Ngobunye ubusuku obumnyama thsu, u-Onke wayelele yoyi kwibhedana yakhe encinane, eyayikwigunjana lakhe, kwindlu awayehlala kuyo noMama, uPapa, uMakhulu, kunye nenjana esisilo-qabane sakhe uPuppy. UPuppy wayelele naye kwingutyana ebomvu emazantsi ebhedi ka-Onke. Wayerhona ngokuzolileyo ephupha ngathi ubamba oonomatse epakini.

Ngephanyazo u-Onke weva ingxolokazi enkulu waze wothuka, esoyika. “Yingxolo yantoni ngoku leyo?” watsho engcangcazela. Wayitsala ingubo yakhe, wazigquma. “Ndiyathemba ukuba ayilogongqongqo okanye isiporho esoyikekayo eso. Andizithandi mna tu iziporho.”

KRWAM! “Nantso kwakhona,” watsho, ezama ukuzomeleza. “Kufuneka ndijonge ukuba yenziwa yintoni na loo ngxolo.” Ngoko ke u-Onke wathatha itotshi yakhe eluhlaza neyenziwe ngeplastiki awayeyibeke etafileni eyayisecaleni kwebhedi yakhe, waza wakhanyisa ngayo, ejikelezisa ilitha layo kwelo gunjana lakhe.

“Ucinga ukuba le ngxolo yenziwa sisiporho?” u-Onke ubuza uPuppy, owayesalele yoyi ephupha ngathi usukela oonamatse. U-Onke wambambazela entloko uPuppy.

HUU! HUU! Kwavakala ingxolo entsha ngoku isitsho ngaphandle.

“Ingaba sisiporho eso?” kwabuza u-Onke, ekhanyisa ngetotshi yakhe, eyijolise efestileni.

Wabona into enkulu, etyebileyo nebrawuni ngombala, eneentsiba nomlomo otyheli, neyayihleli kwisebe lomthi owawungaphandle. U-Onke wahleka waze wathi, “Ayisosiporho esi. Sisikhova nje esikhulu, esihleli emthini ngaphandle kwegumbi lam. Kodwa kazi ukuba yintoni na le yenza le ngxolo ikrwamzayo?”

HUU! HUU! Isikhova esikhulu satweza amaphiko aso sabhabha, semka sinqumla esitiyeni.

“Izikhova zizingela iimpuku ebusuku, yiyo le nto abantu bengaziboni kwaphela izikhova emini. Lithamsanqa ukubona isikhova,” watsho u-Onke. “Akunjalo na Puppy?”

Kodwa uPuppy wayesalele yoyi, ngoko ke u-Onke wamphulula kweso siswana sakhe sinoboya waze warhona nangakumbi uPuppy, eguquguquka kuloo ngutyana yakhe ibomvu.

“Mhlawumbi kukoyika nje,” wazicingela njalo u-Onke. Kodwa wathi xa esagqiba kutsho, wabona into emnyama neyoyikekayo ekoneni yegumbi lakhe. Le nto yayikhangeleka njengegongqongqo elikhulu elineempiko zexhalanga kunye neenzipho zengonyama namabamba amade afana nawenxagu.

“Ingaba sisiporho eso?” watsho, ekhanyisa ngetotshi yakhe kuloo kona yegumbi. U-Onke waphela yintsini akubona ukuba yintoni na kanye-kanye leyo. “Ayisosiporho esi! Ziimpahla zam ezimdaka, ezijinga esitulweni. Bendifanele ukuba ndizisusile ezi mpahla nanjengoko umama ebendiyalele. Akunjalo na Puppy?” Kodwa uPuppy wayesalele yoyi kwaye ngoku wayevuza nezinkcwe, zivuzela kuloo ngubo yakhe ibomvu.

“Kodwa ibisisandi santoni bethu esiya sikrwamzelayo nebendisive kuqala,” kwatsho u-Onke. KRWAM! Waphinda wayiva loo ngxolo waze wangcangcazela wabanda. “Inokuba sisiporho ngenene ke eso,” wazicingela njalo, “kwaye sivakala ngathi sibhabha apha ngaphandle kwegumbi lam.”

U-Onke wazama ukuziqinisa, nangona amadolo akhe ayengevezela okwejeli. Wakroba ezimele emva kocango lwegumbi lakhe, wajonga kuloo paseji imnyama.

Kodwa kwakungekho nto apho, izizihlangu nje zabazali bakhe ezazoyanyiswe ngodonga kuphela, kunye nesitya samanzi kaPuppy esasisemethini encinane. U-Onke wakhasa ekhaphethini eyayisepasejini, wadlula kwigumbi lokulala labazali bakhe, waze waya kukroba ekhitshini.

“Isiporho!” wakhwaza, ekhanyisa ngetotshi yakhe kwisithunzi esimnyama esasimi ngasesitovini. Isiporho sasinxibe iipijama ezizuba ezihonjisiweyo nezazithiwe wambu ngoboya begusha.

“Ziipijama zikaMakhulu ezo,” watsho u-Onke. “Uzibele ntoni iipijama zikaMakhulu, Siporhondini?” U-Onke wakhanyisa ngetotshi yakhe ukuze abone ubuso besiporho. Tyhini nguMakhulu!

“Onke,” watsho uMakhulu, ethe ng’a umlomo kukothuka. “Indlela ondoyikise ngayo. Bendicinga ukuba usisiporho.”

“Mna ke bendicinga ukuba nguwe isiporho,” watsho u-Onke, egigitheka. “Wenza ntoni ekhitshini ebusuku kangaka, Makhulu?”

“Ndiphuthelwe,” watsho uMakhulu, “ngoko ke ndeza apha ekhitshini ukuze ndifumane ubisi olushushu kunye neebhiskiti. Uyafuna ukufumana ishwamshwam lasezinzulwini zobusuku kunye nam?” U-Onke wancuma wanqwala.

Ngoko ke u-Onke kunye noMakhulu bahlala etafileni yasekhitshini bancokola ngokuzolileyo, bemana ukunkxuza iibhiskiti ezenziwe ngebhotolo ezikrwamzayo ezikomityini zabo zobisi olushushu. Emva koko benza isandweji eyojiweyo eneepikile, ihem, itshizi, itumato kunye nelethasi, baza bohlulelana ngayo.

Ukugqiba kwabo ukutya nokuphunga, bahlamba amazinyo abo okwesibini ngobo busuku. Emva koko ke u-Onke wathi busuku benzolo kuMakhulu, wabuyela kwigumbi lakhe lokulala. Ukuvula kwakhe ucango, uPuppy waxhuma wakhonkotha.

“Puppy,” watsho u-Onke, embambazela entloko, “ndim nje, njanana yam. Ingaba ucinga ukuba ndisisiporho?”

UPuppy wakhotha ubuso bakhe waze waziqengqela kwingutyana yakhe ebomvu.

“Ngokuhlwanje ndisombulule iqhina elinzima. Ingaba uyayazi loo nto, Puppy?” wabuza u-Onke.

Kodwa uPuppy wayesele ezisongile, ewavale mba amehlo akhe.

“Oko kukhangeleka njengelona cebo lakhayo,” watsho u-Onke. “Busuku benzolo, Puppy.”

“Busuku benzolo,” kwatsho isiporho esinobubele esasisesilingini, nesasigqitha kwelo gumbi lakhe ukuya kukhangela ubisi olushushu kunye neebhiskiti ukuze sitye.

Kodwa u-Onke wayesele elele yoyi yena.