Kwasukasukela, kwakunomama wedada owayenamachwane amadada amancane ayisithupha, aphuzi. Ayehlala endlini encane epulazini, kodwa amachwane amadada azalwa phakathi nehlobo elomile, elishisayo. Kwakungekho mvula ayengadlala kuyo kanjalo namachibi ayengaxhapha kuwo amanzi. “Ngifisa ngathi ingana imvula,” kusho uMam’ uDada emachwaneni akhe. “Akuve kumnandi ukudlala emvuleni. Ngiyazi ukuthi nizoyithanda imvula. Wonke amadada ayayithanda imvula!”

Khona-ke, njengoba ihlobo lalishintsha liba yintwasabusika, ekugcineni laqala ukuna! UMam’ uDada wavuka lapho ezwa kushaya amathonsi emvula ophahleni. Wabiza amachwane akhe, “Wozani nizobona imvula!” Wayejabule kakhulu futhi wabutha wonke amachwane akhe ngokushesha. Wonke ayeselandela uMam’ uDada aphuma aya emvuleni.

Kodwa uthunjana wechwane ledada wabuyela emuva ngokushesha wayongena endlini. “Kwenzenjani?” kubuza uMam’ uDada. “Woza phumela ngaphandle, uzwe imvula emnandi.”

“Hhayi, ngiyabonga,” kusho uthunjana wechwane ledada. “Angiyithandi imvula. Angithandi ukuba manzi, futhi imvula yenza izimpaphe zami eziphuzi zinamathele kimi.”

UMam’ uDada akakukholwanga ayekuzwa. Wabhakuzisa amaphiko akhe futhi wathi, “Wake wezwa ngedada elingayithandi imvula? Kuzodingeka ngenze isu.”

Ekuseni ngakusasa, uMam’ uDada wahamba wayokhuluma noMam’ uMbuzi uMaMbuzi, owayenesitolo esasithengisa yonke into epulazini. “MaMbuzi, ichwane lami ledada alifuni ukuphumela phandle uma imvula ina. Lithi alithandi ukuba manzi. Wake wezwa ngedada elingayithandi imvula? Kudingeka senze isu!” kusho uMam’ uDada.

UMaMbuzi wahleka. “Kungenxa yokuthi liselincane futhi alikaze liyibone imvula ngaphambili,” esho. UMaMbuzi wacinga emakhabetheni akhe futhi wathola ijazi lemvula elincane, eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. “Thatha lapha,” esho kuMam’ uDada. “Linike leli jazi lemvula elincane, eliluhlala okwesibhakabhaka ukuba liligqoke uma imvula iphinda ina.” UMam’ uDada wabonga uMaMbuzi futhi waya ekhaya nejali lemvula.

Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, yaphinda yana imvula. UMam’ uDada wanika ichwane lakhe ledada ijazi lemvula ukuba liligqoke. “Manje, masiphume futhi siyojabulela imvula,” esho.

Wonke amachwane amadada alandela uMam’ uDada aphuma aya emvuleni. Kodwa ngemva kwesikhashana, uMam’ uDada wabona ukuthi uthunjana wechwane ledada wayengasekho. Wambheka yonke indawo kodwa ekugcineni wamthola ehleli yedwa ngaphakathi endlini. “Kungani uhleli wedwa lapha? Usunalo ijazi lemvula, ngakho phumela phandle futhi uzojabulela imvula,” kusho uMam’ uDada.

“Hhayi, ngiyabonga,” kusho uthunjana wedada. “Angiyithandi imvula. Udaka lwenza izinyawo zami zinamathele.”

UMam’ uDada wadideka kakhulu. “Wonke amadada ayayithanda imvula,” esho. “Awanandaba nokuthi izimpaphe zawo zizoba manzi nokuthi izinyawo zawo zizoba nodaka! Kuzodingeka ngenze isu!”

Ngakusasa ekuseni, uMam’ uDada wabuyela kuMaMbuzi eyocela usizo. “MaMbuzi, uthunjana wami wechwane ledada uthi akayithandi imvula ngoba udaka lwenza izinyawo zakhe zinamathele. Yini okufuneka ngiyenze? Kudingeka senze isu.”

UMaMbuzi wahleka futhi. “Kungenxa yokuthi usemncane futhi izinyawo zakhe zincane kakhulu,” esho. UMaMbuzi wayesecinga emashalofini akhe futhi wathola amabhuzu amancane emvula aluhlaza. “Thatha lapha,” esho kuMam’ uDada. “Mnike la mabhuzu amancane emvula, aluhlaza ukuba awagqoke lapho imvula ina futhi.”

Lapho imvula ina futhi, uMam’ uDada wanika uthunjana wakhe wedada ijazi lemvula namabhuzu emvula ukuba akugqoke. “Manje, masiphumele phandle futhi siyojabulela imvula,” esho.

Uthunjana wedada wajabula kakhulu manje. Izimpaphe zakhe zazomile futhi izinyawo zakhe zazingenalo udaka. UMam’ uDada wamamatheka futhi wazizwa ekhululeke kakhulu njengoba ayebukela wonke amachwane akhe amadada edlala emvuleni ndawonye.

Lapho imvula ima ukuna futhi kuvela ilanga, kwabonakala uthingo lwenkosazana olukhulu esibhakabhakeni. “Mama, bheka,” kusho uthunjana wechwane ledada ekhomba uthingo lwenkosazana. “Yini leyanto emibalabala?”

UMam’ uDada namanye amachwane amadada babuka esibhakabhakeni. Amachwane amadada wonke ayemangele njengoba ayebona uthingo lwenkosazana oluhle, olumibalabala.

“Wuthingo lwenkosazana loluya,” uMam’ uDada emamatheka. “Luphuma lapho imvula iyeka ukuna, futhi kuphuma ilanga. Uma ubhekisisa kahle, uzobona ukuthi lunemibala eyahlukene eyisikhombisa.””

“Awu, ngiluthanda ngempela uthingo lwenkosazana. Lunemibala efana neyejazi lami lemvula, amabhuzu nezimpaphe,” kusho uthunjana wakhe wechwane ledada ejabulile. La amanye amachwane amadada abhakuzisa amaphiko awo evumelana naye.

Lapho ilanga lishona futhi uthingo lwenkosazana lunyamalala, uMam’ uDada namachwane akhe babuyela ekhaya.

Ngemva kwalolo suku, uthunjana wedada wayesejahe ukuba imvula iphinde ine ukuze abone olunye uthingo lwenkosazana. Empeleni, wayejabule kakhulu ukubona uthingo lwenkosazana, kangangokuba wakhohlwa nya ukugqoka ijazi lakhe lemvula namabhuzu emvula lapho imvula iphinda ina.

Lapho kuvela uthingo lwenkosazana, wathi kuMam’ uDada, “Angisenandaba nokuthi izimpaphe zami ziba manzi lapho imvula ina ngoba ngemva kwemvula, ilanga lizophuma bese ngibona into enhle kunazo zonke emhlabeni – uthingo lwenkosazana olumibalabala olusha. Ngiyayithanda imvula, kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu ngiyazithanda izintingo zenkosazana!”

UMam’ uDada akeve wajabula, futhi wakhululeka kakhulu. Manje wonke amachwane akhe amadada ayeyithanda imvula, njengoba nje amadada kufanele abe njalo!

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