Ngenye imini uMandla wayezihambela ehlathini xa wathi wabona uNdlovu ezitshiza ngamanzi emlanjeni. Wayekhangeleka onwabe kakhulu uNdlovu. Iindlebe zakhe ezinkulu zibhakuzela emacaleni ngexa wayezitshiza ngamanzi, esebenzisa umboko wakhe omde.
“Molo,” watsho uMandla ebulisa uNdlovu ngobubele.
UNdlovu wamjongela phaya ezantsi uMandla ephakamise umboko wakhe.
“Molo, Mandla,” waphendula uNdlovu ngelizwi elikhulu.
“Yhu! Mhle lo mboko wakho. ” kutsho uMandla.
“Utsho le nto?” uNdlovu watsho ejonga umboko wakhe. “Mhlawumbi unyanisile, andazi.”
“Inokuba kumnandi xa uzitshiza ngawo xa kushushu,” kwatsho uMandla.
“Awuphelelanga apho tu kanti umsebenzi womboko wam Mandla,” kwatsho uNdlovu. “Ndiyakwazi nokukha iziqhamo emithini, nditsale namasebe emithi. Kananjalo ndiyakwazi nokwenza isandi esikhulu ngokumangalisayo xa ndithanda. Sithi thina oko kukubetha ixilongo! Yima ndikubonise.”
Watsho esolula umboko wakhe uNdlovu, wavuthela esithi Mprrrooohhh! Kwaphuma isandi esikhulu nesimnandi ngeyona ndlela. Sahlokomisa ihlathi lonke eso sandi, kwabhabha neentaka ezazihleli kumthi owawukufutshane nabo. UMandla naye wayonwabile, edanisa kuloo ngxolo, ehleka.
“Uyamangalisa umboko wakho,” watsho uMandla. “Nam ndiyawurhalela.”
Wahamba uMandla wangena ehlathini emshiya apho uNdlovu esadlala emlanjeni. Wayephakamise ingalo eyigobe phambi kwempumlo, elinganisa ukuma komboko wendlovu. Naye wayezama ukukha isihlahla samaqunube apho ehlathini. Kwathi kanti akajonganga apho ahamba, esiya ngakhona … GQUM! Waya kungqubeka entweni.
“Shu,” watsho, esiwa.
Uthe xa eyiqwalasela loo nto akhubeke kuyo wayibona ukuba inamabalabala antsundu kunye naorenji kwaye yayibonakala ngokungathi yinto ende kakhulu ngokuba yayibonakala ingathi ilingana kunye nemithi.
“Kwenzeka ntoni apho ezantsi?” latsho ilizwi livela phezulu.
“Ndlulamthi!” watsho uMandla ejonge phezulu.
“Uthini?” wabuza uNdlulamthi.
“Ndim, uMandla!”
“Uthi ungubani?” wabuza kwakhona uNdlulamthi.
Kusenjalo kwavela intloko kwelinye icala laloo ntamo inde apho phakathi kwemithi.
“Tyhini molo Mandla,” watsho uNdlulamthi.
“Molo, Ndlulamthi. Undixolele kuba ndingqubeke kuwe, kaloku ndilibele kukulinganisa uNdlovu nomboko wakhe, ngoku bendingajonganga apho bendihamba khona.”
“UNdlovu nomboko wakhe?” wabuza uNdlulamthi esolula intamo yakhe.
“Ewe, umboko wakhe uyamangalisa,” watsho uMandla. “Uyakwazi ukuzitshiza ngamanzi, ukukha iziqhamo emithini kwakunye nokwenza isandi esingxola njengexilongo.”
“Ndiyakuva,” watsho uNdlulamthi, “iyamangalisa ngenene loo nto, kodwa mna ndingenza okudlula oko ngale yam intamo.”
“Utsho kanjani?” wabuza uMandla ekhuphe amehlo.
“Mna ndifika enkcochoyini yemithi, apho kukho awona anencasa amagqabi. Kananjalo ndiyakwazi nokujonga ngaphaya kwemithi ukuze ndibone ukuba kukho ingozi ezayo kusini na. Nolwimi lwam lukhethekile,” watsho uNdlulamthi. “Lude kakhulu kwaye luqinile.” UNdlulamthi watsho ekhuphela ngaphandle olo lwimi lwakhe lude, lubumfusa ngombala. “Kwaye lomelele kakhulu loo nto yenze ukuba ndikwazi nokutya amagqabi emithi ehlabayo nenameva. Kaloku imithi enameva yeyona inamagqabi amnandi, inokuba uyayiqonda,” kwatsho uNdlulamthi.
