UNgonyama wayengukumkani wezilo. Umgqumo wakhe owoyikekayo wawusenza amagqabi emithini angcangcazele. Ixesha lakhe elininzi wayezingela ukutya aze agcakamele ilanga alale. Wayezidla ngaloo mgqumo wakhe woyikekayo, ezidla ngamazinyo akhe neenzipho ezibukhali, kodwa eyona nto wayezidla ngayo ukogqitha zonke ezinye yayiyingubo yakhe ebuboya obubugolide nesingci sakhe.

Ngenye imini esasela equleni, uNgonyama waqaphela ukuba isingci sakhe sikhangeleka sinamatshanda. “Kwenzeka ntoni ngoku?” wazibuza bubhavuma. Waguquka buzibhenca waze waqaphela ukuba kukho isihlwitha esixhwithekileyo kobo boya bakhe bubugolide busemqolo. UNgonyama wakhathazeka kakhulu koku. Ayikwazi kaloku ingonyama ukungabinabo uboya kunye nesingci. Wabaleka waya kubonana noGqirha Fudo ukuze afumanise ukuba angenza ntoni na ukukhusela uboya bakhe.

“Amhhh,” watsho uGqirha Fudo ekwezinzulu iingcinga. “Le yimeko embi kakhulu ebangelwa kokuthile, kodwa andiqinisekanga ukuba yintoni. Mandikhe ndicinge …”

“Owu hayini! Oku kuvakala ngathi yimeko emandundu,” wakhefuzela efixiza uNgonyama, kodwa kwakungasayi kunceda ukukhala kwengonyama enkulu kangako. Amadolo akhe ayengevezela. “Ingaba … ingaba ndiza kuphila?” wabuza ekhefuzela.

“Ngokuqinisekileyo uza kuphila,” wahleka uGqirha Fudo, “ingxaki kukuba uthe mome ziintakumba. Kufuneka uhambe uye kucela uNkawu akuphendle, achobe ezi ntakumba zakho. Emva koko uza kuba ngumqabaqaba.”

“Iintakumba? Yiloo nto nje kuphela?” wabuza uNgonyama kuthe qabu. Wabulela kuGqirha Fudo waze wakhawuleza ukuya kukhangela uNkawu.

UNkawu wayephezu kwentlondi njengesiqhelo. Wayehleli emthini egibisela ngeengwenye ezibolileyo inxagu ezonqenelayo neyayigcakamele ilanga, ilele.

“Nkawu!” wagquma watsho uNgonyama. UNkawu wothuka phantse wawa nakuloo mthi wayekuwo. “Nkawu, ungandinceda uze kundiphendla, uchobe ezi ntakumba kobu boya bam?” wabuza uNgonyama.

“Ewe, Kumkani oHloniphekileyo,” washwantshwatha watsho uNkawu elahla loo ngwenye yakhe yokugqibela phantsi waze wehla emthini ngokukhawuleza.

UNgonyama wayecambalele kwelo langa lishushu kamnandi lo gama uNkawu aphendla, echoba isingci kunye nesikhumba sakhe. UNkawu waqhubeka nokuphendla echoba. Wakama, evuthulula. Ilanga lalishushu kamnandi waze kwakamsinyane uNgonyama walala yoyi ubuthongo.

Ukuvuka kwakhe uNgonyama wafumanisa ukuba akakwazi ukushukuma. Wagquma ngumsindo akufumanisa ukuba uNkawu ubophelele umsila wakhe emthini. Ngokumane ezitsala ezixhuzula ngamandla ezibhijabhija, iqhina elibophelele umsila wakhe lalisiya liqina ngokuqina. UMqha omncinane wayebukele ngalo mehlo akhe makhulu ngathi zisosi esemthini lo gama uNgonyama ezibhijabhija, ezitsalatsala.

“Ndingakunceda, Ngonyama,” watsho uMqha emsizela, “kodwa kwakufuneka undithembise ukuba awuzukunditya.”

UNgonyama wayediniwe yiloo mizamo yakhe. “Hayi soze ndikutye,” watsho sele ekhefuzela. Isisu sakhe sasingxola. UMqha wayekhangeleka esoyika. “Ndiyathembisa soze ndikutye!” watsho uNgonyama.

UMqha wehla emthini waze waqalisa ukukhulula elo qhina ngalo minwe yakhe mide nengcekengceke. Ekugqibeleni uNgonyama wakhululeka. Wabulela kuMqha waze wahamba indlela yakhe.

Esahamba njalo, uNgonyama wacinga ngesenzo sikaNkawu waze wanomsindo kakhulu. Wagqiba kwelokuba amfundise isifundo uNkawu. Waxelela ezinye izilwanyana ukuba zilinde iintsuku ezintlanu zize emva kwazo zixelele uNkawu ukuba uNgonyama ufile.

Emva kweentsuku ezintlanu izilwanyana zaya kuNkawu zamxelela ukuba zilusizi ukuvakalisa ukuba uNgonyama ufile. UNxagu wazililisa. Izilwanyana zaxelela uNkawu ukuba zigqibe ukuba zibenetheko lokuthi ndlela-ntle kuNgonyama. UNkawu wayewathanda amatheko, ngoko ke wavumela phezulu esithi. “Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiza kuba lapho!”

Ngaloo mva kwemini wabukela izilwanyana zifole ecaleni komzimba omkhulu wengonyama, zimane zidlula kuyo nganye nganye, ziphulula isingci sayo, ziyiphuza entloko zisithi ndlela-ntle. UNkawu wangcileza emane esima ngalo umlenze aphinde ame ngalowaa. Wayenethemba lokuthi ndlela-ntle kuNgonyama ngokukhawuleza ukuze adlulele ekutyeni kwetheko.

Xa efika kwintloko yeNgonyama, wathoba waze washwantshwatha esithi, “Hamba kakuhle siyathandini sekati endala. Ndikufumene, ndakuqhatha kakuhle.”

Amehlo kaNgonyama avuleka ngephanyazo waze waxhuma ngoM-G-Q-U-M-O! UNkawu woyika kakhulu kangangokuba waya kuwa ngomqolo, wagqoloda.

Ngokukhawuleza uNkawu waphakama wema ngeenyawo, wagqotsa ukuya kukhwela kowona mthi ukufutshane, apho wahlala khona eshwantshwatha, engcangcazela kukoyika. UNgonyama wagquma kwakhona etyityimbisela uNkawu uthupha lwakhe olukhulu, “Wena kunye nazo zonke ezinye iinkawu ningaze nihle emithini kwakhona! Ukuba nihlile, ndiyanithembisa ukuba nakuba sisidlo sam sangokuhlwa!”

Kude kube nanamhlanje oku, iinkawu zihlala emithini ixesha lazo lonke, zingenasibindi sokuzama ukwehla kuba zisoyika ukuba sisidlo sikaNgonyama esilandelayo.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Mema abantwana bakho ukuba bazobe umfanekiso wendawo esebalini apho uNkawu abukele ezinye izilwanyana zidlula kumzimba wengonyama. Bacebise ukuba bazobe amaqamza eentetho okanye aweengcinga zikaNgonyama, ezikaNkawu nawezinye izilwanyana, baze ke babhale amagama okanye bazobe imifanekiso kuloo maqamza ukubonisa ukuba zicinga ntoni na okanye zithini na izilwanyana.