Kwiminyaka emininzi eyadlulayo, kwisixeko esikude kakhulu, kwakuhlala intombazana entle egama linguSefako. USefako wayexhiphule umxhelo wabafana abaninzi esixekweni. Babebhala imihobe neengoma bencoma ubuhle bakhe. Kodwa uSefako wayengenamdla wokutshata namnye kubo, yaye oku kwakumcaphukisa utata wakhe kuba wayecinga ukuba yayilixesha lokuba intombi yakhe izinze.
Into awayengayazi uSefako yayikukuba wayenento engaqhelekanga eyayimbuka! Yaye le nto yayimbuka emfihlekweni yayiyingwenya eyayihlala emlanjeni apho wayesikha khona amanzi. Yonke imihla, iiyure nje ezimbalwa phambi kokuba litshone ilanga, uSefako wayesihla aye emlanjeni nomphanda wakhe wodongwe ayokukha amanzi ekhelela isidlo sangokuhlwa.
USefako wayenesiqhelo sokulala nje umzuzwana phantsi komthi awayewuthanda kakhulu emva kokuba ekhe amanzi emlanjeni. Ingwenya yayisoloko izimela emanzini imbukele elele. Yayinqwenela ukuthetha naye kodwa yayingazi ukuba ingalutsala njani uhoyo lwakhe ingamoyikisanga.
Ngenye imini ingwenya yafumana isibindi sokusondela kuSefako emva kokuba elele. Ingwenya eyayisifa luthando yayonwabe kakhulu kukuba kufutshane noSefako yaza yaqalisa ukucula ngothando lwayo kuye.
USefako wayiva ingoma emnandi waza waguquka esebuthongweni, ecinga ukuba unokuba wayephupha. Ingwenya yayingafuni ukuba uSefako avuke ayibone, yaza yatshebeleza yabuyela emlanjeni ngokukhawuleza.
Oku kwenzeka kwakhona ngosuku olulandelayo … nolulandelayo … nolulandelayo. USefako wayeyiva ingwenya imculela esebuthongweni, kodwa athi akuvuka, kungabikho mntu ubonakalayo. Into ekuphela kwawayeyiva kukurhashaza ngokuzolileyo kwamagqabi kwakunye neenkomo zikhala zikude.
Ukucula kwayichukumisa intliziyo yakhe, waza uSefako wafuna ukumbona ngakumbi nangakumbi lo mntu uculayo. Ngoko ke uSefako waqalisa ukukhangela ilizwi elifihlakeleyo phakathi kweengcongolo, imithi nengca kodwa akafumana mntu.
Ngenye imini, uSefako wagqiba kwelokuba akazuphinda ayikhangele imvumi. Endaweni yoko, wazimisela ukumbamba umnini welizwi elimnandi!
USefako wakha amanzi emlanjeni njengesiqhelo waza waya kulala phantsi kowona mthi awuthandayo esenza ngathi ulele. Njengesiqhelo, ingwenya eseluthandweni yarhubuluza yaphuma emlanjeni izokumculela.
Wathi uSefako akuva ilizwi elimnandi, wavula amehlo akhe ngokukhawuleza waza wazifumana ejonge kumehlo e… NGWENYA!
USefako wayesoyika kakhulu! Ngokukhawuleza watsiba wema ngeenyawo, wagila ingqayi yakhe yodongwe aza achithekela emhlabeni onke amanzi. Waza waqalisa ukubaleka enyusa udonga lomlambo kodwa, ngelishwa, waqubeka elityeni wawa, wabetheka bhuma kabuhlungu. Ingwenya eseluthandweni, eyayimlandela, yema kufutshane imjongile. Njengoko yayirhubuluza isondela, uSefako wema bhuxe kukoyika.
“Musa ukoyika,” yatsho ngokuthambileyo ingwenya. “Ndikubukele ulele phantsi kwalaa mthi imihla emininzi, kodwa khange ndikwenzakalise. Ndingakutyela ntoni ngoku?” Yaza ingwenya yaqalisa ukucula ingoma ethuthuzelayo eyanyibilikisa intliziyo kaSefako ngoko nangoko.
Ingasoyiki, intombi entle yahlala yathi qwa yaza yaphulaphula ilizwi eyayikhulelwa kukulithanda.
Emva koko, uSefako wayengxama ukuhla ukuya emlanjeni ukuya kudibana nengwenya eculayo yonke imihla ngokuhlwa, kwaza emva kwexesha, wagqiba kwelokuba ufuna ukuyitshata.
Ekugqibeleni, wafumana isibindi sokuba axelele utata wakhe.
Utata kaSefako zange onwabe konke konke! “Ingaba le Ngwenya yakho inazo iinkomo zokulobola?” wabuza ngomsindo. “Ingaba iza kukwazi ukukunika abantwana ize ikwakhele ikhaya?”
Nakuba utata kaSefako wayengavumelani nokuba uSefako atshate nengwenya, kodwa imvakalelo yakhe zange itshintshe. Wathi utata wakhe akuqonda ukuba intombi yakhe yayingazi kutshintsha ingqondo yayo, wayitshixela kwenye yeerontawuli zesixeko. Yonke imihla emini emaqanda, wayeyiphathela ukutya aze ayibone.
Kodwa ngenye imini utata kaSefako walibala ukulutshixa ucango. USefako walinda umzuzwana ukuqinisekisa ukuba akukho ngxaki naphambi kokuba aluvule ucango aze abaleke ngokukhawuleza ukuhla ukuya emlanjeni.
Wathi nje ukuba afike apho, uSefako wamemeza, “Ngwenya, Ngwenya, ndim, uSefako!” Ingwenya, eyayimkhangela seyiphelelwa lithemba iintsuku ngeentsuku, yaphuma emanzini ukuza kumbulisa.
Ngosuku olulandelayo, utata kaSefako wafumanisa ukuba wayelahlekile, yaye wayenomsindo! Engxalwe ngumsindo, waqubula intonga enkulu walandela imizila yeenyawo zentombi yakhe ukuya emlanjeni. Wayezimisele ukuba uza kuyinqanda intombi yakhe ukuba itshate ingwenya.
Wathi akufika kudonga lomlambo, wabona uSefako edada emlanjeni nengwenya isecaleni kwakhe.
“Sefako, Sefako,” wakhwaza. “Yiza apha ngoku! Awunakutshata loo Ngwenya.”
USefako waguquka waza wawangawangisa kutata wakhe embulisa phambi kokudada emke nengwenya. Utata okhathazekileyo wabukela engenanto inokumnceda njengoko intombi yakhe nengwenya banyamalala phantsi kwamanzi.
Ethubeni, uSefako wabuya ukuzokutyelela isixeko sakhe. Intliziyo katata wakhe yayizele luvuyo kukumbona. Wayemkhumbule kakhulu, yaye ngaloo mzuzu, wayazi into amakayenze.
“Namkelekile, namkelekile, nobabini,” watsho, ebaleka esiya kubulisa uSefako nengwenya. Waza waguqukela kwingwenya wathi, “Wamkelekile kusapho lwethu.”
* USefako uthandana nengwenya. Ucinga ukuba kungenzeka ukuthanda ingwenya? Ngoba kutheni okanye kungatheni?
* Ukuba unganomhlobo osisilwanyana, sesiphi isilwanyana ongasikhetha, yaye ngoba kutheni?
* Zoba esona silwanyana osithandayo. Bhala ingoma okanye umhobe ngesilwanyana sakho.
