Kudala-dala mhlamnene, zonke izilwanyana zazibhityile. Oku kwakusenziwa kukuba zazingenakutya kwaneleyo. 

Kodwa yena uNtini, inkosikazi yakhe nabo bonke abantwana bakhe babetyebe kakhulu. Babengabonakali belamba nakancinane. Uyabona, uNtini lo wayekrelekrele kakhulu, kakhulu. Wayefumene ichibi elingekho nzulu nelalizele ziintlanzi, kodwa akazange axelele nomnye umntu. Qho kusasa wayesiya echibini apho, aze abuye nokutya okulingene nje yena kunye nosapho lwakhe. 

UHlosi wayebhityile kwaye elamba. Wayesoloko ezingela ukutya. Ngenye imini wabona uNtini, waze waqaphela indlela atyebe ngayo. 

“Mmmm,” watsho uHlosi. “Kwenzeka ntoni apha? Ndicinga ukuba kuza kufuneka ukuba ndiyiqwalasele le ntini.” 

Ngoko ke, ngentsasa elandelayo wazifihla engceni ende kufuphi nendlu kaNtini waze walinda. Ekugqibeleni wathi gqi uNtini. Wayehamba ngokucotha, ephethe ibhasikithi eyayibonakala inzima kakhulu. UHlosi watsiba, ephuma kuloo ngca inde nefukufuku. 

“YINTONI le uyiphethe ngaloo bhasikithi?” wakhwaza esitsho uHlosi. 

“Owu! Ammm … ziinkuni! Ndivela kutheza, ngoku ndiphethe iinkuni endigoduka nazo,” watsho uNtini. Kodwa wayelibele ukuba uHlosi wayenempumlo ebukhali gqitha, ekwazi ukujoja YONKE NJE INTO. 

“Hayi bo,” wavungama uHlosi, “Ndiva ivumba lentlanzi kwaye ndiza kuyitya yonke.” 

UNtini wayesazi ukuba akanakuze amshiye uHlosi, owayeyimbaleki enamendu kakhulu. Kodwa uNtini wayekrelekrele KAKHULU. 

“Kulungile ke,” watsho uNtini. “Masihlale phantsi kwalo mthi onomthunzi.” Bahlala phantsi waze uNtini wathi, “Kutheni ungabasi nje ngeli lixa mna ndisaya endlwini ukuya kulanda ityuwa, ipepile neoyile, ukuze sitye isidlo esimnandi kunye.” 

“Unyanisile,” watsho uHlosi sele etsiba ukuya kutheza iinkuni ezomileyo ukuze abase. 

Nanko ke, naye uNtini esiya endlwini yakhe. Msinyane wabuya netyuwa, ipepile neoyile. Wayephethe nentambo ende eyomeleleyo. Wabeka phantsi konke, waze waqalisa ukuqhotsa intlanzi ngamafutha. 

“Hlosi,” watsho embiza, “ngoku sisalinde intlanzi ukuba ivuthwe, masibe sidlala umdlalo. Siza kusebenzisa le ntambo. Siza kubophelelana emthini. Ungaqala ngokubophelela mna lo kanye. Xa ndisithi, ‘XENGAXENGISA’, kufuneka uyiqinise intambo. Xa ndisithi, ‘QINISA’, kufuneka uyixengaxengise intambo.” 

Kaloku, yayikukubhidanisa imiyalelo oko. Wonke umntu uyazi ukuba ukuqinisa kuthetha ukuqinisa qha qwaba, ze kona ukuxengaxengisa kuthethe ukuxengaxengisa. Kodwa uHlosi wayelambe kakhulu. Wayecinga ukuba lo mdlalo uza kuhambisa ixesha ngokukhawuleza ukuze ikhawuleze ivuthwe intlanzi. 

“Kulungile,” watsho uHlosi. 

UNtini wema, weyama emthini ngomqolo. “Ngxatsho ke, zilungiselele, XENGAXENGISA!” 

UHlosi waxhuma waze wabophelela uNtini emthini. Ethubeni uNtini wakhwaza esithi, “QINISA!” waza uHlosi wayixengaxengisa intambo ukuze akhululeke uNtini. 

