Kudala-dala, kwiminyaka ngeminyaka eyadlulayo, kwakukho ibuzi, impuku yasendle ngamanye amagama, elalibizwa ngokuba nguLegotlo. ULegotlo wayengumhlobo osondele kuMamanthwane – ilulwane. Bona bobabini babesoloko bekunye. Kodwa uMamanthwane wayenomona ngoLegotlo. ULegotlo wayenabahlobo abaninzi kwaye wonke umntu wayemthanda ngaphezu kwelulwane. ULegotlo wayenayo nenkosikazi eyayimthanda kakhulu. Ilulwane lalimonela uLegotlo ngazo zonke ezi zinto wayenazo.
ULegotlo noMamanthwane babesoloko besitya kunye. Xa liphekile ilulwane, ukutya kwakusoloko kunencasa kakhulu. “Yenzeka njani into yokuba wena xa upheke isuphu iba nencasa kakhulu kangaka?” labuza ibuzi. “Ndisoloko ndizibilisa emanzini, kanti inyama yam iswiti. Yiloo nto eyenza ukuba isuphu ibe mnandi kangaka,” lachaza ilulwane. Kodwa laliphosisa.
UMamanthwane wazinikela ekubeni abonise ibuzi indlela okwenziwa ngayo oko. Weza nembiza enamanzi ashushu futhi eshushu ngokwaneleyo kangangokuba angatshisa nabani, kodwa wamxelela uLegotlo ukuba amanzi akwiqondo lokubila. Ngoko ke uMamanthwane watsibela embizeni kodwa wakhawuleza waphuma kwangoko. Wathi uMamanthwane xa ephaka isuphu, yanencasa emnandi ngokwesiqhelo. ULegotlo wamangaliswa. Ngenene icebo lelulwane liyasebenza, wacinga njalo.
Emva kokuba begqibe ukutya, ibuzi lagoduka lafika laxelela inkosikazi yalo ukuba laliza kupheka isuphu emnandi njengeyelulwane. Inkosikazi yabuza ukuba liza kuyenza njani isuphu emnandi njengeyelulwane. Lihlebo!” watsho uLegotlo. ULegotlo wacela inkosikazi yakhe ukuba ibilise amanzi, yakwenza oko. Yathi xa inkosikazi ingajonganga, uLegotlo watsibela embizeni. Kwangoko wasuka wabila emanzini! “Ndincede! Ndincede!” wakhwaza. “Ndiyatsha!”
Inkosikazi yebuzi yakhawuleza yamtsala yamkhupha, kodwa umonakalo wawusowenzekile. ULegotlo wayetshe kakubi kakhulu kangangokuba wade walahlekelwa bubo bonke uboya bakhe. Isikhumba sakhe sasibomvu napinki ngenxa yamanzi ashushu. “Wena ubungenelani embizeni yamanzi abilayo?” inkosikazi yabuza. “Kungenxa yokuba uMamanthwane undixelele ukuba yinto eyenza ukuba isuphu yakhe ibe nencasa ngenene leyo,” watsho uLegotlo.
Yathi yakumjonga inkosikazi uLegotlo yabona indlela enzakele ngayo, yakhala. Yamsa kwagqirha, kodwa ugqirha wayengakwazi kumnceda. Endaweni yoko, ugqirha wathi uLegotlo akanakuze aphinde amile boya kwakhona. Yathi yakuva ezi ndaba zimbi inkosikazi kaLegotlo yanomsindo kakhulu! Yaxela lo mbandela kukumkani nakukumkanikazi. Bayalela ukuba bonke abantu belali balifumane elo lulwane ukuba lohlwaywe. Wonke umntu waqala wazingela ilulwane. Kodwa uMamanthwane wayesele eve ngako konke okwakuza kwenzeka ngoko ke wabhabha wangena etyholweni wazimela khona. Abantu belali bakhangela bakhangela, kodwa zange bamfumane naphi na.
Ngemini elandelayo abantu belali bangena etyholweni ukuze bafumane uMamanthwane apho. Babenyanisile – bamfumana uMamanthwane ezimele emthini. Bamlinda wade walala, baze bambamba bamsa ngqo kukumkani nokumkanikazi. Bathi bakufika kwikomkhulu, bafumanisa ukuba uLegotlo nenkosikazi yakhe sebelapho. UMamanthwane wayeneentloni ukujonga umhlobo wakhe, uLegotlo emehlweni. “Kutheni undenza into enje? Besingabahlobo benene!” watsho uLegotlo kwilulwane.
“Kungenxa yokuba bendikumonela,” waphendula uMamanthwane. “Unayo yonke into endingenayo futhi bonke abantu bathanda wena kodwa mna bayandicaphukela.” Abantu belali bamangaliswa yimpendulo kaMamanthwane. Babemangaliswa kukuba kutheni uMamanthwane engakhange abuze umhlobo wakhe ukuba wenza njani ukuze wonke umntu amthande. Emva koko ukumkani wathi, “Hayi ke, ubaxelele ngokwakho abantu isizathu ukuze bakucaphukele ngakumbi.”
Ukumkani nokumkanikazi bayalela abalindi ukuba bavalele uMamanthwane etrongweni. Ukumkanikazi wathi, “Namhlanje siyakubamba! Ngomso siza kwenza isigqibo sokuba siza kukohlwaya njani!” Ngentsasa elandelayo bakufika abalindi ukuza kulanda uMamanthwane kwisisele sakhe sasetrongweni, bafumanisa ukuba wayengasekho apho. Wayeqhweshile futhi kwakungekho owaziyo ukuba oko ukwenze njani. ULegotlo nenkosikazi bacaphuka kakhulu bakuva ezo ndaba. Ukumkani nokumkanikazi nabo babevutha ngumsindo. Bayalela abantu elalini ukuba baphinde bazingele ilulwane kwakhona.
Ngayo yonke loo mini abantu bazama ukufumana nokubamba uMamanthwane, kodwa zange baphumelele. UMamanthwane wayefumene umqolomba owawungaziwa mntu kude elalini. Kwakunzima ukuwufumana loo mqolomba. UMamanthwane kwakhona wenza isigqibo sokutshintsha omnye wemikhwa yakhe – ukususela ngaloo mini, wayephumela phandle kuphela xa kumnyama ukuze atye.
Nangoku, yiloo nto nanamhlanje, ungenakuze umfumane uMamanthwane, ilulwane, emini. Kusebusuku kuphela apho unokumbona ebhabhela kufutshane.
