“Awu nabakitsi,” kucabanga make waLethabo ngesikhatsi ahleti etafuleni lasekhishini. “Ngitawenta njani? Kusasa lusuku lwekutalwa lwaLethabo kantsi futsi nginemali lencane kabi kutsi ngingamtsengela sipho.”
Lethabobekeme esinkini ahlabela ingoma anhhinhhitela futsi ageza titja. “Mmmm la la … Mmmm la la.”
“Lethabo,” kwasho Make, “lusuku lwakho lwekutalwa kusasa. Ufuna ngikuphe ini?”
“Hho, Mama,” kwasho Lethabo, “angitati kutsi ngifunani.”
“Ngitawucabanga lokutsite,” kwasho Make.
Bhum kubhubhum bhum …bhum kubhubhum. Iminwe yamake yatsintsa lingetulu lelitafula. Lethabo wawutsandza lomsindvo. “Bhum kubhubhum bhum …bhum kubhubhum bhum,” wahlabela ngekuthula ahamba aya egumbini lakhe lekulala. Wakhumula ticatfulo takhe wabese uhlala embhedzeni. “Ngifuna sipho sini selusuku lwami lwekutalwa?” Kwasho Lethabo aphimisela kakhulu.
“Kuyahlekisa kutsi ungabuta loko!” kwasho livi.
“Ngubani loyo?” kwasho Lethabo asukuma. “Angiboni muntfu.”
“Ngingaphansi kwembhedze,” kwasho livi.
“Ngicela uphume!” Lethabo wazuba wabuyela emuva embhedzeni wakhe. “Hhayi bo!”
Khona lapho embikwakhe, bekume sayobi. Besime ngetinyawo letisiphohlongo. Betibukeka sengatsi tintsi.
“Ngiyacolisa kukwetfusa!” Lesayobi sagebisa inhloko yaso. “Ligama lami nguFelix. Ngisayobi saka-Anansi.”
“NginguLethabo. Ngiyasitsandza sigcoko sakho!”
“Ngiyabonga, Lethabo. Sigcoko sami sibuya eGhana! Yimibala yemjeka yaseGhana − lobovu, lomtfubi naloluhlata satjani.”
“Ikuphi iGhana?” kwabuta Lethabo.
“Ikhashane kabi le e-Afrika,” kwaphendvula Felix.
“Yini sayobi saka-Anansi?” kwabuta Lethabo.
“Ngivela emndenini wetayobi taka-Anansi. Sidvumile. Sivela eNshonalanga Afrika. Labanye betfu bangena etinkingeni etikhatsini letinyenti, kepha mine angingeni. Angitsi nje, akwenteki njalo njalo,” wahleka Felix.
“Ubekwa yini lapha?” kwabuta Lethabo.
“Ngibitwe nguwe,” kwasho Felix.
“Kodvwa angikakubiti nje mine!” kwasho Lethabo.
Felix wagigitseka. “Yebo, ungibitile, ngesikhatsi uhlabela ingoma unhhinhhitela. Manje-ke, ngicela uvale emehlo akho, nginentfo letakumangalisa.”
Lethabo wavala emehlo akhe ngesandla. Weva Felix akhushutela esiyilweni. Kusenjalo, kwaba nemsindvo lowevakala ligumbi lonkhe. Bhum kubhubhum bhum …bhum kubhubhum bhum. Bewufanana nemsindvo lowentiwe ngumake wakhe etukwe litafula, kepha wevakala udvute kakhulu futsi uvakala kakhulu.
“Hhawu! yini leyo?” wamemeta.
“Vula emehlo akho!” kwamemeta Felix.
Felix bekashaya tigubhu letisiphohlongo ngesikhatsi sinye. Tinyawana takhe ngalunye belusesigujini ngasinye. Letigubhu betimentele indingilizi timtungeletile. Inhloko yakhe beyigobile ngesikhatsi ashaya sigubhu ngasinye. Bhum kubhubhum bhum … bhum kubhubhum bhum.
“Hho ngiyawutsandza!” Lethabo amamatseka. Wagcumagcuma ligumbi lonkhe ahlabela.
