UCassidy Ann nodadewabo omdala, uTrixie, babelinde emotweni. UMkhulu wayesangene esitolo sezinto zasengadini kodwa engezukuthatha isikhathi eside. Izindawo zokupaka zazingenalutho ngaphandle kweloli elalime ngaphesheya kwesiphethu. Iloli laligcwele izitshalo, kanti kwakunamadoda ayezehlisa ezifaka ezinqoleni ukuze zingeniswe esitolo.

UCassidy Ann wayekwazi ukubona ngaleya kocingo uMkhulu ehamba phakathi kwezinhlu zezitshalo. Wayezama ukukhetha isihlahlana sezimbali zamarozi ayezosithenga.

Kusenjalo kwawa iklabishi lisuka phezulu elolini. Layogqoma phansi enhlabathini, lase ligingqika ledlula esiphethwini esihazayo.

“Ukubonile yini lokho, Trixie?” kubuza uCassidy Ann. “Leliya klabishi liwe elolini.”

UTrixie waphakamisa amehlo ewasusa encwadini. “Pho-ke?” ebuza. “Yiklabishi nje.”

UCassidy Ann wabuka elindele ukuthi othile alibone iklabishi bese elicosha. Kodwa la madoda ayematasatasa kakhulu, ayengabonanga nokuthi alisekho. Iklabishi lagingqika lagingqika njalo ezindaweni zokupaka liqonde emotweni yabo. Lafike lama eduze nje kwemoto. UCassidy Ann wavula isicabha ukuze alicoshe.

“Wenzani?” kubuza uTrixie, ephenqa ikhasi. “UMkhulu uthe sihlale phakathi emotweni.”

UCassidy Ann wavala isicabha.Wahlala emotweni, ekhathazekile ngeklabishi. Wabona amadoda esegibela futhi elolini. “Ngizohamba isikhathi esincane nje,” kwasho yena, evula isicabha semoto futhi, “ukwenzela ukubuyisela iklabishi kula madoda aselolini.”

Amadoda ayesevele elungele ukuhamba. Ayegaklaza izicabha kanti nomshayeli wayesevele eyidumisa iloli.

“Kulungile,” kwasho uTrixie, “kodwa uma uMkhulu ebuya ethola ungekho, akulona iphutha lami lelo.”

Ngakho uCassidy Ann wehla emotweni, wathatha iklabishi wayesegijima nalo ebheke elolini.

Kodwa kwase kungemuva kwendaba. Umshayeli wayengazange ambone. Umshayeli walisusa iloli, uCassidy Ann wasala emile endaweni yokupaka izimoto, ephethe isigaxa esikhulu seklabishi.

“Ngizokwenzenjani-ke manje?” wazibuza. “Akulona elami, kodwa futhi angikwazi ukuliphindisela. Ngabe kumele ngilishiye lapha? Noma ngihambe nalo ngiye ekhaya ngilinike uGogo alipheke?”

Khona manjalo iklabishi laqala ukunyakaza! Lanyakaza ngamandla ngangokuthi kwaba nzima kuCassidy Ann ukuthi alibambe. Lanyakaza kakhulu ngamandla lase liqala ukugxumagxuma ezingalweni zakhe. Emva kwalokho Woshi! Nke! Lagxuma landiza emoyeni, ntweziyane nalo uCassidy Ann.

Landizela phezulu, laze lafika esicongweni sesihlahla sikakwatapheya eside kakhulu. Laphinde lehla futhi, uCassidy Ann esalokhu elibambe ngqi, kwaphinde kwathi GQO-O-OMU! lagqoma emgwaqweni lase lintweza liya phezulu futhi, kulokhu laqonda ophahleni lwesitolo sezinto zengadi.

Kwakumnandi ukuba lapho phezulu. UCassidy Ann wayekwazi ukubona yonke into – abantu bethenga izitshalo esitolo sezinto zengadi, owesifazane ehamba nezinja zakhe eceleni komfula, iminduze esiphethwini, noTrixie efunda incwadi yakhe emotweni. Kwakumnandi lapha.

Kodwa emva kwalokho iklabishi laqala ukugxuma futhi. Lalinyakaza liqhaqhazela futhi ligxuma liya phansi naphezulu, uCassidy Ann sekumele alibambisise ukuze alivimbe lingasuki kuye.

