Endulo, indawo ephansi kweTable Mountain esesiyibiza ngokuthi yiKapa manje, yayomile futhi ingenalutho. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakuthiwa iTable Mountain yayakhiwe ngengilazi kanye nokuthi kwakukhona imbila enomlingo eyayikunika lokho okufisayo, eyayihlala phezulu esicongweni.

Amadoda kanye nabesifazane babevela kuzo zonke izindawo zaseNingizimu Afrika bazame ukuqwala intaba eyingilazi ukuze bayofika embileni enomlingo, kodwa amacala entaba ayeshibilika kakhulu, futhi ngisho babezama kangakanani, akekho owayefinyelela esicongweni.

Ngelinye ilanga, kwafika eKapa umfanyana obizwa ngoKhwezi. Wayefuna ukufinyelela esicongweni sentaba. Ngalobo busuku, waya endle wahlangana noNgwe.

“We Ngwe,” kusho uKhwezi, “Kukhona okuhle engicela ungenzele kona. Uma ungangisiza, ngiyethembisa ukuthi ngizogcwalisa lo mhlaba owomile, ongenalutho ngezitshalo nezilwane. Angeke uphinde ulambe futhi.”

UNgwe owayesefile yindlala wabuka umfana wamhalela. “Kungani kumele ngikusize? Uyazi nje ukuthi, ngingavele ngikudle,” kusho uNgwe ekhotha izindebe zakhe. UNgwe wathi ukucabacabanga ngalokho okwakushiwo uKhwezi wase ethi, “Empeleni kumnandi ukuzwa ngezwe eligcwele izitshalo nezilwane. Ngiyavuma-ke. Udingani?”

“Umuhle kakhulu ekucaceni, kanti ngamazipho akho abukhali, kumele sikwazi ukufinyelela esicongweni sentaba eyingilazi,” kusho uKhwezi, ebeba kuNgwe.

Bahamba ehlane, benqamula indawo eyomile, baze bayofika entabeni eyingilazi.

Ngaphansi kwentaba eyingilazi, uNgwe wafaka amazipho akhe ezinhlangothini eziyingilazi ezishelelayo wase eqala ukukhuphuka. Kwathatha isikhathi eside ngoba babekhwela kancane, kancane. Bathi sebephakathi nokucaca intaba, uNgwe waphefumula kakhulu wathi. “Sengikhathele kakhulu ukuthi ngingaqhubeka,” washo, elala encika engilazini. “Kuyinto engenzeke ukuthi sifike esicongweni sentaba, nangamazipho ami imbala.”

UNqe, owayeyinyoni enkulu eyesabekayo, wayezula esibhakabhakeni phezu kwabo.

“Nginecebo,” kusho uKhwezi, “ake silale la bese senza sengathi sifile.”

Base belala engilazini benza sengathi bafile. Kungekudala uNqe wehlela kubo, ecabanga ukuthi uthole into emnandi azoyidla.

“Kwaze kwaconsisa amathe lokhu,” kusho uNqe. “Ngaze nganenhlanhla!”

“Hhiya!” kumemeza uKhwezi, egxuma esuka emhlane kaNgwe ebambelela emazisheni kaNqe. Wabambelela waqinisa. UNqe waklewula ngokumangala wase endiza eya esibhakabhakeni, ethwele uKhwezi. UNgwe wababuka behamba baze behla beshona phansi ohlangothini lwentaba.

“Ufunani kimi?” kubuza uNqe, ehluleka ukundiza.

“UNqe,” kusho uKhwezi, “ngabe ungangindizisa ungise esicongweni sentaba? Uma wenzenjalo, ngizogcwalisa le ndawo eyomile, engenalutho ngezitshalo nezilwane. Ngeke uphinde ulambe futhi.”

“Kuzwakala kukuhle lokho,” kusho uNqe, “kanti nami ngilambe kakhulu. Kulungile, ngizozama ukukundizisela ukuyokufikisa esicongweni sentaba eyingilazi.”

Ngakho uNqe wandiza noKhwezi waya phezulu emafini. Kwathatha isikhathi eside, kodwa ekugcineni bafika esicongweni sentaba. UKhwezi wagxuma esuka kuNqe wehlela endaweni eyisicaba phezu kwentaba eyingilazi.

“Sawubona,” kusho izwi elithambile.

UKhwezi wabona imbila esagolide ihleli ekhushinini lezimbali ezincane ezinsomi, lidla umucu omude wotshani obuphuzi.

“Kufanele engabe nguwe imbila enomlingo,” kusho uKhwezi.

“Ngiyiyo,” kusho imbila. “Yini oyifisayo? Ngingakwenza ube umuntu ocebe ukudlula kubo bonke abantu emhlabeni; noma mhlawumbe ufuna ukuba muhle, noma ukuduma.”

UKhwezi wacabanga ngazo zonke lezi zinto wase ecabanga ngoNgwe, kanye noNqe, kanye nabo bonke abantu abalambile abahlala endaweni esesiyibiza ngokuthi iKapa.

“Cha,” kusho uKhwezi, “Ngifisa ukugcwalisa yonke le ndawo eyomile, engenalutho ngezitshalo kanye nezilwane.”

“Kulungile uma usho kanjalo-ke,” kusho imbila enomlingo, icwayiza.

Kwezwakala kuthi BHA kakhulu! Kwase kugcwala izinhlansi ezisagolide esibhakabhakeni. UKhwezi wacimeza wase ephinde ewavula amehlo, intaba yayingeseyona ingilazi, yase ingeyasendle, ingeyendalo, igcwele izitshalo eziningi ezinhle, njengoba zikhona namhlanje. Wabuka izwe elikude, wase ebona ukuthi laligcwele izitshalo kanye nezilwane. UNqe wadlula endiza ngokumamatheka okukhulu ebusweni bakhe. UKhwezi wabheka imbila yomlingo, kodwa yase inyamalele.

Endleleni yakhe ehla entabeni, uKhwezi wathola uNgwe elele emthunzini wesihlahla.

“Usebenzile,” kusho uNgwe, ozela.

UKhwezi wamumbambatha wase eqhubeka nokuhamba ehla entabeni. Lapho esefika ezansi, uKhwezi wahlangabezwa iqulu labantu elamhalalisela lase limthwala emahlombe alo. Base beba nedili elikhulu lokugubha. Emva kwesikhathi eside kwafika nabanye abantu bazohlala endaweni ezungeze iTable Mountain, bakha idolobha kamuva elabizwa ngokuthi yiKapa.