Flossie, ligundvwane lasemasimini, wagijima etjanini ngesivinini lesikhulu imilente yakhe lemincane lebeyingametfwala ngaso. “Eyishi! Eyishi!” waphefumula kalukhuni kakhulu, “Ngingeke ngikwati kufika ekhaya ngesikhatsi lesifanele!”

Lilanga beselivele lishona. Ematfunti lamnyama besamtungeletile. “Eyishi! Masinyane kutawuba ngusebusuku. Futsi lesilwane lesesabekeko lesilisiliva sasenyangeni sitawube sesifuna mine!”

Flossie beketfukile esaba lesilwane lesesabekeko sasenyangeni. Bekahlala abhudza kabi ngaso. Kodvwa manje bekangasakhoni kuchubeka agijime. Imilente yakhe bese ibuhlungu, sifuba sakhe sibuhlungu. Bekasadzinwe kakhulu. Wema edvute nesihlahla lesidzala wabese uyakhasa ungena etimphandzeni taso. Utawuphepha yini lapha?

“Sawubona!” kwasho livi lelikhulu kulenye indzawo ngetulu kwakhe.

Flossie wabuka etulu wabese uyanswininita ngekwesaba. Emehlo lamabili latindingilizi abebuke phansi kuye. Emehlo lamakhulu kakhulu lamabili lamanyako! Inhlitiyo yaFlossie yashaya ngemandla nangesivinini esifubeni sakhe. Silwane lesinemehlo lamakhulu kangaka, sifanele kuba sikhulu kakhulu!

“Ungubani wena?” kwabuta Flossie ngelivi lelichachatelako. “Nguwe lesilwane lesesabekeko sasenyangeni?”

Lelivi lelikhulu lahleka kakhulu. “Cha, angisiso silwane lesesabekako. Ngingumvunya. Ungangibita ngekutsi Maxwell.”

Umvunya? Flossie akazange akukholwe loko! Luhlobo luni lwemvunya lolunemehlo lamakhulu kangaka? “Ungumvunya lomkhulu yini?” kwabuta yena.

Maxwell waphindza futsi wahleka kakhulu. “Hawu! Akusiwo emehlo ami lawo,” kwasho yena. “Letindingilizi letimanyako ngemaphethini etimphikweni tami. Buka lapha!” Maxwell wabese ubhula timphiko takhe kute kutsi Flossie atobona kutsi lamaphethini lamanyako ahamba njani: etulu naphansi, etulu naphansi.

Maxwell wehla ngekushesha ngaseluhlangotsini lwesicu salesihlahla, edvute naleligundvwane lasesigangeni. Bekumnandzi kuba nalengingakhuluma naye. Betingatinengi tilwane lebetingaphandle ebusuku.

“Ase ungitjele,” kwasho yena. “Kungani bewujake kangaka? Ngikubonile ugijima etjanini ngalesikhulu sivivnini ngemilente yakho lemincane.”

“Bengetama kutsi ngifike ekhaya kusengakabi mnyama,” kwasho Flossie. “Kodvwa akusasiti lutfo manje. Busuku sebuvele bufikile, kantsi likhaya lami lisesekhashane kakhulu.” Wacala kukhala tinyembeti teligundvwane lelincane lasesigangeni.

Maxwell akatange evisise. “Kodvwa kungani ufuna kuba sekhaya?” kwabuta yena. “Kungani ufuna kuba ngekhatsi manje? Hawu! busuku sikhatsi lesihle kunato tonkhe. Ungabukela inyanga iphuma ngetulu kwetintsaba. Ungabona tjani bugucuka buba lisiliva. Ungeva nemoya uhleba kulamacembe.”

Flossie wanikina inhloko yakhe. “Cha! cha! Busuku sikhatsi lesesabekeko. Busuku ngulapho lesilwane lesesabekako lesilisiliva sasenyangeni siphuma siyotingela.”

