Kudaladala, kwakukho umfazi owayehlala nosapho lwakhe elalini ekumhlaba wobuKumkani bamaZulu. Rhoqo ngeCawe olu sapho lwalusihla luye kulwandlekazi olukhulu olwalukufuphi apho. Abantwana babesomba imingxuma entlabathini baze badlale nasemazeni. Lo mfazi wayepheka ukutya emlilweni lo gama umyeni wakhe wayekhangela iinkuni ezityekezwe lulwandle, ukuze aziqingqe enze izinto ezintle: iintaka, abantu nazo zonke iintlobo zezilwanyana.

Phakathi evekini usapho lonke lwalusebenza nzima luze ukutshona kwelanga luhlale ngasemlilweni. Ngeli xesha kwakumnyama kakhulu ukuba basebenze okanye badlale okanye bachwele kwaye lalingekafiki nexesha lokuba balale. Kungeli xesha kanye ke apho abantwana bathi bacela umama wabo ukuba ababalisele ibali.

“Mama,” babongoze ngelitshoyo “sifuna amabali. Nceda usibalisele libe linye.”

Kodwa wathi akuzama ukucinga ngebali, akatsho ukuza nalo. Wayengekho phakathi kwakhe nomyeni wakhe owayenebali anokubalisela abantwana.

Ngenye imini, lo mfazi wagqiba kwelokuba acele uncedo kubamelwane bakhe.

“Ingaba akho amabali eninawo?” wababuza.

“Ha-a-ayi,” bahlunguzela iintloko, “asinawo.”

Kwakungekho mabali. Kwakungekho maphupha … nto leyo ethetha ukuba kwakungekho mabali anemilingo.

Umyeni wakhe ucebise ngelithi, “Mfazi, ndicinga ukuba uhambe uyokukhangela amabali. Mna ndiza kubajonga abantwana nendlu le. Hamba uyokufuna amabali, ze uthi wakuwafumana ubuye nawo.”

Uthe ke lo mfazi wanga usapho lwakhe ze wahamba. Wagqiba kwelokubaabuze isidalwa ngasinye adibana naso ukuba sinalo kusini na ibali esinokumncazela lona. Isilwanyana sokuqala ahlangene naso yayingumvundla. Weza utsiba-tsiba ngeenyawo zawo ezinkulu.

“Mvundla!” wakhwaza. “Ingaba akho na amabali onawo?”

“Amabali?” ubuzile uMvundla. “Owu, ndinamakhulu-khulu, amawaka-waka, hayi ndinezigidi zawo.”

“Mvundla, nceda undiphe ambalwa ukuze ndonwabise abantwana bam.”

“E-e…” watsho uMvundla. “Andinalo ixesha ngoku. Kwaye ke …amabali emini? …Hayi khona!” Watsho utsiba-tsiba usimka.

Emva kwexeshana ubone isikhova. Xa asibuza ngamabali savuthulula iimpiko zaso ngomsindo.

“Heyi ungubani … wena … undivusa nje? Andinamabali mna. Yiya kukhozi olukhulu. Lulo olungalaliyo emini. Buza lona.”

Ngoko ke lo mfazi waya kwichweba lomlambo iTugela apho ukhozi lwaluzingela khona. Wathi akulubona walukhwaza ngegama.

Ukhozi olukhulu lwakhala lumphendula. “KWA! kwa-kwa-kwa! Kutheni undiphazamisa ndizingela nje?”

“Owu, Khozi olunobulumko,” watsho lo mfazi, “ndikhangela amabali. Ingaba uyazi ukuba ndingawafumana phi na?” “Ewe,” lwatsho uKhozi, “ndiyazi ukuba ngubani onokukunceda. Yiya kulaa ndawo kudibana kuyo iliwa nolwandle. Yima apho ubize ufudo lwaselwandle olukhulu.”

Lo mfazi walubulela waza wemka ethoba ulwandle. Walukhwaza kabini nje kuphela ufudo olukhulu lwaselwandle lwaza lwanyuka luphuma emanzini, kuvakala ukuphaxaza kwamanzi okukhulu.

“Musa ukoyika,” lwatsho uFudo lwaseLwandle. “Bambelela kweli qokobhe lam. Ndiza kukusa kubantu baselwandle abazi zonke izinto nawo onke amabali.”

Behla, behla, behla baya ezantsi elwandle, emazantsi kanye, bafika kukumkani nokumkanikazi wolwandle.

“Ngubani lo ke ngoku?” wabuza ukumkani.

“Lo ngumfazi ovela kumhlaba owomileyo ophezu kwamanzi ethu,” usebeze watsho ukumkanikazi.

“Ufuna ntoni, mfazi wasemhlabeni owomileyo?” wabuza ukumkanikazi.“Amabali, Kumkanikazi. Ingaba unawo kusini na endinokuwafumana ndiye nawo kubantu bam?”

“Ewe sinawo,” watsho ukumkanikazi. “Kodwa ingaba wena unayo into oza kusitshintshisela ngayo ngamabali ethu?”

“Ningathanda ndininike ntoni?” wabuza umfazi.

Ukumkani nokumkanikazi bancuma. “Asikwazi ukuya kumhlaba wakho owomileyo. Singathanda ukubona ukuba unjani. Siphathele into ukuze sibone ukuba zinjani izilwanyana nabantu abaphila kuwo.”

“Ndiza kwenza njalo,” watsho umfazi.

Ufudo lwaselwandle olukhulu lwamthatha lwambuyisela kumhlaba owomileyo lwaza lwamlinda lo gama ekhawuleza ukugoduka ukuya kuxelela umyeni wakhe konke ngohambo lwakhe.

“Owu,” watsho echulumancile. “Ndiqinge izilwanyana ezininzi, neentaka nabantu. Ungazithatha zonke.”

Kwakamsinyane umfazi wayesele ebuyele elunxwemeni ephethe isipha sezinto eziqingqiweyo. Kwakhona ufudo lwantywila lwaya naye neso sipha ezantsi kanye.

Akuzibona ukumkani nokumkanikazi ezi zinto, bavuya kakhulu baza bamnika unokrwece omhle.

“Wena nabantu bakho sinipha isipho samabali. Nanini na xa nifuna ibali, bekani lo nokrwece endlebeni, nimamele,” batsho.

“Kodwa khumbula oku,” wamsebezela endlebeni ukumkani, “ibali lakho lokuqala liqala ngohambo lwakho lokuza ezantsi apha kuthi.”

Ekugqibeleni xa lo mfazi ebuyela elunxwemeni, umyeni wakhe, abantwana bakhe kunye nabantu bonke belali babemlindile. Babebase umlilo omkhulu owawunqanqaza utaka iintlantsi ebumnyameni.

“Ke ngoku,” bonke bamkhwaza, “sibalisele ibali. Sibalisele ibali!”

Umfazi wancuma. Waphakamisa unokrwece wathi, “Ewe … Nal’ibali … nali ibali. Ssshhh. Mamelani ngoku.”

Le ke yaba yindlela ibali lokuqala elabaliswa ngayo. Emva koko lo mfazi wabeka unokrwece endlebeni wabalisa amabali amaninzi.

Kwaye, ukuba eli libali lokuqala olivayo, khumbula ukuba, maninzi kakhulu amabali asezayo.