? Ngomso lusuku lokuzalwa lukaLethabo kwaye andinamali yoneleyo yokumthengela isipho.”
ULethabowayemi ngasesinkini ehamisha ingoma lo gama ahlamba izitya.“Mmmm la la … Mmmm la la.”
“Lethabo,” watsho uMama, “lusuku lwakho lokuzalwa ngomso. Ndinganika ntoni?”
“Owu Mama,” watsho uLethabo, “Andizazi ukuba ndifuna ntoni na.”
“Ndizakukhe ndicinge ngento endinokukunika yona,” uMama utshilo.
Dam dam di dam … dam dam di dam. UMama wayebetha itafile kancinane ngeminwe yakhe. ULethabo wasithanda eso sandi. “Dam dam di dam … dam dam di dam,” wayeculela ezantsi njengokuba esiya kwigumbi lakhe lokulala. Wakhulula izihlangu zakhe wahlala ebhedini. “Ndifuna ntoni ngosuku lwam lokuzalwa?” wazibuza uLethabo ekhwaza.
“Kuyamangalisa ukuba ubuze loo nto!” kwatsho ilizwi.
“Ngubani lowo? wabuza uLethabo esima ngeenyawo. “Ndingaboni mntu nje apha.”
“Ndiphantsi kwebhedi!” latsho ilizwi.
“Nceda uphume apho!” ULethabo watsibela ebhedini yakhe kwakhona. “Iyuuu!”
Apho phambi kwakhe kwakumi isigcawu. Sasimi ngemilenze yaso esibhozo. Yayikhangeleka ngathi zizinti.
“Ndicela uxolo ngokukoyikisa!” Isigcawu sathoba intloko yaso. “Igama lam ndinguFelix. Ndisisigcawu esiluhlobo lwe-Anansi”.
“Mna ke ndinguLethabo. Ndiyawuthanda umnqwazi wakho!”
“Enkosi, Lethabo. Umnqwazi lo wam uvela eGhana! Imibala yawo yeyeflegi yaseGhana – ubomvu, umthubi naluhlaza.”
“Iphi iGhana?” wabuza uLethabo.
“Ikude kakhulu, ise-Afrika,” waphendula uFelix.
“Yintoni isigcawu sohlobo lwe-Anansi?” wabuza uLethabo.
“Ndiphuma kusapho lwezigcawu zohlobo lwe-Anansi. Siyaziwa kakulu. Sivela eNtshona Afrika. Abanye bethu bazifumana bengene kwezinkulu iingxaki, kodwa mna andinalo elo lishwa. Okanye ke mandithi, oko akwenzeki rhoqo oko,” utdho ehleka uFelix.
“Kutheni ulapha?” uLethabo wabuza.
“Undibizile,” watsho uFelix.
“Kodwa mna andizikhumbuli ndikubiza nje!” watsho uLethabo.
UFelix wahleka. “Ewe nangoku undibizile, ngeliya xesha ubuhamisha, uculela ezantsi. Ngoku ke, nceda uvale amehlo akho, ndinento emangalisayo endikuphathele yona.”
ULethabo wavala amehlo akhe ngezandla zakhe. Wayemva uFelix ehamba-hamba apha endlwini. Kwavakala isandi esazalisa igumbi. Dam dam di dam … dam dam di dam. Eso sandi sasifana neso sasisenziwa ngumama wakhe ngeminwe etafileni, kodwa sasikufutshane sona kwaye sivakala kakhulu.
“Awu, ingaba yintoni bethu?” wavakala esitsho.
“Vula amehlo akho!” kukhwaza uFelix.
UFelix wayebetha amagubu asibhozo ngaxeshanye. Unyawana lwakhe ngalunye lwaluphezu kwegubu. Amagubu ayenze isangqa, emjikelezile. Intloko yakhe yayijikeleza lo gama abetha igubu ngalinye. Dam dam di dam … dam dam di dam.
“Awu ndiyayithanda!” ULethabo wancuma. Watsiba-tsiba ejikeleza igumbi, ecula lo gama uFelix abetha amagubu.
