UNeo wakroba phandle ngefestile yegumbi lakhe, ejonge ubungwevu nokusibekela kwezulu nezantyalantyala zamanzi ezidame kweso sitalato sibonakala naso singwevu kwakunye nabantu abamanzi nababonakala bengwevu, bekhawuleza kuba bebaleka loo mvula ingwevu ibaxhaphazayo. Wayengakwazi ukuphuma phandle, kwaye wayesele emfundele zonke iincwadi zakhe uMbali.

Kanye ngelo thuba, kwangena uGogo, iinwele zakhe zivukuzwe ngumoya ovuthuza phandle. Wayephethe into ethile ngesandla. UNeo wayeyibona ukuba yinto ebusibaca, ebusikwere, nenemibala emininzi le … kwaye iyavuleka – kanye oku kwetyesi enobutyebi!

“Le yayiyeyona ncwadi ndiyithandayo xa ndandisemncinane njengawe lo,” uGogo wamxelela oko uNeo. “Lo yayingumnyango wam wokungena kwihlabathi elikhulu nelibanzi.”

Emva koko, wavula incwadi leyo

Kwiphepha lokuqala kwakukho umfanekiso wendawo yomlingo, ekude kakhulu nengafaniyo nale mini imbi nengwevu, isibekeleyo ayibona phandle. Ithafa laliluhlaza yaka, kuthe rhwelele imibalanyana ebugolide namdaka apha naphaya, phezulu kuthe gqume isibhakabhaka esihle, esikhulu nesizuba, kunye nelanga elishushu, elityheli, litshisa loo mhlaba uphantsi kwalo.

“Wowu! Ingaba le nto yinyaniso?” wakhuza uNeo.

UGogo wancuma. “Akuyazi na? Onke amabali ayinyaniso, ukuba uyakholelwa kuwo,” watsho. Emva koko wolatha indawo kwelo phepha apho kwakuhamba khona inkwenkwana, engangoNeo lo kanye, inqumla ithafa.

Njengokuba uGogo eqhubeka nokufunda ibali, uNeo wawavala amehlo akhe wemkisela
ngengqondo yakhe, wenyuka iinduli … wanqumla loo mhlaba mkhulu nomdaka ngebala … waya kutshona kwilizwe elikhulu nelibanzi.

Weva amazwi asethafeni.

“Phuma! Phuma!” yacula isitsho intakana encinane.

“Yimini entle le!” yatswina yenjenjalo nenyenzane.

“Yiza, yiza uze kudlala,” wasebeza usitsho umoya phakathi kwaloo ngca inde.

UNeo wakhumbula imvula engwevu nenethayo, waze wazibuza ukuba ingaba kuloo meko angaphuma phandle kusini na. Kodwa ebalini, ungenza nantoni na oyifunayo. Kwakungekho mvula apha. Uthe ke ngoko, uNeo wahamba, enqumla ithafa.

Into yokuqala awayibonayo yayinde kwaye imdaka ngebala, inomzimba owomeleleyo
nowenziwe ngokhuni. Yayineengalo ezinde nezimdaka ezazifikelela esibhakabhakeni, kunye nentloko enkulu ecekethekileyo neneenwele ezingamagqabi eziluhlaza nezazishukushukuma ziye ngapha nangapha kuloo mpepho ifudumeleyo.

“Molo,” watsho uNeo ewathe gqa amehlo. “Uyintoni?”

“Ndingumthi. Ndibona konke okulapha kula mathafa mahle nabugolide. Gwencela unyuke uze kubuka kunye nam.” Umthi wathoba waya kuye, waze uNeo naye wagwencela.

Kuloo masebe omthi apho phezulu, uNeo wayekwazi ukubona apho liphela khona ihlabathi. Kwaye kwakukho izinto ezininzi kuyo yonke indawo, kude phaya kunaye, kangangokuba wangenwa luloyiko akucinga ngazo zonke ezi zinto kwanendawo akuyo apha emthini.

Kodwa umthi wambamba wamkhusela, waze wamsebezela usithi, “Hamba uye kuhlola ilizwe. Musa ukoyika. Lihlabathi elimangalisayo, elikhulu nelibanzi eliya”

Ngoko ke, naye uNeo wehla emthini waze wahamba indlela yakhe, enqumla ethafeni.

Kungekudala uhlangene nesidulana sentlabathi eqinileyo nesinemingxuma, engathi yiminyangwana emincinane. Wayesiva amazwi angathi sisigidi sabantu abaxakekileyo, kwaye kwakuvakala nezingqi zeenyawana ezincinane, ngathi kubaleka izigidi ezithandathu zabantu abaxakekile.

