“Ngcingci, yisikhathi samaholide!” kucula uHope. Waqhuma ukuhleka umama wakhe ngesikhathi emisa imoto epulazini likaMme wa Afrika.

“Sifike ngezinkani!” kumemeza uJosh lapho ebona u-Afrika nonina.

“Njengoba senifikile nje, nihlele ukwenzani?” kubuza uMme wa Afrika lapho wonke umuntu esethulule impahla esikhwameni sakhe.

“Namhlanje sizoyopha izilwane zasepulazini ukudla, bese sikulandela amaqanda, Mme wa Afrika,” kusho uHope. “Kusasa sizondizisa amakhayithi sonke bese, ngosuku lokugcina, uJosh afunde ukubhaka isinkwa kuhhavini wangaphandle.”

“Futhi ngifuna ukukhombisa uHope umgodi wamanzi,” kusho u-Afrika.

Bavele baqhuma uhleko oMme wa Afrika nomama kaHope.

Ezinsukwini zabo zokuqala ezimbili babematasatasa futhi bezithokozisa kakhulu. Ngosuku lwesithathu uHope waya emgodini wamanzi no-Afrika, noma eqinisweni wayefuna ukubhaka isinkwa noJosh.

“Sizobuya ngesikhathi sesidlo sasemini,” kusho uHope lapho yena no-Afrika bevalelisa wonke umuntu.

Endleleni yabo babona oklebe ababili, izidleke ezimbalwa zezinyoni negundane elincane. UHope wathatha izithombe zazo ngomakhalekhukhwini wakhe.

“Umgodi wamanzi ulaphaya,” kusho u-Afrika ekhomba. “Ake sithule bese sicasha ngemva kwalesi sihlahla.”

U-Afrika noHope babukela izinyoni ziphuza futhi zibhukuda emanzini. Kwakukhona nenyamazane encane imbala eyayiphuza onqenqemeni lomgodi wamanzi.

Kusenjalo uHope wagcwala uhlevane. Kwakukhona into eyayihamba esihlahleni esingemuva kwakhe.

“Afrika!” kunyenyeza yena.

“Kungani unyenyeza kanjalo?” kubuza u-Afrika, esabuka emgodini wamanzi.

“Kukhona into esemva kwethu futhi iya ngokusondela,” kunyenyeza uHope ngokushesha.

“Suka lapha wena! Akukho lutho oluyingozi kule ndawo,” kusho u-Afrika.

Kodwa wabe esephenduka ukuze abheke ukuthi ngabe yini leyo. “Mamo!” kumemeza yena. “BALEKA! BALEKA!”

Bagijima phakathi kwezihlahla ezinameva base bedlula amadwala. U-Afrika wagibela esihlahleni esiphakeme ngokushesha elandelwa uHope. Babezwa ukuthi kukhona okubalandelayo.

“Yini leyo?” kubuza uHope eqhaqhazela ebuka phansi esendaweni ephephile esihlahleni.

“Yintibane. Futhi ithukuthele igane unwabu!” kusho u-Afrika.

“Ngabe iyingozi?” kubuza uHope.

“Bheka amazinyo ayo. Iyingozi kakhulu uma ithukuthele!” kusho u-Afrika.

Intibane yababuka bephezulu. Amazinyo ayo ayemakhulu, egobile. Yahogela emoyeni yase izungeza isihlahla ibhonga. Yase iphenduka iguqa phansi.

“Chaaaabo,” kuphefumula u-Afrika.

“Yini? Yini?” kubuza uHope.

“Seyifuna ukudla manje. Inye nje into esingayenza, ukulinda bese sithemba ukuthi izohamba maduze nje,” kusho u-Afrika.

Izingane zazibuka ngenkathi intibane igubha umgodi. Emva kwesikhathi eside, yanyamalala ezihlahleni.

“Kuzwakala sengathi sesibe lapha amahora amaningi. Ngabe unesiqiniseko sokuthi ihambile?” kubuza uHope.

“Nginesiqiniseko. Woza,” kusho u-Afrika ehla esihlahleni; waqalaza ndawo zonke, wagwavuma.

“Kwenzenjani? Ingabe iyabuya futhi?” kubuza uHope ngokwesaba.

“Cha,” kusho u-Afrika. “Kubi kunalokho.”

“Yini engaba yimbi ukwedlula ukuxoshwa yintibane ethukuthele?” kubuza uHope.

“Silahlekile,” kusho u-Afrika. “Angizange ngibuke ukuthi sigijima sishona ngakuphi … e … kuyosisiza ukuthi ushayele umama ucingo.”

UHope wafuna umakhalekhukhwini wakhe emaphakatheni akhe. “Awukho,” kusho yena. “Kungenzeka ukuthi uwe ngesikhathi sigijima. Sizokwenzenjani manje? Isikhathi sesihambile. Uyazi, ngifisa sengathi ngabe ngihlale ngabhaka isinkwa noJosh!”

U-Afrika wadonsa umoya kakhulu. “Kumele sibheke iminyatheliso yezinyawo zethu. Uma siyithola sizokwazi ukuyilandela size siyofika emgodini wamanzi.” Waphenduka wabuka endaweni ebazungezile. “Mamo! Umhlaba ebesigijima kuwo womile, ngakho-ke ngeke kube khona minyatheliso!” kusho yena.

“Sizohamba sizungeza size sithole okuthile,” kusho uHope, wase eqala ukuhamba. “Nakhu!” kumemeza yena. “Nakhu okuthile.”

U-Afrika wabuka iminyatheliso yezinselo. “Cha,” kusho yena, “akuyona iminyatheliso yezinyawo zethu leyo. Hambani niqhubeke.”

“Kodwa ingasisiza, Afrika. Ngicabanga ukuthi yiminyatheliso yezinselo zenyamazane. Ngabe awasakhumbuli yini? Sibone inyamazane encane emgodini wamanzi.”

“Yebo, kunjalo!” kusho u-Afrika. “Singayilandela ize isibuyisele emgodini wamanzi. Kungcono siphuthume ngoba ngiyacabanga ukuthi wonke umuntu ukhathazekile ngathi ekhaya.”

Lokho ababengacabangi ukuthi bazokuthola emgodini wamanzi kwaba uMme wa Afrika nomama kaHope!

“Senilibele kancane,” kusho uMme wa Afrika ephuma emotweni. “Besikhathazekile. Ngenani emotweni, sihambe.”

“Ngiyethemba ukuthi nina nobabili ninendaba emnandi,” kusho umama kaHope, edumisa imoto. “Kuningi okumele nisichazele khona.”

UHope no-Afrika babukana.

“Empeleni,” kusho uMme wa Afrika, “Ngisanda kuhlangana nentibane ethukuthele. Ninenhlanhla ngoba anihlangananga nayo. Bekuzoba ingozi ngempela lokho!” Ngemva kwesikhashana wathi, “Hawu, we Hope, ake ubheke ukuthi ngitholeni eduze kwesihlahla esingasemgodini wamanzi.” Wanika uHope umakhalekhukhwini wakhe. “Ngeshwa ubungekho ephaketheni lakho, ngabe nisishayele, nasazisa ukuthi nizolibala.”

UHope waphinde wabuka u-Afrika base bephubuka behleka.

“Mmm,” kusho uMme wa Afrika. “Kubukeka sengathi unendaba enhle yesikhathi samaholide ozoyixoxa, Hope.”

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Khuthaza izingane zakho ukuthi zibhale noma zixoxe ezazo izindaba zokuzehlele esikhathini samaholide – eziyiqiniso noma ezicatshangelwayo nje!