Kade, kwakunomma owabe ahlala nomndenakhe ethresteni le-Kingdom of Zululand. Qobe ngoSondarha umndeni lo bewuya elwandle elikhulu. Abentwana bebemba esandeni badlale nangamagagasi. Umma apheke ukudla emlilweni lokha umyenakhe nakayokufuna iinkuni ezikhafulwe lilwandle azokubaza izinto ezihle: iinyoni, abantu nayo yoke imihlobo yeenlwana.
Phakathi kweveke umndeni woke bewusebenza ngamandla bese entambama bahlale bothe umlilo. Bekubamnyama khulu kobana bangasebenza namkha badlale namkha bangabaza begodu bekuba frurhu khulu kobana bangayokulala. Lesi kwaba sikhathi lapho abentwana babawa khona unina kobana abacocele indatjana.
“Mama,” kutjho abentwana bazincengela, “sibawa usicocele indatjana. Sibawa usicocele eyodwa.”
Nanyana bekazama ngamandla ukucabanga indatjana, wabhalelwa. Akekho phakathi kwakhe nomyenakhe owaba nendatjana angayicoca.
Ngelinye ilanga, umfazi wacabanga ukubawa abomakhelwana bakhe kobana amsize.
“Ingabe ninazo iindatjana?” wababuza.
“Awa-a-aa,” bathintitha iinhloko, “asinazo.”
Bezingekho iindatjana. Bekunganamabhudango …. begodu bezingekho neenolwana.
Umyeni wakhe wabeka umbono, “Mkami, ngicabanga bonyana kufanele uyokufuna iindatjana. Ngizakutlhogomela abentwana bethu kunye nendlu. Thola iindatjana bese ubuya nazo.”
Ngalokho-ke umfazi wamanga umndenakhe wawuvalelisa wase uyakhamba. Wacabanga bonyana abuze nanyana ngisiphi isidalwa asidlulako bona asinandatjana esingabelana ngayo na. Isilwana sokuthoma ahlangana naso kwaku mqasa. Weza weqayeqa ngeenyawo zawo ezikulu.
“Mqasa!” wawubiza. “Ingabe unazo iindatjana?”
“Indatjana?” kubuza uMqasa. “Wo!, nginamakhulukhulu, iinkulungwana, awa…ngineengidi zazo.”
“Mqasa, ngiyakubawa ngipha iindatjana ngizokuthabisa abentwabami.”
“Mhh…” kwatjho umqasa. “Anginaso isikhathi. Nanyana kunjalo … iindatjana phakathi kwemini? …Awa!” Waseuyeqayeqa wakhamba.
Ngemva kwesikhathi wabona isirhulurhulu. Lokha nakasibawa iindatjana savusa iinsiba zaso ngokusilingeka.
“Ungubaaa …ni … ungivusa? Anginazo iindatjana. Khamba uye kukholo omkhulu weemfesi. Nguye ovukileko emini nje. Ubuze yena.”
Ngaloko-ke umfazi wakhamba waya emlonyeni womLambo iThukela lapho azuma khona ukholo weemfesi. Lokha nakambonako wabiza ukholo ngegama lakhe .
Ukholo weemfesi omkhulu walila afuna ukumkarabha waya kuye. “KOWU! kowu-kowu-kowu! Kubayini ungiphazamisa ngizuma?”
“Oh, Kholo weemFesi ohlakaniphileko, kutjho umfazi, “Ngifunana neendatjana. Uyakwazi lapho ngingazithola khona?”
“Iye,” kwatjho uKholo weemFesi, “Ngiyazi bonyana ngubani ongakusiza. Iya lapho amadwala ahlangana khona nelwandle. Ujame lapho bese ubiza ikghuru ekulu yelwandle.
Umfazi wamthokoza wase wehlela elwandle. Wabiza ikghuru ekulu yelwandle kabili kwaphela yavela ngemanzini ngobuphahlaphahla obukhulu.
“Ungesabi,” kwatjho iKghuru yeLwandle. “Bambela phezu kweqephe lami. Ngizakusa ebantwini belwandle abazi yoke into neendatjana zoke.”
Behla, behla, behlela ngelwandle, batjhinga phasi, banqopha ekosini nendlovukazini yelwandle.
“Ngubani lo?” kubuza ikosi.
“Lo mfazi obuya ephasini elomileko ngaphezu kwamanzi,” kuhleba indlovukazi.
“Ingabe khuyini okufunako, mfazi wephasini elomileko?” kubuza indlovukazi.
“Iindatjana, wena oHloniphekileko. Ingabe kukhona onazo engingazisa ebantwini bekhethu?”
“Sinazo,” kwatjho indlovukazi. “Kodwana ingabe unayo into ongarweyila ngayo iindatjanezi?”
“Ungathanda ini?” kwabuza umfazi.
Ikosi nendlovukazi bamomotheka. “Angekhe sikwazi ukuya ngaphezulu emaphasini elomileko. Singathanda ukukubona bonyana kunjani. Silethela into engasitjengisa bonyana kuneenlwana nabantu abanjani lapho.”
“Ngizakwenza njalo,” kwatjho umfazi.
Ikghuru ekulu yelwandle yambuyisela emuva ephasini elomileko yase iyalinda lokha nakasarhabele ekhaya ukuyokutjela umyenakhe ngakho koke okwenzekileko.
“Oh,” watjho ngokuthaba okukhulu. “Ngineelwana, iinyoni nabantu abanengi ababaziweko. Ungakuthatha koke.”
Masinyana umfazi besele amagega nelwandle nesiquthulu sezinto ezibaziweko. Yaphinda godu ikghuru yehlela naye phasi, phasi phasi.
Lokha ikosi banendlovukazi babona izinto ebaziweko, bathaba khulu base bamnikela iqephe elihle khulu.
“Ngelakho kunye nabantu bekhenu, sinikela ngezipho zeenolwana. Lokha nawufuna inolwana phakamisela lokhu phezulu bese uyalalela,” batjho njalo.
“Kodwana ukhumbule lokhu,” kutjho ikosi imhlebela endlebeni, inolwanakho yokuthoma ithome ngekhambo lakho lokuza lapha.”
Emaswaphelweni lokha umfazi aphumela ngaphandle kwelwandle, umyenakhe, abentwana bakhe nabo boke abantu bethreste bebamlindile. Bebabase umlilo omkhulu obewurubha kubonakala iinhlasela emnyameni.
“Kwanjesi,” batjho bambiza, “sicocela inolwana. Sicocela inolwana!”
Umfazi wamomotheka. Waphakamisa iqephe wase uthi, “Iye … Nal’bali … nasi inolwana. Tjjhhiii! Lalelani kwanjesi.”
Leyo kwaba yindlela ekwacocwa ngayo inolwana yokuthoma.
Ngemva kwalokho umfazi wabeka iqephe endlebeni yakhe wase ucoca iinolwana ezinengi. Nangabe le yinolwana yokuthoma owakhe wayizwa, khumbula bona, zisese zinengi khulu ezizako.
