Yayilusuku olushushu kumadobo aseAfrika xa uMvundla wagqiba kwelokuba aye emlanjeni ukuyokusela amanzi. Wayeqakatha ngokucotha ebushushwini kwindlela evulekileyo enothuli xa wabona isipili sikhanya elangeni. UMvundla wayengazange akhe asibone isipili ngaphambili ngoko ke wamangala ukuba sisilwanyana sini na esi. Ngokuya esondela, emangalisiwe, wabona idlelo kuso nomvundla omhlophe ofana naye umjongile. UMvundla wabaleka kangangoko wayenakho ukuya kufuna uncedo.

“Ndincedeni bo!” wamemeza.

UDyakalashe wayephumle emthunzini womthi omkhulu emva kokuzingela. Wathi akuva uMvundla ucela uncedo, wenza ngathi zange eve kwanto waza wathemba ukuba ezinye izilwanyana zaziza kumnceda kuba yena wayediniwe. Kodwa phambi kokuba aqonde okwenzekayo, uMvundla wabalekela kweli cala awayephumle ngakulo.

“Dyakalashe nceda! Irhamncwa, irhamncwa!” wamemeza umvundlana omhlophe.

“Irhamncwa? Phi?” wabuza uDyakalashe, ezamla.

“Phaya endleleni eya emlanjeni. Liginye lonke idlelo nomvundlana omhlophe ofana nam,” wakhwina uMvundla.

Ekuqaleni uDyakalashe wamgxotha uMvundla kuba wayengakholelwa ukuba into enjalo yenzekile. “Ukuba irhamncwa liliginyile idlelo, kutheni le nto silapha singekho ngaphakathi kwirhamncwa?”

UMvundla zange abe nakuwuphendula loo mbuzo, kodwa waqhubekeka ukucela uncedo. UDyakalashe wahamba waya kubiza uHlosi ukuze bobathathu baye kubona eli rhamncwa lingaqhelekanga.

UDyakalashe noHlosi balandela uMvundla ukuya kubona apho irhamncwa likhona. Ngokucotha, bachwechwa baya esipilini. Bathi bakusondela, babona izilwanyana ezithathu zibajongile. Izilwanyana ezisesiswini serhamncwa zazifana nqwa nabo! Bahlokoma ngokoyika baza babaleka ukuya emlanjeni beyokubiza uMvubu.

“Mvubu, nceda uze kusinceda. Irhamncwa liginye idlelo nezilwanyana ezithathu ezifana nathi!” watsho uDyakalashe ethetha ngokukhawulezisa kangangoko wayenokwenza.

UMvubu zange abahoye kakhulu waqhubekeka wonwabela ukuqubha kuba wayecinga ukuba izilwanyana zazizama ukumkhohlisa. Kodwa wathi akubona indlela ababesoyika ngayo waphuma emanzini. Waza uMvubu, uHlosi, uDyakalashe noMvundla bakhawuleza ukuya kwindawo apho sasikhona isipili.

Bathi bakufika apho, uMvundla noDyalakashe basala ngasemva kuba babesoyika ukuba isilwanyana esingaqhelekanga sasiza kubaginya nabo. UHlosi noMvubu babaleka ukuya kuhlasela isilwanyana esingaqhelekanga … kodwa bathi bakubona enye imvubu nehlosi zibaleka zisiza ngakubo, babaleka bekhwaza. “Irhamncwa! Irhamncwa!”

Izilwanyana ezine zabaleka zaya kuNgonyama zamxelela ibali lesilwanyana esingaqhelekanga.

“Siginye uMvundla, uDyakalashe, uHlosi noMvubu,” zachaza izilwanyana zonke zithetha ngaxeshanye.

“Siginye nedlelo lonke,” wongeza uMvundla.

“Zaye izilwanyana ezisesiswini serhamncwa bezifuna ukusihlasela!” watsho uMvubu.

UNgonyama wayengazange ayive into enjalo, waza ngoko nangoko wahlanganisa umhlambi wakhe weengonyama baza bangxama ukuya kuhlasela irhamncwa. UMvundla, uDyakalashe, uHlosi noMvubu balandela kude kufuphi.

Endleleni badibana noNkawu, owayebonakala ngathi kukho into ayikhangelayo. Watsibela phambi koNgonyama.

“Kwowu Ngonyana andisavuyi nje ukukubona,” watsho. “Ndincede ndifumane isipili sam. Ndicinga ukuba kukho umntu osibileyo.”

“Suka endleleni Nkawu. Sinento ebalulekileyo ekufuneka siyenze. Singxamele ukuya kuhlasela irhamncwa eliginye izilwanyana nedlelo,” watsho uNgonyama ekruqukile.

Inkawu yasuka endleleni kodwa yagqiba ekubeni ilandele izilwanyana kuba yayifuna ukubona ukuba likhangeleka njani irhamncwa.

Zathi zakusondela izilwanyana apho sasikhona isipili, iingonyama, uMvubu noHlosi bema ngxi baza balungiselela ukuhlasela. Baza babaleka baya esipilini! Kodwa bathi bakubona iqela lezilwanyana ezinomsindo zibaleka zisiza kubo, bathi qhu saka bangena engceni ende. Baza abanye babo balala ncwaba phantsi, abanye bazimela emva kwezihlahla, baza abanye bagwencela emithini.

Yathi inkawu isakuqonda ukuba le nto yayoyikise izilwanyana yayisisipili sakhe, yaqhwebula yahleka. Yabaleka yaya kuso yaza, izijonge kuso ihleka, yathi, “Bendikukhangela imini yonke, sipili sam.”

Zathi ezinye izilwanyana zakubona uNkawu phambi kwesilwanyana esingaqhelekanga nendlela irhamncwa elalinobuhlobo ngayo kuye, zachwechwa zaphuma kwiindawo ezazizimele kuzo zaqala ukubuza uNkawu imibuzo ngesilwanyana esasingaqhelekanga.

“Sisipili esi, ayisosilwanyana. Uzibuka kuso. Jongani, ndim lo usesipilini,” wacacisa uNkawu, esiphakamisile isipili.

Zathi zakuva oku izilwanyana, zonke zahleka kakhulu zaza zachitha ixesha elide zizibuka esipilini.