“Owu! Owu! Owu!” watsho uKoketso.

UMakhulu wayexakeke kakhulu esitovini kangangokuba zange anyeke nokunyeka. “Yintoni Koketso?” ubuze watsho.

“OWWUU! OWWUU! OWWUU!” wakhwaza uKoketso. “Iinyawo zam zibuhlungu. Izihlangu zam zincinci kakhulu, ziyandiluma.”

UMakhulu waguquka wamjonga. “Andikukholelwa ke oko, Koketso. Ezo zihlangu phantse zibe zitsha nje. Iinyawo zakho azikwazi ukukhula kakhulu kangako, ngexeshana elifutshane kangaka.”

“Owu, Makhulu,” watsho uKoketso, “mhlawumbi bezingasayi kunditya kangaka ukuba bezingebrawunanga kangaka kwaye zizibi kangaka. Mhlawumbi ukuba ibizizihlangu ezithambileyo, ezihle kwaye ziqaqambile, zinayo neeribhoni, beziza kundilingana kakuhle.”

UMakhulu waguquka kwakhona wazamisa imbiza yakhe. “Mhlawumbi kunjalo,” watsho.

“Ndiyakucela, Makhulu,” watsho uKoketso. “Angekhe ndikwazi ukunxiba ezi zihlangu zibi nezibrawuni kangaka ethekweni ngomso.”

“Ndiyabona,” watsho uMakhulu, enqunqa itswele.

UKoketso wazikhulula izihlangu zakhe, emva koko waphuma phandle waya kulila kancinane.

UTatomkhulu uKoos wadlula etyhala itroli yakhe yokufaka izinto azicholeyo. “Yintoni, Koketso?” wabuza.

“Ndiya kwitheko lokuzalwa loyena mhlobo wam ndimthandayo ngomso,” watsho uKoketso, “kodwa andinazo izihlangu ezihle endiza kuzinxiba apho.”

Uthe ke uTatomkhulu uKoos wavumbulula phakathi kwezo zinto zazikule troli yakhe, kodwa awakufumanayo yayiziiteki ezindala nezinemingxuma nje kuphela.

“Ndiyaxolisa,” watsho. “Andikwazi ukukunceda, Koketso.”

“Enkosi ngokuzama kwakho,” wafixiza watsho uKoketso.

Emva koko kwafika inqwelo yokuthutha inkunkuma yaze yemisa ecaleni kwendlu.

“Ulilela ntoni, Koketso?” wabuza umqhubi wenqwelo yenkunkuma.

“Ndifuna izihlangu zokunxiba ethekweni,” watsho uKoketso, “kodwa andazi ukuba ndingazifumana phi na.”

“Owu torhwana,” watsho umqhubi. “Zonke izihlangu ezikule nqwelo yam zixubene nenkunkuma. Kodwa ndikhe ndizibone izihlangu emigqomeni yenkunkuma – kumele ukuba kukho abantu abaninzi kule ngingqi abanezihlangu abangazithandiyo nabafuna ukuzilahla. Kutheni ungabuzi kubahlobo bakho nje?”

UKoketso walibona ilicebo elihle kakhulu eli alinikwayo. Ngoko ke waya kubona umhlobo wakhe, onguNkosikazi Salmon.

“Molo wethu!” wakhwaza. “Nkosikazi Salmon, ndifuna izihlangu zokunxiba ethekweni. Ingaba unazo na izihlangu onokundipha zona?”

UNkosikazi Salmon weza emnyango ephethe izihlangu. “Nazi ke, Koketso,” watsho, “ungazithatha ezi zihlangu, kodwa ngelishwa esinye sezithende sinako ukugungqana okuncinane.”

Ezi zihlangu zazizihle kwaye zazikhazimla kangangokuba noKoketso wacinga ukuba zihle. “Enkosi, Nkosikazi Salmon!” watsho. UKoketso wazinxiba izihlangu waza wenza umdaniso omfutshane. Kodwa isithende esishukumayo sasigungqa kakhulu. Rhaxa! sasisitsho lo gama uKoketso ehamba, esihla ngendlela, rhaxa, kre-rhaxa!

“Owu hayini,” watsho uKoketso, “Andikwazi ukuya ethekweni ngezihlangu ezingxolayo!’ Ngoko ke wazibuyisela kwakuNkosikazi Salmon izihlangu ezo, waze wambulela ngokuzama ukumnceda kwakhe.

“Kutheni ungaceli izihlangu kumzala wakho uPinky nje?” wacebisa njalo uNkosikazi Salmon.