Kukhala kwetigubhu nekuhlabela kwaLethabo kwagcwala ligumbi. Kwashayisa elubondzeni, kwasuka phansi kwacondza kusilingi, kwawela kukhaphethi, kwanyakata ngekhatsi etiswini tabo, kwakitalakita tintwane tabo kwabuye futsi kwahlangana nekubhakuta kwetinhlitiyo tabo.
“Lethabo, ngabe konkhe kulungile?” Kwavela buso bamake wakhe emnyango.
“Yebo, Make” kwasho Lethabo. “Bengimane nje ngicabanga ngelusuku lwami lwekutalwa.”
Make waLethabo wavala umnyango wahamba wabuyela ekhishini. Watsi, “Awu! nabakitsi ngitawenta njani?”
“Felix! Ukuphi?” Lethabo wabuka ngaphansi kwembhedze. “Sewungaphuma manje.”
“Sacishe sabanjwa!” kwasho Felix. “Bantfu labadzala bayatsandza kungicosha.”
“Ngicela ungitjele kutsi wentiwe yini kuta lapha utengibona,” kwasho Lethabo.
“Ecinisweni, ngiyati kutsi lusuku lwakho lwekutalwa kusasa. Ufunani?” kwabuta Felix.
“Sigubhu, Felix! Ngifuna sigubhu!” Lethabo wabese utiva alusizi. “Kodvwa sekute sikhatsi. Titolo setivaliwe.”
“Hahaaaa,” kwagigitseka Felix. “Cela make akuphe sigubhu. Mcele sigubhu saseNshonalanga Afrika. Manje vala emehlo akho bese usho sifiso sakho. Salakahle, Lethabo!”
Lethabo wavala emehlo akhe, watsi, “Ngifisa sengatsi ngabe nginesigubhu”. Wabese uvula emehlo akhe. Felix bekangasekho.
“Make! Make!”
“Yini inkinga, Lethabo?” kwabuta make waLethabo agijima acondze egunjini laLethabo.
“Make, ngingatsandza kuba nesigubhu njengesipho selusuku lwami lwekutalwa!”
“Awu! kodvwa Lethabo − sigubhu?” Make wakhe wanikina inhloko yakhe.
“Hhayi nje noma ngabe ngusiphi sigubhu, Make. Ngicela sigubhu lesibuya eNshonalanga Afrika.” Bekahlabela futsi ngesikhatsi adansa egumbini lakhe. Bhum khubhubhum bhum!
Make waLethabo wawulalela lomculo. Bekacabanga ngababe wakhe. Bekamkhumbula ahleti ngaphandle kwendlu yakhe elangeni. Emkhatsini wemilente yakhe kume lesikhulu sigubhu. Bekasishaya, abita onkhe emadvodza nabomake bemmango kutsi bete edzilini. Bekuhhuhhuma umlilo. Bekamamatsekela Lethabo, umtukulu wakhe lomusha wentfombatana, ngesikhatsi alele etandleni tenina.
“Hhohhe, ngiyamkhumbula babe wami,” kwacabanga Make. “Ake ume umzuzwana!?” Ngisenato letinye timphahla takhe eputumendeni ngaphansi kwembhedze.”
Make walitfola leliputumende lelidzala ngaphansi kwembhedze. “Hhawu yehheni bo, kunetayobi etukwalo!” Kwakhonona Make.
Tatsi nativa livi lakhe, tabaleka tonkhe tayobi. Make walidvonsa leliputumende walikhipha wabe uyalivula. Ngekhatsi, watfola sigubhu lesincane − buncane baso bebukahle bumfanele Lethabo.
“Hho, ngiyabonga, Babe! Ngiyasikhumbula lesigubhu!” Wasakhela Lethabo!
Bekute umsindvo lovela egumbini laLethabo lekulala. Ngekunyenya, Make wahamba mantontolwane wacondza egumbini lekulala laLethabo wafike wavula umnyango. Kukhanya kwenyenti bekukhanyisa indvodzakati yakhe ngesikhatsi ilele. Make wabeka lesigubhu phansi esiyilweni eceleni kwembedze wabese wanga Lethabo esihlatsini. “Lusuku loluhle lwekutalwa, Lethabo,” washo akhulumela phansi. “Lusuku loluhle lwekutalwa, ulufiselwa ngimi namkhulu wakho.”
