Emandulo kwakukhona isalukazi esasithengisa isobho eliwedlula wonke emakethe yesigodi. Kwakulisobho elimndandi, lenkukhu elishisayo. Akukho muntu kulesi sigodi owayazi igama lalesi salukazi. Akekho owayazi ukuthi sihlalaphi. Futhi akekho owayazi ukuthi kungani isobho laso libe mnandi ngale ndlela, lishise. Babengacabangi nakucabanga ngalezi zinto. Babevele bathenge isobho balidle.

Njalo ekuseni isalukazisasiza emakethe. Sasihlale sithwala ekhanda ibhodwe elikhulu elimnyama eligcwele isobho lenkukhu bese sihlala phansi nalo emthunzini ngaphansi kwesihlahla. Kungakapholi maseko, sizobe sesilithengise lonke isobho. Emva kwalokho sizoyigoqa ngokucophelela imali yaso ngendwangu, siyifake ekhukhwini laso, sibuyisele ibhodwe elingasenalutho ekhanda bese sihamba.

Kwakukhona umfana okuthiwa uFezile owayehlala esigodini esingekude nasemakethe. Wayelikhonzile kakhulu isobho lenkukhu. Eqinisweni, wayelithanda futhi engalideli. Wayefuna ukwazi ukuthi isalukazi esasipheka isobho elimnandi kangaka sasiphumaphi. Ngolunye usuku lapho isalukazi sithwala ibhodwe laso elingasenalutho sifulathela imakethe, uFezile wasilandela. Wayeqikelela ukuthi uhlala esemathunzini, ngemuva kwemithi nezihlahla, ukuze singamboni. Wasilandela ibanga elide, ehla ngendlela eyayiphuma esigodini bese ibheka egqumeni eliqonsayo. Wayesakhuphuka eya phezulu, phezulu, phezulu ngesikhathi kufika ukuhlwa. UFezile wayesaba, kodwa waqhubeka wahamba.

Ekugcineni isalukazi safika endlini encane esemqanseni. Sabeka ibhodwe phansi ngaphambi kwendlu. UFezile walinda isalukazi saze sangena ngaphakathi endlini sase sivala umnyango. Emva kwalokho uFezile wagaqa wasondela ukuze abheke phakathi ebhodweni. Ngokushesha, uFezile wezwa kuvuleka umnyango. Wacasha ngokushesha endaweni lapho ayezobona khona isalukazi kalula. Sahamba saqonda ebhodweni sase siqala ukucula: “Bhodwe lomlingo, bhodwe lomlingo, 

Ngenzele isobho, lishise, lishise, lishise ngempela. 

Yenza isobho ngenyama yenkukhu. Yenza isobho lenkukhu. 

Ngenzele isobho ukuze ngithengise futhi abantu balithenge. 

Wo bhodwe lomlingo, wo bhodwe lomlingo!”

Ngokuphazima kweso ibhodwe lase ligcwele isobho lenkukhu! Kwaphuma isisi ebhodweni elikhulu elimnyama kanti iphunga lalimnandi ngangokuthi lenza uFezile wavele walamba. Lapho isalukazi sesiphindele endlini, uFezile wagaqa waqonda ebhodweni elikhulu. Wabuka ngaphansi kwalo. Nakuba ibhodwe laligcwele lichichima yisobho lenkukhu elishisayo, kwakungekho mlilo owawuvutha ngaphansi kwalo. “Kumele ngiyithole ingxenyana yaleli sobho,” ezitshela uFezile. “Ave ngilambile!” Welulekela phambili wafaka isandla sakhe ebhodweni maqede wathatha iqatha lenkukhu. Khona manjalo saphuma isalukazi endlini yaso sabona uFezile nesandla sakhe sisebhodweni. “Hawu! Hawu! Hawu!” simemeza. “HHAYI! HHAYI! HHAYI!” UFezile waphenduka wabaleka ngelikhulu ijubane. Isalukazi sagijima simlandela, sithetha, kodwa sehluleka ukumbamba.

UFezile wagijima, wagijima, kwathi ekugcineni wafika ekhaya ephephile. Waxoxela unina noyise konke ngesalukazi nebhodwe laso lomlingo. Baphuma bonke babheka phezulu entabeni, base besibona isisi sishunqa sibheke esibhakabhakeni. “Yebo,” kwasho abazali bakaFezile, “ake nibheke lokhuya. Siyakwazi ukubona isisi esiphuma ebhodweni lomlingo.” Isalukazi asiphindanga sabuyela emakethe kanti akekho owake wakhuphukela egqumeni eliqonsile ukusivakashela. Bonke bebesaba kakhulu. Kodwa-ke kusukela lapho, kwakuthi uma umuntu wasesigodini ebona amafu ezungeze phezulu egqumeni, avele athi, “Bheka! Bheka laphaya phezulu! Yisisi esiphuma ebhodweni lomlingo lesalukazi.”