Yayiyimini yemvula, uJosh wayehleli etafileni yasekhitshini esenza ikayiti. Wayenamacwecwe akhaphukhaphu amaplanga awayewasebenzisela ukwenza isakhelo sekayiti. Wayenawo namaphetshana athambileyo emibala ezuba nabomvu amanye eluhlaza ekhona napinki. Wayombathisa yonke ikayiti ngephetshana elithambileyo elizuba.

“Eli phetshana lizuba bubuso bekayiti!” wagqiba kwelo uJosh. Wasika iphetshana elibomvu ukwenza imilebe encumileyo ebonisa ulonwabo, iphetshana eliluhlaza walisebenzisela amehlo, laze iphetshana elipinki langqonga izidlele. Emva koko wenza umsila omde wekayiti ngephetshana elizuba, elibomvu, neliluhlaza kunye nelipinki.

“Umsila wakho ubonakala njengeempahla ezixhentsa emoyeni kucingo lokwaneka iimpahla lukaGogo,” watsho uJosh kwikayiti. Emva koko wabhijela umtya omde kakhulu kumbhontshontsho wekhadibhodi waze wabophelela elinye icala lomtya kwisakhelo sekayiti, ukuze ingabhabhi imshiye emva kwexesha isemoyeni.

“Igama lakho unguRhec’isibhakabhaka!” watsho uJosh kwikayiti.

Kwintsasa elandelayo, uJosh wayehleli kwisihlalo esiqhutywayo phandle phambi komnyango okwicala elingaphambili lendlu esingathe uRhec’isibhakabhaka. Yayiyimini eyayikufanele ukubhajiswa kwekayiti. Wayelinde uHope. Wayeza kumtyhiliza ngamandla aze akhawuleze kangangoko, ukuze uRhec’isibhakabhaka aphetshethwe ngumoya aze abhabhe. Wayephi ke?

“Ndilapha!” watsho uHope. “Ndicela uxolo ngokufika emva kwemini. Ingaba ikayiti yakho seyikulungele ukubhabha?”

“Ewe, sendingxamele ukuyibukela iphezulu esibhakabhakeni!” watsho uJosh.

“Masihambe ke!” watsho uHope selezibambe nkqi izibambo ezingasemva zesihlalo esiqhutywayo. Waqala wahamba ngokukhawuleza, waze wabaleka kubo bonke ubude bepevementi. Amavili ayehamba ebhampa-bhampa, ebhampa-bhampa, esiya ngokuqengqeleka ngokuthe chatha njengoko uHope wayebaleka esongeza isantya sakhe. UJosh wacombulula intwana encinane yomtya kumbhontshontsho wekhadibhodi awayewuphethe. Ngephanyazo yantinga ikayiti! Yaphaphazela emoyeni nje phezu kweentloko zabo.

UJosh noHope badlula kuNeo owayesesitiyeni esingaphambi kwendlu edlala noBella. Wayethwele umnqwazi wamaphephandaba womphangi waselwandle futhi wayenekrele lekhadibhodi. UBella wayethwele umnqwazi wobugqhi.

“Akungomphangi waselwandle olichule!” watsho uBella, ejiwuzisa intongana yemilingo yakhe.

“Hawu! Hawu!” wakhonkotha uNoodle, kodwa uNeo wayengammamelanga ngokunjalo noBella. UNeo wayelinde uJosh noHope ababesiza bebaleka ngamendu abo apheleleyo. UBella watsho walibala ngomdlalo wabo kuba naye wayebukele uJosh noHope!

“Singanilandela nathi?” wabuza uNeo.

“Ewe, yiza! Siza kubhabhisa uRhec’isibhakabhaka!” watsho uJosh edlula.

“Yiza, Bella, masihambe!” watsho uNeo.

“Yiza, Noodle,” watsho uBella.

“Hawu! Hawu!” wakhonkotha uNoodle.

Ngoko ke uHope noNeo noBella noNoodle babenkcunkca bebaleka emva kukaJosh, ubhampa-bhampa nohawu! hawu! bevakala kuyo yonke loo pevementi.

