Ngelinye ilanga elalibalele uSikhukukazana waphuma wayofuna ukudla. Wayehamba ngaphansi kwehlashana lezihlahla zomaganu, ngokuphazima kweso KHITHI! – isithelo esiphuma kwesinye sezihlahla sawela phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
“Eshu! Kukhona okuthile okuwele phezu kwekhanda lami!” kutshiloza uSikhukukazana. Wabuka wayesebheka phezulu akaze abona lutho ngaphandle kwesibhakabhaka. “O, Nkosi yami,” kusho uSikhukukazana. “Kuyoba yisibhakabhaka. Isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi. Kumele ngihambe ngiyotshela inkosi.” Ngakhowahamba etshiyoza, tshiyo, tshiyo emva kwalokho wahlangana noQhude ecoshacosha ensimini.
UQhude waphakamisa ikhanda ekucosheni kwakhe. “Uyaphi, we Sikhukukazana?” kubuza yena.
“Ngizotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi,” kuchaza uSikhukukazana.
“Kwaze kwakubi! Ngingahamba nawe ukuyisa enkosini lezi zindaba?” kubuza uQhude.
“Yebo,” kusho uSikhukukazana, “ungahamba nami.”
Ngakho uSikhukukazana noQhude bahamba bayotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka sasiwa bhu phansi. Bahamba njalo betshiyoza futhi becoshacosha, base behlangana noDada osebeni lwedamu lasepulazini.
“Niyaphi, we Sikhukukazana noQhude?” kubuza uDada.
“Siyotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi,” kuchaza uSikhukukazana.
“Kwaze kwakubi lokho! Ngingahamba nani ukuyonikeza inkosi lezi zindaba?” kubuza uDada.
“Nakanjani,” kusho uSikhukukazana noQhude. “Woza uhambe nathi.”
Ngakho-ke uSikhukukazana, uQhude noDada bahamba bayotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka sasiwa bhu phansi. Bahamba njalo belokhu betshilotshiloza, becoshacosha futhi beklweklweza, emva kwalokho base behlangana noHansi.
“Niyaphi?” kubuza uHansi.
“Siyotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi,” kuchaza uSikhukukazana.
“Ngingakwazi ukuhamba kanye nani?” kubuza uHansi.
“Yebo,” kusho uSikhukukazana, uQhude noDada.
Ngakho uSikhukukazana,uQhude, uDada noHansi bayotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka sasiwa phansi. Ngakho bahamba njalo betshiyoza, becoshacosha, beklweklweza, futhi beheheza, emva kwalokho base behlangana noGalikhuni.
“Siyahamba siyotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi,” kuchaza uSikhukukazana.
“Ningangivumela ngihambe kanye nani?” kubuza uGalikhuni.
“Ehhene, impela ungeza,” kusho uSikhukukazana, uQhude, uDada kanye noHansi.
Ngakho-ke uSikhukukazana,uQhude, uDada, uHansi, noGalikhuni bahamba bonke bayotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa bhu phansi. Bahamba njalo, betshiyoza, becoshacosha, beklweklweza, beheheza, futhi begubuluza, emva kwalokho babe sebehlangana noMpungushe.
UMpungushe wabuza, “Niya kuphi bo, Sikhukukazana, Qhude, Dada, Hansi nawe Galikhuni?”
“Mpungushe,” kusho bona, “siyahamba siyotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabha siyawabhu phansi.”
“Impela! Kodwa le ndlela ayiyi enkosini,” kusho uMpungushe. “Mina ngiyayazi indlela okuyiyo. Nginikhombise yona?”
“Yebo, siyakucela, Mpungushe,” bephendula.
“Ngilandeleni-ke,” kusho uMpungushe. “Masibheke ngapha, ngokushesha!”
Nebala uSikhukukazana, uQhude, uDada, uHansi, uGalikhuni noMpungushe bahamba bonke bayotshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka siyawa phansi. Bahamba bahamba baze bafika emgodini omncanyana omnyama. Manje, lona kwakungumnyango ongena emhumeni kaMpungushe. Kodwa uMpungushe wayesethi, “Lena yindlela enqamulelayo eya emzini wenkosi. Ngokushesha nizofika khona uma nilandela mina. Ngizongena kuqala bese ningilandela.”
“Siyabonga,” kusho uSikhukukazana, uQhude, uDada, uHansi kanye noGalikhuni.
Nebala uMpungushe wangena emhumeni wakhe. Akangenanga waze wafika ekugcineni. Wama esephakathi nendawo wayesephenduka elinda. Ekugcineni wabona uGalikhuni engena ngembobo emnyama engenela emhumeni. UGalikhuni akahambanga ibanga elitheni ngenkathi uMpungushe emnephula futhi emhlephula isixha sezimpaphe.
“Yo, cha!” kukhala uGalikhuni. “Hhayi, hhayi, hhayi!” Waphenduka wagijima ephuma emhumeni wazithela phezu kukaHansi. UHansi naye waphenduka wazithela phezu kukaDada. UDada waphenduka yena wazithela phezu kukaQhude. UQhude waphenduka wayesezithela phezu kukaSikhukukazana. Usikhukukazana yena-ke? USikhukukazana wawa BHU! phansi.
Ngokushesha wagxuma waya phezulu, emva kwalokho zonke lezi zilwane ngasinye zabaleka zaphuma emgodini zagijima kakhulu ngokungangamandla azo! Zagijima zagijima kwaze kwathi ekugcineni, sezihefuzela ziphefumulela phezulu, uSikhukukazana,uQhude, uDada, uHansi kanye noGalikhuni bafika ekhaya bephephile. Kanti yilapho babe sebehlala khona.
Abaphindanga bamethemba uMpungushe futhi. Impela, akukho namunye kubo owafika emzini wenkosi futhi akukho namunye owake watshela inkosi ukuthi isibhakabhaka sasiwa bhu phansi.
Futhi … uyazi ukuthini? Kuze kube namuhla, isibhakabhaka asikaze nje siwe.
“Niyaphi nonke?” kubuza uGalikhuni.
