UVusi wayeyithanda kakhulu inja yakhe egama linguDomino. UDomino wayemhlophe enamabala amathathu amnyama emqolo. Udade boVusi omncinane, uSinazo yena wayethanda ikati yakhe, uFluffy. UFluffy wayemnyama enamabala amathathu amhlophe esiswini sakhe.
“Inja yam ingcono kunekati yakho,” watsho uVusi ngenye intsasa yangeCawe, xa aba bantwana babesidla isidlo sakusasa. “UDomino akandikrwempi. UDomino akaluseli ubisi lwam. Kwaye uDomino akazange anyathele iincwadi zam zesikolo ngeenyawo ezinodaka.”
“UDomino akeva,” watsho uMakhulu. “Akakhe enze le nto axelelwa ukuba ayenze. Xa umxelela ukuba makahlale phantsi, uyatsibatsiba. Xa usithi makatsibatsibe, uhlala phantsi, naxa uhlala phantsi, uyakutsibela akukhothe ebusweni!”
“Ikati yam ingcono kunenja yakho,” utshilo uSinazo. “UFluffy akandikhothi ebusweni okanye ebe i-ayiskhrim yam. UFluffy akangcolisi eyadini kwaye akazange wakhonkotha.”
“Gqibani iblakfesi yenu, bantwana,” uMakhulu utshilo. “Kufuneka ndiyokunkcenkceshela imifuno yam. Umbona wam sele ulungele ukuvunwa ngoku uzokutyiwa. Uza kuba mkhulu kwaye uza kuba nencasa kulo nyaka.”
UMakhulu wayeseza kugqiba ukunkcenkceshela imifuno yakhe. “Hamba uye kungenisa uDomino ngaphakathi eyadini,” uyalele uVusi. “Emva koko ke uze uhlambe ubuso, uxukuxe, ukame iinwele zakho, ze ke unxibe iimpahla zakho zecawe.”
“Hamba uye kungenisa uFluffy ngaphakathi eyadini,” uxelele uSinazo. “Emva koko ke uze uhlambe ubuso bakho, uxukuxe, ukame iinwele zakho, ze ke unxibe iimpahla zakho ezintle.”
UVusi wathatha inja yakhe wayingenisa eyadini. “Hlala apha,” uxelele uDomino. “Uze ube yinja elungileyo, uhlale apha lo gama sisaye ecaweni.” UVusi wabaleka wangena ngaphakathi, kodwa walibala ukuvala ucango lwasekhitshini. UDomino ongevayo wamlandela wangena endlwini. Warhubuluza, wangena phantsi kwebhedi kaVusi, wazimela apho.
USinazo wathatha ikati yakhe wayingenisa eyadini. “Hlala apha,” utshilo kuFluffy, embeka esebeni lomthini. “Uze ube yikati elungileyo lo gama sisaye ecaweni.” Wabaleka, wangena ngaphakathi esiya kunxiba, kodwa walibala ukuvala ifestile yegumbi lakhe lokulala. UFluffy ongevayo wabuyela ngaphakathi. Watsiba, wakhwela phezu kwekhabhathi yempahla, waza walala.
USinazo kunye noVusi benza njengoko uMakhulu wayebayalele. Baya kwigumbi lokuhlambela. Bahlamba ubuso. Baxukuxa. Bakama iinwele zabo. Emva koko baya kumagumbi abo okulala, baya kunxiba ezona mpahla zabo zintle.
“Vusi,” wakhwaza uMakhulu, “ncedisa uSinazo ngokunxiba. USinazo wayengcotshile, ezama ukutsala, akhuphe eyona lokhwe yakhe intle ekhabathini yempahla.
“Hawu, hawu, akusemnandi,” wakhonkotha uDomino, etsiba ephuma phantsi kwebhedi. Watsibela ekhabhathini yempahla, waza wakhotha uSinazo ngolo lwimi lwakhe lude lubomvu.
“Phuma, Domino!” wamngxolisa.
UFluffy kwamcaphukisa kakhulu oku kuvuswa. Wakroba ekoneni yekhabhathi yempahla, waza wabona uDomino etsibela uSinazo. “Sssssss! Awunakuyenza loo nto,” wafutha. “Suka kuye, okanye ndiza kukukrwempa.”
UDomino watsibela ekhabhathini ngokwekhangaru ephambeneyo. “Hawu, hawu, hawu, wayikhonkotha ikati. “Yiza sizokudlala. Kumnandi apha.”
