UDumi iMbila ucambalele ngomqolo, ugcakamele ilanga ejongise phezulu isisu sakhe esimpukumpuku phezu kweliwa elikhulu, elimcaba. Wayesozela seleza kubiwa bubuthongo xa wayesiva intsini ithulwa phezulu. Uvule iliso elinye, ecubhukile. Iimbila ezimbini ezincinane zazizama ukubaleka zikufutshane kuye.

“PHU-UUUU!!!” yatsho enye kwenye xa zazidlula ngononophelo zigqitha kwelo liwa. “Yhu! Laa mbila inevumba ELIBI!” Zagigitheka kakhulu xa zikhawuleza zigqitha.

UDumi wabefunyeka, ephekuza impukane eyayibhuza ijikeleza ngasendlebeni yakhe. “Akulunganga oku!” wacinga. “Akukho mntu undamkelayo.”

Kwakuyinyaniso oko. UDumi wayenevumba elibi ngenxa yokungcola. Wayengcole kuba wayengahlambi kwaphela, kodwa akukho mntu owayesazi isizathu. Inyaniso yayikukuba, uDumi wayewoyika amanzi. Kwaba kanye eselusana, apho wawa ngentloko esadungeni esasinodaka oluninzi. UDumi wayengakwazi kuqubha, kodwa ngethamsanqa, umkhuluwa wakhe wamkhupha ngemilenze yakhe yangasemva. Ukususela ngaloo mini, uDumi wayengafuni kwaphela ukuba kufuphi namanzi. Xa ezinye iimbila zisiya echibini qho kusasa ukuya kuhlamba, uDumi wayenyamalala aye kuzimela ematyholweni. Akukho mntu wayenokukwazi ukuguqula ingqondo yakhe malunga namanzi – nkqu nomama wakhe!

Zadlula iintsuku – ihlobo lalishushu kakhulu futhi imvula yayingani. UDumi waya ngokungcola waze wangcola. Uboya bakhe babunentsila enamafutha futhi bunebala elimfiliba, kanti wayenuka kakubi kakhulu. Eyona nto yayimbi, wayelandelwa ligquba leempukane naphi apho akhoyo. UDumi wayengakuthandi oku, tu kwaphela, kodwa wayesenza ngathi wayengakhathali.

Ngenye intsasa, abadala belali beza kuthetha noDumi. Babemi kude kuye, waze uDumi wababona bevale iimpumlo zabo ngezandla bemana ukutsala umoya. 

“Sicela uxolo, Dumi,” batsho, “kaloku njengoko usazi kudala ingani imvula. Iimpukane sezininzi kakhulu. Iimpukane zikuthanda kakhulu ukungcola, kanti wena ungcole kakhulu, ngoko ke wena uthandwa ziimpukane! Zonke ezi mpukane ziza kusigulisa … Into eya kusinceda kukuba wena uhambe kule lali.”

Usizana olunguDumi! Wayeza kwenza ntoni? Usizi lwaba kukuba, wasuka wanyamalala. Wahamba waze wahamba. Lwaya ngokuba shushu usuku xa ilanga seliphezulu lidlula esibhakabhakeni esiqaqambe ngombala obhlowu. Waziva esindwa yintloko, iinyawo zakhe ziqaqamba! Ekugqibeleni, waziva ngathi akanakuphinda akwazi ukuya phambili.

“Ndidinga umthunzi!” watsho, ephunguza. Yayingamininzanga imithi kule ndawo yeli thafa, kodwa wabona umthi omfutshane wameva owawungekudanga kuye. Ecothoza, uDumi waqhwalela esiya kulo mthi mncinane. Wangqengqa phantsi kwawo, wabiwa bubuthongo obunzulu. 

Kudlule iiyure ezininzi. UDumi wayelele kamnandi kangangokuba zange awabone namafu emvula esithi fingi esibhakabhakeni. Ilanga lalingabonakali. Isibhakabhaka sasimnyama. Umoya waya uphola ngokuphola, kodwa imbila ediniweyo yayisalele. Ekugqibeleni, imvula yaqalisa ukuna ngamandla.

Wavuka uDumi. Amaqabaza amakhulu emvula ayegaleleka phezu kwawo wonke umzimba wakhe! Elalini yeembila, zonke iimbila zazimela imvula phantsi kwamawa amakhulu. Kodwa apha, kwakungekho khusi lokuzifihla! Ekuqaleni kwemvula, uthe xa uDumi eyiva emzimbeni, watsho ngesikhalo esikrakra, wakhala eziqengqa ezenza ibhola encinane yoboya. “Ncedani bo!” ekhala okwenja. “Khanindincedeni bo!” Kodwa neempukane zazibalekile, uDumi eyedwa jwi.

Kwasuka kwenzeka into engaqhelekanga. Yathi xa imvula iqengqeleka emzimbeni wakhe, uDumi wafumanisa ukuba uziva kamnandi. Engangxamanga, wazola waze emva kwexesha, wade wavula amehlo akhe. “Kuthe kanti imvula yinto entle,” watsho, “futhi ilenza libe nevumba lokuhlaziyeka ithafa!” Wasukuma uDumi, wavula umlomo wakhe ukuze asele amaqabaza emvula. “Amnandi nawo!” watsho emangalisiwe. Wayechwayite kangangokuba waqala wangqisha ngonyawo lwakhe enqakrazisa iminwe yakhe.

Wajika wajonga ngasemva uDumi, waza wabuyela elalini yeembila exhentsa engayeki, ehamba ecula: “Imvula! Imvula! Ndiyayithanda imvula! Imvula! Imvula! Imvula!”

UDumi wafika ngorhatya elalini. Zange zimbone ezinye iimbila – zazizifihle emvuleni zonke phantsi kwamawa amakhulu. UDumi wayengakhathali. Wayekuqhelile ukuba yedwa, kwaye, wayeziva echwayite kakhulu! Watya amagqabi ambalwa njengesidlo sakhe sasebusuku, wakhasela phantsi kwetyholo waphinda wabiwa bubuthongo kwakhona.

Akuba evukile uDumi, wabona ukuba imvula ayisani kodwa yayishiye ilali ibukeka intle kwaye ihlaziyekile. Lathi lakuphuma ilanga, iqela leentyatyambo zombala opinki oqaqambileyo zasuka zadubula. 

“Wowu!” watsho, ephunguza.

Kanye ngelo xesha, zonke ezinye iimbila zazihamba zisiya ngakuye. Zazisendleleni eya echibini zisiya kuhlamba. Indlela ezazimangaliswe ngayo ukubona uDumi omtsha, ococekileyo, nonuka kamnandi! 

“Dumi! Kwenzeke ntoni?” babuza bonke, bemngqongile. Kodwa endaweni yokuthetha uDumi waqala wanqakrazisa iminwe yakhe engqisha nangonyawo lwakhe … kungekudala wayexhentsa ecula kwakhona. Zonke iimbila zangenelela, xa zazihamba zisiya echibini: “Imvula! Imvula! Siyayithanda imvula! Imvula! Imvula! Imvula!”

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Nika abantwana bakho amacwecwe amakhulu amaphepha ukuze bazobe imifanekiso yendlela uDumi iMbila wayeziva ngayo malunga namanzi ekuqaleni okanye ekupheleni kwebali – okanye kuwo omabini la mathuba!