“Uyaphi manje?” wamemeza ngenkathi iklabishi linyakaza kanye, kabili, kathathu … emva kwalokho shwi-i-i-i-i emoyeni, laphinde lathi shwi-i-i selehla libheke phansi. Gxumbu-u-u! selisho phakathi esiphethwini, lasaphaza amanzi yonke indawo, labuye labheka phezulu, uCassidy Ann esalinkonkoshele, egegetheka, ebuye ephonseka emthonjeni. Kwabuye kwaba namanzi amaningi athela intokazi eyayisithukuthele iphethe isixha sezimbali.

Lasuka laya phezulu, phezulu, phezulu futhi, uCassidy Ann waze wezwa sekunuka amafu, wawezwa esemanzisa nezingubo zakhe. Laya phezulu, phezulu, phezulu, imoto kaMkhulu yaze yabonakala isincane njengethoyizi lemoto. UCassidy Ann wambona uMkhulu ephuma esitolo sezinto zasengadini, eqhuba inqola enesihlahla sezimbali zamarozi ezinameva. Iklabishi laqala ukuvevezela, lanyakaza lase liqala ukwehla laya phansi, phansi, phansi. UCassidy Ann wavele wazi nje ukuthi uzowela esihlahleni sezimbali zamarozi esinameva, ngakho waqala ukumemeza kakhulu, “Mkhulu, qaphela, Mkhulu!”

UMkhulu wabheka phezulu wayesethi, “Cassidy Ann, mihlola mini lena oyenzayo undize e …” Ngenkathi uCassidy esezowela esihlahleni sezimbali zamarozi esinameva, uMkhulu welula izingalo zakhe wabamba uCassidy Ann. Wathi uyazimelela wageja, yibo labaya beyowela esiphethwini. Ngenhlanhla kwakungasasele manzi amaningi esiphethwini, kodwa ixoxo elalikhona lethuka kakhulu, lagxuma laphuma, lizikhalela. UMkhulu wahlala emanzini kuneqabunga lomnduze elithandele ekhanda lakhe, kanti ingubo kaCassidy Ann yayisiluhlaza, futhi ishelela ngenxa yokhula lwesiziba.

UTrixie weza esegijima, wasiza ukusukumisa uMkhulu. “Kwenzekeni?” ebuza. “Kwenzeke kanjani ukuthi nobabili niwele esiphethwini?”

“UCassidy Ann ungidudulile,” kwasho uMkhulu. “Ngicabanga ukuthi yilokho okwenzekile! Angikhumbuli kahle.”

“Bekuyiklabishi lemilingo eligxumayo,” kwachaza uCassidy Ann. “Ligxume nami laya esihlahleni, lase liya ophahleni, labuya leza esiphethwini, kwathi emva kwalokho laya phezulu emafini. Emva kwalokho labuya lehla nami lacishe langifaka esihlahleni samarozi sikaMkhulu.”

“Hhayi bo!” kusho uTrixie. “Awuve ugangile ngokwazi ukuqamba izindaba ezinjalo bese wenza sengathi ziliqiniso, Cassidy Ann! Ngokuzayo kumele wenze njengoba utsheliwe uhlale emotweni.”

UCassidy Ann wayefuna ukubakhombisa ukuthi wayengaziqambeli izindaba nje, ngakho waqalaza nxazonke ebheka iklabishi. Lalingasabonwa. Emva kwalokho walibona – liphezulu esibhakabhakeni selifana nenyoni. Inyoni eluhlaza okotshani ekhuluphele, igxuma yehla yenyuka emafini.

“Naliya,” washo ekhomba esibhakabhakeni. “Laphaya phezulu.”

Kodwa naphezu kwalokho babengamkholwa. Nokho uMkhulu wayengacasukile. Waqala wahleka nasendleleni eya ekhaya babelokhu behlekile.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Buza izingane zakho ukuthi zicabanga ukuthi iklabishi eligxumayo lingene kanjani elolini lezitshalo ekuqaleni kwendaba. Manje-ke phakamisa ukuthi zisebenzise imibono yazo ukubhala isiqephu esingafakwa endabeni ngaphambi kokuthi iqale.