Bathe bakufika ethafeni elikufuphi nezinye izindlu, uJosh wacombulula enye intwana yomtya waze uRhec’isibhakabhaka wabhabhela phezulu emoyeni. Emva koko wantingela phezulu. Watshebeleza epholile phezu kwamaphahla ezindlu naphezu kwemiphezulu yemithi nesibhakabhaka esizuba simngqongile. UJosh noHope noNeo noBella babebukele ikayiti benqwenela ukuba bebebhabha nayo esibhakabhakeni.

“Hawu! Hawu!” wakhonkotha ngokukhwaza ngakumbi uNoodle. Wayesajonge phezulu kwikayiti.

“Neo, uyafuna ukuzama ukubhabhisa ikayiti?” wabuza uJosh.

“Ewe nceda torho!” watsho uNeo, waze wathatha umbhontshontsho wekhadibhodi yomtya kuJosh. Kodwa kwakuvuthuza umoya oko kwenza ukuba atsale nzima uRhec’isibhakabhaka, waze uNeo waphuncula umbhontshontsho wekhadibhodi. Yatshwitshwiza ingqunga ngokujikeleza emhlabeni ngokungathi yinto ephilayo futhi endlongondlongo, wabe ucombuluka ngokucombuluka umtya, ngelo xesha ikayiti intingele phezulu kangangangoko. Ngephanyazo yaba ngathi lichokoza elincinane esibhakabhakeni.

UNoodle watsibela kumbhontshontsho womtya! Wawuxhakamfula ngemihlathi yakhe ewunqakule nangeentupha ukuze ungajikelezi. Wasuka waxhumela emadolweni kaJosh ngeentupha zakhe waze wagqithisela umbhontshontsho kuJosh. Ekugqibeleni, uRhec’isibhakabhaka wayeka ukubhabhela kude wahlala kuloo ndawo wayekuyo, ngomsila wakhe omibala-bala owunduzayo esibhakabhakeni esasisezantsi kwakhe.

“Noodle, uyisindisile ikayiti yethu!” watsho uJosh. UNoodle watshikiza umsila wakhe.

“Noodle, ungoyena rhec’ikayiti wakhe wabalasela!” watsho uHope. UNoodle watshikiza umsila wakhe.

“Noodle, uyinja ekrelekrele kakhulu!” watsho uBella. UNoodle watshikiza umsila wakhe.

UJosh wabhijela umtya wekayiti yakhe. Wawuqinisa ngokuwuqinisa umtya kwibhobhile yekhadibhodi wade uRhec’isibhakabhaka weza kusingatha kuye emva kodelongozi lwakhe olukhulu esibhakabhakeni. UHope wajikisa isihlalo samavili, baze bonke babuyela emva bebhampa-bhampa nohawu! hawu! ekhona kuyo yonke indlela egodukayo.

Wathi xa engqengqe ebhedini yakhe uJosh ngobo busuku, wacinga ngolonwabo aye wanalo nekayiti yakhe nangendlela awayephantse ukulahlekelwa yiyo ngayo. “Ngethamsanqa ndinabona bahlobo bandithandayo ehlabathini!” wasezela umoya esitsho evala amehlo akhe.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

* Yithi abantwana bakho mabazenzele iikayiti zabo. Babuze imibuzo yokubancedisa ukuba baqalise – umzekelo: Uza kuyenza ibe nemilo enjani ikayiti yakho? Uza kusebenzisa ntoni xa uyenza? Ungayihombisa njani?
* Yonwaba nabantwana bakho xa nivuthela iibhaluni nizikhulula ukuba zihambe. (Uze ungenzi qhina ekupheleni kwebhaluni ebhajiswayo.) Zibukeleni ukuba zibhabha njani kuyo yonke indawo xa kuphuma umoya!
* Ebalini, uNeo uthwele umnqwazi owenziwe ngephephandaba. Nika abantwana bakho iphephandaba, iseloteyiphi, izikere nomtya uze ubakhuthaze ukuba benze into ethile ngokusebenzisa izinto obanike zona.