Kudala-dala, eLimpopo, kwakukho umfama owayehlala kunye nosapho lwakhe – imbongolo yakhe, ihagu yakhe, inja yakhe, ikati yakhe kunye nomqhagi wakhe. Bonke babehlelisene kamnandi nangolonwabo efama. Kwathi ngenye imini imvula yayeka ukuna, kwaza kwalandela imbalela, banqatyelwa ngamanzi. Kwaba nzima ke ngoku ukunkcenkceshela imifuno, aza acutheka namanzi okusela.

Umfama wabiza imbongolo yakhe, ihagu yakhe, inja yake, ikati yakhe kunye nomqhagi wakhe. “Kufuneka sihambe, sifudukele kwindawo enamanzi,” watsho. Bathe ke bahamba xa bebonke. Umfama wathatha izinto zakhe ezimbalwa wazifaka engxoweni. Bonke bahamba endleleni enothuli omnye elandela emva komnye. Kukhala, Gingqi-gingqi! Nqakra-Nqakra! Gru-gru! Hawu-hawu! Nyawu-nyawu! Kugqibela ngokuthi, Kurukukuuuu-kuuuu!

Endleleni yabo eya endaweni enamanzi, umfama kunye nezilwanyana zakhe bahlangana nonomyayi. Unomyayi wababukela behamba bonke waze wamhleka kakhulu umfama.

“Kwaaa! kwaaa! Kutheni uhamba ngeenyawo kodwa unembongolo? Mna ukuba bendinguwe, bendiza kukhwela imbongolo le,” watsho unomyayi ebhabha usahleka. “Kwaaa! kwaaa!”

Umfama wakucinga oku okomzuzwana. Emva koko wagqiba kwelokuba akhwele kwimbongolo yakhe. Wakhwela embongolweni lo gama ezinye izilwanyana zilandela emva kwakhe. Kukhala, Nqakra-Nqakra! Gru-gru! Hawu-hawu! Nyawunyawu!
Kugqibela ngokuthi, Kurukukuuuu-kuuuu!

Kuthe kusenjalo bahlangana negala.

“Whahaha! Whahaha! Wowu akunazintloni,” latsho igala kumfama lithe ngcu elityeni, libathe ntsho ngamehlo. “Ungakhwela njani embongolweni wedwa? Jonga indlela edinwe ngayo ihagu yakho? Impumlo yayo ithontsiza ukubila.” Phambi kokuba litshone endlwini yalo igala, lahleka kwakhona, “Whahaha! Whahaha!”

Umfama wathi nqumama waze wacinga ngoko kuthethwe ligala. Wajonga ihagu yakhe ephantsi waze wagqiba kwelokuba ayikhwelise nayo apho embongolweni.

“Tsiba, uze apha Hagu! Tsibela apha kumqolo wembongolo,” watsho umfama. Yathi kwa-oko ke nayo ihagu yatsiba, yakhwela apho embongolweni, yahlala emva komfama. Baqhubeka nohambo lwabo. Kukhala, Nqakra-Nqakra! Hawu-hawu! Nyawu-nyawu! Kugqibela ngokuthi, Kurukukuuuu-kuuuu!

Ekugqibeleni umfama wawubona umlambo, kodwa wawusekude kakhulu.

“Siza kuya phaya,” watsho esolatha. Izilwanyana zonke zavuma baze baqhubeka nohambo lwabo bade bahlangana nodyakalashe.

“Haawu-haawu! Haawu-haawu!” wakhala esitsho udyakalashe. “Ungumfama okhohlakeleyo. Kungakhwela njani wena nehagu yakho kuphela embongolweni? Jonga indlela edinwe ngayo inja yakho. Iyakhefuzela. Kwaye ikati yakho nayo irhuqa iinyawo. Khawujonge iintsiba zomqhagi wakho, zonke zijonge ezantsi,” watsho udyakalashe esithela etyholweni, esahleka, “Haawu-haawu! Haawu-haawu!”

