“Maye mina!” kucabanga umma kaLethabo lokha nakahlezi etafuleni ngekhwitjhini. “Ngizokwenzanjani? Kusasa lilanga likaLethabo lamabeletho kodwana kunemali encani engathenga isipho.”

UBathaile ujame ezinkini ububula ingoma lokha nakahlanza izitja. “Mmmm la la … Mmmm la la.”

“Lethabo” kutjho ummakhe, “lilanga lakho lamabeletho kusasa. Ngingakupha ini?”

“Oh, Mma” kutjho uLethabo, “Angazi ngifunani.”

“Ngizakwenza iqhinga,” kwatjho uMma.

 Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum. Imino kamma ithintathinta ingaphezulu letafula. ULethabo awuthande umdumo. “Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum,” wavumela ingoma phasi lokha nakaya ngelawini lakhe lokulala. Wakhupha amanyathelo wakhe wahlala phezu kombhede wakhe. “Khuyini engikufunako ngelanga lami lamabeletho?” Kutjho uLethabo akhulumela phezulu.

“Kuyahlekisa kobana ungabuza lokho!” kwatjho ilizwi.

“Ngubani loyo?” kwatjho uLethabo asikima. “Angiboni muntu.”

“Ngingaphasi kombhede!” kwatjho ilizwi.

“Ngibawa uphume!” ULethabo weqela emuva embhedeni wakhe. “Eitjh!”

Lapho, phambi kwakhe, kwakujame iswebu. Sajama ngemilenze ebunane. Ifana neengojwana.

“Ngiyacolisa ngokukwethusa!” Isiswebu sikhothamise ihloko. “Igama lami nginguFelix. Ngisiswebu se-Anansi.”

“NginguLethabo. Ngiyayithanda ingwani yakho!”

“Ngiyathokoza Lethabo. Ingwani yami ibuya eGhana! Inemibala yeflarha leGhana – obovu, osarulani nohlaza satjani.”

“Kukuphi eGhana?” kwabuza uLethabo.

“Kukude khulu le e-Africa,” kwaphendula uFelix.

“Khuyini isiswebu se-Anansi?” kwabuza uLethabo.

“Ngibuya emndenini weenswebu ze-Anansi. Sidumile. Sivela eTjhingalanga Afrika. Abanye bethu bangena emirarweni khulu, kodwana mina anginamraro. Kodwana, ingasi njalo nokho. UFelix wahleka

“Kubayini ulapha?” kwabuza uLethabo.

“Ungibizile,” kwatjho uFelix.

“Kodwana angikakubizi!” kwatjho uLethabo.

Wamomotheka uFelix. “Iye, ungibizile, lokha nawubhina sakububula. Kwanjesi, ngibawa uvale amehlo, ngikuphathele isimanga.”

ULethabo wabeka izandla zakhe emehlweni. Wezwa uFelix akarabha mazombe phasi. Kusenjalo itjhada lazala indlu. Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum. Bekulitjhada unina ebekalenza phezu kwetafula, kodwana bekalenzela eduze begodu khudlwana.

“Maye, ingabe khuyini lokho?” watjho alila.

“Vula amehlwakho!” kurhuwelela uFelix.

UFelix bekadlala iingubhe ezibunane ngasikhathi sinye. Umlenze omatsikana ngamunye bewuphezu kwesigubhe. Bekabhodwe ziingubhe. Ihlokwakhe beyiqala phasi lokha nakabetha isigubhe ngasinye. Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum.

“Ingikara kangangani!” Kutjho uLethabo ngokumomotheka. Eqayeqa, azombazombe ngelawini abhina lokha uFelix nakabetha iingubhe.

Itjhada leengubhe nokubhina kukaLethabo kuzale ilawana likaLethabo. Itjhada libethe ebodeni, likhuphukele esilinghini, liwele phasi emadeni, lidume ngemathunjinabo, libakitakite amazwani bese lihlangana nokubetha kweenhliziyo zabo.

“Lethabo, ingabe koke kukhamba kuhle?” Ubuso bukammakhe bahlola emnyango.

“Iye akunamraro, Mma,” kwatjho uLethabo. “Bengizicabangela ngelanga lami lamabeletho.”

Umma kaLethabo avale umnyango, abuyele ngekhwitjhini. “Maye mina, ngizokwenzanjani?” watjho njalo.

“Felix! Ukuphi?” ULethabo waqala ngaphasi kombhede. “Ungaphuma kwanjesi.”

“Upheze wangithola!” kwatjho uFelix “Abantu abadala bayakuthanda ukungijimisa.”

“Ngibawa ungitjele kobana kubayini uzongibona?” kwatjho uLethabo.

“Kuhle, ngiyazi kobana lilanga lakho lamabeletho kusasa. Ingabe ufunani?” kwabuza uFelix.

“Isigubhe, Felix! Ngifuna isigubhe!” ULethabo wadana. “Kodwana sekulada khulu. Iintolo sezivaliwe.”

“Hee, hee,” kumomotheka uFelix. “Bawa isigubhe kummakho. Bawa isigubhe seTjhingalanga Afrika. Manjesi vala amehlo godu utjho isifiso sakho. Yewusale kuhle, Lethabo!”

ULethabo wavala amehlo, “Ngifisa sengathi ingabe benginesigubhe.” Watjho njalo. Wavula amehlo. Wathola uFelix sele akhambile.

“Mma! Mma!”

“Kwenzenjani, Lethabo?” kwabuza umma kaLethabo lokha nakagijimela ngelawini.

“Mma, Ngifuna isigubhe ngelanga lami lamabeletho!”

“Kodwana Lethabo − isigubhe?” Ummakhe wathintitha ihloko.

“Ingasinanyana ngesinjani isigubhe, Mma. Isigubhe esivela eTjhingalanga Afrika, ngiyabawa.” Lokha nakabhinako, agida abhodabhoda ngelawini lakhe. Dum dum de dum!

Umma kaLethabo walalela Umbhino. Wacabanga ngobabakhe. Umkhumbula ahlezi ngaphandle kwendlu yakwabo yotjani elangeni. Hlangana nemlenzakhe kwakujame isigubhe esikhulu. Bekasibetha, abiza woke amadoda nabafazi bethreste kobana beze emnyanyeni. Umlilo bewubhebhedlha amalangabu. Wayemomothekela uLethabo, umntwanomntwanakhe omutjha, lokha nakalele ezandleni zikanina.

“Maye, ngikhumbule ubaba kangangani,” kucabanga uMma. “Akhe ujame kancani! Ngisese nezinye izinto zakhe ngesuthikesini ngaphasi kombhede.

Umma wayithola isuthikesi edala ngaphasi kombhede. “Maye, kuneenswebu phezu kwayo!” Kunghonghoyila umma.

Ngokukhulumela kwakhe phezulu, iinswebu zabaleka. Umma wadosa isuthikesi wase uyayivula. Ngaphakathi wathola isigujana esincani – esilingene uLethabo ngobukhulu.

“Maye, ngiyathokoza, Baba! Ngiyasikhumbula isigubhesi! Wasenzela uLethabo!”

Bekunganatjhada elivela ngelawini likaLethabo. Ngokuthula, uMma wananya waya ngelawini likaLethabo wavula umnyango. Umkhanyo wenyanga wakhanyisa indodakazakhe lokha nayileleko. UMma wabeka isigubhe phasi eduze kombhede wase ucabuza uLethabo emhlathini. “Langa lamabeletho elimnandi, Lethabo,” watjho ngokuthula. “Langa lamabeletho elimnandi, kutjho mina nobamkhulwakho.”