Ngelinye ilanga uMkhulu wayefuna ukusifundisa isifundo esithile mayelana nokwethembana nokubonga, ngakho wasixoxela indaba yebhubesi nenkawu…

Ibhubesi nenkawu kwakuhlala ehlathini elicinene kakhulu. Ibhubesi lalizulazula phansi, ngesikhathi inkawu yona ihlala phezulu ezihlahleni. Ngelinye ilanga ibhubesi labona isigaxa senyama sibekwe phansi phezu kwehlamvu likabhanana. “Nasiya isidlo samahhala engizosithola kalula,” licabanga.

Ibhubesi laya maphakathi nehlamvu likabhanana kodwa lathi lisaluma inyama, lakhalakathela emgodini. Lakhalakathela emgodini ojulile nenyama nehlamvu likabhanana.

“Lalizokwazi kanjani ibhubhesi ukuthi isidlo samahhala asihlali njalo kungesamahhala; nokuthi into ebukeka izotholakala kalula ayihlali itholakala kalula njengoba kubukeka?” kusho uMkhulu. “Yayizokwazi kanjani inkosi yehlathi ukuthi umzingeli oyiqili wayegubhe umgodi ojulile, wawuvala ngehlamvu likabhanana wase ebeka inyama phakathi nehlamvu likabhanana wamboza ngesihlabathi ukuze kungabonakali ukuthi yinto amdoba ngayo?”

Umgodi wawumncane kangangokuthi ibhubesi lalikwazi ukuma liqonde ngemilenze yalo yangemuva kuphela. Lenza yonke imizamo yokuphuma emgodini ojulile, kodwa ngaso sonke isikhathi uma lizama ukuphuma isibomvu sasiwohloka ngaphansi kwezidladla zalo libuye liphonseke ekujuleni komgodi. Lahlala lapho ibhubesi elikhathele kwaze kwahlwa ngesikhathi libona ngokuphazima kweso umsila uthi pheshe. Kwakuwumsila wenkawu eyayeqe umgodi. Ibhubesi lamemeza licela usizo.

“Wenzani wena wasebukhosini endaweni ejulile nemnyama kangaka?” kubuza inkawu ilunguze emgodini.

“Ngikhalakathele,” kusho ibhubhesi ngezwi elibuthakathaka. “Sengihlale lapha usuku lonke. “Ngicela ungisize.”

Inkawu yake yanokungabaza yahamba, kodwa ibhubesi layincenga futhi. Inkawu yase ithi, “Ngatshelwa ukuthi zonke izilwane ezike zakusiza ngokuthile, azange ziphile ukuze zixoxe indaba yazo.”

“Ngiyazi ukuthi uhlakaniphe kakhulu ukuthi ungalalela amanga owawatshelwa yizitha zami,” kusho ibhubesi. “Ngicela ungisize bandla.”

Inkawu yagcina isilidabukela ibhubesi yase yehlisela umsila wayo emgodini njengentambo. Ibhubhesi labamba umsila wenkawu lenyuka ngawo. Kodwa lathi noma seliphumele ngaphandle laqhubeka nokubamba umsila wenkawu.

“Ngidedele! Angikukhiphanga yini emgodini ojulile ngenxa yokungincenga kwakho?” inkawu ibuza ibhubesi.

Kodwa ibhubesi lawubamba lawuqinisa kakhudlwana umsila wenkawu, futhi yathi uma inkawu ibuka amehlo ebhubesi, yabona indlela elalibuka ngayo eyayikhombisa ukulamba. “Ngicela ungidedele!” kukhala inkawu. Kodwa laya liyibamba liyiqinisa inkawu.

Kusenjalo, kwaqhamuka isalukazi. Sasiya epulazini laso ngesikhathi sibona izilwane ziqophisana ngamazwi. Sama sazibuza ukuthi zixabana ngani. Inkawu yasitshela ukuthi ilisize kanjani ibhubesi elalikhalakathele emgodini ojulile. “Kodwa manje libambe umsila wami alifuni ukuwudedela,” ikhononda.

“Ngabe kuyiqiniso lokhu?” kubuza isalukazi ebhubesini. Ibhubesi lavuma ngekhanda. Isalukazi satshela inkawu ukuthi, “Hlanganisa izandla zakho bese uthi, ‘Sengizofela ukulunga kwami. Sengizofela ukulunga kwami.’” Ngakho inkawu yenza kanjalo.

Isalukazi saphendukela ebhubesini sathi, “Hlanganisa izidladla zakho bese uthi, ‘Kukhona umuntu ozofela ukulunga kwakhe. Kukhona umuntu ozofela ukulunga kwakhe.’” Ibhubesi laphakamisa isidladla salo esingabambe lutho lase liphinda amazwi esalukazi.

“Cha bo!” kusho isalukazi, “Ngithe hlanganisa izidladla zakho, futhi ngichaza izidladla zakho zangaphambili, bese usho amazwi.” Ngesikhathi ibhubesi lenza esikushilo, lihlanganisa izidladla zalo, yaphunyula yabaleka inkawu. Ibhubesi lajaha inkawu yaze yagibela esihlahleni esiseduze. Ibhubesi labheka emuva endaweni lapho ababebone khona isalukazi ngenkulu indumalo, kodwa sasingasekho.

Umkhulu wathi ukuma kancane wase ebuka ubuso bethu base bugcwele injabulo ngenxa yokuphetha kahle kwendaba yenkawu.