Kwakukho inkwenkwana eyayihlala efama kufutshane nelali. Yayihlala nomama wayo, notata kunye nodade wayo. Wonke ubani kusapho lwakhe wayenomsebenzi wakhe okhethekileyo awayewenza. Owakhe umsebenzi yayikukwalusa iigusha.
Rhoqo kusasa yayikhaphela iigusha izisa edlelweni. Apho iigusha zazisitya ingca notyani. Yayizolusa imini yonke.
Ekupheleni kwedlelo kwakukho amawa namatyholo. Kulapho oodyakalashe babehlala khona, kodwa inkwenkwana yayiqinisekisa ukuba iigusha azisondeli kuloo mawa. Rhoqo ngorhatya yayiziqokelela iigusha izibuyisele efama ukuze zikhuseleke.
Xa inkwenkwana ikhaphela iigusha, udade wabo wayesiya elalini ukuya kuthengisa imifuno namaqanda asefama. Emarikeni wayethetha naye wonke umntu.
“Udade wethu usoloko enabantu bokuncokola,” yatsho inkwenkwana ngenye imini. “Unabahlobo abaninzi ndibe mna ndingenaye nomnye. Ndilapha edlelweni, ndodwa, imini yonke. Akukho mntu ndingathetha naye.” Yajonga iigusha zayo yanesingqala.
Emva kokucinga oku ixesha elide yeza necebo. “Ndiyayazi into endiza kuyenza,” yatsho. “Ndiza kukhala ndikhwaze ndithi, uDyakalashe! Wonke umntu uza kuza kundinceda. Bakufika ndingathi udyakalashe ubuyele kwasematyholweni. Ndiza kubancedisa simkhangele. Ngaloo ndlela ndiza kuba nomntu wokuthetha. Siza kuthetha ngeegusha noodyakalashe nezinye izinto.”
Ngenye imini ke ngoko yalizama eli qhinga layo le nkwenkwe. Yaqalisa ukukhala ikhwaza yaze yabaleka isiya ngaselalini.
“UDyakalashe! Ncedani!” yakhwaza kakhulu.
Abantu bayiva ikhwaza baze babaleka besiya kunceda. Beza neentonga kunye namatye; imitshayelo kunye nemihlakulo. Beza nayo nantoni na ababenokuyifumana ukuncedisa ukusukela udyakalashe emke.
Kakade nje, kwakungekho dyakalashe. Inkwenkwana yayiphosisa. Kodwa bona abantu babengayazi loo nto. Emva kokukhangela ixeshana, abanye abantu bahlala bancokolisa inkwenkwana. Oku kwayenza yonwaba kakhulu.
“Ndicinga ukuba ndiza kuphinda ndilenze eli qhinga kwakhona,” watsho bakumka bonke abantu. “Bekumnandi kakhulu ukuba nabantu bokuncokola.”
Xa egodukile neegusha ngobo busuku, usapho lwakhe lwalusele luvile ngokukhala kwakhe efuna uncedo baze bamcenga ukuba abaxelele ukuba kwenzeke ntoni.
“Ndive ngombhaki,” watsho utata wakhe.
“Bendiselalini ndaze ndabona abantu bebaleka besiya kunceda,” watsho umama wakhe.
“Ubusoyika?” wabuza udade wabo.
Ngoko ke inkwenkwana yababalisela ngodyakalashe, kwaze ukuphosisa kwanda ngokwanda.
Kudlule iveki le nkwenkwana yenza kwale nto inye. Yakhwaza, ibaleka yaya elalini. “UDyakalashe! Ncedani! Yizani ngokukhawuleza.”
Kwakhona abantu behla elalini bebaleka, beza kuyinceda. Kwakhona zange
bafumane dyakalashe. Kwesi sihlandlo bafuna ukuqonda ukuba kwenzeka ntoni na kanye.
“Asiboni mkhondo kadyakalashe,” watsho omnye.
“Iigusha zakho azikhangeleki zisoyika konke konke,” watsho nomnye.
Abantu belali abazange bahlale xesha lide, bambombozela bagoduka.
Lwafika lona usuku apho inkwenkwana yabona into eshukuma kufutshane namatye. Yabona iindlebe ezimbini ezitsolo kunye nomsila omde. Yabona uboya obusilivere-mnyama emqolo. Ixhala layo langongoza kwangoko. Yayingudyakalashe kwaye wayechwechwa, esondela ezigusheni. Ngeli tyeli wakhwaza kakhulu ngokwenene.
“NCEDANI! NCEDANI! Nanku udyakalashe! Yizani ngokukhawuleza.”
Lo gama abaleka esiya kufuna uncedo elalini, ubone udyakalashe esitya enye yeegusha zakhe. Waguquka ebuyela emhlambini wakhe, ekhwaza ngalo lonke elo xesha. Kodwa akuzange kwabakho nomnye umntu oza kumnceda.
Uthe ke ngoko udyakalashe waxhwila itakane wabaleka nalo, waya kutshona ematyholweni ngakuloo mawa. Iigusha zazisoyika kakhulu kangangokuba zabaleka zonke. Kwaqengqeleka iiyure le nkwenkwana izama ukuzikhangela ukuze iziqokelele zonke, ize izigoduse.
Ngelingeni yathi yakufika ekhaya, yakhalaza kakhulu, “Akukho namnye umntu oze kundinceda. Ngendenzakele. Enye yeegusha yenzakele kwaye udyakalashe ubaleke nelinye itakane. Kwesi sihlandlo ebekhona ngokwenene udyakalashe kwaye akukho nomnye othe wandimamela ndakukhwaza.”
“Kwesi sihlandlo?” kubuza utata wakhe ngomothuko. “Uthetha ukuthini xa
usithi kwesi sihlandlo?”
Kwanyanzeleka ke ukuba inkwenkwana ithethe inyaniso. Utata wakhe waba nomsindo kakhulu.
“Andisayi kukohlwaya,” utshilo. “Uza kukhawuleza ufumanise ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kubantu abaphosisayo.”
“Kwenzeka ntoni?” yabuza inkwenkwana.
“Kulula,” watsho utata wakhe. “Xa bathe abantu bafumanisa ukuba uyaphosisa, abasayi kuphinda bayikholelwe into oyithethayo kwakhona, nokuba sele uthetha inyaniso. Akukho nabani na olithembayo ixoki.”
Eso yaba sisohlwayo ngokwaneleyo kule nkwenkwana. Akuzange kubekho nomnye umntu kuloo lali owaphinda wayikholelwa into eyithethayo.
