Ngaleya minyaka, kuhle kuhle ngesikhathi ukhokho asesemntazanyana, uKukhu noKomo bebabangani.

Kwathi ngelinye ilanga bazikhambela emasimini, uKukhu wabetha iinsiba zakhe bewasikinya neensiba ezisemsileni. Bekangakatjhaphuluki. UKomo wakubona lokho njengombana etjisa kabuthaka.

“Umraro yini Kukhu?” Kubuza uKomo ajuguja umsila.

“Uyakuzwa lokho?” UKukhu uqala mahlangothi woke wesimu bese uqala uKomo godu.

“Awa,” kutjo uKomo. “Kunento ekufuze ngiyizwe?” UKomo wajikisela ihlokwakhe ngapha nangapha kangangobana ibhelakhe edala esentanyeni yalila khulu. Yenza itjhada elikhulu elazwakala kiyo yoke isimu enombethe.

“Naso into engikhuluma ngayo,” kutjho uKukhu. “Alikho nalinye itjhada leenlwana emmangwenapha. Ucabanga bona kubayini?”

UKomo waraga nokwetjisa njengombana acabangisisa ngombuzo lo.

“Ngombana,” ngokudelela uKukhu uthikazisa uKomo asacabanga, “umlimi uthethe boke abangani nomndenethu wabasa esilarheni.”

UKomo wathukwa kangangobana wagwinya koke ebekakwetjisa ngesikhathi sinye. Lokho kwenza bona abhodlele phezulu ngendlela engasiyihle!

“Kufuze sibaleke ngombana omunye wethu uzokulandela! Kufuze sikhambe ngaphambi kobana lokho kwenzeke,” kutjho uKukhu.

“Sibaleke?” Kubuza uKomo aqale uKukhu ngamehlo amakhulu.

“Iye, kufuze sibaleke ebusuku banamhlanjesi! Kodwana kufuze sitjheje umlimi. Kufuze senze isiqiniseko sokobana akasizwa begodu akasiboni nasibalekako,” kutjho uKukhu. UKomo usikinya ihloko ukutjengisa ukuthi uyavuma.

Ebusuku bamhlokho, ngemva kobana amalambha wepulasini acime begodu bezwa umlimi arhona uKukhu noKomo baphuma bakhamba.

UKukhu wabambelela esinjaneni yebhele esentanyeni kaKomo ukwenzela bona ingabangi itjhada. Bekufuze bangabangi itjhada nelincani bona bakghone ukubaleka ngepumelelo.

Kwathi nabafika eHlathini eliKhulu eliHlaza, uKukhu walisa ibhele kaKomo, bajama bathula balalela isikhatjhana. Bebangazi bona bayephi begodu bebathukiwe.

Kuzwakala ilizwi lekonjani egatjeni elingehla kwabo.

“Yeyi nina! Ngila! Phezulwa! Nilahlekile …?” Ikonjani ifuna ukwazi.

“Awa, asikalahleki. Sibalekela umlimi ngombana uthethe abangani nomndenethu wabasa esilarheni. Omunye wethu namkha sobabili uzokulandela, yeke siqunte bona sibaleke, kuphendula uKukhu.

“Budlhadlha enibenzakobu,” kukhuza iKonjani ingehla kwabo. “IHlathi eliKhulu eliHlaza lizele ngeembandana zommango begodu lesi sikhathi sokobana iimbandana ezinjengamabhubezi nezingwe ziphume ziyokuzuma ukudla okumnandi – njengoKukhu owehla esiphundu namkha uKomo. Nibalekele ubujamo obumbi naya kobumbi khulu ngiyanitjela.”

“Emva khona asibuyeli …” kutjho uKomo aqala ngapha nangapha atshwenyekile.

“Kubayini?” Kubuza uKonjani. “Ekufuze nikwenze, kutjengisa umlimi bona kunenye indlela encono.”

“Indlelencono?” Kubuza uKukhu. Akakukholwa akuzwako.

“Iye,” kutjho uKonjani. “Ukhumbule bona ngingumeluleki weKosi. Ngiyazazi iintwezi. Kufuze nitjengise umlimi bona niqakatheke kangangani.”

Abathathwaba baqede ubusuku bamhlokho bacabanga bakhuluma bebeza neqhinga.

Nokho, ngetjhudu iHlathi eliKhulu eliHlaza beliyindawo yomlingo, nanyana yini beyingenzeka endaweni le, uKonjani wathumela zoke iinyoni zehlathi bona ziyokufuna imbewu yemirorho enengi ngendlela ezingakghona ngayo.

Ngemva kobana sekubuthelelwe imbewu ngokutjhejisisa, uKonjani waqala abangani bakhe ababili.

“Kufuze nithathe imbewu le nibuyele nayo emuva bese niyitjala endaweni umlimi ayilimileko. Kodwana yoke imbewu kuzokufuze ibe sehlabathini ngaphambi kobana kubethe i-awara lomlingo.” UKonjani uqala uKukhu noKomo waqala naphezulu enyangeni. “Kufuze nirhabe. Imbewu le yinengi begodu isikhathi sincani.”

UKukhu noKomo batlhaga nokuthwala yoke imbewu babobabili kodwana kungasikade besele bamajadu batjala imbewu esimini barhabe ngendlela erarako.

Kuthe uKukhu nakavala imbewu yokugcina ngehlabathi, i-awara lomlingo labetha uZimu wavula isibhakabhaka. Izulu elina kancani lanetha iintjalo ezitjha ezitjalwe esimini begodu yoke imihlobo yembewu yathoma ukuhluma nokukhula. Msinyana kwazala imirorho yoke indawo. Isimu yomlimi yaba yihle khulu.

Kuthe lokha umlimi nakaya emasiminakhe ekuseni, akhange akholwe amehlwakhe. Bekunganabomantji abazele ngemirorho abarhenyiswe kuhle kwaphela kodwana bekunamaqanda amanengi namathunga azele ibisi. UKukhu noKomo bebazijamele eduze baziqhenya begodu umlimi wavele wabona ukuthi lo, mphumela wokusebenza kwabo budisi.

Umlimi wathaba kwamambala, kusukela mhlokho umlimi, uKukhu noKomo bahlala epulasini ngokuthula begodu bathabile.

Yenza indatjana le ibemnandi!

• Khetha isiqetjhana sendatjana enganasithombe bese udweba isithombe sayo. Kopa amagama asendatjaneni akhambisana nesithombe sakho namkha ubawe omunye akusize ngokwenza lokho. Namathisela ikhasi lendatjana enzasi kwesithombe sakho.
• Yenza kwangathi unguKomo noKukhu. Tlolela uKonjani umthokoze ngokunisiza.
• Yenza isivande esincani ngebhodlelo leplastiki. Lalisa ibhodlelo ngehlangothi bese usika incenye engaphezulu. Faka ihlabathi ehle ngebhodlelweni. Tjala amabhontjisi ambalwa uwathelele. Beka isivande sakho elangeni.