Kudala-dala ilizwe liselitsha, uNkwazi, ukhozi lohlobo olungunomakhwezana, lwabiza zonke iintaka.

“Njengoko nisazi,” watsho, “uBhubesi ingonyama ngukumkani wezilwanyana. Kodwa kutheni kufuneka ethethele nathi zintaka? Kufuneka sikhethe owethu ukumkani … kwaye njengokuba ndinobungangamsha, ndithi mayibe ndim lowo!”

Zonke iintaka zaqala ukuxokozela zingxola kwade kwavakala ilizwi lisitsho ngaphezulu kwamanye. “Nkwazi, unobungangamsha, oko kuyinyaniso,” satsho isikhova esikhulu esinguKhova. “Kodwa amehlo am amakhulu abona yonke into eyenzekayo. Oko kundenza ndibe nobulumko – kwaye ukumkani udinga ubulumko!”

Kwakhona iintaka zaxokozela zingxola, kwade kwathetha iseme elinguNgqithi. “Ndicinga ukuba ibe ndim ukumkani!” watsho. “Ookumkani kufuneka babe bakhulu bomelele, kwaye ndim eyona ntaka inkulu neyomelele kunazo zonke iintaka.”

Zaqala iintaka zaxoxa ngokuba ngubani na ekufuneka abe ngukumkani. Kwavakala ilizwi elibukhali lisitsho ngaphezulu kwaloo ngxokolo, “Uxolo! Uxolo!” YayinguNcede, intaka enetshiki. Nangona isihlwele sasihleka ngenxa yetshiki yakhe, bamvumela ukuba athethe – kodwa zange kubekho namnye kubo owakholelwayo xa esithi NGUYE ofanele ukuba abe ngukumkani!

“Yintoni kanye kanye enokukwenza ube ngukumkani olungileyo?” wabuza uNkwazi, emva kokuba wonke ubani eyekile ukuhleka.

“Ngokwenene akukho nto ikhethekileyo,” watsho uNcede, “kodwa ndicinga ukuba nam kufuneka ndilifumene ithuba njengaye wonke umntu!”

“Kulungile,”watsho uNkwazi, “masibe nokhuphiswano!” Zonke iintaka zayithanda loo ngcinga. Bavumelana ukuba ngosuku lokuqala emva kwenyanga epheleleyo, xa ilanga lisencotsheni yentaba, zonke iintaka ziza kubhabha ukuze zikhangele ukuba yeyiphi eyona ntaka ibhabhele phezulu ukogqitha zonke ezinye. Lowo uphumeleleyo uza kuba ngukumkani.

Usuku olubalulekileyo lwafika. Iintaka zalibukela ngomonde ilanga liphuma. Nangona uNcede omncinane wayezimisele ukuba uza kuzibonakalisa ukuba anganguye ukumkani, wayesazi ukuba amaphiko akhe abuthathaka akanakukwazi ukubhabha aye phezulu. Ngoko ke, phambi nje kokuba iintaka zintingele phezulu, wachwechwa ngokuzolileyo wangena phantsi kweentsiba zeempiko zikaNkwazi. Ukhozi olungunomakhwezana lwaluxakeke kakhulu lujonge ilanga kangangokuba zange luve nto kwaphela.

Ngomzuzu elithe ngawo ilanga lafikelela encotsheni yentaba, iintaka zantingela phezulu esibhakabhakeni. Ngokukhawuleza uninzi lwazo lwadinwa, kwaza kwasala ukhozi, isikhova kunye neseme kugqatso.

UKhova woyisakala. Njengokuba wayesihla esiya emhlabeni, uNkwazi noNgqithi bantingela phezulu nangaphezulu … kodwa emva kwemizuzu emihlanu iseme elinzima alizange likwazi ukunyukela phezulu. “Aa Nkwazi”, latsho kalusizi xa lisihla ngokukhawuleza ukuya emhlabeni, “uphumelele!”

“WHEEE-WHEEE-WHEEE!” lakhala ngelizwi elihlabayo ukhozi ngoloyiso, lisebenzisa onke amandla alo laze lanyukela phezulu. Kodwa ngephanyazo live ilizwi elicaphukisayo. “Ungafane untingele phezulu ngokukhawuleza, Nkwazi!” watswina uNcede, ephuma phantsi kweempiko zokhozi kwaye entingela phezulu kunalo. “Awukaphumeleli!” Usizana lokhozi olungunomakhwezana! Lalidinwe kakhulu, kwaye lalingakwazi ukuba linganyuka liye phezulu ligqithe loo mgama. Lincwina lawela emhlabeni.

Iintaka zavutha ngumsindo ngamaqhinga kaNcede. Uthe xa esithi ngcu emhlabeni, zonda ngaye zonke zinomsindo – kodwa phambi kokuba zenze nantoni na, le ntaka incinane yathi tshwi yangena emngxunyeni wenyoka engasahlaliyo kuwo.

“Phuma kaloku!” zakhala iintaka, “uze kufumana ibhaso olisebenzeleyo”. Kodwa nangona balindayo apho ngasemngxunyeni ubusuku bonke, uNcede wahlala kulaa ndawo ebehleli kuyo engaphumi.

“Masinikane ithuba lokulinda!” watsho uNkwazi kusasa. UKhova wavuma ukuba uza kuba ngumlindi wokuqala lo gama ezinye izilwanyana zisiya kulala okanye zisiya kuzingela. Walinda ixesha elide kakhulu, kodwa kwakungekho phawu lukaNcede. “Amehlo am omelele,” watsho ezithethela, “ndingasebenzisa elinye kuphela. Ndiza kulivala eli lasekunene ndijonge ngelasekhohlo.” Emva kwexeshana watshintsha ukujonga, wavula elasekunene waze wavala elasekhohlo. Oku kwaqhubeka ixeshana, wade walibala ukugcina iliso lakhe elinye lijongile waza walala yoyi.

UNcede wayelinde kanye oku! Wabhabha wemka waya ehlathini. “Sidengendini!” wakhwaza uNkwazi, owambonayo uNcede esithela xa kanye yena esiza kukhulula uKhova, “ULELE YOYI!”

UKhova waba neentloni waza wagqiba kwelokuba azingele ebusuku aze alale emini ukuze ezinye iintaka zingalifumani ithuba lokumgxeka. UNcede ke yena uphaphazela ehlathini, kungekho ndawo ahlala ixesha elide kuyo ukuze ade abanjwe. Ngubani ke owaba ngukumkani? Enyanisweni, iintaka zazinomsindo ngakuNcede kangangokuba zange zibe samenyula ukumkani wazo!