Ngoko ke naye uKoketso wenza njalo. “Molweni!” wangena ekhwaza njalo endlwini yakuloPinky. “Pinky, ndifuna izihlangu zokunxiba ethekweni. Ingaba unazo izihlangu onokundipha zona?”

UPinky waya kujonga ekhabhathini. “Nazi, ungazithatha ezi,” watsho kuKoketso. Ezi zihlangu zazineentliziyo ezincinane ezibomvu ndawo yonke kwaye intliziyo nganye yayineqhina elikhulu elimhlophe. UKoketso kwamonwabisa kakhulu oku.

“Enkosi kakhulu, Pinky!” watsho. Wazinxiba izihlangu ezo waza wenza umdaniso omfutshane. Izihlangu zazizihle, kodwa zamtya kabuhlungu kakhulu phaya ezinzwaneni.

“Owu shu,” watsho uKoketso. “Andikwazi ukuya ethekweni ngezihlangu ezinditya kabuhlungu kangaka. Ngoko ke wazibuyisela kwakuPinky izihlangu ezo waze wambulela ngokuzama kwakhe ukumnceda.

“Kutheni ungaceli izihlangu kuMakazi uShirley nje?” ucebise ngelitshoyo uPinky.

Ngoko ke uKoketso wenza njalo. Kodwa izihlangu zikaMakazi uShirley zazizikhulu kakhulu kangangokuba kwakufuneka ukuba ashixize xa ehamba ngazo ukuze zingapoqi – shixi, shixi, shixi, shixi. Ngoko ke kwafuneka ukuba uKoketso azibuyisele kwakuye.

UKoketso waya kumntu wonke amaziyo. Kwaye kuyo yonke indawo awaya kuyo, abahlobo bakhe babemnika izihlangu ukuze azilinganise.

Kodwa kwakungekho ezide zimlingane twatse okanye zibe yile nto ayifunayo. EzikaPhumla izihlangu zazizidala kakhulu kangangokuba iinzwane zakhe zazivelile kuzo kwaye iisoli zazo zaziphaqaza – phaqa phaqa-phaqa. Izihlangu zikaMama uMaloyi zazinezithende eziphakame kakhulu kangangokuba uKoketsho wayesiwa njalo, apetyeke amaqatha. Ezexhegokazi elinguNkosikazi Naidoo zona zaphantse zagqibelela, kodwa zazinengxolo embi etswinayo. Tswi tswi-tswi. UKoketso zange nje azifumane izihlangu ezigqibeleleyo zokunxiba ethekweni nawayezifuna, ngoko ke wagoduka.

Wafika uMakhulu esesekhitshini. “Owu Makhulu,” watsho kalusizi uKoketso, “ndihambe indawo yonke, ndazama, ndazama, kodwa AKUKHO NAMNYE onezihlangu endinokuzinxiba ethekweni nanokundipha zona!”

“Kanene yintoni engalunganga ngeziya?” watsho uMakhulu, esolatha izihlangu ezaziphezu kwetafile.

UKoketso waphakamisa amehlo wajonga. Ezo zihlangu zaziqhakazile, zineeribhoni ezipinki.

UKoketso wazinxiba ezo zihlangu waze wadanisa ejikeleza ekhitshini. Izihlangu ezo zazimlingana kakuhle kwaye zazingangxoli, zibhongqoze okanye zishixize okanye ziphaqaze okanye zitswine. “Ndiyazithanda kakhulu, Makhulu,” watsho. “Uzifumene phi?”

“Zeziya zihlangu zakho zibrawuni-kwaye-zibi,” utshilo uMakhulu. “Ngalaa mzuzu ubusaphumile kuye kwafika umkholonjane waza wazenza zazihle ngolu hlobo.”

UKoketso wajonga etafileni waze wancuma. “Hayi bo, Makhulu, loo mkholonjane ibinguwe!” watsho. “Ndiyayibona ibhaskithi yakho enezinto zokuthunga … kunye neglu … kunye namaqokobhe anezinto zokuhombisa! Ndiyazi ibinguwe!”

UMakhulu wathi gquzu, gquzu kancinane, ehleka.

“Ndiyakuthanda, Makhulu,” watsho uKoketso lo gama amanga esinqeni.

“Nam ndiyakuthanda, Koketso,” watsho uMakhulu wakhe. “Ndiyathemba ukuba ezo zihlangu zikulingana ngcono ke ngoku.”

“Owu ewe,” watsho uKoketso, “zindilingana twatse!”

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Nika abantwana bakho iphepha neekhrayoni/neekhrayoni zepensile. Cebisa ukuba bazobe umfanekiso wezihlangu abangathanda ukuzinxiba kumsitho okhethekileyo.