isiZulu

Kwesukasukela, kwakukhona indoda eyayimpofu kakhulu eyayibizwa ngoMzi. “Izingane zilambile, asinayo imali yokuthenga ukudla,” kukhala inkosikazi, uPhumla. “Sizokwenzenjani?” “Ngizoyozingela,” kusho uMzi. “Uma ngibamba impangele, sizodla kamnandi.” Washo ephuma eya ehlathini nesihlilingi sakhe namatshe amancane. Emva kwesikhashana nje wahlangana nempangele ekhuluphele endaweni evulekile esikhotheni…

Kudalo, lapho izihlahla zisakhuluma nezinhlanzi zisandiza, uSelesele wayeyisilwane esikhulu kunazo zonke. Wayethanda ukuqinela zonke ezinye izilwane, kanti nezilwane zase zithanda ukukhathala uyena. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga, lapho uSelesele esaye kobhukuda, ezinye izilwane zabamba umhlangano wokubona ukuthi zingabhekana kanjani naye. “Kudingeka simgcine ematasatasa aze akhohlwe ukusehlisa esenyusa esiqinela,” kwasho uBhubesi. “Umqondo omuhle lowo,” kuphendula uBhejane, “kodwa sizokwenza...

Endulo ngesikhathi amazimuzimu esazula emhlabeni, nezinkukhu zisakhuluma, kwakukhona owesifazane ompofu owayehlala nendodakazi yakhe uTselane endlini encane. Njengoba wayengenaye umuntu ozombhekela uTselane, lona wesifazane waphoqeleka ukuthi ashiye ingane yakhe yodwa ngesikhathi eyolima emasimini nsuku zonke…

Kwasukasukela, kwakunomlimi ogama lakhe kwakunguVusi, owayenamandla kakhulu. Akekho owayazi ukuthi uwathathaphi la mandla angaka, kodwa wayevele afukule izinkomo ezimbili ngesikhathi esisodwa kalula nje. Ekuseni ngelinye ilanga, lapho uVusi evuka, wagijima wampampa, ephaphazela. “Umgexo wami! Ubani ontshontshe umgexo wami?” kumemeza yena. “Ngaphandle kwawo ngizobe ngilahlekelwe yiwo wonke amandla ami, bese ngifana nawo wonke nje umuntu!” Wagijimela efasiteleni,...

Kudala kakhulu, umhlaba usemusha, uNkwazi, ukhozi olukhulu oludla izinhlanzi, wabizela zonke izinyoni emhlanganweni. “Njengoba nazi,” kusho yena, “uBhubesi uyinkosi yezilwane. Kodwa kungani kumele akhulumele nathi zinyoni? Kumele sizikhethele inkosi yethu… futhi ngibufanele mina ubukhosi; ngithi kumele kube yimi!” Zonke izinyoni zaqala ukukhala kwaze kwezwakala iphimbo elilodwa ngaphezu kwamanye…

Kudalo, kwakunezwe elaligcwele lonke uhlobo lwesihlahla sezithelo ongase usicabange. Ukuphela kwesithelo esasingakaze sibonwe noma sidliwe, kwakungulamula. Langa limbe, uBokang, indodakazi eyintandokazi yenkosi, yagula. Izinyanga eziningi nezangoma zazama ukumsiza, kodwa lutho ukuba ngcono uBokang. Ekugcineni, isangoma esidala saletha umyalezo. “Ndawana thile kuleli lizwe kunesihlahla sikalamula,” sitshela inkosi. “Uma unikeza uBokang amanzi kalamula, uyoba ngcono…  

Kwasukasukela, ngesalukazi esasihlala sodwa eduze nesicongo sentaba eyayiyinde yengame umuzi othile. Wonke umuntu wakulo muzi wayesesaba kakhulu. Babesibiza ngokuthi “uMthakathi”. Langa limbe intombazanyana encane ogama layo lalinguPhumla yakhuphuka yayofuna izimpande namakhambi asendle le emaqeleni asentabeni. Kwathi ingazelele nje, kwabe sekuqoqana amafu kuza isivunguvungu, masinyane imvula laqala ukuyidliva. UPhumla wayazi ukuthi kwakufanale athole okusampheme wokukhosela...

Endulo, kwakukhona inkosikazi eyayihlala nomndeni wayo emzini oseMbusweni wakwaZulu. Umndeni wawehlela olwandle olukhulu njalo ngeSonto. Inkosikazi yayipheka phansi ngesikhathi umyeni wayo eyobheka izinkuni ezikhishelwe ngaphandle ulwandle ukuze abaze izinto ezinhle: izinyoni, abantu, kanye nazo zonke izinhlobo zezilwane. Phakathi nesonto umndeni wawusebenza kanzima bese uhlala eduze nomlilo ebusuku. Kwakuba mnyama kakhulu ukuthi bangasebenza noma badlale...

Kwasukasukela, kwakunentombazane ogama layo lalinguLerato eyayizihambela inqamula esigangeni ngenkathi ibona ingulube encane emnyama ilele ubuthongo ngaphansi kwesihlahla. “Aha,” kusho uLerato. “Sizodla kamnandi ebusuku namuhla.” ULerato wabamba ingulube le encane, kodwa wamangala nje ngoba yanswininiza, “Ngiyacela bandla, ungidedele! Ngizokuhlomulisa – ngiyingulube yomlingo.” ULerato wayigqolozela ingulube. “Uzonginikezani?” kusho yena. “Isikhathi esiyiviki elilodwa,” kusho ingulube, “uzokwazi ukundiza njengenyoni...

Mandulo, izimuzimu elikhohlakele lantshontsha izingane ezimbili lazenza izigqila zalo. Usuku lonke zazipheka, zicoca indlu ziphinde zihlanze nezingubo zalo ezazinuka. Izimuzimu lalingakaze liwuhluthulele umnyango, ngoba lalazi ukuthi igwababa lalo elalilifuyile lalingasoze lazidedela izingane zeqe. Le nyoni yayinamehlo abukhali kakhulu, futhi ayikho into eyayingalixoxeli yona izimuzimu. Langalimbe ebusuku, ngenkathi izimuzimu lihudula izikhumba kakhulu, izingane zahlala zahlebelana. “Asisoze...