“Yhu tana, akwaba nam bendimde njengawe, ukwenzela ukuba ndijonge ngaphezu kwemithi nditye naloo magqabi anencasa uthetha ngawo,” watsho encumile uMandla.
“Hayi suka wena kwedini,” kwatsho uNdlulamthi. “Wakhe wayibona phi inkwenkwana etya amagqabi? Uyayazi utsho wandikhumbuza ukuba lixesha lokufumana isidlo sam sasemini okwesibini. Sakuphinda sibonane ngelinye ixesha Mandla.”
Waqhubeka ke kwakhona uMandla ehamba apho ehlathini, ephakamise izandla zozibini elinganisa loo ntamo inde yendlulamthi, ekwaxhwitha namagqabi apho emithini.
“Yintoni le uyenzayo?” kwavakala ilizwi elipholileyo lisitsho.
Wothuka watsiba uMandla.
“Uxolo bendingafuni ukukothusa,” latsholo phantsi kwakhona elo lizwi. Apho ehlathini kwavela ibhadi elincinane elibungwevu namhlophe ngasezinyaweni.
“Kanti nguwe lo Bhadi!” watsho uMandla. “Andiqondi ukuba sikho esinye isilwanyana esizole njengawe.”
Wabobotheka uBhadi ngaloo mazwi. “Unobubele kakhulu wena, Mandla. Oku kuzola kuyandinceda ukuba ndihlale ndikhuselekile. Andizithandi izilwanyana ezingxolayo.”
“Liqhinga elihle eli lakho lokuzola,” kwatsho uMandla. “Nam ndiyakurhalela ukuchwechwa njengawe, Bhadi.”
“Kufuneka ukhe uzame nawe ngenye imini! Kuya kufuneka ukuba uziqhelise amaxesha amaninzi ukuze ubeyincutshe njengam kodwa. Sakuphinda sibonane Mandla,” watsho ebuyela enzulwini yehlathi uBhadi.
Wahamba kwakhona uMandla eqhubeka ngendlela yakhe apho ehlathini echwechwa, elinganisa uBhadi kodwa kwathi engekabiphi wakhubeka wawa phantsi kwinqumba yamagqabi. Wathi esalele apho phantsi weva intsini ezolileyo kaBhadi, wabe esithi tshe ngaloo mbala wakhe obungwevu, esithela ngaphaya kwetyholo. Waphakama uMandla wabaleka, ephinziza phakathi kwemithi egoduka. Wafika umama wakhe ephandle, esoneka iimpahla azihlambileyo.
“Mama?” watsho ethethela phantsi.
“Kwenzeka ntoni Mandla?” wabuza umama wakhe. “Kutheni ukhangeleka ungonwabanga nje?”
“Mama, kutheni mna ndingenawo umboko njengoNdlovu? Kutheni ndingenayo intamo ende njengoNdlulamthi? Kwaye kutheni ndingakwazi ukuchwechwa njengoBhadi? Bakrelekrele gqitha bebonke kwaye mna andiziva ndikhethekile njengabo konke-konke,” watsho ekhalaza uMandla.
Wagoba umama wakhe wamncamisa ebunzi.
“Mandla, kaloku ukuba ubunomboko njengoNdlovu, bendingasoze ndikwazi ukukuncamisa ebusuku xa ulala. Kwaye ukuba ubunentamo ende njengoNdlulamthi, bendingasoze ndikwazi ukukufunqula ndikujiwuzise ngeengalo kamnandi. Khawufane ucinge, ukuba ubuchwechwa njengoBhadi bendingaze ndikufumanekanjani ukuze ndikwange?”
Umama kaMandla wamsondeza kuye. “Wonke umntu ukhethekile ngendlela yakhe. Ndikuthanda ulolu hlobo ululo. Kwaye kum, ukhetheke ukogqitha zonke ezi zilwanyana zehlathi,” wagqibela ngelitshoyo umama wakhe.
Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!
Chita ixeshana nabantwana bakho nincokole ngezinto ezibenza bakhetheke. (Ungalibali ukubuza ukuba kutheni becinga ukuba bakhethekile!) Emva koko bacebise ukuba bazizobe bandule ke ukugqibezela esi sivakalisi sithi, “Ndingokhethekileyo kuba …” ezantsi kwemfanikiso yabo.
