Ilanga belitjhisa emmangweni we-Afrika lokha uMqasa nakazakuqunta bona akhambe ayokusela amanzi emlanjaneni. Bekeqayeqa kabuthaka emtjhisweni onjalo endleleni yehlabathi nakazakubona isipili simanyazela elangeni. uMqasa uyathoma ukubona isipili epilwenakhe yoke, yeke wazibuza bona mhlobo bani wesilwane lo. Njengombana atjhidela, naku azakurareka nakaqala isipili ubona ummango nomqasana omhlophe ofana naye umqalile. Nakuya uMqasa uzakuthathela ngebelo uyokufuna isizo.

“Maye, sizani! Ngibawa isizo!” atjho alila.

UJakalasi bekaziphumulele emthunzini ngaphasi komuthi omkhulu njengombana besele aqedile ukuzuma. Uthe nakezwa uMqasa abawa isizo, wenza ngasuthi akakamuzwa, wathemba ukuthi ezinye iinlwana zizamsiza, ngombana nakunguye yena udiniwe. Uthe angakatjheji umqasa besele uza lapha aphumule khona.

  “Jakalasi, ngisiza! Irhorho, irhorho!” kulila umqasana omhlophe.

 “Irhorho? Kuphi?” kubuza uJakalasi azamula.

“Phasi endleleni eya emlanjaneni. Iginye ummango woke nomqasana omhlophe onjengami,” kutjho uMqasa ngesibibithwani.

Ekuthomeni uJakalasi umqothile uMqasa ngombana angakholwa bona into enjalo yenzekile. “Nangabe irhorho iginye ummango, alo kubayini thina irhorho ingakasiginyi?”

UMqasa ubhalelwe kuwuphendula umbuzo loyo, kodwana waraga nokufuna isizo. UJakalasi wakhamba wayokubiza uNgwe ukuthi bobathathu bakhambe bayokubona irhorho erarako le.

UJakalasi noNgwe balandela uMqasa lapha irhorho ikhona. Bananaba kabuthaka batjhinga esipilini. Nabatjhidelako, amehlwabo ahlangana neweenlwane ezintathu zibaqalile. Iinlwanezi ezingemathunjini werhorho zifana nabo! Barhuwelela ngevalo, napaya babhebhula iinthende batjhinga emlanjeni kuyokubizwa uMvubu.

 “Mvubu-ke, akhusisize. Nasiya irhorho iginye ummango neenlwana ezintathu ezifana nathi!” kutjho uJakalasi akhuluma msinyana.

UMvubu khenge abatjheje nokubatjheja, waraga nokududa, ngombana bekacabanga bona iinlwanezi zilinga ukumkhohlisa. Kodwana uthe nakabona indlela ebebathukwe ngayo, waphuma ngemanzini. Kwaba nguMvubu, uNgwe, uJakalasi noMqasa barhabele lapha isipili sikhona khona.

Nabafika lapho, uMqasa noJakalasi bajamela emva ngombana bebasaba bona islwana esirarakwesi singabaginya nabo. UNgwe noMvubu ngibo-ke abagijimela ukuhlasela isilwana esirarako … kodwana babona enye imvubu nengwe zigijimela kibo, badla phasi barhuwelela bathi, “Irhorho, Irhorho!”

Iinlwana ezinezi zagijima zayokufuna uBhubezi, zafika zamtjela indaba yesilwana esirarako.

 “Siginye umqasa, ujakalasi, ingwe nemvubu,” kuhlathulula iinlwanezi, zoke zikhuluma kanyekanye.

 “Siginye nommango lo woke,” kuraga uMqasa.

 “Neenlwana ezingematjhunjinaso bezifuna ukusihlasela!” kwatjho uMvubu.

UBhubezi uyathoma thomi ukuzwa ngento enjalo, yeke, msinyana wabiza amanye amaBhubezi akhamba woke kurhatjelwe ukuyokuhlasela irhorho. UMqasa, uJakalasi, uNgwe noMvubu babalandela eduze.

Bathe nabasendleleni naku bazakuhlangana noFenyana, obengasuthi kukhona akufunisisako. Wavele weqa wajama phambi kwakaBhubezi.

 “Awu, Bhubezi, ngithabe kangangani nangikubonako,” kutjho yena. “Ngisize ngithole isipili sami. Ngicabanga bona kukhona osebileko.”

 “Suka endleleni Fenyana. Kunento eqakathekileko okufuze siyenze. Nasinje sirhabile sisayokuhlasela irhorho eginye iinlwana nommango,” kwatjho uBhubezi aphela ihliziyo.

Ifenyana yasuka endleleni, kodwana yaqunta bona izokulandela iinlwanezi ngombana nayo ifuna ukubona irhorho le bona iqaleka njani.

Kwathi bona iinlwane zitjhidele lapha isipili sikhona, amabhubezi, uMvubu noNgwe bajama tsi, balungela ukuhlasela. Ngemva kwalokho basuka ngebelo batjhinga esipilini! Kodwana bathe nababona isiqhema seenlwana sibagijimela, napaya baphadlhalala bebayokusithela etjanini obude. Abanye babhambalala ehlabathini, abanye bazifihla ngeenthukgwana, abanye bakhwela imithi.

Kuthe bona uFenyana alemuke bona iinlwanezi zisaba isipili sakhe, wahleka wafa. Wagijimela kiso, waziqala kiso ahleka, wathi, “Ngikufune ilanga loke sipili sami.”

Kuthe bona ezinye iinlwana zibone uFenyana phambi kwesilwana esirarako nokuthi besingamenzi litho, zananaba zaphuma lapha bezibhace khona, zathoma zabuza uFenyana imibuzo ngesilwanesi esirarako.

“Lesi sipili, akusiso isilwana. Uziqala kiso. Niyabona, ngimi lo esipilini,” kuhlathulula uFenyana asiphathele phezulu isipili.

Zathi nazizwa lokho iinlwana, zahleka zafa, zasolo ziziqale esipilini isikhathi eside.