UMalusi neNunu yakuBhavu
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UMalusi neNunu yakuBhavu

Author

Leo Daly

Illustrator

Magriet Brink

Translator

Busisiwe Pakade

Izwi elilandelayo ngalinye ngalinye liyiqiniso – ngiyakutshela. Ngiyafunga ngiyagomela ukuthi angeke ngiqambe amanga, uma ngingaqamba amanga ngizodliswa impukane!

Udadewethu omdala, uZandi, nami sithanda ukudlala engadini usuku lonke. Sixova udaka ngezinyawo sigubhe nemigodi ejulile. Khohlwa ngezicathulo – kungcono kakhulu ukushaya ngoCetshwayo. Uzwa udaka luputshuka phakathi kwezinzwane zakho. Ngiyakuthanda lokhu!

UMama uhlale ethi, “Hheyi, nina nobabili! Izingulube kuphela ezithanda udaka kangaka.” Ngesinye isikhathi ukhathazeka ngokungcola kwethu kakhulu. Ngiyambona nje esenikina ikhanda – kodwa ubuso bakhe buhlale bumamatheka. Akunandaba-ke kodwa, ngoba ayikho into engcono kunokugeza ngamanzi afudumele ngemva kokudlala engadini.

Kodwa mina ngingcono kunoZandi – ngingcono kakhulu. Ngingcolisa izandla nezinyawo zami kuphela. UZandi ungcola yonke indawo. Ugxuma angene emigodini azigingqe odakeni. Ungcolisa izinwele nezingalo zakhe. Ungcolisa nekhala lakhe imbala.

monster 1 colour fin

UMama uthi, “Sekuyisikhathi sokugeza, kini nobabili!”

Kodwa uZandi akafuni ukungena endlini. “Malusi,” esho kimi, “ngiyahlala la – kulo mgodi!”

Ngimtshela ukuthi kuzomele angene endlini azogeza. UZandi unikina ikhanda. “Awuve uyisithutha, wena Malusi,” esho ehleka.

Kodwa ngiyawathanda lawo magwebu ensipho yokugeza. Manje sekuyisikhathi zokukhuhla ukungcola kuphume ezinyaweni. Ngiyakhuhla, ngikhuhle ngiphinde ngikhuhle. Njengoba izinyawo zami sezihlanzekile nje – alusekho udaka. Manje sekuyisikhathi sokuhlamba ubuso bami. Ngiyakhuhla, ngikhuhle ngiphinde ngikhuhle. Kwaze kwamnandi bo!

 Sekungena uZandi ngaleso sikhathi. Usangcolile – kusukela ekhanda lakhe ukuyosho ezinzwaneni zakhe. Ungibuka kanye akhombise ubuzo obungebuhle. “Malusi,” kusho yena, “awuyesabi yini iNunu yakuBhavu?”

“Ayikho into okuthiwa yiNunu yakuBhavu,” ngisho ngihleka.

“Yebo, ikhona,” kusho uZandi. “Ingena ngesivimbo samanzi sikabhavu, inezingalo ezintathu namehlo amane, futhi ihlale ilambile.” Ngicabanga ukuthi uZandi uzama ukungethusa nje.

“Futhi ngizokutshela okunye okuthile,” kusho uZandi, “ayikho into ethandwa yiNunu yakuBhavu njengokudla izingane ezihlanzekile. Yingakho nje ngingeke ngigeze. Le Nunu yakuBhavu eyesabekayo ayikuthandi ukunambitheka kokungcola.”

Kulungile, kodwa manje ngithukile kancane. Kungenzeka ukuthi ikhona ngempela iNunu yakuBhavu.

UZandi ungibuka ngokumamatheka okukhulu, “Kulungile-ke, Malusi. Thokozela ukugeza – kodwa ungadliwa!” Uphuma egumbini lokugeza aqonde ngqo embhedeni. Uzowungcolisa umbhede wakhe, kodwa okungenani angeke adliwe yiNunu yakuBhavu. Mamo!

“Ungesabi, Malusi,” ngiziqinisa isibindi. “Ayikho into okuthiwa iNunu yakuBhavu.”

Yenzeka indaba enkulu! Kwaqale kwaba khona umsindo osholo phansi wokuntontoloza – ofana nowamanzi ehla edreyinini. Kusenjalo sengizwa ukububula okungajwayelekile nokuvungazela okukhulu. Bese kuba khona ukuklwiklwiza nokunswininiza, bese kuba khona okuqhamukayo. Kuthi memfu okuthile kuphuma emgodini weplaki kabhavu: INUNU YAKUBHAVU!

monster 2 colour fin

 Ngingakakwazi ukwenza lutho, iNunu yakuBhavu iphakamisele izingalo zayo ezinkulu emoyeni bese izinyakazisa emoyeni, zizungeze – zizungeze – ziphinde zizungeze futhi. Bese icwayiza ngamehlo ayo amakhulu amane, isho ngezwi elikhulu, elinomsindo wamanzi, “Awuyona le ngane engcolile. Udadewenu lowo, akunjalo? Uhlale esho izinto ezingezinhle ngami – kanti azilona iqiniso. Ayikho neyodwa iNunu yakuBhavu ethanda ukudla izingane.”

“Awuthandi ukudla izingane?” Ngisho, ngizizwa ngikhululekile kakhulu.

“Nhlobo,” kuhleka iNunu yakuBhavu. “Anginankinga ngokudla insipho neziponji njalo ngemuva kwesikhathi esithile – futhi ngithanda ukudla amasokisi amadala – kodwa angikaze ngidle ngane.” INunu yakuBhavu ibe isimamatheka kakhulu. “Kanti neNunu yaseNdlini Yangasese ayithandi ukudla izingane. NeNunu yaseShaweni ngokunjalo. Inunu okungukuphela kwayo ethanda ukudla izingane, yiNunu yaseseMbhedeni. Kodwa ungakhathazeki, Malusi, ayizidli izingane ezihlanzekile – idla ezingcolile kuphela, ezilala zingagezile!”

Mamo! Kazi uZandi yena! Ngokushesha, ngitshela iNunu yakuBhavu konke ngodadewethu.

“Ungabe usachitha sikhathi,” kusho iNunu yakuBhavu. “Yikha ingilazi yamanzi ugijime ngesivinini esikhulu uye egumbini lokulala likaZandi.”

Ngifika khona ngesikhathi esifanele – iNunu yaseMbhedeni seyikhamise kakhulu. Isizogwinya uZandi. “Suka, nunu!” Kumemeza mina. Ngibhunyele udadewethu ngamanzi umzimba wonke.

“Ngcingci!” kumemeza iNunu yakuBhavu. “Kugezeke konke ukungcola. Manje usehlanzekile, futhi uphephile.”

Kunjalo. Ngisindise uZandi eNunwini yaseMbhedeni! Kanti yilokho engikutshela uMama uma engibuza ukuthi kungani ngithele udadewethu ngamanzi asengilazini. Angazi noma uyakukholwa yini lokhu. Kodwa igama ngalinye ngalinye liyiqiniso – ngiyakutshela. Ngiyafunga ngiyagomela ukuthi angeke ngiqambe amanga, uma ngingaqamba amanga ngizodliswa impukane!