Umfama weva kakubi kakhulu waze wagqiba kwelokuba ngoku kuza kufuneka bakhwele bonke kumqolo wembongolo. Wasondela ngasentanyeni yembongolo.

“Tsiba, Nja! Tsibela phezu kwehagu,” watsho umfama. Yenjenjalo ke nenja, yatsibela phezu kwehagu eyayihleli phezu komqolo wembongolo, emva komfama.

“Tsiba, Kati ! Tsibela phezu kwenja,” watsho umfama. Yenjenjalo ke nayo ikati , yatsibela phezu kwenja eyayihleli phezu kwehagu, yona eyayihleli phezu komqolo wembongolo, emva komfama.

“Tsiba, Mqhagi! Tsibela phezu kwekati ,” watsho umfama. Wenjenjalo ke nawo umqhagi, watsibela phezu kwekati , eyayihleli phezu kwenja, inja yona eyayihleli phezu kwehagu, ihagu yona ihleli kumqolo wembongolo, emva komfama.

Bangena endleleni ke, bahamba. Nqakra-nqakra, nqakra … nqakra, nqakra … nqakra! Bathi xa bekude kufuphi emlanjeni, imbongolo yaziva idinwe kakhulu ngoku.

Kuthe kusenjalo, kwathi gqi umvundla owawumi kanye apha phambi kwabo.

Umvundla wabajonga waze wathi, “Kriiiiii! Kriiiiii! Ungumfama okhohlakeleyo. Ingaba yenze ntoni le mbongolo yakho ukuze ifumane esinje sona isohlwayo? Apho ndivela khona, wonke umntu uphathwa ngobubele.” Emva koko wathi, “Kriiiiii! Kriiiiii!” phambi kokuba uthi shwaka umvundla, utshone ematyholweni.

Umfama wacinga malunga noko kwakuthethwe ngumvundla. Weva kakubi kakhulu kuye ngaphakathi. Umfama wayefuna ukuwuxelela umvundla zonke izinto ezithe zathethwa kuye apho endleleni, kodwa umvundla wawusele ungasabonakali.

Emva kwamanyathelo nje ambalwa, imbongolo yasuka yema, yaza ngephanyazo yaguqa ngamadolo. Umqhagi wakhonya waza wabhabha. Ikati yakhala, yatsibela phantsi. Inja yakhonkotha, yabaleka. Ihagu yakhala yaziqengqela emhlabeni.

Umfama wehla kwimbongolo yakhe, waze wonwaya intloko. Wajonga imbongolo yakhe ediniweyo waze waya kuyikhelela amanzi. Umfama wazikhumbula zonke izinto ezazithethwe kuye lo gama yena nezilwanyana zakhe babehamba endleleni. Wacinga, wacinga waze wagqiba kwelokuba akasoze aphinde enze nje into ayixelelwayo. Wazixelela ukuba kufuneka ayicingisise kakuhle into kuqala, ze abone ukuba ingaba yinto elungileyo kusini na. Emva koko ke uya kuthi axelele nezilwanyana zakhe loo nto ithethwayo ukuze bonke baxoxe ngayo khona ukuze bafikelele kwisigqibo sento abafanele ukuyenza.

Umfama wabiza imbongolo yakhe, ihagu yakhe, inja yakhe, ikati yakhe kunye nomqhagi wakhe baze bahlala phantsi emthunzini womthi wemarula. Lo gama babehleli apho, umfama wacela ukuba imbongolo imxolele.

Ukususela ngaloo mini, babangabona bahlobo bathandanayo. Kwaye ukususela ngaloo mini ukuya phambili, umfama wayesoloko eziphethe ngobubele zonke izilwanyana zakhe.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Khuthaza abantwana bakho ukuba benze umfama osebalini kunye nezilwanyana zakhe nge-Plasticine okanye intlama okanye udongwe lokudlala. Emva koko funda ibali ngokuvakalayo kwakhona lo gama abantwana bakho besebenzisa abalinganiswa babo ababenze nge-Plasticine/ngentlama/ngodongwe lokudlala ukuze benze umdlalo weqonga.