Kwesukasukela, bekukhona indvodza, ligama layo bekunguThukile. Bekahlala namake wakhe endlwaneni lencane. Bebaphuye kakhulu futsi imali lebebanayo bekunguleyo make wakhe bekayitfola ngekutsengisa emacandza labekatalelwa sikhukhukati sakhe.
Thukile bekavilapha kangangobe bekangenti lutfo. Bekahlala emtfuntini ehlobo abuye futsi otse umlilo ebusika. Make wakhe wehluleka kutsi amente amsite nanoma ngabe yini.
Ngalomunye uMsombuluko ekuseni bekatfukutsele kakhulu kangangobe watsi, “Thukile, nangabe awuhambi uyosebentela kudla kwakho ngitakwenta kutsi uphume uhambe lapha endlini ungabuyi.”
Loku kwenta Thukile wakhatsateka. “Ngifanele ngente lokutsite,” washo atitjela. “Nyalo Make uvakala atfukutsele.”
Ngako-ke ngaLesibili, waya kumlimi lobekangesheya kwemfula wayocela umsebenti. Lomlimi wenta Thukile kutsi amlungisele fenisi wakhe. Wabese umholela ngetinhlavu letimbalwa temali lengemasiliva. Thukile bekangatange asabe nemali emphilweni yakhe. Waphatsa lemali yakhe letinhlavu tesiliva wabuye wayijika etulu naphansi kute kutsi atibone letinhlavu timanyatela elangeni. Kepha kwatsi asengakaweli nemfula bekasayilahle yonkhe lemali.
“Lesilima semfana,” kwasho make wakhe ngesikhatsi efika ekhaya, “ufanele kutsi ngabe utifake ngekuphepha ekhikhini lakho.”
“Hho,” kwasho Thukile, “ngitawenta njalo esikhatsini lesitako.”
NgaLesitsatfu, Thukile wahamba futsi. “Ngicela kukwelusela tinkhomo takho?” wacela lomunye umlimi.
“Yebo,” kwasho lomlimi, “ngitawubese ngikupha lijeke lelubisi kute ngikukhokhele ngemsebenti wakho wekungelusela.”
Ekupheleni kwelusuku, umlimi wapha Thukile lijeke lelubisi. Thukile watsatsa lelijeke walifaka ekhikhini lelijazi lakhe njengobe atjelwe kutsi ente njalo. Khapha! Khapha! Khapha! Lolubisi-ke beluloku lukhaphaka, lucitseka ngesikhatsi ahamba endleleni aya ekhaya futsi akusalanga lutfo kulelijeke asesekhashane nekufika ekhaya.
“Hhawu kwami!” kwasho make wakhe. “Ulibele! Ufanele kutsi ngabe wetfwele lelijeke enhloko.”
“Kulungile,” kwasho Thukile, “Ngitawenta njalo esikhatsini lesitako.”
NgaLesine, Thukile wahamba waya kulomunye make lowenta iyogathi. Wavuma kumupha iyogathi nakamsita. Ngaleyo mini wapha Thukile iyogathi. Beyikusimumatsi selipulasitiki lesivulekile sabese sivalwa ngendvwangu. Thukile waya ekhaya etfwele lesimumatsi enhloko ngoba nguloko make wakhe latsi abokwenta. Kepha ngesikhatsi efika ekhaya, besekucishe kunganalutfo kulesimumatsi. Lenye yayo beyicitsekile, lenye beyimnamatsele etinweleni takhe.
“Wena mfana lolibele, Thukile,” kwasho make wakhe, “bewufanele kutsi uyiphatse kahle ngetandla.”
“Hho, Kulungile,” kwasho Thukile, “Ngitawenta njalo esikhatsini lesitako.”
NgaLesihlanu, Thukile wahamba futsi. Manje wasebentela umbhaki. Lombhaki bekete lutfo ngaphandle kwenja lebekangayinika Thukile njengemsebenti wakhe. Ngako-ke ekupheleni kwelusuku wamholela ngekumnika lenja. Thukile wahamba waya ekhaya aphetse kahle lenja etandleni takhe.
“Lena nguyona ndlela make wami langitjele kutsi ngikuphatse ngayo,” Thukile watjela lenja. Kepha kungakapheli sikhatsi lesingakanani, lenja yacala yinhinhila yabuye yakhwishitela. Yabese-ke, icala kumhhwebha nekumluma kabuhlungu kangangoba wayiyekela yahamba.
Nakefika ekhaya, make wakhe watsi, “Awu! Thukile, ulibele. Bewufanele kutsi uyibophe ngentsambo lapha entsanyeni bese uyayidvonsa iyakulandzela.”
“Kulungile”, kwasho Thukile, “Ngitawenta njalo kusasa.”
Lilanga lelilandzelako bekunguMgcibelo futsi Thukile wahamba wayosebentela umnikati welisilaha. Manje bamkhokhela ngesigadla lesihle senyama. Watsatsa lesigadla senyama, wasibopha ngentsambo wabe wente ngco loko make wakhe lamtjele kona − wasihudvula emvakwakhe. Ngesikhatsi efika ekhaya, lenyama beseyimoseke iphelele.
Manje make wamtfukutselela kakhulu. “Kodvwa ngitawenjani nje ngawe?” watibuta. “Kusasa Lisontfo futsi sitawudla liklabishi kuphela njengekudla kwetfu kwantsambama. Ulibele, bewufanele kutsi ngabe wetfwele lenmyama yakho emahlombe.”
“Ngitawenta njalo esikhatsi lesitako,” kwaphendvula Thukile.
NgeMsombuluko, Thukile wahamba futsi wayosebentela lomunye umuntfu lowamholela ngembongolo. Manje-ke, nanoma nje Thukile bekanemandla kakhulu, wakutfola kulukhuni kwetfwala lembongolo emahlombe akhe. Wadzadzalata wadzadzalata, kepha ekugcineni wakhona kubeka lembongolo emahlombe akhe, ngaleyo ndlela make wakhe lamtjela yona. Wacala-ke wahamba waya ekhaya ahamba kancane.
Endleleni leya ekhaboThukile lapho bekuhlala khona indvodza lenjingile. Lendvodza lenjingile beyinendvodzakati yinye. Beyiyinhle kakhulu, kepha besekuminyakanyaka ingasho lutfo. Futsi beyingakate seyihleke emphilweni yayo. Bodokotela batsi itawuhleka kuphela nakungaba nemuntfu longayihlekisa. Lenjinga-ke beseyikhatsateke kangangoba yatsi nanoma ngabe ngubani longenta indvodzakati yayo ihleke, angayishada.
Lentfombatana lenhle beyibuka ngaphandle kwelifasitelo ngesikhatsi ibona Thukile endlula etfwele imbongolo emahlombe. Imilente yalembongolo beyivele ngalapha nangalapha kwaThukile futsi ibuke etulu ngendlela lehlekisako kangangoba lentfombatana yachumisa luhleko. Ekugcineni yacala yakhuluma.
Lenjinga yajabula kakhulu, futsi yasigcina nesitsembiso sayo − yatsi indvodzakati yayo naThukile bangashadiswa. Thukile waba yindvodza lenjingile ngoba walibala ngalokwenele kutsi atfwale imbongolo emahlombe akhe!
Kusukela ngalelo langa, Thukile wahlala endlini lenkhulu nemfati wakhe namake wakhe lobekasete sidzingo sekutsi asebente futsi. Futsi, kunjalo phela, kute lokunye Thukile laphindze waba nesidzingo sekukwetfwala futsi.
