USita wayehlala endlini encane, eyisikwele, emgwaqeni ongumncingo, eqeleni legquma. Bonke abomndeni wakhe babesebenza kanzima. Unina wayethunga amasari amahle abesifazane kanti uyise wayenza amasudi amahle amadoda.

Ngoba uyise nonina babengochwepheshe ezintweni abazenzayo, abantu abaningi babebacela ukuthi babenzele izimpahla zokugqoka. Kwakuhlale kunomsebenzi omningi okumele wenziwe, ngakho uSita nodadewabo babesiza abazali babo ngokuthunga. La mantombazane amabili ayehlala ekameleni lokulala elincane abelane izinto abuye asebenze ndawonye. Kodwa ngezinye izikhathi yayingekho indawo eyanele yabo bobabili KANYE nokuthunga ngakho babegcina sebeqala ukuphikisana.

Ngolunye usuku uSita wafikelwa umqondo. Kwakukusihlwa kusehlobo, wayesenquma ukuthatha umthungo wakhe aye nawo ophahleni oluyisicaba lwendlu yakubo encane eyisikwele. Lapho esephezulu ophahleni wayekwazi ukubona idolobha laphaya phansi bese kuthi kude lena abone igquma. Kodwa esikhundleni sezindlu eziningi eqeleni legquma, kwakukhona indlu eyodwa vo eyayakhiwe phezulu egqumeni.

Ngenkathi ilanga lishona noSita ewuqeda umsebenzi wakhe, isibani esisagolide sakhanga iso lakhe. Kwakuyindlu eyayiphezulu egqumeni, yayiyinhle. Amafasitela ayekhazimula njengegolide.

“Hha,” kusho uSita. “Ngifisa sengathi ngabe ngihlala endlini enjengaleya. Ngikholwa ukuthi banamakelo amakhulu nendawo eningi kuleya ndlu. Kufanele ukuthi ingcono kakhulu kuneyakithi.” Ngalobo busuku uSita wayiphupha indlu enamafasitela egolide.

Ekuseni ngakusasa, uSita nodadewabo badla isidlo sasekuseni ndawonye etafuleni elincane lasekhishini. “Nobabili mantombazane ami nisebenze kanzima,” kusho unina, “ngakho sicabange ukuthi nobabili kumele nibe neholide namuhla. Hambani nenze noma yini eniyifisayo!”

“Yebo,” kwasho uyise. “Luthokozeleni usuku lwenu niluchithe kahle.”

Udadewabo kaSita wamemeza ngenxa yenjabulo. “Kukhona izinto eziningiengifuna ukuzenza! Angikwazi ukukhetha ukuthi yini engizoyenza kuqala!” waphuma eshesha ekhishini.

USita wamoyizela. Wayekwazi kahle afuna ukukwenza. Wayezohamba ayofuna indlu enamafasitela egolide aze ayithole.

Ngenkathi ehamba eceleni komgwaqo, wayezakhela ngamehlo engqondo ukuthi indlu yayibukeka kanjani uma ususeduze. Wayengakaze alibone igolide langempela phambilini. Wahamba isikhathi eside kwathi ekugcineni wafika phezulu egqumeni. Wamangala ukubona ukuthi indlu ayinkulu kakhulu kunekhaya lakubo … futhi akukho mafasitela egolide awabonayo.

“Mhlawumbe kufanele ngihambe ngizungeze ngiye ngaphambili,” kucabanga yena. Wafika emnyango wangaphambili, kodwa lalingekho nhlobo igolide.

Ngaso leso sikhathi umfana omncane wavula umnyango. USita watshela umfana ukuthi ubeyibone injani indlu enamafasitela aligolide esophahleni lwakubo. Wambuza ukuthi wayazi yini ukuthi ikuphi indlu.

“Yebo, ngiyazi!” kusho umfana ngenjabulo. “Wena ubheka endaweni okungeyona. Ngilandele!” Wamthatha wamhambisa esihlahleni sakhe asithandayo. “Ungayibona uma ulaphaya phezulu.” Wakhomba igatsha eliphezulu kunawo wonke. Bendawonye bacaca baze bafika phezulu esihlahleni.

“Uyayibona-ke?” kubuza umfana.

USita wayeyicinga ngamandla onke indlu yakubo kwamfana. “Cha,” esho ngokudangala.

Umfana wahleka. “Kungani ubuka indlu yakithi? Bheka laphaya ngaphesheya …” wayesekhomba egqumeni elilena kude. Kwakusegqumeni uSita ayehlala kulo. Wayekwazi ukubona zonke izindlwana eziyizikwele eqeleni legquma futhi ekwazi nokubona indlu yakubo. Ukukhanya kwelanga elishonayo kwakwenza amafasitela endlu yakubo akhazimule njengegolide elihle elikhanyayo.

“Ngiyabona!” kuhleka yena.

“Ibukeka njengendawo ekhethekile,” kwasho umfana.

“Kunjalo,” wamoyezela, base behla bobabili esihlahleni.

Kwase kuqala ukuba mnyama ngenkathi uSita efika ekhaya. Wayewezwa amazwi athokozile ephuma ngaphakathi, elikanina, elikayise nelikadadewabo. Wakuthokozela ukuba sekhaya.

“Ngabe ube nosuku oluhle kodwa?” kubuza uyise.

USita wamoyizela. “Ewu, yebo!” kusho yena. “Futhi ngifunde ukuthi sinendlu enhle kakhulu, ngezinye izikhathi iba namafasitela asagolide.”

Emva kwalokho, bonke bahlala phansi etafuleni lasekhishini uSita wabaxoxela ngosuku lwakhe nokuthi wayekujabulela kangakanani ukuhlala endlini yakwabo encane eyisikwele, eqeleni legquma.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Xoxela izingane zakho indaba echaza isikhathi owawuzizwa unamahloni ngaso bese uzikhuthaza ukuthi zixoxe ezazo izindaba ‘zokuzizwa zinamahloni’.