“Heyi, Thembela!” wakhwaza uMama. “Kuvuthuza umoya ombi phandle. Ngena endlwini okanye uza kungenwa yingqele.”

Kodwa uThembela akakuphulaphulanga oko kuba wayonwabe kakhulu. Iinwele zakhe ziyaphaphazela zinyuke ziye phezulu, zize zithi gqume phezu kweendlebe zakhe. Ilokhwe yakhe yayingathi yikayiti, kwaye uThembela wayeqinisekile ukuba xa ebefuna, ebenokukwazi ukubhabha – abhabhe aye phezulu esibhakabhakeni.

“Umoya uphephezela kamnandi Mama,” uhleke watsho. “Andifuni kungena ngaphakathi.”

“Kunyazelekile ungene Thembela,” uphendule uMama. “Akulunganga ukuba ube phandle – kuyingozi kakhulu apho.”

UThembela uphakamisa iingalo zakhe azelule emacaleni, aze amana ezinyusa ezithoba okwentaka ebhabhayo. “Kulungile ke, kulungile,” utsho encumile. “Ndiza kungena endlwini.”

Wanele nje ukuba atsho, watsiba. Wanqumla iyadi kwaye eziva ngathi uyabhabha. Umoya wamgubungela waza wamthwala wambuyisela kuMama, othe wavala ucango esakungena.

“Shu, Thembela! Awudinwanga kokwakubhabha kungakaya ubukwenza? Kutheni ungangeni ebhafini uhlambe ngamanzi ashushu uze emva koko uye ngqo ebhedini yakho nje?”

Xa uMama esiza kombathisa uThembela uthe, “Hayi, Thembela, inokuba nguwe kuphela umntu othanda umoya apha ehlabathini.” Phambi kokuba uMama ahambe, uThembela ucele ukuba avule umdiyadiya ukuze abone amafu ehamba, abone nemithi ishukuma kancinane apha naphaya. Uphuze uMama wakhe walala yoyi.

Ngaloo mpelaveki, uMama kwakufuneka aye edolophini, ngoko ke uMakazi uIda kwakufuneka aze kuhlala naye.

“Owu Nkosi yam,” utshilo uMakazi uIda enesingqala, “ndive ezindabeni ukuba kuza kubakho isiphango!”

Amafu afingiza esibhakabhakeni imini yonke, kwade kwamnyama ngathi kusebusuku. Emva koko kwaqalisa ukunetha. UThembela akazange akukholelwe oko akubonayo. Kwakusina ngohlobo angazange alubone, kwaze ngokukhawuleza kwakho amadama kuyo yonke indawo. Kodwa uThembela uncumile. Unxibe isikhwehle sakhe kunye neegambutsi zakhe waze waphuma phandle.

“Hayi, Thembela!” wakhwaza uMakazi u-Ida. “Ngena ngaphakathi ngoku!”

Kodwa uThembela akazange aphulaphule kuba wayonwabe kakhulu. Wayehleka xa umoya umpompa uzalise isikhwehle sakhe kunye nomnqwazi wakhe, ibe ngathi yibhaloni enkulu. “Ukuba ndinokwenyusa iingalo zam,” ugigitheka atsho, “ndingabhabha!”

Kanye ngelo xesha uMakazi uIda uphume ebaleka enxibe igawuni yakhe epinki, waze wamthi hlasi uThembela wamfunqula, wamngenisa endlwini. “Akakho umntu owuthandayo umoya,” utshilo uMakazi uIda. “Uvuthuza ngamandla, uyabanda kwaye awutsho kamnandi nje kwaphela.”

Wathi xa uMakazi uIda ezokumombathisa, uThembela wacela ukuba kuvulwe umdiyadiya ukuze akwazi ukubona imithi ishukuma namafu ehamba. Kodwa uMakazi uIda uthe, “Hayi! Nakanye, ayisoze yehle ke leyo tu!” Wawuvala umdiyadiya. “Ngoku masithembe ukuba le ndlu ayisayi kukhukuliswa yile mvula,” watsho uMakazi uIda ehlasimla.

UThembela weva izithonga zeendudumo nokunetha kwemvula phezu kwendlu. Umoya ngoku wawuvakala uvuthuza kwiindonga zendlu. Wawunkqonkqoza emnyango ushukumisa neefestile. Wawungxola ungena ngetshimini, usoyikisa uMakazi u-Ida, kangangokuba wazimela emva kwesofa. Uphahla lwakrekreza aze amaplanga omgangatho nawo atshixiza, nemithi yatsho ngenzwinini yomlozi onezothe.

UMakazi uIda wakhala, “Owu Nkosi, siza kuphaphatheka sonke!” Kodwa uThembela wayengoyiki. Waxhuma ebhedini wabaleka wehla ngamanqwanqwa. Ngokukhawuleza wanxiba iigambutsi zakhe wathatha nesambreli sakhe. Emva koko waphuma ngobukroti waya phandle. Umoya wawuvuthuza uvela macala onke kwaye nemvula isina neendudumo zigqekreza esibhakabhakeni.

“Ndim, Moya,” watsho uThembela. “Kutheni unomsindo kangaka? Ingaba ucinga ukuba akukho mntu ukuthandayo? Yithi uyadlala. Nokuba uyangxola kwaye uyabanda, kodwa uyonwabisa kakhulu – kwaye ndiyakuthanda. NDIYAKUTHANDA MOYA!”

Ngephanyazo, zayeka iindudumo aze amafu amnyama emka. Kwakamsinyane nemvula yanika isiqabu. Akujonga phezulu uThembela, wabona isibhakabhaka sityhilile. Inyanga yayiphelele kwaye zonke iinkwenkwezi zimenyezela. Ngoku umoya wawuphephezela kamnandi kuye, unyusa isambreli sakhe umphuza kancinane nangothando ezidleleni zakhe.

“Enkosi, Moya,” utshilo uThembela. “Enkosi ngokuyidudula imvula.”

Emva koko uThembela waguquka wangena endlwini. Wancedisa uMakazi uIda ukuba aphakame emva kwesofa waze wamenzela ikomityi yeti eshushu.

“Owu Nkosi,” utshilo uMakazi u-Ida, “Andiwuthandi kwaphela umoya.” Kodwa yena uThembela wasuka wancuma.