“Hurreee, ixesha leeholide liqalile!” ucule watsho uHope. Umama wakhe wahleka waza wayimisa imoto yakhe kwifama kaMme wa Afrika.

“Sifikile!” kukhwaze uJosh akubona u-Afrika kunye nomama wakhe.

“Njengokuba nifikile nje nonke ngoku, niceba ukwenza ntoni?” wabuza uMme wa Afrika xa wonke ubani sele ezipakishile iimpahla zakhe kwasongwa nezo bhegi.

“Namhlanje siza kupha ukutya izilwanyana zasefama ze sikuqokelelele namaqanda akho, Mme wa Afrika,” watsho uHope. “Ngomso, sonke siza kubhabhisa iikayiti zethu ze ngosuku lokugqibela, uJosh afunde ukubhaka isonka kwi-onti engaphandle ukuba ikho indlela.”

“Mna ke ndifuna ukubonisa uHope iqula,” kutsho u-Afrika.

UMme wa Afrika kunye nomama kaHope bahleka esi sicwangciso.

Iintsuku zabo ezimbini zokuqala zazixakeke kakhulu, zizele lulonwabo. Ngosuku lwesithathu uHope waya equleni kunye no-Afrika, nangona nje yena wayekufuna ngokwenene ukubhaka isonka kunye noJosh.

“Siza kubuya ngexesha lesidlo sasemini,” kwatsho uHope lo gama yena no-Afrika bewangawangisa, besithi bonke ze basale kakuhle.

Endleleni apho babona ukhozi luhamba nolunye, iindlwane zeentaka kunye nempuku encinane. UHope wazifota zonke ezi zinto ngeselula yakhe.

“Liphaya ke iqula,” watsho u-Afrika esolatha ngomnwe. “Masingangxoli, kufuneka sizimele emva kweliyaa tyholo.”

U-Afrika noHope babukela iintaka xa zisela, ziqubha emanzini. Kwakukho nenyamakazana encinane esela amanzi kunxwema olo.

Ngephanyazo uHope wagcangcazela umzimba wonke, ngathi ungenwe yingqele. Kwakukho into erhwashazayo kwityholo elisemva kwakhe.

“Afrika!” wasebeza watsho.

“Kutheni usebeza kangaka nje?” kubuza u-Afrika, esajonge equleni.

“Kukho into elapha emva kwethu kwaye iyasondela,” waqhubeka nokusebeza, exhalabile efuna ukuhoywa uHope.

“Hayi wethu musa ukugeza apha! Akukho nto inabungozi apha,” watsho u-Afrika.

Kodwa waguquka kancinane, wajonga. “Owu nkosi yam!” ukhwaze watsho ngomothuko. “BALEKA! BALEKA!”

Babaleka phakathi kwaloo mithi yomnga, betsiba amatye amakhulu. U-Afrika wagwencela emthini waza noHope walandela. Babesiva ukuba ikho le nto ibalandelayo.

“Yintoni leyaa?” uHope wabuza engcangcazela, ejonge ezantsi kodwa eziva ebukhuseleka kuba ephezulu emthini.

“Yinxagu. Kwaye ixwaye inkathazo!” kwatsho u-Afrika.

“Ingaba inobungozi?” wabuza uHope.

“Jonga amabamba ayo. Xa inomsindo inobungozi kakhulu!” watsho u-Afrika.

Inxagu yaqwanya, ibajamela bephezulu benjalo. Amabamba ayo ayemakhulu kangangokuba ayede agoba. Yafutha, ijoja umkhondo emoyeni ,yaza yajikeleza umthi ikrokra. Yaguquka yaza yaguqa.

“Hayiniii,” watsho ngesingqala u-Afrika.

“Yintoni? Yintoni?” kwabuza uHope.

“Ngoku ikhangela ukutya. Konke esinokukwenza kukulinda, sithembe ukuba iza kuhamba kwakamsinyane,” watsho u-Afrika.

