“Mini, lixesha lokuqokelela ukutya!” utshilo uMama uGala ngenye intsasa. “Ndiza kuthuma kwenye indawo entsha namhlanje!”

UMini Gala wandwebisa iindlebe zakhe. “Uza kundithuma phi?” wabuza. Wayekuthanda ukukhangela ukutya kwindawo ezintsha.

“Kule veki iphelileyo isiphango sisiphule umthi,” watsho uMama uGala. “Isiqu sawo senze umchankcatho phezu kwequla elisezantsi kwentatyana. Yiya phaya, usebenzise umthi lowo ukuwela, ukhangele ukuba awunakufumana ukutya okumnandi ngaphesheya kwequla kusini na.”

Wahamba uMini Gala. “Ndimncinane, kodwa ndiyakwazi ukukhangela ukutya!” waziculela njengokuba wayebaleka esihla kwintatyana esiya ngakumhlaba othe tyaba. Emva kwethutyana, wabona iSikhova sizozelela kumasebe omthi. “Molo Sikhova” wabulisa uMini Gala ngesimilo.

“Molo,” satsho isikhova ngelizwi elozelayo. “Uyaphi uhamba wedwa nje?”

“Ndiza kuwela kweli qula limdaka ndiyokufuna ukutya ngaphesheya” watsho uMini Gala ngokuzingca.

“Kulungile, ulumke,” satsho iSikhova. “Awunazinzipho ezibukhali njengezam!”

UMini Gala wadlula amatyholo nemithi embalwa. Wabona uDyakalashe ezipholele emthunzini wetyholo elikhulu. Ah! Nanku uMini Gala,” watsho uDyakalashe ngobubele. “Uyaphi?”

“Ndiyokukhangela ukutya ngaphesheya kwequla,” watsho uMini Gala.

“Hmm, ulumke,” watsho uDyakalashe. “Awunamazinyo abukhali njengawam!”

UMini Gala wayesele ewabona ngoku amanzi equla emenyezela kude kufutshane. Wakhawuleza ukuya ngasequleni. Emva komzuzwana wadibana noMvundla. Wawuzingqengqele engceni ende ugcakamele ilanga. “Molo Mini,” wabulisa uzekelela kuba wawusitya ingca. “Ungxamele phi na?”

“Ndiza kuwela eli qula ndiyokufuna ukutya ngaphesheya,” wacacisa uMini Gala.

“Ooooh,” watsho uMvundla owonqenayo “Uligorha! Akuyoyiki INTO?”

“Andoyiki NTONI?” wabuza uMini Gala ngelizwi lakhe elincinane.

“Uyayazi,” watsho uMvundla, “Laa NTO ihlala equleni!”

“Andoyiki!” watsho uMini Gala, watsho eqhubeka nohambo lwakhe. Kodwa njengokuba esondela equleni, waqala wanqwenela ukuba akwaba ebengadibenanga noMvundla.Yintoni le NTO, kwaye iza kumenza ntoni?

Ekugqibeleni wafika emthini ongumchankcatho. “Andizikujonga phantsi,” wazithethela. Ngokukhawuleza, watsibela emthini wachankcatha kuwo. Kodwa uthe xa esesizikithini akakwazi ukuzibamba wajonga emanzini amdaka… nantso wayibona INTO! Wabona ubuso obumjongileyo! UMini Gala khange afune ukuzibonakalisa indlela awayesoyika ngayo, ngoko ke wenzenza mbi ebusweni …. kodwa nayo le NTO yazenza mbi ebusweni waze woyika kakhulu!

Ixhala lakhe lingongoza, uMini Gala wajika wagqotsa ukuya ngasekhaya. Wadlula engxamile kuMvundla owawulele cum, kodwa wema akufika kuDyakalashe. “Ndincede” watsho ekhefuzela, “kukho INTO equleni! Ndenze ntoni?”

“Ungazihluphi,” watsho uDyakalashe, “thatha ilitye elikhulu uze uyibonise lona laa NTO! Oko kuza kuyoyikisa ibaleke!”

UMini Gala wachola ilitye elikhulu wabuyela equleni. Kodwa uthe akufika embindini womchankcatho wajonga phantsi ejonga INTO, waza wayibona iphethe ilitye nayo!

Waliphosa ilitye waza wabaleka echankcatha emthini, wadlula kuMvundla nakuDyakalashe, wade wafika phantsi komthi apho iSikhova sasilele khona. “Sikhova, Sikhova!” wakhwaza esoyika. “Ndincede! Kukho INTO equleni! Ndenze ntoni?”

“Hmmmm,” satsho iSikhova sicinga. “Thatha intonga uze uyibonise yona INTO leyo! Oko kuza kukunceda!” satsho.

UMini Gala wafumana intonga ende waza ezolile, wabuyela emthini ongumchankcatho. Kodwa uthe akuyiphakamisa intonga yakhe wajonga ezantsi emanzini wayibona INTO iphethe intonga enkulu nayo!

Esoyika, uMini Gala waphosa intonga yakhe equleni waza wabaleka edlula ekhefuzela kuMvundla, kuDyakalashe nakwiSikhova. Wanyuka intatyana ebaleka njalo waya kufika ekhayeni lakhe. Wazijula phantsi ecaleni kukamama wakhe ediniwe waza wambalisela ukuba kwenzeke ntoni.

“Owu Mini sana lwam,” watsho uMama uGala ngelizwi elithuthuzelayo. “Ungakhathazeki! Ndiyazi kanye into ekufuneka uyenze. Emva kokuba uphumlile, uze uphinde uye equleni. Ungaphathi ntonga okanye ilitye. Xa ufikile esizikithini somchankcatho, uze ujonge ezantsi emanzini, kodwa kwesi sihlandlo, xa uyibona INTO uze uyincumele!”

“Ndiyincumele?” wabuza uMini Gala othukile. Wayengakukholelwa okuthethwa ngumama wakhe.

“Ewe, uze uyincumele!,” waphendula uMama uGala. “Ndiyakuthembisa iza kusebenza le nto ndikuxelela yona.”

Ngokwenene, uMama uGala wayenyanisile. Ukufika kukaMini esizikithini somchankcatho wajonga phantsi wancuma. Kwenzeka okungalindelekanga, INTO yamncumela nayo uMini ngeyona ndlela ikholisayo! UMini Gala wawangawangisa ngesandla sakhe yaza neNTO yenza kwangokunjalo. UMini wavuya kakhulu! Watsiba-tsiba ukuwela ngomchankcatho, waza emva kweyure ezininzi zolonwabo wabuyela ekhaya ephethe intaphane yeengcambu ezimnandi ezithe khu phantsi kwekhwapha ngalinye.

Ngobo busuku, njengokuba amagala ayehlala phantsi eza kutya isidlo sawo esimnandi, uMini Gala wabalisela umama wakhe ngako konke okwenzekileyo. “Ndathi xa ndiyincumela INTO, nayo yandincumela!” watsho.

“Ndiyazi,” watsho uMama.

“Ndathi xa ndiwangawangisa ngesandla sam,nayo INTO yawangawangisa!” watsho uMini Gala.

“Ndiyazi,” waphendula uMama uGala kwakhona.

“Ndicinga ukuba ifuna ukuba ngumhlobo wam!” watsho uMini.

“Ndiyazi,” waphendula uMama.

UMini Gala wacinga umzuzwana. “Kodwa Mama,” watsho “yintoni laa NTO?” UMama uGala wamxelela. Ucinga ukuba uMama uGala wathini?