“O nkosi yami,” kucabanga umama kaLethabo ngesikhathi ehlala etafuleni lasekhishini. “Kumele ngenzenjani? Kusasa usuku lokuzalwa lukaLethabo kanti imali ekhona incane kakhulu ukuthi ingathenga isipho.”

ULethabowayemi kusinki evuma ingoma ngesikhathi egeza izitsha. “Mmmm la la … Mmmm la la.”

“Lethabo,” kusho uMama, “kusasa usuku lwakho lokuzalwa. Yini engingakupha yona?”

“Eyi, Mama,” kusho uLethabo, “nami angazi ukuthi ngifunani.”

“Ngizocabanga okuthile,” kusho uMama.

Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum. Kushaya iminwe kamama phezu kwetafula. Wawuthanda lo msindo uLethabo. “Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum,” wacula buthule ngesikhathi eya ekameleni lakhe. Wakhumula izicathulo zakhe wahlala embhedeni wakhe. “Konje ngifunani ngosuku lwami lokuzalwa?” kuphimisela uLethabo.

“Kuyamangaza lokhu okubuzayo!” kusho izwi.

“Ubani lowo?” kusho uLethabo emile. “Angiboni muntu.”

“Ngingaphansi kombhede!” kusho izwi.

“Ngicela uphume!” ULethabo waphinde wagxumela embhedeni wakhe. “Ewu!”

Phambi kwakhe kwakumi isicabucabu. Sasimi ngezinyawo eziyisishiyagalombili ezinde. Zazibukeka sengathi yizinduku.

“Ngiyaxolisa ngokukwethusa!” Isicabucabu sagobisa ikhanda laso. “Igama lami nginguFelix. Ngiyisicabucabu esibizwa nge-Anansi.”

“NginguLethabo. Ngiyasithanda isigqoko sakho!”

“Ngiyabonga, Lethabo. Isigqoko sami sivela eGhana! Sinemibala yeflegi laseGhana − umbala obomvu, ophuzi noluhlaza okotshani.”

“Ikuphi iGhana?” kubuza uLethabo.

“Yizwe lase-Afrika elikude kakhulu,” kuphendula uFelix.

“Siyini isicabucabu esibizwa nge-Anansi?” kubuza uLethabo.

“Ngivela emndenini wezicabucabu ezibizwa ngama-Anansi. Sidumile. Sivela eNtshonalanga ne-Afrika. Abanye bethu bahlale bengena ezinkingeni isikhathi esiningi, kodwa akunjalo kimi. Empeleni, akwenzeki njalo,” kuhleka uFelix.

“Uzokwenzani la?” kubuza uLethabo.

“Ungibizile,” kusho uFelix.

“Cha angikubizanga!” kusho uLethabo.

Wahleka uFelix. “Yebo, ungibizile ngesikhathi uvuma ingoma. Manje-ke ngicela uvale amehlo, kukhona engikuphathele kona ongakulindele.”

ULethabo wavala amehlo akhe ngezandla. Wayezwa uFelix ehla enyuka phansi. Kwase kuba khona umsindo owagcwala igumbi lonke. Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum. Wawufana nomsindo owawenziwe umama wakhe phezu kwetafula, kodwa wawuzwakala useduze futhi uzwakala kakhulu.

“Kazi yini leyo?” kusho yena.

“Vula amehlo akho!” kumemeza uFelix.

UFelix wayedlala izigubhu eziyisishiyagalombili ngesikhathi esisodwa. Unyawana oluncane ngalunye lwalusesigujini. Izigubhu zazimzungezile zakhe isikokela. Wayegobise ikhanda ngesikhathi eshaya isigubhu ngasinye. Dum dum de dum … dum dum de dum.

“Ngiyasithanda!” kumamatheka uLethabo. Wagxuma wazungeza ekamelweni ecula ngesikhathi yena edlala.

Umsindo wokukhala kwezigubhu nokucula kukaLethabo wagcwala igumbi elincane. Washayeka ezindongeni, wakhuphukela esilingini, wawela kukhaphethi, wanyakaza eziswini zabo, wakitaza izinzwane zabo wase uhlangana nesigqi esisezinhliziyweni zabo.

