UTimi nonina babehlala eDolobheni iMozala. Kwakukhona okuthile okwakungajwayelekile ngoTimi – izinwele zakhe! Zazikhula ngokushesha okukhulu. Zazikhula kakhulu ngangokuthi njalo ngoMgqibelo, umama kaTimi wayemthatha amuse kumgundi wezinwele ukuze agunde izinwele zakhe. Kanti kwakukhona into eyodwa uTimi ayengayithandi ngempela, lokho kwakungukugundwa izinwele zakhe! Isikhathi sokugunda izinwele kwakuyisikhathi sokukhathazeka kuMama ngoba uTimi wayevele akhale. “Angifuni mina ukugundwa izinwele zami!” wayehlale esho njalo.
UMama wayemsingatha ngaphambi kokuthi bahambe baye endaweni yomgundi wezinwele, kodwa kwakuthi nje bangafika, uTimi avele aqhumuke akhale izinyembezi. Emva kwalokho uMama usezokwenza zonke izinto ukuzama ukwenza ukuthi uTimi ahlale athule ngesikhathi egundwa izinwele zakhe. Ngesinye isikhathi wayemnika amabhisikidi. UTimi wayezifela ngamabhisikidi, kodwa wayewagwinya bese eqala phansi ngokukhala. Ngesinye isikhathi uMama wayevele adanse. Wayedansa aye ngakwesokunxele. Adanse aye ngakwesokudla. Wayenyukunya umzimba wakhe, kodwa uTimi wayevele akhale angayeki. Ngesikhathi nje uJango, umgundi wezinwele, elungela ukugunda izinwele zikaTimi, uTimi yena wayelungela ukukhala nakakhulu! Okokuqala, wayehubula amafinyela, emva kwalokho akhalele phansi, bese emva kwalokho aqhumuke asikhihle kuzwakale, “Hihihi, hihihi, hihihi!”
“Wukugunda nje kuphela, Timi. Akubuhlungu,” kusho uJango, ezama ukuthulisa uTimi, kodwa lokho kwakumenza uTimi ukuthi akhale kakhudlwana. Ngesinye isikhathi uJango wayecula ukuze aduduze uTimi, kodwa uTimi aqhubeke nokukhala. Ngolunye usuku, uTimi wakhala kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi ababedlula ngendlela baze balunguza endlini yokugundela ukuze babone ukuthi yini lena eyayingenza umfana ukuthi akhale kakhulu kangaka! “Awu, nkosi yami! Wumfana omncane nje ogundwa izinwele,” kusho bona. UTimi wayengenandaba ukuthi abantu babeza bezomgqolozela. Wakhala, wakhala uJango waze waziqeda izinwele zakhe.
Ngolunye usuku, waklabalasa ngendlela yokuthi uGogo Binite weza eseqhuga nobhoko lwakhe. Wayehlala kwamakhelwane eduze kwendlu yokugundela, kodwa wayevuswe esihlwathini sakhe santambama wubuqanduqandu bokukhala kukaTimi. “Hawu, Nkosi yami!” kusho uGogo Binite. “Bengicabanga ukuthi kukhona okubi okwenzekayo!” Emva kwalokho wayeseqhuga ebuyela emuva endlini yakhe eyothathela uTimi iqashana lenhlanzi ethosiwe ayenzile. “Ngikholwa ukuthi lokhu kuzomenza ayeke ukukhala,” kucabanga yena. Kodwa ngesikhathi enikeza uTimi inhlanzi, wayifaka emlonyeni, wahlafuna qede wagwinya … emva kwalokho waqhubeka nokukhala!
Ngemuva kokuthi uTimi esehambile nonina ngalolo suku, uJango wahlala phansi nenkomishi yetiye wayesecabanga, ecabanga. Ngempela, kwakufanele kube nendlela yokuyekisa uTimi ukukhala ngesikhathi egundwa izinwele zakhe! Futhi kungalesi sikhathi lapho uJango afikelwa khona yicebo elihle! “Nazo-ke! Sengiyixazululile,” ememeza ngokuthokoza. Ngokuvakasha kukaTimi okulandelayo, wathi lapho uJango esesikhipha isikelo sakhe, waqala ukuxoxela uTimi indaba. “Kwakukhona umfana omncane owayengafuni ukugunda izinwele zakhe, ngakho wazidedela ukuthi zikhule, zikhule,” kwasho uJango. “Zakhula ikhanda lakhe laze lagcwala izintambo ezimafindofindo ezinwele. Ngokushesha izintambo ezimafindofindo zaphothana ndawonye.”
“Yini okulandelayo okwenzeka?” kubuza uTimi, owayesethule engasakhali. Izimpukane nezinye izinambuzane zanquma ukuthi zizakhele amakhaya azo ezinweleni zakhe,” kuqhubeka uJango. “Pho, kwenzekani kuye?” kubuza uTimi, ebukeka ekhathazekile.
“Umfana omncane waqala ukudonsa izinwele zakhe nokuzenwaya ngoba izinambuzane ezazihamba zizungeza ekhanda lakhe zazilenza lilume kakhulu. Wayedonsa abuye enwaye, adonse abuye enwaye usuku lonke. Ngokushesha, ikhanda lakhe kanye nezandla zakhe kwaqala ukuba buhlungu ngenxa yokudonsa nokwenwaya,” kusho uJango. “Hawu, kuyesabisa! Kwenzekani emva kwalokho?” kubuza uTimi, edabukela umfana. “Ikhanda lakhe nezandla kwavuvukala,” kuqhuba uJango. “Langa limbe, unina wamletha esitolo sami. Banele bafika nje lapha, wagxuma wahlala esihlalweni ukuze agundwe izinwele zakhe. Wahlala wathula du ukuze ngimgunde kahle kakhulu.”
“Ngempela?” kubuza uTimi. “Ehhene!” kwasho uJango. “Lapho sengiqedile ukugunda izinwele zomfana – njengoba nje sengiziqedile ezakho – umfana wangiwola kakhulu.” UTimi wabuka ikhanda lakhe. Isitayela asigundile sase siphelile! Wayekade ethokozele indaba kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi akazange aqaphele nokuthi uJango wayemgunda izinwele zakhe. Wagxuma ehla esihlalweni wabamba uJango wamwola kakhulu. Uyazi-ke ukuthini? UTimi akaphindanga wakhala endlini yokugundela ngoba uJango wayenendaba entsha amxoxela yona kulokho nalokho kuvakasha! Nomama kaTimi wayejabule kakhulu ngoba izindaba zikaJango zazisho ukuphela kokukhathazeka kwamasonto onke ngokugundwa kwezinwele.
