Endulo mhlamnene, indawo esezantsi kweNtab’ eTafile nesiyibiza ngokuba yiKapa namhlanje, yayomile kwaye ingumqwebedu. Ngelo xesha, kwakusithiwa iNtab’ eTafile yayenziwe ngeglasi kwaye imbila enomlingo neyayifezekisa iminqweno yoluntu, yayihlala encotsheni yaloo ntaba.

Amadoda nabafazi ababevela kuzo zonke iinkalo zoMzantsi Afrika, babezama ukunyuka intaba yeglasi ukuze bafikelele kwimbila enomlingo, kodwa ukuthambeka kwentaba kwakutyibilikisa kakhulu kwaye nokuba babezama kangakanani na, akukho namnye owayekwazi ukufikelela encotsheni yentaba.

Ngenye imini, inkwenkwana encinane ebizwa ngokuba nguKhwezi yafika eKapa. UKhwezi wayefuna ukunyuka afikelele encotsheni yentaba. Ngobo busuku, waya ethafeni waze wadibana neHlosi.

“Hlosi,” watsho uKhwezi, “ndicela undincede. Ukuba uthe wandinceda, ndiyathembisa ukuba ndiza kuwuzalisa lo mhlaba womileyo, nongumqwebedu ngezityalo nezilwanyana. Soze niphinde nilambe kwakhona.”

IHlosi layijonga le nkwenkwana ngamehlo endlala. “Yintoni ezakwenza ndikuncede? Ndingasuka nje ndikutye ngokulula, uyazi,” latsho iHlosi lilenca imilebe yalo. Kodwa iHlosi laphinda lacinga nzulu ngesithembiso sikaKhwezi laze lathi, “Enyanisweni, umhlaba ozaliswe zizityalo nezilwanyana uvakala ubukeka ngokumangalisa. Ndiyavuma ndiza kukunceda. Ufuna ntoni?”

“Uyincutshe yokugwencela, kwaye ngeenzipho zakho ezibukhali, singakwazi ukufikelela encotsheni yentaba yeglasi,” watsho uKhwezi, ebelekeka kumqolo weHlosi.

Bahamba ethafeni, benqumla umhlaba owomileyo, bethe chu kuloo ndlela iya entabeni yeglasi.

Emazantsi entaba, iHlosi lafaka iinzipho zalo kulo glasi yentaba isecaleni netyibilikisayo, laze laqalisa ukunyuka. Kwabathatha ixesha elide kakhulu oko kwaye kwakufuneka ukuba benyuke ngokucotha kakhulu. Bathi xa sele benyuke isiqingatha somgama, iHlosi latsala umphefumlo laza latsho ngesingqala. “Ndidinwe kakhulu ukuba ndingaqhubeka phambili ngoku,” latsho, laze langqengqa loyama ngeglasi. “Akululanga ukufikelela encotsheni yale ntaba, nditsho nangezi nzipho zam.”

Ixhalanga, elaliyintaka enkulu neyoyikekayo, lalibhabha lijikeleza, lisenza isangqa phezulu esibhakabhakeni ngentla kwabo.

“Kukho iqhinga endinalo,” kutsho uKhwezi, “masilale apha phantsi, sense ngathi sifile.”

Bathe ke ngoko balala phantsi kulo glasi bazenza abafileyo. Kwakamsinyane, iXhalanga lathi ngcu ecaleni kwabo, licinga ukuba lifumene into emnandi yokutya.

“Engako yona incasa,” latsho iXhalanga. “Ithamsanqa elingaka endilifumeneyo!”

“Hiya!” wakhwaza wenjenjalo uKhwezi, lo gama etsiba ukusuka kumqolo weHlosi ukuya kuthi nqaku iinzipho zeXhalanga. Wabambelela apho, eziqinise nkqi. IXhalanga lakhala lothukile laze lantinga ukuya esibhakabhakeni, lithwele uKhwezi lisenyuka naye. IHlosi lababukela besimka laze lazityibilikisa ngokucothayo ethambekeni lentaba, lisiya ezantsi.

“Ufuna ntoni kum?” labuza iXhalanga, lisokola ukubhabha.

“Xhalanga” watsho uKhwezi, “ungabhabha nam ude ufikelele encotsheni yentaba? Ukuba wenze njalo, ndiza kuwuzalisa lo mhlaba womileyo, ungumqwebedu ngezityalo nezilwanyana. Ngoko ke awusoze uphinde ulambe.”

“Oko kuvakala kumangalisa,” latsho iXhalanga, “kwaye ndilambe kakhulu kungoku. Kulungile, ndiza kuzama ndibhabhe ndikuse encotsheni yentaba yeglasi.”

Ngoko ke iXhalanga labhabha lenyusa uKhwezi ladlula emafini. Kwabathatha ixesha elide kakhulu, kodwa ekugqibeleni bafika encotsheni yentaba. UKhwezi watsibela phantsi wawela kumphezulu osicaba wentaba yeglasi.

“Molo,” kwatsho ilizwi elimnandi.

UKhwezi wabona imbila ebugolide ihleli kamnandi phezu kwesipha seentyatyambo ezincinane ezimfusa nezazingathi zingumqamelo, kwaye isitya isicithana eside sengca emthubi.

“Inokuba uyile mbila yomlingo kuthethwa ngayo,” watsho uKhwezi.

“Ewe ndiyiyo,” yatsho imbila. “Yintoni umnqweno wakho? Ndingakwenza ube sesona sityebi sikhulu ehlabathini, okanye mhlawumbi ufuna ukuba yinzwana, okanye umntu odumileyo.”

UKhwezi wacinga ngazo zonke ezo zinto waze wabuya wacinga ngeHlosi, kunye neXhalanga, kwakunye nabantu bonke abalambileyo abahlala kule ndawo ibizwa ngokuba yiKapa ngoku.

“Hayi,” watsho uKhwezi, “Ndinqwenela ukuzalisa lo mhlaba womileyo ungumqwebedu ngezityalo kunye nezilwanyana.”

“Xa ufuna njalo ke, ngumnqweno wakho,” yatsho imbila yomlingo, iqhwanyaza.

Kwavakala isandi esingxolayo esithi POP! zaze iintlantsi ezibugolide zazalisa isibhakabhaka. UKhwezi wacimela waze xa ewavula amehlo kwakhona, wabona ukuba intaba ayiseyiyo eyeglasi, yayilidlelo nethafakazi eliqhelekileyo kwaye yayizaliswe zizityalo ezimangalisayo, njengokuba kusenjalo nanamhlanje. Wajonga umhlaba okude kakhulu, waze wawubona uzaliswe zizityalo kunye nezilwanyana. IXhalanga labhabha ladlula kuye litsho ngoncumo olubanzi ebusweni balo. UKhwezi wakhangela imbila ebugolide, kodwa yayinyamalele.

Endleleni yakhe ehla entabeni, uKhwezi wafumana iHlosi lilele emthunzini womthi.

“Wenze kakuhle, ndiyavuyisana nawe,” latsho lihebhuza bubuthongo.

UKhwezi walimbambazela waze waqhubeka nokuhla intaba. Xa efika ezantsi, uKhwezi wayekhawulelwe ligquba labantu ababemthakazelela nabamphakamisela phezulu bamthwala emagxeni abo. Emva koko babhiyoza ngethekokazi elikhulu. Emva kwexesha elide abantu abaninzi kakhulu beza kuhlala kumhlaba ongqonge iNtab’ eTafile, kwaye bakha isixeko esaye sathiywa igama lokuba liKapa, ekuhambeni kwexesha.