“Ngabe konke kuhamba kahle, Lethabo?” Unina walunguza emnyango.

“Yebo, Mama,” kusho uLethabo. “Bengizicabangela ngosuku lwami lokuzalwa nje.”

Umama kaLethabo wavala umnyango wabuyela ekhishini. “Kodwa nkosi yami, ngizokwenzenjani?” kusho yena.

“Felix! Ukuphi?” ULethabo wabheka ngaphansi kombhede. “Usungaphuma-ke manje.”

“Cishe sabanjwa!” kusho uFelix. “Abantu abadala bayathanda ukungihubha.”

“Ngicela ungitshele ukuthi kungani uzongibona,” kusho uLethabo.

“Empeleni, ngiyazi ukuthi usuku lwakho lokuzalwa kusasa. Ufunani?” kubuza uFelix.

“Isigubhu, Felix! Ngifuna isigubhu!” ULethabo waphinda wazizwa edangele. “Kodwa sengathi sengisho emva kwendaba. Sezivaliwe izitolo.”

“He, he,” kuhleka uFelix. “Vele ucele isigubhu kumama wakho. Cela esivela eNtshonalanga ne-Afrika. Manje, cimeza futhi bese ucabanga okuthile okufisayo. Usale kahle, Lethabo!”

ULethabo wavala amehlo akhe, “Ngiyafisa sengathi ngabe nginesigubhu,” kusho yena. Wavula amehlo akhe. Wayengasekho uFelix.

“Mama! Mama!”

“Kwenzenjani, Lethabo?” kubuza umama kaLethabo ngesikhathi egijima eyongena egunjini lakhe.

“Mama, ngingathanda ukuthola isigubhu ngosuku lwami lokuzalwa!”

“Kodwa Lethabo − isigubhu pho?” Umama wakhe wanikina ikhanda.

“Kungabi yinoma isiphi nje isigubhu, Mama. Makube yisigubhu esiphuma eNtshonalanga ne-Afrika, ngiyakucela bandla.” Wayecula ngesikhathi edansa ezungeza ekamelweni lakhe. Dum dum de dum!

Umama kaLethabo walalela umculo. Wacabanga ngoyise. Wamkhumbula ehleli ngaphandle kweqhugwane labo elangeni. Phakathi kwemilenze yakhe kwakumi isigubhu esikhulu. Wayesishaya, ebiza onke amakhosikazi namadoda asemuzini ukuthi eze edilini. Kwakuvutha umlilo. Wayemamatheka ebuka uLethabo, umzukulu wakhe osanda kuzalwa, ngesikhathi esezingalweni zikanina.

“Awu, ngaze ngamkhumbula ubaba,” kucabanga uMama. “Awume kancane! Ngisenazo ezinye zezinto zakhe epotimendeni elingaphansi kombhede wami.”

UMama wathola ipotimende elidala ngaphansi kombhede. “Awu, ngeke, kugcwele izicabucabu kulo!” kukhononda uMama.

Izicabucabu zabaleka uma zizwa izwi. UMama wadonsa ipotimende wase elivula. Phakathi kulo wathola isigubhu esincane – esilingene uLethabo.

“Awu, ngiyabonga, Baba! Ngiyasikhumbula lesi sigubhu! Wasenzela uLethabo!”

Kwakuthule kuthe nya ekameleni likaLethabo. Ngokuthula, uMama wahamba ngamanzonzwane eya ekamelweni likaLethabo wase evula umnyango. Ukukhanya kwenyanga kwakukhanya ebusweni bendodakazi yakhe ngesikhathi ilele. UMama wabeka isigubhu phansi eduze kombhede wase eqabula uLethabo esihlathini. “Ube nosuku lokuzalwa oluhle, Lethabo,” esho kancane. “Ube nosuku lokuzalwa oluhle olufiselwa yimi nomkhulu wakho.”