“Molweni! Ningoobani?” uNeo wakhwaza, ekrobe komnye waloo minyango.

“Molo!” kwaphendula ilizwana elincinane. “Siziimbovane. Sibalisa amabali ehlabathi elingaphakathi apha. Ingaba uyafuna ukuweva amanye awo?”

UNeo wayewathanda amabali, ngoko ke wahlala phantsi waphulaphula. Iimbovane zabalisa amabali azo asethafeni nasehlathini, kwakunye nawasezintabeni nawezixeko ezikude.

“Amabali kanti maninzi kangaka?” wabuza watsho uNeo.

“Ubuninzi bamabali buyafana nobuninzi beenkwenkwezi ezisesibhakabhakeni,” zaphendula iimbovane.

UNeo wawangawangisa ngesandla, exelela iimbovane ukuba zisale kakuhle, lo gama yena aqhubeka nendlela yakhe, enqumla ethafeni.

Ekugqibeleni, uNeo wahlangana nomlambo oqukuqela amanzi, ukusuka kusasa ukuya ebusuku, unqumla kuloo ntlambo. UNeo wangena kuwo ezama ukuphozisa iinyawo
zakhe ezishushu.

Amanzi atshiza iinyawo zakhe aze ahleka, “Ndingumlambo. Ndisuka ezintabeni ndiye elwandle. Yiza, ndilandele. Ndiza kukugodusa.”

UNeo wacinga indlela ekungamnandi ngayo oko. Ngoko ke, wawulandela umlambo ukunqumla kuloo ntlambo naphakathi kwezo ntaba. Ekunye nomlambo lowo, bazula yonke loo mva kwemini phantse kwada kwasebusuku, de ekugqibeleni uNeo wafikelela encotsheni yenduli.

Phezulu apho, uNeo wayibona kakuhle idolophana encinane, ihlambulukile kukucocwa zezo mvula, yaze yamenyezeliswa lelo langa liqala ukutshona.

Emva koko umlambo wandyondya ngobubele, “Hamba ke ngoku, ugoduke. Kukho abantu abakuthandayo phaya emva, abalinde ukwabelana nawe ngamabali.”

UNeo wehla endulini apho, wangena edolophini. Wabona izitalato ezixakekileyo ezinqumla idolophu, kanye njengomlambo lowo. Wabona izindlu, zifudunyezwe kukukhanya kokutshona kwelanga nokuqala korhatya. Ngaphakathi kwezo zindlu, abantu babexakekile, kanye njengeembovane ezincinane awayehlangene nazo.

Ekugqibeleni, uNeo wakroba efestileni apho wabona ixhegwazana elidala, elineengalo ezomeleleyo kunye neenwele ezifana namasebe omthi omkhulu, livala incwadi laza lathoba laphuza inkwenkwana encinane lisithi busuku benzolo kuyo.

UNeo wacinga ngethafa kunye nomthi, neembovane kwakunye nomlambo. Kwaye uthe xa ebukele eli xhegwazana, kwavela umnyama owakhanyisa ngemibala eqaqambe kakhulu loo ndlwana encinane, eyayikhangeleka ngathi ngumfanekiso osencwadini yamabali. UNeo wacinga ngamahlandinyuka akhe amangalisayo kumaphepha eyona ncwadi ithandwa nguGogo, waze wacinga ngaye noMbali ekhaya.

Zithe ke iingcinga zikaNeo zamthatha kuloo ncwadi, zamfaka ebhedini yakhe, kwigumbi lakhe elifudumeleyo, elikwindlwana yakowabo encinane.

Yiyo kanye loo nto ke, ekuthi ngalo lonke ixesha ihlabathi likhangeleka lisibekele okanye lingwevu, linganiki mdla, kwaye negumbi lakhe likhangeleka lilincinane kakhulu, uNeo evula incwadi. Ungena kumnyango ophakathi kuloo maphepha, aze ahambe aye kwihlabathi elikhulu nelibanzi.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Xa ninonke zibumbeleni umfanekiso-ntelekelelo ze niziqambele kwakhona omnye wemiboniso esebalini nisebenzisa izinto eninokuzifumana kokuningqongileyo. Ningenza umboniso ube ngathi ngowobomi bokwenene ngokobukhulu, okanye ube mncinane kangangokuba ubenokungena ebhokisini yezihlangu uphelele.