Neo wabuka efasitelweni lelikamelo lakhe lelimphunga sitaladi lesimphunga lesinebantfu labamanti, labamphunga baphutfuma emvuleni lemphunga. Bekangakhoni kuphumela ngaphandle, futsi besatifundze tonkhe tincwadzi takhe atifundzele Mbali.
Kusenjalo, kwangena gogo anetinwele letimahliphihliphi ngenca yekuhhusha kwemoya ngaphandle. Kukhona bekakuphetse. Neo wakubona kutsi bekusicabati, futsi kusasikwele, futsi kunemibala legcamile … futsi bekuvuleka – njengelibhokisi lemcebo!
“Lena bekuyincwadzi yami lebengiyitsandza kakhulu ngesikhatsi ngisesemncane ngingangawe,” Gogo watjela Neo. “Bekungumnyango wami longiyisa emhlabeni lomkhulu, lobanti.”
Wabese uyayivula lencwadzi.
Ekhasini lekucala bekunendzawo lengumlingo, lebeyikhashane kakhulu nalelilanga lelimphungamphunga. Siganga besiluhlata satjani siphindze futsi sibe saligolide nalokunsundvu, sinesibhakabhaka lesihle, lesikhulu, lesiluhlata kwesibhakabhaka, futsi sifutfumele, lilanga lelimtfubi belenta phansi kutsi kushise.
“Hhayi bo! Ingabe loku kuliciniso?” Neo wadvosa umoya.
Gogo wamamatseka. “Awati yini? Kutsi tonkhe tindzaba tiliciniso, nangabe ukholelwa kuto,” kwasho yena. Wabese ukhomba indzawo ekhasini lapho khona umfana lomncane, lobekacishe alingane naNeo, bekahamba ancamula siganga.
Ngesikhatsi Gogo afundza, Neo wavala emehlo akhe waticabanga ahamba, asetintsabeni … ancamula umhlaba lomkhulu, lonsundvu … ahamba acondze emhlabeni lomkhulu, lobanti.
Weva emavi esiganga.
“Phuma! Phuma!” kuhlabela inyoni lencane.
“Lilanga lelihle!” kukhala tinyekevu.
“Wota, wota futsi utodlala,” kwahleba umoya etjanini lobudze.
Neo wakhumbula ngalemvula lemphunga, lenako, wacabanga nangekutsi ingabe ufanele kutsi abe khona lapho yini. Kepha endzabeni, ungenta noma ngabe yini. Bekute imvula lapha. Ngako-ke, Neo wahamba wancamula siganga.
Intfo yekucala layibona bekungumtimba wetingodvo, lomudze futsi lonsundvu. Bewunemikhono, lemidze lensundvu lebeyifika esibhakabhakeni, kanye nenhloko lenkhulu, letinsaba lenemacembe laluhlata lebeyinyikanyika kulomoya lohheletako.
“Sawubona,” kwasho Neo, ahlahle emehlo. “Uyini?”
“Ngisihlahla. Ngiyakhona kubona konkhe ngale, kulamatsafa lamahle, laligolide. Khuphuka ute lapha, futsi ubuke kanye nami.” Lesihlahla sasondzela, Neo wasigibela.
Etulu emagaleni, Neo bekakhona kubona umngcengcema lapho kuphela khona umhlaba. Futsi bekukhona lokunyenti endzaweni letsite lapho, lebekucishe kumetfuse nakacabanga ngako.
Kepha lesihlahla sambamba ngalokuphephile, futsi samhlebela satsi, “Hamba uyotibonela utfolisise. Ungesabi. Kunemhlaba lomuhle, lomkhulu, lobanti lapha.”
Ngako, Neo wabese uyehla wachubeka neluhambo lwakhe lwekuncamula siganga.
Masinyane nje, wahlangana nesidvuli senhlabatsi lecinile lesinetimbobo letincane, njengeminyango lemincane. Ngekhatsi bekeva emavi latinkhulungwane lakhulumako, kanye netigi tetinyawo letincane letigijimako letitigidzi letisitfupha.
