U-Olwethu, oyi-okthophasi bekaziphumulele ngaphasi kwedwala elisedamini elikhulu eliseduze nelwandle. Bekasaba. Akhenge khekabe kude kangaka nedamu lakhe. Bekasolo azizwa avikelekile ngaphasi kwamanzi, afihlekile eligwini nemehlweni wabantu. Kodwana emalangeni ambalwa adlulileko, umzalakhe u-Oscar uthe akabe nesibindi sokuyohlola idamu eliseduze neligu. “Kuyabhora lapha. Ngifuna ukubona iphasi. Asidude soke Olwethu, sikhambe.” Kwatjho yena.
U-Olwethu wamncenga bona angakhambi, kodwana u-Oscar khenge amlalele, begodu wenza okufunwa nguye. Nje, sekumalangana akhambile. Ngikho u-Olwethu athi uyomfuna. Ukumfuna kwakhe-ke kwamletha edamineli eliseduze neligwini, ekugcineni wathola ezinye iindalwa zelwandle ezingamtjela bona kwenzekeni ku-Oscar. “Loyo yena ukuba kwakhe ngukarekwani kwamfaka emrarweni,” kwatjho i-starfish sidanile.
Ama-anemone welwandle aphakamisa izandla zawo ezinengi avumelana naso, athi, “Loyo yena simkhuzile bona angasolo akarwa zizinto ezimibalabala ezitanta emanzini.” Ikala yona yakhipha ihlokwayo ngeqepheni yathi, “Abathiyi beemfesi bebathabe bajekezela nababamba i-okthophasi.” U-Olwethu wadana kwamambala. Kuyokufuze abuyele emva edamini lakhe ngaphasi kwelwandle amkhonoze.
Njengombana antanta ngaphasi kwedwala, asacabanga ngendlela ahlulukele ngayo u-Oscar, wezwa abantu bakhuluma. Uthe nakahlola ngaphandle wabona umntazanyana nonina nogogwakhe emaphethelweni wedamu. Bebaqale ngaphakathi emanzini. Kwathi bona u-Olwethu asithele ngaphasi kwedwala emanzini, wezwa ugogo sekathi, “Viwe, qala, nasiya i-okthophasi! Uyayibona na ngaphasi kwedwala?” U-Olwethu watjhugulula umbala msinya khona azokufana namadwala neemila zelwandle eziseduze naye. Kodwana uViwe besele ambonile. “Iye! Qala, ilinga ukuzifihla,” atjho akhomba lapho u-Olwethu ebekakhona.
Nakakhumbula bona kwenzekeni ku-Oscar, u-Olwethu wakhetha ukuzivikela. Msinyana, waphuma ngaphasi kwedwala bona azifihle edwaleni elikhudlwana. Kodwana wathuswa mntazinyana nakakhamba emanzini wayokuhlala phezu kwedwala u-Olwethu ebekathi uyozifihla ngaphasi kwalo. Kodwana umntazinyana bekaphethe okuthileko okunombala okhanyako, kodwana u-Olwethu bekangazi ukuthi khuyini. U-Olwethu bekasolo ayithanda imibala ekhanyako. Idanyana lakhe elisedwaleni belimibalabala. Beli nama-starfish amahle amanengi, amaanemones, ama-chitins abenyezelako neentjalo zelwandle.
U-Olwethu uyazwisisa kwanje bona kubayini u-Oscar bekathanda izinto zemibala ekhanyako ebezintanta emanzini ezisetjenziswe bathiyi ukumbamba. Asazifihle njalo u-Olwethu wabona into epinki ingena ngemanzini idlula eduze naye. Angakacabangi nokucabanga, wathatha isandla sakhe wayibamba, khenge kwenzeke litho, wayibamba ngesandla sakhe sesibili. Wezwa umntazanyana akhuluma, “Mma, i-okthophasi ibambe iphayiphi lami lokuphefumula ngaphasi kwamanzi.” U-Olwethu wathukwa khulu nakabamba into le. Umntazanyana wafaka isandla emanzini wathatha iphayiphi lokuphefumula emanzini. U-Olwethu wayidosa, nomntazanyana wayidosa. “Mma, i-okthophasi ayifuni ukulisa iphayiphi lami,” kwatjho uViwe athoma ukuhlangahlangana.
“Maye mina,” kucabanga u-Olwethu msinya, “Sengingukarekwani njengoOscar! Nangingakatjheji nami ngizokubanjwa!” Msinyana wayilisa into le. Iphayiphi lokuphefumula laphuma emanzini lamthela ngamanzi uViwe, wapheze wawela emanzini aphezu kwedwala. Ugogo wahleka wathi, “Ube netjhudu, Viwe. Ubone i-okthophasi wapheze wayibamba!” “Iye,” kwatjho uViwe athabile, “i-okthophasi yapheze yathatha iphayiphi lami!” “Ngisindiswe litjhudu,” kucabanga u-Olwethu njengombana athoma ukududa abuyela edwaleni elisedanyaneni lakhe. Bekasolo atjuza ngebelo emanzini nakazakubalekela ingozi. Kude le wezwa ugogo kaViwe wathi, “Qala indlela i-okthophasi ekhamba ngayo! Ikhamba ngebelo emanzini ngasuthi siphaphamtjhini emkayi.” Kodwana u-Olwethu khenge ajame bona ezwe lokho uViwe akutjhwileko. Eqinisweni khenge alise ukududa bewayokufika edwaleni ebekazifihle kilo.
Yenza indaba le ibe mnandi!
- Wakhe waba sebujamweni obufaka ipilwakho engozini? Wazizwa njani? Kubayini wazizwa njalo?
- Dweba isithombe se-okthophasi. I-okthophasi ingawutjhugulula umbala wayo! Faka umbala okhambisana nalokho
- Yenza isithombe somuntu olahlekileko. Dweba isithombe somuntu olahlekileko, utlole ibizo lakhe, iminyakakhe nendlela aqaleka ngayo ngaphasi kwesithombe.