Abantwana bayibukela inxagu njengokuba isomba emhlabeni. Emva kwexesha elidana yanyamalala apho phakathi kwemithi.

“Kuvakala ngathi kuqengqeleke iiyure ezininzi siphezu kwalo mthi. Uqinisekile ukuba imkile?” wabuza uHope.

“Ndiqinisekile. Yiza,” watsho u-Afrika esehla emthini, wajonga-jonga, ejikeleza waza wancwina.

“Yintoni eyonakeleyo? Ingaba iyabuya?” wabuza uHope ephakuphaku.

“Hayi,” watsho u-Afrika. “Le ingaphaya kwale uyithethayo.”

“Yintoni enokodlula ukusukelwa yinxagu enomsindo?” kwabuza uHope.

“Silahlekile,” watsho u-Afrika. “Khange ndijonge ukuba sibaleke, sisiya ngaphi … kwaye … mhlawumbi kungcono utsalele umama wam umnxeba.”

UHope wasifaka satshona nzulu isandla epokothweni yakhe, ekhangela iselula yakhe. “Ilahlekile,” watsho. “Inokuba iwe ngokuya besibaleka. Ngoku siza kuthini? Limkile ixesha. Owu, akwaba bendisele ngasemva ndabhaka isonka noJosh!”

U-Afrika watsala umphefumlo omde ngesingqala. “Kuza kufuneka sikhangele iinyawo zethu. Ukuzifumana kwethu, siza kulandela zona, sibuyele equleni.” Watsho sele ebheka-bheka. “Owu hayi ke ngoku! Umhlaba ebesibaleka kuwo ulukhuni ngoko ke akusayi kubakho zimpawu zanyawo zibonakalayo!” utshilo.

“Kuza kufuneka sijikeleze side sifumane into,” watsho uHope waza waqalisa ukuhamba. “Nantso!” wakhwaza. Kukho into ebonakalayo apha.”

U-Afrika wajonga ezo nyawo. “Hayi,” watsho, ezo ayizizo iinyawo zethu. Qhubeka uhambe.”

“Kodwa Afrika, zinganceda ezi mpawu. Ndicinga ukuba ziinyawo zenyamakazi. Awusakhumbuli? Besibone inyamakazi encinane phaya equleni.”

“Owu, ewe!” watsho u-Afrika. “Singazilandela, sibuyele equleni. Kungcono sikhawuleze kuba ndiqinisekile wonke umntu ekhaya unexhala.”

Babengazange bakulindela ukufumana uMme wa Afrika nomama kaHope equleni apho!

“Selilide kakhulu noko eli thuba ningekho,” utshilo uMme wa Afrika ephuma emotweni. “Besinexhala. Ngenani, sihambe.”

“Ndinethemba lokuba ibali lenu nobabini liza kuba mnandi kakhulu,” watsho umama kaHope, ehambisa imoto kancinane. “Kuninzi kakhulu ekufuneka nikucacise.”

UHope no-Afrika bajongana.

“Gxebe,” watsho uMme wa Afrika, “Ndisandul’ ukubona inxagu enomsindo. Ninethamsanqa ningakhange nidibane nayo. Oko bekuya kuba yingozi ngokwenene!” Emva kwethutyana waqhuba wathi, “Owu, Hope, qashi-qashi ndifumene ntoni ilele ecaleni kwetyholo equleni.” Wamnika uHope iselula yakhe. “ Ndilusizi kuba ibingekho epokothweni yakho, kuba ngowusitsalele umnxeba, wasixelela ukuba niza kubuya kade.”

UHope wajonga ku-Afrika kwakhona baza baphela yintsini.

“Mmm,” watsho uMme wa Afrika. “Kukhangeleka ngathi uza kubalisa ibali elimnandi kakhulu leeholide, Hope.”

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Khuthaza abantwana bakho ukuba babhale okanye babalise amabali amahlandinyuka kwiiholide zabo – nokuba ayinyaniso okanye bawaqambile!