“Sanibonani! Nibobani?” Neo wamemeta kumunye waleminyango.
“Sawubona!” kwaphendvula livi lelincane. “Sitintfutfwane. Sicoca tindzaba temhlaba lapha. Ingabe uyafuna yina kuva letinye tato?”
Neo bekatitsandza tindzaba, ngako-ke wahlala phansi walalela. Letintfutfwane tacoca tindzaba tato tesiganga nelihlatsi, kanye netetintsaba nemadolobhakati labekakhashane kunalapho.
“Tindzaba letinengi kangaka?” kwabuta Neo.
“Tinyenti letindzaba tingangetinkhanyeti esibhakabhakeni,” kwaphendvula tintfutfwane.
Neo, wavalelisa ngekuvilitisa sandla, wachubeka nendlela yakhe yekuncamula siganga.
Ekugcineni, Neo wahlangana nemanti lamanyenti labekageleta etihoshini kusukela ekuseni kute kube sebusuku. Neo wangena kulamanti kute aphotise imilente yakhe lebeyishisa.
Lamanti amkhaphatela lapha etinyaweni abuye futsi agigitseka atsi, “Ngingumfula. Ngisuka etintsabeni ngite ngiyongena elwandle. Wota, ngilandzele. Ngitakumikisa ekhaya.”
Neo wacabanga kutsi loko kungaba mnandzi kakhulu. Ngako-ke walandzela lomfula wadzabula tihoshi wabuye futsi wendlula emkhatsini wetintsaba. Bahamba kanyekanye imini yonkhe kwacishe futsi kwaba sebusuku, kwate kwatsi ekugcineni, Neo wefika esicongweni sentsaba.
Akhona lapho, bekakhona kubona lidolobha lelincane, leligezwe yimvula lahloba futsi limanyatela ekushoneni kwelilanga.
Umfula wagobhota ngebumnene, “Chubeka, hamba uye ekhaya. Kunebantfu labakutsandzako lapho, labalindzele kwabelana nawe tindzaba.”
Neo wahamba, wewuka nelidolobha. Wabona titaladi lebetiphitsitela tidzabula lidolobha, njengemifula. Wabona tindlu, tifutfunyetwa kukhanya kwasentsambama. Ngekhatsi kuto, bantfu bebamatasatasa, njengetintfutfwane letincane.
Ekugcineni, Neo wahlola efasitelweni lapho khona bekunagogo, lonemikhono lecinile netinwele letimahlodlombiya njengemagala esihlahla lesikhulu, avala incwadzi wabuye futsi wagobondzela kute acabuze avalelise umfanyana wakhe ayolala.
Neo wacabanga ngalesiganga nalesihlahla kanye naletintfutfwane nalomfula. Futsi watsi lapha nakabuka logogo, umushi wenkhosatana wakhanyisa lendlu lencane ngemibala legcamile kwabukeka njengesitfombe encwadzini. Neo wacabanga ngeluhambo lwakhe lwekutibonela utfolisise ngekhatsi emakhasini encwadzi yaGogo layitsandzako, wabuye futsi wacabanga ngaye kanye naMbali ekhaya.
Ngako-ke, wesuka kulencwadzi, wangena embhedzeni wakhe lofutfumele, ekamelweni lakhe lelintofontofo, endlini yakhe lencane.
Futsi kungako-ke, kutsi nangabe umhlaba ubukeka umphunga, nelikamelo lakhe libukeka lilincane, Neo uvula incwadzi. Uphuma emnyango emkhatsini walamakhasi, abuye futsi ahambe aye emhlabeni lomkhulu, lobanti.
Khombisa likhono lakho lebuciko!
Nindzawonye cabangani bese nakha inkhundla lekulendzaba nisebentisa tintfo letisendzaweni yenu. Yakhani inkhundla lelingana naleyo leyimelele, noma nakhe inkhundla lencane ebhokisini leticatfulo.