“Ngoku ke, Hlosi, lithuba lakho,” watsho uNtini. 

UHlosi wachopha, weyama emthini ngomqolo waze wakhwaza, “XENGAXENGISA!” 

UNtini wakhawuleza wabophelela uHlosi emthini waqinisa. 

Emva kwexesha, uHlosi wakhwaza, “KULUNGILE, QINISA!” Kodwa endaweni yokudlala umdlalo ngendlela ebewuchaze ngayo, uNtini wayiqinisa ngakumbi intambo leyo ebebophelele ngayo uHlosi. Wayiqinisa kangangokuba uHlosi angakwazi ukukhululeka. 

“Hayi kaloku!” wakhwaza njalo uHlosi. “Ndidiniwe mna ngulo mdlalo ngoku.” 

UNtini wasuka wahleka. Wahlala ngasemlilweni, watya isidlo sakhe. Akuba egqibile, wapakishela usapho lwakhe intlanzi eseleyo, wagoduka. 

UHlosi wagquma kwaye egquma ephindelela ukugquma oku. “NCEDAAANIII!!!” Wakhwaza ngolo hlobo imini yonke nobusuku bayo uHlosi, ecinga ukuba kuya kude kubekho umntu omncedayo. Akuzange kuze namnye umntu. 

Ngoku ke, ngethamsanqa likaHlosi lalingaphelelanga apho ibali. Kusasa, waphinda wagquma, “NCEDANI! NCEDAAANIII!!!” 

Kweli lixa, kweza uMpuku ngeneno akubona uHlosi. 

“Wenza ntoni apha, ingaba ubopheleleke njani kuloo mthi?” wabuza uMpuku. 

“Bendidlala umdlalo wokukhululana nokubophelelana kunye noNtini, kodwa yena uvele nje wandishiya apha ukuze ndityiwe yindlala,” watsho uHlosi. “Nceda, nceda torho ndikhulule. Unamazinyo abukhali kakhulu kwaye ungakwazi ukuyikrekretha msinyane le ntambo.” 

UMpuku wamsizela uHlosi, kodwa wayesazi ukuba xa enokumkhulula, wayeza kutyiwa nguye. “Andiqinisekanga,” watsho uMpuku. 

“Khawundincede torho,” kucenga uHlosi. “Oko ndilapha imini nobusuku bayo. Ndinxaniwe kwaye ndilambe kakhulu.” 

Usizana olunguMpuku. Wayenentliziyo entle, kodwa egeza ngokugqithisileyo. Waqalisa ke ukukrekretha intambo leyo. Emva kokukrekretha imicu embalwa wakhe waphumla. Akukho nto yatshintshayo. UHlosi wayengekakwazi nokushukuma. UMpuku waphinda wakrekretha yonke imicu eyayishiyekile, omnye emva komnye, wade wakhululeka uHlosi. 

“GRAAAAAA!” wagquma uHlosi. Endaweni yokuba nombulelo, wazama ukuxhakamfula uMpuku. “GRAAAA!” Wagquma kwakhona ezama ukuhlasela uMpuku ngezo ntupha zakhe zibukhali. 

Usizana olunguMpuku lwatswina lwaze lwathi tshwa emngxunyeni okufutshane. Watsiba ngokukhawuleza, kodwa zange akwazi ukukhawuleza ngokwaneleyo. Iinzipho ezibukhali zikaHlosi zamkrwempa emqolo nje phambi kokuba atsibele emngxunyeni, angene ngokupheleleyo. 

Ukususela ngoko, iintini kunye namahlosi azithethisani. Neempuku kananjalo azithethi namahlosi. Ukanti neempuku nazo azithethi neentini kuba zityhola iintini ngokuqala inkathazo. 

Ke ukususela ngaloo mini, usizana lwempuku, esizeleka kakhulu, inemigca esikhumbeni sayo, apha emqolo. Kwaye wonke umntu uyazi ukuba loo migca yenziwa kukukrwentshwa ziinzipho zehlosi.