Esikhathini esingekudala kakhulu, empeleni ngesikhathi lapho ukhokhokazi wami eseyintombazane, unkukhu nonkomazi babengabangane.

Ngolunye usuku, lapho behamba emasimini, uNkukhu wathintitha izimpaphe zakhe futhi watshikizisa nomsila wakhe onezimpaphe. Wayengahlalisekile. UNkomazi wakubona lokhu njengoba ayetshisa ngesineke.

“Kwenzenjani, Nkukhu?” Kubuza uNkomazi enyakazisa umsila.

“Uyakuzwa lokho?” UNkukhu waqalaza emasimini, wabuye wabheka uNkomazi.

“Cha,” kusho uNkomazi. “Kukhona okumele ngikuzwe?” UNkomazi wajikisa ikhanda lakhe walibhekisa le nale ukuze insimbi endala enkulu esentanyeni yakhe ikhale kakhulu. Yenza umsindo omkhulu kakhulu owagcwala wonke amasimu anamazolo.

“Yilokho kanye engikushoyo,” kusho uNkukhu. “Ayikho eminye imisindo yezilwane kuleli pulazi. Ucabanga ukuthi kungani kunjalo?”

UNkomazi waqhubeka etshisa njengoba esacabanga ngalo mbuzo.

“Kungenxa yokuthi,” uNkukhu ephazamisa ngendelelo ukucabanga kukaNkomazi, “umninipulazi uhambise bonke abangane bethu nomndeni emadeleni.”

UNkomazi wethuka kakhulu kangangoba wagwinya umetshiso wakhe ngomthamo owodwa omkhulu. Lokhu kwamenza wabhodla kakhulu ngendlela engenasizotha!

“Kudingeka sibaleke ngoba omunye wethu uzolandela! Kudingeka sihambe ngaphambi kokuba lokho kwenzeke,” kusho uNkukhu.

“Sibaleke?” kubuza uNkomazi ebheka uNkukhu ngamehlo amakhulu.

“Yebo, kumele sibaleke namuhla ebusuku! Kodwa kumele siqaphele umninipulazi. Kumele siqikelele ukuthi akasizwa futhi akasiboni lapho sihamba,” kusho uNkukhu. UNkomazi wanqekuzisa ikhanda evuma.

Ngalobo busuku, lapho nje kucisha izibani endlini yasepulazini futhi bezwa umninipulazi esehona, uNkukhu noNkomazi baphuma bahamba.

UNkukhu wasebenzisa uqhwaku lwakhe ukuze abambe izinsimbi zingashayani entanyeni kaNkomazi. Kwakumele bangenzi umsindo kangangokunokwenzeka uma babefuna ukubaleka kwabo kube yimpumelelo.

Lapho sebeseHlathini Elikhulu Eliluhlaza, uNkukhu wayiyeka insimbi kaNkomazi futhi bama bathula du balalela okwesikhashana. Babengazi ukuthi babeyaphi futhi babethukile.

Egatsheni elingenhla kwabo, bezwa ukumemeza kukankonjane.

Webantu bambe! Ngilapha! Ngilapha phezulu! Ingabe nidukile …?” UNkonjane efuna ukwazi.

“Cha, asidukile. Siyabaleka epulazini ngoba umninipulazi uhambise bonke abangane bethu nomndeni emadeleni. Omunye wethu, uma kungekhona ukuthi sobabili, uyalandela, ngakho sinqume ukubaleka,” kuphendula uNkukhu.

“Akuhlakaniphile, neze,” kumemeza uNkonjane engenhla. “Ihlathi Elikhulu Eliluhlaza ligcwele izilwane zasendle futhi yilesi sikhathi okuhambahamba ngaso amakati amakhulu efuna isidlo esimnandi – njengonkomazi noma unkukhu omnandi. Ngingase ngithi, nibalekela isimo esibi niya kwesibi nakakhulu.”

“Nokho, asinakubuyela emuva …” kusho uNkomazi, eqalaza ngokukhathazeka.

“Kungani?” kusho uNkonjane. “Okumele nje nikwenze, wukubonisa umninipulazi ukuthi kukhona indlela engcono.”

“Indlela engcono?” kubuza uNkukhu. Wayengakukholwa lokho ayekuzwa.

“Yebo,” kusho uNkonjane. “Khumbula ukuthi ngingumeluleki weNkosi. Ngiyazazi lezi zinto. Kudingeka nibonise umninipulazi inzuzo yenu yoqobo.”

Ngabo bonke lobo busuku laba abathathu bahlala ndawonye becabanga futhi bexoxa futhi beza neqhinga.

Manje-ke, ngenhlanhla Lelihlathi Elikhulu Eliluhlaza laliyindawo yomlingo lapho noma yini yayingenzeka, ngakho uNkonjane wathumela zonke izinyoni zaleli hlathi ukuba ziyobutha izimbewu zemifino eziningi kangangokunokwenzeka.

Lapho zonke izimbewu sezibuthiwe ngokucophelela, uNkonjane wabuka laba bangane ababili.

“Kumele nithathe zonke lezi zimbewu nibuyele nazo epulazini futhi nizitshale emasimini umninipulazi awalungiselele. Kodwa imbewu ngayinye kumele ibe semhlabathini ngaphambi kwehora lomlingo.” UNkonjane wabuka uNkukhu noNkomazi, wayesebuka phezulu enyangeni. “Kumele nisheshe. Kunezimbewu eziningi lapha kanti isikhathi sincane.”

UNkukhu noNkomazi bazabalaza ukuzithwala zonke izimbewu bona nje bobabili, kodwa kwathi kungakabiphi base bematasa emasimini betshala izimbewu ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka.

Lapho nje uNkukhu esegqiba izimbewu zokugcina ngenhlabathi, ihora lomlingo lashaya futhi uNkulunkulu wavula isibhakabhaka. Kwana imvula eshaya kancane emasimini ayesanda kutshalwa futhi zonke izinhlobo zezimbewu zaqala ukuqhuma nokukhula. Ngokushesha imifino yakhula yonke indawo. Amasimu omninipulazi abukeka kahle kakhulu.

Lapho umninipulazi ephuma eya emasimini akhe ekuseni ngalelo langa, akakukholwanga lokho akubona. Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi kwakunobhasikidi bemifino emisha beklele emigqeni eqondile, kodwa futhi kwakunamaqanda amaningi kanye namabhakede amaningi obisi olusha. UNkukhu noNkomazi babemi eduze nalapho bebukeka beziqhenya kakhulu, futhi umninipulazi wayazi ukuthi konke lokhu kwakungumphumela wokuzikhandla kwabo.

Umninipulazi wayegcwele ukubonga okukhulu futhi kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke, umninipulazi, uNkukhu noNkomazi bahlala ngokujabula ndawonye epulazini.

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• Khetha ingxenye yendaba engenawo umfanekiso bese udweba isithombe sayo. Kopisha amazwi endaba ahambisana nesithombe sakho noma ucele othile ukuba akusize ukwenza lokhu. Namathisela ikhasi elinendaba ngezansi kwesithombe sakho.
• Yenza sengathi unguNkomazi noNkukhu. Bhalela uNkonjane incwadi yokubonga ngokukusiza kwakhe.
• Qala ingadi yakho encane ebhodleleni lepulasitiki. Lalisa ibhodlela ngohlangothi bese usika uhlangothi olungaphezulu. Faka umhlabathi okahle ebhodleleni. Tshala obhontshisi abambalwa bese ubanisela. Beka ingadi yakho elangeni.