Bekunomntwanekosini obizwa ngokuthi nguSwigiri. Umntwanekosi uSwigiri igameli walifumana ngebanga lokuthi uthanda izinto ezimnandi njengamakhekhe, amabhiskidi, amatharthi, amadonathi nephudingi. Umntwanekosi uSwigiri bekatefa khulu kangangobana bekangafuni nokupha abanye abantwana benarheni yekhabo izinto zakhe ezimnandi.
“Akekho umuntu odla amakhekhe wami! Uyangizwa, Mary? Loyo mthetho!” kutjho umNtwanekosi uSwigiri atjela umbhagi webukhosini. “Amakhekhe, amabhiskidi netharthi ngezami, ngezami kwaphela.”
Ngelinye ilanga, kwafika umbhagi omutjha ongaziwako enarheni le. Wathoma ukupha boke abantwana iinqetjhana zamakhekhe namabhiskidi. Kwathi lokha umNtwanekosi uSwigiri nakezwa ngendaba le, wasilingeka khulu wathumela abonogada bakhe bona bayokubopha umbhagi bamlethe kuye.
“Uyenza njani into yokuthi ungene enarhenami ufike uphe abantwana izinto ezimnandi. Kuphambene nomthetho!” kurhuwelela umNtwanekosi uSwigiri asilingekile.
“Ayidle izitjhiyele, wena webuKhosini, ngibetha isandla phezu kwesinye. Ngibawa ungivumele ngilungise umtjhapho engiwenzileko ngibhagele wena kwaphela,” kuphendula umbhagi, igama lakhe bekungu-Awande. “Ngizokubhagela iinkhanakhana ezitjha qobe langa. Izinto engizibhagako zikhetheke kwamambala. Kufuze uzidle zoke uziqede ngaphambi kobana kutjhinge ilanga.”
“Akusimraro loyo, ngizoziqeda ngelanga ezifike ngalo!” kutjho umNtwanekosi omarhamaru.
“Kulungile,” kuphendula u-Awande amomotheka.
Yeke, ngamalanga ekuseni umNtwanekosi uSwigiri bekafumana iinkhanakhana ezitjha ezibhagiweko, bekazigomojela zoke. Njengombana amalanga akhamba, iinkhanakhana bezibamnandi khulu begodu ziba zikulu. UmNtwanekosi uSwigiri bekathabe kwamambala begodu bekawaqeda woke amakhekhe amnandi, amabhiskidi netharthi ngaphandle kobana aphe abantwana benarheni ngitjho isiqetjhana lesi.
Kodwana njengombana iinkhanakhana ziba zikulu, umNtwanekosi uSwigiri wabona ukuthi sele kubudisi bona aziqede. Kwafuze azifihle endaweni efihlekileko yesigodlweni ukwenzela bona u-Awande angazi ukuthi akasaziqedi iinkhanakhana qobe langa.
Ngemva kweemveke ezimbalwa, umNtwanekosi uSwigiri besele afihle iinkhanakhana ezinengi khulu kangangobana besele ingasekho indawo. Yeke, wabiza iinsebenzi zakhe noMary, umbhagi webukhosini, wabayala bona balahle ezinye iinkhanakhana.
Wabayala wathi, “nenze isiqiniseko sokobana u-Awande akaniboni nanizilahlako.”
Yeke, ngelanga elilandelako ekuseni uMary neensebenzi bathatha iinkhanakhana ebegade zisele bayozilahla phakathi ehlathini ebelingemva kwesigodlo. Kodwana kwenzeka into erarako: Ngobusukobo, ngesikhathi woke umuntu alele, zoke iinkhanakhana ebegade zilahliwe ehlathini zabuyela esigodlweni!
Ngelanga elilandelako ekuseni, u-Awande, umbhagi, weza nezinye iinkhanakhana ezitjha, wafuna ukubona umNtwanekosi uSwigiri.
“Ucabanga ukuthi bengekhe ngazi nawulahla iinkhanakhana zami? Akhange uvume bona uzozidla zoke iinkhanakhana engikupha zona uziqede ngelanga engikuphe ngalo? Ngakutjela kusukela ekuthomeni bona iinkhanakhana zami zikhethekile begodu kuzokufuze uziqede qobe langa,” kutjho u-Awande asilingekile.