Kanye ngaloo mzuzu, uMakhulu wangena esihla ngepaseji. Wayesele elungele ukuya ecaweni. Wayenxibe eyona lokhwe yakhe intle, izihlangu ezihle kunye nowona mnqwazi wakhe awuthandayo. “Kuqhubeka ntoni apha?” wabuza ngqongqo, xa avula umnyango. “Kulixesha lokuba sihambe ngoku.”
Kanye ngaloo mzuzu uFluffy wagqiba ekubeni atsibe, ehle ekhabhathini. Wenze owenkawu umtsi – watsibela entloko kuMakhulu. Kwangaxehsa nye uDomino wagqiba ekubeni atsibele phezulu ekhabhathini yempahla. Naye wenza owenkawu umtsi, kodwa watsibela kuMakhulu, wamwisa phantsi. Ngethamsanqa, uVusi wamganga kwangethuba, akabisawa.
UMakhulu wahlala phantsi esitulweni. Wayenomsindo kakhulu. “Ningabantwana abangeva tu kwaphela,” utshilo. “Anisayi kufumana tshokholethi ukuphuma kwecawe ke namhlanje. Thathani le nja nale kati nizingenise eyadini ngoku. Kufuneka siye ecaweni.”
Abantwana bazivalela eyadini izilwanyana, baza baya ecaweni. UDomino walala elangeni, kodwa yena uFluffy wagwencela wakhwela eluphahleni lwendlu. Kulo ndawo wayehleli kuyo, wayebona iindawo ezikude. Wababona abantwana kunye nomakhulu wabo besiya ecaweni. Wabeva becula ecaweni. Weva nenye ingxolo. Yayivakalela ezantsi, itswina, ingathi ngumntu owayezama ukuvula isango lesitiya semifuno sikaMakhulu.
Wakroba ekoneni yophahla. Phaya egadini ngaphambili, kwakukho indoda elisela. Yayimi phakathi kwemifuno, isiba umbona kaMakhulu.
“Thaaathaaaaaaphaaa!” watsho ngesikhalo esihlabayo uFluffy, etsiba esuka eluphahleni esiya kuwela entloko kule ndoda.
“Suka, suka!” lakhala isela, lizama ukutsala uFluffy, limsusa entloko kulo.
Loo ngxolo yavusa uDomino. Weza egaba ukujikela ekoneni, esuka emva kwendlu. “Hawu! Hawu! Hawu! Phuma, phuma, phuma sihlangane!” wakhonkotha.
“Hayiiiiii, ndiyekeni!” lakhala latsho isela. Lalahla ingobozi yalo, laze latsiba ucingo. UDomino wayesele elilinde apho. Waba ngathi ngumbane, walithi nqaku ngebhulukhwe isela, walitsala. Walitsala walitsala, wagragrama wagragrama, waze walidlikidla walidlikidla; nesela lalisoyika kakhulu ngoku.
“Ndiyeke, ndiyeke!” lakhala, lizama ukususa uDomino ebhulukhweni yalo. Kusenjalo, KKKKRRRREEEEEE, ibhulukhwe yesela yakrazuka yonke. Labaleka kangangoko linakho, lanyuka induli, ladlula ecaweni labaleka lagoduka.
Kanye ngaloo mzuzu, ngubani owayephuma ecaweni, xa ingengoVusi noSinazo noMakhulu? Bahleka bade baqikileka xa bebona indoda ibaleka, igqotsile inganxibanga bhulukhwe. Wabe uDomino elele emva kwayo, engabalekanga esusa amaphepha, eyisukela erhuqa ibhulukhwe yaloo ndoda ngamazinyo.
“Nizizilwanyana ezilungileyo nobabini,” watsho uMakhulu xa befika ekhaya. Yonke imifuno yakhe ikhuselekile. “Niyikhusele ngokukuko imifuno yam kwelaa sela.”
“Ingaba oko kuthetha ukuba siza kuyifumana itshokholethi? wabuza uVusi.
“Ewe,” watsho uMakhulu. Wahamba nabo baya evenkileni waza wathengela umntwana ngamnye itshokholethi enkulu yeminti. Wathengela uDomino ithambo elinencindi emnandi, waza wathengela uFluffy inkonxa yentlanzi enencasa. Bonke babonwabe kakhulu, ngaphandle kwesela. Lalineentloni kakhulu kuba wonke umntu walibona libaleka linganxibanga bhulukhwe. Lagqiba kwelokuba limke, liye kwenye idolophu ekude, kwaye zange liphinde libonwe kwakhona.
