UBusi wayeyixoxo elincane eliluhlaza elalihlala nomndeni walo eduze komfula ogwincizayo ezintabeni zoKhahlamba. UBusi wayeyixoxo elithokozile, kodwa iyodwa into eyayimenza aphatheke kabi. Wayebukeka ehlukile kubafowabo, odadewabo, kanye nawo wonke amanye amaxoxo. Ubuso bakhe babufana nobamanye. Umzimba wakhe wawufana neminye. Kodwa omunye wemilenze kaBusi engemuva wawumude kakhulu kuneminye futhi uwugqinsi. Ngesinye isikhathi amanye amaxoxo amancane ayemgcona ngomlenze wakhe ongajwayelekile, kanti lokhu uBusi kwakumzwisa ubuhlungu obedlulele. 

“Ukuba nje ngangibukeka njengabanye!” wayevame ukusho njalo ephefumulela phezulu. “Ukuba nje bengingemubi kangaka!”  

“Wumbhedo lowo!” kwasho uMkhulu Xoxo. 

“Uqinisile uMkhulu!” kwasho uMama Xoxo. “Kwenzeka kanjani ukuthi ixoxo elincane elikhethekileyo likhulume umbhedo onjalo pho?” 

UBusi akazange abakholwe. Ngenkathi amaxoxo ehlezi ekhala ezinkwazini zomfula ngokuhlwa okudonsayo kwasehlobo, uBusi wayehlezi ngemuva kwawo wonke ukuze ungabonwa nangelilodwa umlenze wakhe wangemuva omude kakhulu. Lapho amanye ebamba izimpukane njengesidlo sasemini, yena wayewufihla umlenze wakhe ungabonakali, ukuze abukeke efana namanye. 

Ezansi nomfula, emhumeni omnyama owawuphezulu entabeni kwakuhlala ukhozi olunonya. “Ungasondeli kuloluya khozi!” uMama Xoxo wayevamise ukuxwayisa kanjalo. 

Ngolunye usuku, lapho uBusi ezizwa edangele kakhulu, wanquma ukuba ayozibhukudela eyedwana nje. “Ngimubi kakhulu ukuthi ngingadlala nabanye,” kucabanga yena. “Kungcono ngichithe usuku ngingedwa nje.” 

Ixoxo elincane labhukuda eside isikhathi, emva kwalokho lagaqa seliphuma emanzini ukuze liphumule ogwini olunotshani. Selilele lapho elangeni, labuka phezulu, lase liwubona umhume wokhozi. 

“Kungangcono ngingahlali lapha!” lizicabangela. Kwase kusele kancane ukuba ligxumele phakathi futhi emfuleni ngenkathi lizwa amazwi ehla ephuma khona emhumeni. 

“Mnumzane,” uBusi wayezwa kusho izwi lengane, “sengiwushanyelile umhume futhi ngalungisa nesidlo sasemini. Ngicela ukuthi ngiye phansi emfuleni ngenkathi wena udla, yikhona ngizohlanza ilokwe lami. Yilona kuphela esenginalo manje, kanti selingcole kakhulu.” 

“Ucabanga ukuthi ngiyisilima yini, ntombazanyana?” kuklewula izwi elikhulu nelinolaka. “Uma ngingakuvumela uye eduze komfula, uyovele ubaleke!” 

“Awu, ngeke, Mnumzane,” ixoxo lezwa ingane isho kanjalo. “Ngeke ngize ngibaleke. Uzozwa nje ukuthi ngisekhona lapha ngoba uzongizwa ngibhula ilokwe lami elimanzi emadwaleni lize lome.” 

“O, kulungile-ke,” kwasho ukhozi olunonya, “kodwa kuzomele usheshe ngoba mningi umsebenzi okusamele uwenze!” 

UBusi wabuka intombazane esencane igqoke ilokwe elingcole lesabeka ngenkathi ihamba iqonde phansi emfuleni. Yahlala phansi edwaleni eliseduze kukaBusi, yayisiqala ukukhala. 

“Ungakhali, ntombazanyana,” kusho ixoxo ngeliphansi, kodwa ingane yavele yakhala kakhulu. 

“Wo hhe, Xoxo,” yasho ikhala, “Ngeke ngiphinde ngikwazi ukuya ekhaya! Loluya khozi olunonya lwangintshontsha emzini wakithi ngesonto eledlule, manje sengiyisigqila salo!” 

Kungaleso sikhathi lapho bezwa khona izwi lokhozi elinolaka limemeza kakhulu liphuma emhumeni walo, “Ntombanzane, usekhona lapho? Uma ngingawuzwa umsindo wokubhulwa kwengubo masinyane nje, uzoba senkingeni ENKULU!” 

“Mngani wami,” kwasho uBusi ngokushesha, “akukho sikhathi esizokuchithekela! Nginikeze ilokwe lakho, bese uyabaleka ngokushesha okungangamandla akho. Ngizoyibhula le ngubo kula madwala, futhi ukhozi luzowuzwa umsindo. Ngenkathi seluthola ukuthi usuhambile, uzobe ususekhaya, usunonyoko futhi!” 

“Xoxo, awuve unomusa,” kwasho intombazane. “Kodwa singakwenza kanjani isilwane esincane njengawe ukuba sibhule ilokwe ngamandla anele ukuthi kwenzeke umsindo omkhulu?” 

“Hhayi-ke,” kwasho uBusi, “awukaze uwubone umlenze wami wekhethelo noqinileyo!” 

Ngamahlonyana ixoxo lakhombisa intombazanyana umlenze walo omude nolugqinsi, elaliwufihle ngemuva njengenjwayelo. Ingane yabe isibona ukuthi inalo ithuba. Yalikhumula ilokwe layo maqede yalifaka phakathi emanzini. Lithe uma selimanzi, yalibhula edwaleni elikhulu kaningana. Emva kwalokho yabe isidlulisela ilokwe kuBusi ngokushesha. Yayisiqabula ixoxo esiphongweni, yanyenyeza ithi, “Ngiyabonga,” emva kwalokho yabaleka. 

KHWA! KHWA! KHWA! kukhala ilokwe elimanzi, ngenkathi uBusi elibhaxula edwaleni isikhathi eside. Umlenze wakhe omude kakhulu wawunamandla ngendlela yokuthi kwakulula kakhulu kuye ukwenza umsindo ozwakalayo. Kwaze konakala lapho ukhozi seluthetha futhi lutshela intombazane ukuthi ayisheshise, uBusi wayeselahla ilokwe phansi, wagxuma wangena emfuleni, ethi gxumbu maqede ebhukuda ngokubaleka eshesha. 

“Ekugcineni!” kwasho unina kaBusi ngenkathi uBusi efika ekhaya. “Ubukuphi?” 

Ngenkathi anga uBusi, wabona ubucwebe obumanyazelayo esiphongweni sexoxo elincane, lapho nje intombazane ibiliqabule khona. 

“Awuve umuhle bo!” kwasho uMama Xoxo, nabafowabo kanye nodadewabo bakaBusi bavumelana ngalokho. UBusi wathi uma ebona umfanekiso wakhe uma ezibuka emanzini, wagcwala ukumamatheka okukhulu nokubanzi kwakoxoxo. Wayethokozile ngokubukeka emuhle kangaka. Kodwa ngaphezu kwalokho, wayethokozile ngokuthi umlenze wakhe omude kakhulu wawungeyona into embi kangako.