“Silwane lesesabekako lesilisiliva sasenyangeni? Angikate sengive ngaso!” kwasho Maxwell.

Ngako-ke Flossie wachaza: lesilwane lesesabekeko senyangeni lesililiva sandiza ngetimphiko letisiliva letendlaleka taba banti kwendlula sihlahla. Sandiza saphuma ekukhanyeni kwalenyanga, sitfunti saso lesimnyama besihula phasi emhlabatsini. Sandiza ngekuthula lokwesabekeko, sifuna, sifuna emagundvwane lamancane. Sase siyawahlwitsa ngaletidladla taso letikhaliphako sawetfwala sahamba nawo ebumnyameni – siphelane!

Maxwell wanikina inhloko waphindze waluphosa luhleko lwakhe lolukhulu. “Hawu! Akusiso silwane lesesabekako leso! Leso sikhova-nje. Asisilo lisiliva nakancane, sinembala-nje longakagcami lonsundvu. Ngubani-nje lowesaba lomdodovu wesikhova lesidzinanako?”

“Eyishi! Ungasho njalo!” kunswininita Flossie amangele. “Mhlawumbe lesilwane lesesabekeko lesilisiliva sasenyangeni naso sitingela imivunya!”

“Hha!” kwasho Maxwell ngekutetsemba. “Ngingatsandza kumbona etama!”

Kusenjalo, intfo letsite yanyakata etulu emoyeni ngetulu kwabo. Flossie wabuka etulu wabona intfo lenkhulu lelisiliva indiza iya phansi iphuma kulokukhanya kwenyanga. Timphiko letimbili letilisiliva letinkhulu tendlaleka taba banti, sitfunti sato lesimnyama sambonya timphandze talesihlahla.

Flossie beketfuke kakhulu angakhoni nekunyakata. Wavala emehlwana ache wawacinisa ngesikhatsi umsindvo lohhushako usondzela ngakuye ... uphindze usondzela. Bekati kutsi yini lokulandzelako lokutakwenteka. Onkhe lamaphupho akhe lamabi bese advute nekufezeka.

Masinyane-nje kwabakhona kumemeta kabuhlungu lokukhulu, kwabese kuba nemsindvo wetimphiko letinkhulu. Kwabese kuba khona kuthula.

“Sewungawavula emehlo akho nyalo,” kwasho Maxwell.

Flossie wavula emehlwana akhe wabona lesikhova sinyamalala ngetulu kwetihlahla.

“Kwentekeni?” kwabuta yena amangele. “Kungani lesilwane lesesabekako sasenyangeni sindizile sahamba?”

Maxwell bekajabule kakhulu ngaye. “Ngulamaphethini lesetimphikweni tami. Lesikhova sicabange kutsi ngemehlo – njengoba nawe wentile. Futsi njengawenje, besicabanga kutsi nome ngubani lonemehlo lamakhulu kangaka kufanele kutsi silwane lesikhulu. Wetfuke kakhulu, ngiyakutjela! Uvile kutsi ukhale njani?”

“Uhlakaniphe njani!” kwasho Flossie.

“Yebo, nginjalo, anginjalo?” kuvuma Maxwell. “Manje sale ulala lapha eceleni kwami. Utawuphepha kute kuphume lilanga.

Ngako-ke Flossie wasondzela emkhatsini wetimphandze talesihlahla. Masinyanenje bekasalele. Futsi akatange aphuphe ngalesilwane lesilisiliva lesesabekako sasenyangeni. Ngisho kanye.

* Sebentisa emaroli eliphepha lasemthoyi, liphepha, iglu, tintsi tekuvungula, napendi noma emakhrayoni kwacha umvunya. Sika ukhiphe bunjwa wetimphiko temvunya’, tifake umbala bese uma setomile, tinamatsisele ngeglu kuleroli yeliphepha lasemthoyi. Penda letintsi tekuvungula tibe mnyama bese utinamatsisela kulomvunya kwakha timphondvo tawo.