Kudala-dala kwamhlamnene, kwakukho indoda eyayihamba igoduka emva kokuba yayityelele iindawo ezininzi nezahlukileyo zase-Afrika kuhambo lweminyaka emininzi. Le ndoda yayibhityile kwaye ilambile, kwaye nemali yayo yayiphele tu. “Ndidinwe kakhulu,” yazithethela le ndoda lo gama ihamba izirhuqa kuloo ndlela igodukayo. “Akwaba bendisekhaya nebhedi entofontofo, kwaye ndihluthi kukutya okushushu.”

Ekugqibeleni yafika elalini. “Aha, nazi izindlu zisithi thu,” wazithethela. “Kuza kuthi gqi umntu onobubele, oza kundipha ukutya okushushu, ndiqinisekile.” Wankqonkqoza kulo umnyango nakulowa, kodwa impendulo yayisoloko inye:

“Hayi khawuhambe wethu. Asinakutya kuseleyo thina.”

“Nam ndilambe oku kwam, uxolo, andinanto.”

“Hamba uye kufuna umsebenzi. Andizikukunika nto tu-tu-tu.”

Le ndoda yabalusizi kakhulu. Yahlala ecaleni kwendlela, ikhedamile, nezandla zisezidleleni. “Ingaba ndiza kwenza njani bethu?” yacinga njalo. “Ukuba andifumani kutya kwakamsinyane ndiza kulamba ndide ndife.” Wababukela abantu bedlula kuye endleleni apho. “Bonke bayagoduka, bayokutya ukutya okushushu,” wayecinga njalo. “Akwaba bendingomnye wabo.”

Kwathi qatha icebo elikrelekrele. Wabasa umlilo waze wamisa imbiza yakhe. Wayizalisa imbiza ngamanzi aze abila amanzi kwakamsinyane.

“Ndiza kupheka …” yatsho ikhwaza, “… imbiza enkulu yesuphu yelitye!”

Abafazi ababini bedlula apho besendleleni egodukayo, bevela emarikeni. “Upheka ntoni na wethu?” babuza.

“Isuphu yelitye,” yaphendula indoda.

“Isuphu yelitye?” watsho omnye kwabo bafazi. “Zange ndayiva isuphu yelitye ngaphambili.”

“Uza kugalela ntoni kuyo?” kwabuza omnye umfazi.

“Ndiza kukubonisa ngawo lo mzuzu,” yatsho le ndoda. Yafaka isandla epokothweni yayo yaze yakhupha ilitye eligudileyo nelingqukuva. “Ndiza kufaka le nto embizeni. Sisithako sobugqi esi. Ndilusizi kuba ndingenalo itswele neminqathe embalwa. Ukuba bendinazo ezo zinto, le ibiza kuba yeyona suphu inambithekayo.”

“Ina,” batsho aba bafazi. “Khawuleza ugalele embizeni yakho.”

Indoda yagalela itswele kunye neminqathe embizeni yaze yavala isiciko. Emva kwemizuzu embalwa le ndoda yangcamla isuphu yelitye. “Yami, yami, yami!” yadanduluka isitsho. “Enje ukuba mnandi isuphu! Zange ndangcamla nantoni na emnandi kangaka naphi na. Nditsho naseMalawi imbala, apho kuphekwa khona ezona suphu zimnandi.”

“Nceda wethu undingcamlise,” kwacela omnye kwaba bafazi.

Umhlobo wakhe wamtyhalela phaya ecaleni. “Ngcamlisa mna kuqala,” watsho esondela.

Ngoko ke le ndoda yagalela isuphu yelitye ekomityini, baze abafazi bayingcamla. Bamunca imilebe yabo.

“Imnandi ngokwenene,” abafazi batsho. “Ungumpheki wokwenene.” Kodwa babefuna ukwazi. “Ugalele ntoni kanye-kanye kule suphu?” bambuza.

“Andikwazi ukunixelela, ndiyithi phahaha iresipi,” yatsho le ndoda. “Yimfihlo.”

Emva koko indoda yabona inkwenkwe iphethe ingobozi yemifino. Yalinda yade yakufutshane kakhulu kuye loo nkwenkwe. Yathatha icephe layo yangcamla isuphu kwakhona.

“Enje ukuba mnandi isuphu,” yakhwaza yatsho ukuze inkwenkwe imve. “Zange ndangcamla nantoni na emnandi kangaka, naphi na. Nditsho naseMalawi, apho ezona suphu zimnandi ziphekwa khona. Ukuze ndiyipheke igqibelele ndifuna nje isipha semifino.”

Xhwenene inkwenkwana, yema. “Ndiza kukunika le mifino uyifunayo,” yatsho. “Kodwa ingaba wena emva koko uza kundingcamlisa kusini na isuphu yakho?” yabuza le nkwenkwana.

“Ewe, ndiza kukungcamlisa,” yatsho indoda. Yagalela imifino embizeni yaze, yazamisa. Emva koko yagalela intwana yesuphu ekomityini yaze yanika inkwenkwe leyo. “Ngoku ke, uza kuzivela xa ungcamla isithako sobugqi,” yatsho le ndoda. “Ingaba ayimnandanga?”

“Imnandi kakhulu,” yatsho inkwenkwana. “Ndiza kuxelela wonke ubani ukuba aze kuzingcamlela le suphu.”

Kungekudala kwabakho umtyangampho womngcelele wabemi baloo lali, belinde ukungcamla isuphu yelitye emnandi. Kodwa, phambi kokuba le ndoda ingcamlise nabani na, yayicela umntu lowo ukuba ayiphe ibhatata, ilungwana lenyama nentwana yetyuwa kunye nepepile. Zonke ezi zinto yayizigalela kule suphu. Umxube wawubila, untyontya kamnandi, ujiya ngokujiya kwaye usiba mnandi nangaphezulu, umzuzu nomzuzu.

Abantu abaninzi bajoyina kumngcelele lowo. Wonke umntu wayefuna ukongeza okuthile kule suphu. Kwaye, okukona abantu besongeza izinto, yaba kokukona isuphu ingcamleka ngcono nangakumbi, kwaye yayisanda ngokwanda.

Ngokuhlwa wonke umntu wayetyile kwaye nembiza yayingasenanto. Wonke umntu wayencumile kwaye onwabile. “Lo ngumpheki ophume izandla ngokwenene,” batsho abantu. “Inokuba ukupheka wakufundela kwibhotwe likakumkani, eMalawi.”

“Le yeyona suphu inambithekayo ndakhe ndayingcamla,” usodolophu waxelela le ndoda. “Yiza, uze kulalisa kwam ngobu busuku, ebhedini entofontofo enengubo eshushu. Kusasa uza kufundisa umpheki wam indlela oyipheka ngayo isuphu yakho.”

Indoda yancuma njengokuba ihlamba imbiza yayo engenanto. Le yayiyeyona suphu imnandi ngokwenene, kwaye akazange ahlawule nesenti ngayo. Emva koko le ndoda yafaka ilitye layo epokothweni yayo, yathatha imbiza yayo yaze yahamba ukuya endlwini kasodolophu ukuze ilale kamnandi ngobo busuku.