Kudala kakhulu, zonke izilwane zazondile. Lokhu kwakubangelwa wukuthi kwakungekho ukudla okwanele ezingakudla.
Kodwa uMthini, umkakhe kanye nezingane zabo zonke babekhuluphele impela. Babengabukeki neze belambile. Phela uMthini wayehlakaniphe kakhulu. Wayethole ichibi elingajulile eligcwele izinhlanzi, kodwa akazange atshele muntu. Njalo ekuseni wayehamba aye echibini bese ebuya nokudla okwanele yena kanye nomndeni wakhe.
UNgwe wayondile futhi elambile. Wayelokhu ecinga okuthile angakudla. Ngolunye usuku, wabona uMthini waqaphela ukuthi ukhuluphele kangakanani.
“Mmmm,” kusho uNgwe. “Kwenzekani lapha? Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele ngiwubheke lo mthini.”
Ngakho, ngakusasa ekuseni wacasha otshanini obude eduze komuzi kaMthini walinda. Waze weza uMthini. Wayehamba kancane, eqiqinga nobhasikidi owawubonakala sengathi uyasinda kakhulu. UNgwe wagxuma waphuma emenweni.
“Uphethe INI kulowo bhasikidi?” kumemeza uNgwe.
“O! Mmmm … izinkuni! Ngiphethe izinkuni zokubasa ngizilethe ekhaya,” kusho uMthini. Kodwa wayesekhohliwe ukuthi uNgwe unekhala elibukhali elikwazi ukuhogela YONKE INTO.
“Hhayi khona,” kubhodla uNgwe, “Ngizwa kunuka izinhlanzi futhi ngizozidla zonke.”
UMthini wabe azi kahle ukuthi uyisinokwe esikhulu ukuthi angakwazi ukubalekela uNgwe, ogijima ashiye isithunzi. Kodwa uMthini wayehlakaniphe KABI.
“Kulungile-ke,” kusho uMthini. “Masihlale phansi ngaphansi kwalesi sihlahla esinomthunzi.” Bahlala phansi uMthini waphakamisa ukuthi, “Kungani ungabasi umlilo ngenkathi ngiya kwami ngiyolanda itswayi, upelepele namafutha, emva kwalokho sizitike ngesidlo esimnandi sindawonye.”
“Yisu elihle lelo,” kwasho uNgwe egxuma eyocinga izinkuni ezomile angazibasa.
Nebala, wahamba uMthini waya emzini wakhe. Emva kwesikhashana wabuya netswayi, upelepele namafutha. Wayephethe nentambo ende eqinile. Wabeka konke phansi, wase eqala ukuthosa izinhlanzi.
“We Ngwe,” kusho yona, “ngenkathi sisalinde izinhlanzi ukuthi zivuthwe, masidlale umdlalo. Sizosebenzisa le ntambo. Sizobophelana esihlahleni. Ungangibopha kuqala. Uma ngithi, ‘XEGISA’, kufanele uqinise intambo kakhulu. Uma ngithi, ‘QINISA’, kumele uyixegise intambo.”
Kodwa-ke, kwakuphambene lokhu. Sonke siyazi ukuthi u-‘qinisa’ usho ukuqinisa kanti ‘ukuxegisa’ kusho ukuxegisa. Kodwa uNgwe wayelambile ngempela. Wayecabanga ukuthi umdlalo uzokwenza isikhathi sihambe ngokushesha zize zivuthwe izinhlanzi.
“Yisu elihle lelo,” kusho uNgwe.
UMthini wama waqhiyama ngomhlane esihlahleni. “Kulungile-ke, yima ngomumo, XEGISA!”
UNgwe wagxuma waya phezulu wabophela uMthini wamuthi ngqi esihlahleni. Ngemuva kwesikhashana uMthini wamemeza wathi, “QINISA!” noNgwe wayesekhumula intambo ekhulula uMthini.
“Manje, sekuyithuba lakho, Ngwe,” kusho uMthini.
UNgwe waqhiyama ngomhlane esihlahleni wayesethi, “XEGISA!”
Ngokushesha uMthini wabophela uNgwe wamuthi ngqi esihlahleni.
Ngemuva kwesikhashana, uNgwe wamemeza, “KULUNGILE, QINISA!” Kodwa esikhundleni sokudlala umdlalo ayekade ewuchazile, uMthini wabopha intambo yazungeza uNgwe. Wayibopha wayiqinisa ngendlela yokuthi uNgwe wayengasakwazi ukukhululeka.
“Yima bo!” kumemeza uNgwe. “Ngikhathele yilo mdlalo manje.”
UMthini wavele wahleka. Wahlala phansi eduze komlilo wabe esedla ukudla kwakhe. Uthe uma eseqedile, waqoqa izinhlanzi ezazisalele umndeni wakhe, waqonda ekhaya.
UNgwe wabhonga, wabhonga, wabhonga. “SIIIIZAAANI!!!” Usuku lonke kanye nobusuku bangalelo langa, uNgwe wamemeza ecela usizo. Akekho owaqhamukayo.
Ngenhlanhla nje kaNgwe indaba yakhe yayingaphelile. Ekuseni, waphinde wabhonga futhi, “SIZANI! SIIIZAAANI!!!”
Kulokhu-ke, uGundane weza wabona uNgwe.
“Wenzani lapha, uboshelwe esihlahleni ngqi nje?” kubuza uGundane.
“Bengidlala umdlalo wokuxegisa nokuqinisa noMthini ovele wangishiya lapha ngibulawa yindlala,” kusho uNgwe. “Ngicela ungikhulule, ngiyacela. Unamazinyo abukhali kakhulu, ungakwazi ukuququda intambo ngokushesha.”
UGundane wamdabukela uNgwe, kodwa wayazi ukuthi uma engakhulula uNgwe, wayezodliwa. “Anginasiqiniseko ngalokho,” kusho uGundane.
“Ngiyacela,” kuncenga uNgwe. “Kade ngilapha usuku lonke nobusuku bonke. Ngomile futhi ngilambile.”
UGundane bandla! Wayenenhliziyo enhle, kodwa eyisilinyana. Waqala ukuququda intambo. Waququda izindawana ezimbalwa wase ema. Akwenzekanga lutho. UNgwe akazange anyakaze. UGundane wabe eseququda zonke izingxenyana ezenza lo mkhumbi, enye ngemuva kwenye, uNgwe waze wakhululeka.
“WAAAAAA!” kubhodla uNgwe. Esikhundleni sokubonga, wazama ukuxhakathisa uGundane. “WAAAA!” ebhodla futhi ngenkathi ebhudukeza ngesidladla sakhe esikhulu.
UGundane bandla wanswininiza wapulukutshela wangena emgodini oseduze. Wayeshesha, kodwa akakwazanga ukushesha ngokwanele. Amazipho acijile kaNgwe amshaya emhlane uGundane ngaphambi nje kokuthi angene emgodini.
Ukusukela ngalelo langa, imithini nezingwe akukhulumisani. Namagundane awakhulumi nezingwe. Futhi amagundane awakhulumi nemithini ngoba agxeka yona ngokudala inkathazo.
Futhi ukusukela ngalelo langa, igundane elizihluphekelayo bandla linemithende eboyeni obusemhlane walo. Kanti wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi leyo mithende iyimihuzuko eyenziwa yizidladla zengwe ngelinye ilanga.