Isandi samagubu kunye nomculo kaLethabo zazalisa elo gumbi lincinane. Sasingqubeka eludongeni, sinyukele esilingini, sihlele ekhaphethini, siziqhusheke eziswini zabo, sinamzelele iinzwane zabo kwaye sihambelana nesingqi sokubetha kwentliziyo zabo.
“Lethabo, ingaba konke kulungile?” Umama wakhe wakroba ngaphaya kocango.
“Owu, ewe Mama,” watsho uLethabo. “Bendicinga nje ngosuku lwam lokuzalwa.”
Umama kaLethabo wavala ucango wabuyela ekhitshini. “Owu nkosi yam, kazi yinto endiza kuyithini le?” utshilo.
“Felix! Uphi?” ULethabo wakhangela phantsi kwebhedi. “Ungaphuma ke ngoku.”
“Ndiphantse ndabhaqwa!” utshilo uFelix. “Abantu abadala bayathanda ukundigxotha.”
“Nceda undixelele ukuba kutheni uze kundibona,” watsho uLethabo.
“Kulungile ke, ndiyazi ukuba lusuku lwakho lokuzalwa ngomso. Ufuna isipho esiyintoni?” wabuza uFelix.
“Igubu, Felix! Ndifuna igubu!” Kwangoko uLethabo waziva elusizi. “Kodwa sele sishiywe lixesha lokulithenga. Zonke iivenkile sele zivalile.”
“Ha, ha,” wahleka uFelix. “Cela nje igubu kumama wakho. Cela nje igubu laseNtshona Afrika. Ngoku ke cimela kwakhona ze ucele okunqwenelayo entliziyweni yakho. Usale kakuhle Lethabo!”
ULethabo wacimela, “Akwaba bendinegubu,” watsho. Wavula amehlo akhe. UFelix wayesele emkile.
“Mama! Mama!”
“Yintoni, Lethabo?” wabuza umama kaLethabo lo gama abaleka engena kwelo gumbi.
“Mama, ndingathanda ukufumana igubu njengesipho sosuku lwam lokuzalwa!”
“Hayi bo Lethabo − igubu?” Umama wakhe wanikina.
“Ingabilogubu nje, Mama. Incede ibe ligubu elivela eNtshona Afrika. Watsho ecula edanisa egumbini lakhe. Dam dam di dam!
Umama kaLethabo wamamela intombi yakhe icula. Wacinga ngotata wakhe. Wayemkhumbula ehleli phandle egcakamele ilanga. Phakathi kwemilenze yakhe kwakukho igubu elikhulu. Wayelibetha, ebizela onke amadoda nabafazi belali ukuba beze ethekweni. Kwakuvutha umlilo. Wayencumile ejonge uLethabo, umzukulwana osandul’ ukuzalwa, njengokuba wayelele esingathwe ngunina nje.
“Owu, ndiyamkhumbula utata wam,” uMama wacinga njalo. “Kodwa khawume kancinane! Ndisenazo izinto zakhe ezithile phaya esuthikheyisini phantsi kwebhedi yam.”
UMama wayifumana isuthikheyisi endala phantsi kwebhedi. “Owu hayini, kuzele izigcawu nje apha kuyo!” wakhalaza uMama.
Zithe zakuva ilizwi lakhe izigcawu, zabaleka zazimela. Umama wayitsala isuthikheyisi waza wayivula. Ngaphakathi kuyo wafumana igubu elincinane – elibukhulu bulungele kanye uLethabo.
“Owu, enkosi Tata! Ndiyalikhumbula eli gubu! Wawulenzele uLethabo!”
Kwakuthe cwaka egumbini lokulala likaLethabo. Ngokuthe cwaka, uMama wachwechwa waya kwelo gumbi waza wavula ucango. Ukukhanya okuvela enyangeni kwakukhanyisa ebusweni bentombi yakhe lo gama ileleyo. UMama wabeka igubu phantsi ecaleni kwebhedi waze waphuza uLethabo esidleleni. “Min’ emnandi kuwe, Lethabo,” watsho esebeza. “Min’ emnandi kuwe, ngeminqweno emihle evela kum notat’ omkhulu wakho.”
