Ngezansi kwamagquma aseMpumalanga ambozwe utshani obuluhlaza kwakukhona ipulazi. Emadlelweni aleli pulazi, ihhashi elinguKamuzu, lalizidlela buthule. Zazingabangani zonke izilwane zasepulazini. Zazixoxelana okuningi, kodwa uKamuzu wayenamahloni. Wayefuna ukuxoxa nezinye izilwane, kodwa kwakungaphumi lutho emlonyeni wakhe. Lokhu kwakumenza azizwe enesizungu futhi ekhathazekile.

Ngolunye usuku ekuseni, uKamuzu wayefuna ukuthi “sawubona” kuBaas, umngani wakhe oyimbongolo. Wavula umlomo wakhe … kodwa kwangenzeka lutho. Wayelahlekelwe izwi lakhe elikhulu lamahhashi.

“Kwenzenjani?” kubuza uKamuzu. “Ngikwazi ukuhleba kuphela.” Wazama futhi.

“Ubuthini?” kubuza uBaas ehlafuna utshani, ekhotha izindebe zakhe zembongolo eziphuphuzela uboya egqolozele uKamuzu. Isizathu esasibangela ukuthi ambuze ukuthi noma uKamuzu wayevule umlomo wakhe, wayehlebeza kancane. Kukhona okwakungahambi kahle.

“Izwi lami,” kuhlebeza uKamuzu. “Lingilahlekele.”

“Ulahlekelwe izwi lakho? Kodwa awukaze uthi vu vele, lingabe likulahlekele kanjani-ke?” kubuza uBaas. “Ungakhathazeki. Ngizoyobheka izwi lakho phesheya komfula.”

Ngakho uBaas wangqabashiya wawela umfula. Kodwa, wathi uma efika lapho esenuke notshani, wakhohlwa nya ngezwi likaKamuzu, wase eqala ukuzitika ngotshani obumnandi.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi lomfula, uKamuzu wayecabanga ngezindlela angathola ngazo izwi lakhe elilahlekile. “Ngizoya exhaphozini,” ecabanga. “Ngizovula umlomo wami, ngiphakamise ulimi lwami bese ngibuza izinhlanzi ukuthi ziyalibona yini izwi lami ngaphansi kwalo.”

UKamuzu wama exhaphozini wase evula umlomo wakhe. Izinhlanzi zambuka.

“Cha, Kamuzu, uxolo bandla, akukho lutho ngaphansi kolimi lwakho. Kodwa, ungakhathazeki, sizongena ngaphansi kwamacembe omduze naphakathi kwamatshana asemanzini ayizimbulunga angaphansi exhaphozini siyofuna izwi lakho.”

Izinhlanzi zabhukuda sahamba, kodwa zathi uma zingena ngaphansi kwamacembe omduze, zathola ukudla okumnandi kakhulu ezingakudla zakhohlwa ngezwi likaKamuzu.

UKamuzu waphefumula kalusizi waqhubeka nohambo. Walibheka yonke indawo izwi lakhe ngesikhathi ehamba ethi ngqabashi, ngqabashi, ngqabashi. Wahlangana nengulube enguSnorkel, nenkomo ematshezulu enguDozie.

“Ufunani?” kubuza uSnorkel.

“Izwi lami. Lingilahlekele,” kuhlebeza uKamuzu.

“Mameshane! “Kwenzeke kanjani lokho?” kusho uSnorkel. “Akunandaba nokho, ngizokusiza ukuthi ulifune.”

“Nami futhi!” kusho uDozie. “Sizolibheka otshanini phesheya komfula.”

Awu, bandla, ngoKamuzu wabantu − bathi uma befika otshanini obumnandi  baphesheya komfula oSnorkel noDozie, bama bazitika ngotshani, bakhohlwa ngukumsiza ukuba athole izwi lakhe.

Nonogwaja nabo abakwazanga ukumsiza. Bethembisa ukuthi bazolibheka ngamehlo abo ansundu amakhulu. Bethembisa ukulalela ngamadlebe abo athambile ansundu. Kodwa bathi uma bewela umfula, njengawo wonke umuntu, babecabanga ngobumnandi botshani.

UKamuzu wabheka abangani bakhe. “Akukho muntu ongisizayo. Akukho muntu ofunayo. Wonke umuntu uzitika ngokudla,” wahlebeza kalusizi. Waphenduka waqala ukuhamba ebuyela epulazini ukuze aqhubeke nokufuna eyedwa. UKamuzu wabheka ngaphansi kwamahlahla. Wabheka nangemuva kwegushede. Wabheka naphezulu emafini wase ebheka ngasemagqumeni.

“Maye, kuza isiphepho! Seliyana emagqumeni. Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi umfula uzodla izindwani.” Wase ephenduka engqabashiya ephindela emfuleni. “Kumele ngixwayise izilwane. Kodwa engikwaziyo ukuhleba kuphela, angeke zingizwe.”

Wama lapho umzuzwana, wezwa amathonsi okuqala ethi co, co emhlane wakhe. Umfula sewunodaka futhi uyangenisa. Zonke izilwane zazisazitika ngokuhlafuna zigwinye ukudla.

UKamuzu wavula umlomo wakhe, kodwa kwangenzeka lutho. Akuphumi nakuhlebeza nje lokhu. Wayesethuke ngempela manje. Kwakumele enze okuthile. Uma abangani bakhe babezame ukuwela umfula, babezominza bonke. Wanikina ikhanda lakhe, wanikina nomhlwenga, wagxoba phansi ngamasondo akhe. Akukho noyedwa owambona kubangani bakhe. Amanzi aphambi kwakhe agijima egeleza.

Yaqala ukuna kakhulu imvula ngaleso sikhathi. Zonke izilwane zabheka phezulu zaqala ukugijima zishona ngasemfuleni.

UKamuzu wakhohlwa ngendaba yezwi lakhe elilahlekile. Wakhohlwa ngokuba namahloni, wakhohlwa nangokuba lusizi. Wagijima elibhekise ngasemfuleni ogelezayo, engqabashiya ngamandla ephokophele kuwo, wagxuma kakhulu weqa umfula odla izindwani. Wathi uma ewela ngakolunye uhlangothi wakhamisa wamemeza wathi, “YIMANI! NINGAWELI!”

Zamangala zonke izilwane. Zazingazange zilizwe izwi elikhulu kangaka, eliphakeme, eliphuma emlonyeni kaKamazu.

“Buyelani emuva!” Kumemeza uKamuzu. “Khuphukelani emadwaleni.”

Wonke umuntu wabaleka wayokhosela emadwaleni ebalekela imvula. Bagozobala ndawonye.

“Usindise izimpilo zethu, Kamuzu,” kusho uBaas. “Siyabonga.”

“Ulitholile izwi lakho,” kusho uSnorkel.

“Kunjalo,” kusho uDozie, “kumnandi ukuzwa izwi lakho. Ubuhlale uthule, besicabanga ukuthi awufuni ukukhuluma nathi.”

“Nginamahloni,” kusho uKamuzu. “Ngihlale ngingazi ukuthi kumele ngithini.”

“Kodwa singabangani bakho,” kusho onogwaja. “Akumele ube namahloni uma unathi.”

“Kusukela namhlanje,” kusho uBaas, “sifuna ukukuzwa ukhuluma. Sethembise ukuthi uzokwenzenjalo?”

“Sethembise! Sethembise! Sethembise!” besho bonke kanyekanye.

Ihhashi elinguKamuzu, laphakamisa ikhanda lalo lamemeza, “YEBO! YEBO! YEBO, NGIYETHEMBISA!”