Mandulo, uSinqolankomo wayenomlomo otyheli obengezelayo. Wayehlala kungquphantsi omncinane kwithafa elinengca ende.

Yonke imihla ebetshayela ungquphantsi wakhe phambi kokuya engceni ukuya kuzingela okona kutya akuthandayo.

Ebusuku ebeqabela kumandlalo wendlwane yakhe, isisu sizele mpu ziintethe eziluhlaza, iimpukane nemibungu ejubalazayo.

Ukuba kukho umntu ofika kweli thafa linengca ende, uSinqolankomo ebebhabhela phezulu angxole futhi amngxolise.

Ebemnqola abonise ukungonwabi ade ahambe loo mntu. Ebethanda ukuhlala yedwa, futhi engafuni kwabelana namntu nganto.

Ngenye imini, xa uSinqolankomo wayesazingela iintethe, weva ukundila okwakutsholo phantsi, kwakuvakala ngathi sisandi seendudumo ezindulini,

njengento eyayithintela ukuqaqamba kwelanga. “Yintoni leyo?” watswininiza uSinqolankomo, ebhabhela phezulu ephuma kuloo ngca inde ukuze abone kakuhle.

Isilwanyana esikhulu, esimnyama esineempondo ezinkulu sasihamba kuloo ngca.

“Molo,” watsho uNyathi. “Andikhange nditye nto kwiiveki ezimbalwa. Le ngca inde yeyona nto ndiyidinga ngenene.

Ndingakhe ndifumane kuyo?” “Hayi! Suka apha!” wangxola uSinqolankomo. “Kaloku, ndiza kufa ukuba andityi nto.

Seziliqela iinyanga kungekho mvula. Eli thafa linengca ende lilo kuphela elikhoyo apha. Akunakundivumela ndikhe nditye, torho?” 

“Akuvanga ukuba nditheni? Hamba apha!” watsho uSinqolankomo ebhabha ejikeleza intloko kaNyathi.

“Kodwa wena akuyityi ingca,” watsho uNyathi. Waphinda wazama kwakhona, “Singabelana ngengca.”

“Andabelani namntu! Yeyam yonke le! Yeyam! Yeyam! Khawusuke apha ngoku!” wangxola uSinqolankomo.

Ibunzi likaNyathi lafingana amehlo akhe acutheka angathi yimisikeko. Wayenomsindo kangangokuba wayeswahlaza umsila wakhe emva naphambili,

usenza isandi esingxolayo ngokungathi kukuqhwaba xa ethwaxa ngawo emacaleni eempundu zakhe. “Hayi ke, xa uza kuba krwada, ndiza kusuka ndizithathele.

Nditya ingca, yinto endiyenzayo leyo, kwaye ndilambile, ngoku ke, NDENZA NJALO, ntakandini ekrwada,” watsho uNyathi xa eza kunqothula ingca.

“Akunakuyenza loo nto!” wantswininiza uSinqolankomo. “Uza kundinqanda njani? Uyabona ukuba ndimkhulu kangakanani.

Phofu nangenxa yobu bukrwada bakho, ndenze isigqibo sokuba ndizakutya nditye nditye ndide ndihluthe.”

Ngokungxolayo kona UKUMAMFUZA! UKUKRWAMZA! uNyathi waqalisa ukutya.

Oku kwamenza wanomsindo uSinqolankomo kangangokuba incam yomlomo wakhe yajika yabengezela ukuba bomvu.

USinqolankomo wayebhabha ejikeleza intloko kaNyathi engxola aphinde antswininize ebhomboloza, kodwa uNyathi waqhubeka watya.

Ngephanyazo yonke ingca ende yayiphelile. Kangangendlela awayedelela ngayo, uNyathi wagqobhoza uphahla lukangquphantsi kaSinqolankomo ngophuphu lwakhe.

USinqolankomo wabhabhela phezu komqolo kaNyathi waza waqalisa ukunqola isikhumba sakhe. “Ayizi kunceda nganto loo nto,” watsho uNyathi.

“Isikhumba sam somelele kakhulu. Nkqu noNgonyama ukhe wazama ukundiluma ngamazinyo akhe abukhali kodwa ndaphuncuka.

Wena Sinqolankomo umncinane kakhulu. Uvune into oyilimileyo. Mna bendizimisele ukwabelana nawe.”

“Sekunjalo ke,” watsho uSinqolankomo asuka aphel’ emqaleni amazwi.  “Bendinomsindo ndagqibela ngokuba krwada kuphela kuba lowa ubungumzi wam.

Ngoku andinakhaya futhi andinakutya – azisekho zonke ezaa ntethe ziluhlaza zinencasa, iimpukane nemibungu ejubalazayo ebezihlala engceni ende!

Konke akusekho.” UNyathi wajonga emva kuSinqolankomo, owayelila, waphinda wajonga ethafeni lomhlaba elingenanto nasendlwini eseyilibhodlo.

“Ndicela uxolo ngokutshabalalisa ikhaya lakho,” watsho, “kodwa mhlawumbi ndingakunika icebo. Ndinengxaki yezinambuzane, uyabona.

Jonga nje emqolo wam. Kusoloko kukho izinambuzane ezininzi ezijinga nezinyakazela phezu kwawo wonke umzimba wam.

Ungatya zona, kwaye kungakuhle kum xa ekugqibeleni ndinokuba nomntu ondisusela zona.”

USinqolankomo wawanyusa ewathoba amehlo akhe emzimbeni kaNyathi wazibona zonke izinambuzane ezazinamathele esikhumbeni sikaNyathi.

Aqala axuxuzela amathumbu entaka, kodwa ingcinga yokwenzela uNyathi ububele emva kwawo wonke umonakalo awenzileyo,

yamcaphukisa ngakumbi nangakumbi uSinqolankomo. Umlomo wakhe waya uba bomvu ngokuba bomvu. “Okokuqala uyitye yonke ingca yam ebintle!”

wangxola uSinqolankomo. “Emva koko ubhodloze indlu yam. Uyigqobhoze uphahla lwayo ngophuphu lwakho olukhulu!

Ngoku ufuna ukuba ndikuncede nditye zonke ezi zinambuzane!” Wahamba-hamba emqolo weNyathi enyuka esihla,

enqola-nqola izinambuzane naxa wayengayeki ukuthetha. “Akukho yakho kodwa, Nyathi! Ucinga ukuba ungancedwa ndim kakade,”

watsho ngomlomo omncinane ozele zizinambuzane.

UNyathi wasuka wadlikidla amagxa akhe wahamba noSinqolankomo ekhwele emqolo kuye, engxola kodwa eqhuba ngokutya izinambuzane.

Kude kube namhla basenza njalo, kodwa uSinqolankomo zange amxolele uNyathi, kwaye umlomo wakhe owawutyheli sowaba bomvu unaphakade.