UmNtwanekosi uSwigiri wathoma ukuthukwa kancazana, amathumbakhe athoma ukubabuhlungu kodwana wadla, wadla bewaziqeda zoke iinkhanakhana eziseleko kuhlanganise naleza u-Awande ebekazilethe mhlokho.
“Angisazithabeli iinkhanakhanezi,” kutjho umNtwanekosi uSwigiri ngelanga elilandelako ekuseni u-Awande nakafikako alethe iinkhanakhana zamhlokho.
“Isithembiso sithembiso wena webuKhosini,” kutjho u-Awande.
Umntwanekosi wabonakala adanile. “Khuyini engingayenza bona ungasangibhageli iinkhanakhana qobe langa?” kubuza umNtwanekosi uSwigiri.
“Ubizwa ngokuthi umNtwanekosi uSwigiri ngombana uthanda izinto ezineswigiri. Ngebanga lemithethwakho abanye abantwana abazazi izinto ezineswigiri,” kuphendula u-Awande. “Yeke, kufuze udle, uzidle iinkhanakhanezi, bekube kulapho imilomo yabantwana izwakala iswigiri.” Ngemva kwalokho umbhagi waphenduka wakhamba, watjhiyela umNtwanekosi uSwigiri ikhekhe elikhulu elimnandi bona alidle.
UmNtwanekosi wacabanga, wacabanga ngamezwi akhulunywe ngu-Awande kodwana akhange awazwisise. Imilomo yabantwana izokuba neswigiri njani nange kunguye kwaphela odla iinkhanakhana zaka-Awande? Yeke, umNtwanekosi wakhamba khamba esivandeni, bekunganatjhada. Bekufuze acabange ukuthi uzomlisisa njani u-Awande bona angasaziletha iinkhanakhana qobe langa.
Njengombana akhamba khamba, ibholo leenyawo ladlula ngaphezu kweboda elide lesivande lawela emithini. Kwalandela umnsanyana omahlikihliki ebodeni azokuthatha ibholo. Wapheze wawa nakabona umNtwanekosi uSwigiri ngebanga lokuthukwa.
“Wena weBukhosini, ungilibalele. Ngizokuthatha ibholo kwaphela,” kutjho umsanyana obekathukiwe.
UmNtwanekosi uSwigiri bekalokhu acabanga iqhinga lokwenza bona angasafumani iinkhanakhana ezimnandi kangangobana wakhohlwa nokusilingeka.
Wathi, “ngaphambi kobana uthathe ibholwakho, ngibawa ungitjele yini engenza umlomakho ube neswigiri.”
“Zizinto ezenziwe ngeswigiri, wena webuKhosini” kutjho umsanyana omncani asaba. “Amakhekhe, amadonathi namabhiskidi – zoke izinto esingakavunyelwa bona sizidle.”
Umsanyana beka bonakala adane khulu nakakhuluma indaba le kangangobana umNtwanekosi uSwigiri wezwa ubuhlungu khulu. Kukokuthoma, abona ukuthi bekamarhamaru kangangani. Bekafumana iinkhanakhana ezinengi khulu kangangobana besele angasazithabeli kodwana sele kusikhathi eside abantwana benarheni bangadli izinto ezineswigiri.
Umntwanekosi wabuyela esigodlweni ngokurhabako wayala bona kubizwe u-Awande.
Wathi, “Awande, bengimarhamaru begodu ngisidlhayela. Ngifuna ukwenzela abantu benarha le umnyanya. Ngibawa ubhagele abantwana nababelethi babo. Kusukela namhlanjesi woke umuntu angadla izinto ezineswigiri ngendlela afuna ngayo.”
U-Awande wamomotheka. Wathi, “ngizokwenza njalo, wena webuKhosini!” Wabhaga amakhekhe amnandi, amabhiskidi netharthi abantu benarheni abangakhenge bayibone namkha bayidle. Badla, badla bebaneliseka.
Ngelanga elilandeleko ekuseni, u-Awande, umbhagi, walahleka kwangazi muntu bona uyekuphi. UmNtwanekosi uSwigiri waragela phambili enzela abantu benarheni le iminyanya – kodwana nje besele kunguye noMary ababhagako.
