Iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni lalihlala endlwini enye nentsapho ethile eyayinekati. Eli phelana lingamameliyo librawuni, njengayo yonke intsapho yamaphela, lalikuthanda ukutya. Amaphela awanyanzelekanga ukuba atye yonke imihla, kodwa kulo mzi ikati yayiphakelwa awona maqatha neemvuthuluka zimnandi – amaqatha neemvuthuluka elalingenakuziyeka nje eli phelana lingamameliyo! Iimpondo zalo ezimbini zazisoloko zixhuzuleka xa zisiva elona vumba limnandi eliphuma kwigumbi lokuphekela eyayityela kulo ikati. “Ungayi qho ebusuku kwigumbi lokutyela. Uza kubhaqwa uze ubulawe!” yalumkisa ngelitshoyo intsapho yephelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni. Kodwa laliphila kamnandi lingazimameli izilumkiso zayo. Lalizinika kukutya okumuncis’ iintupha elikufumana kwisitya sekati. Le kati yayithanda ukuzishiyela ukutya eza kukutya ekuzeni kusa qho ngokuhlwa, kodwa yayisothuswa kukuba, xa ifika esityeni sayo, yayifika singenanto. “Ayiqhelekanga le nto,” yacinga yatsho ikati. “Yimpuku yodwa engatya ukutya kwam kwasekuzeni kusa qho ebusuku.” Yakhangela indlu yonke ifuna impuku.
Njengoko ikati yayikhangela elo sela lempuku busuku ngabunye, iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni laliphelile yintsini. “Le kati icinga ukuba inengqondo,” iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni lagigitheka lisitsho njengoko lalilinde ikati incame ekukhangeleni. Ngobunye ubusuku, iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni labona ukuba ikati yayiphinde yashiya okunye ukutya nobisi lwayo eyayiza kuzitya kamva, ibe isisu salo saqalisa ukungxola. Iimpondo zalo zazisiya ngapha nangapha, ngoxa lilinde ikati ukuba ilale. Labukela njengoko inyanga yayidlula ithe chu ngasefestileni. “Owu, khawukhawuleze uyolala torho! Ndilambile,” lakhalaza latsho iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni de ikati yahamba yayokulala. Kwangaxeshanye, ikati yaba buhlungu kakhulu kuba ingadanga yayifumana impuku elisela. Phofu, ayizange ive nkqu nevumba lalo kati. “Kuza kuthini ke xa intsapho iyibhaqa le nto yale mpuku? Iza kucinga ukuba ndigugile andisakwazi kuleqa okanye andikwai nokujoja impuku! Kungenzeka iqaliise ukucinga ngokufumana enye ikati esencinci,” yacinga idanile.
Ngobunye ubusuku, iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni lanyebeleza laya kwigumbi lokuphekela kwakhona. “Iikati azinangqondo kodwa,” lacinga lisitsho njengoko lalisitya ukutya okushiyeke kwisitya sekati. Kodwa ngephanyazo kwalayita isibane segumbi lokuphekela, kwalandela esona sikhalo sothusayo, eside, nesikrakra! Isikhalo sasisikhulu kwaye sikrakra kangangokuba salenza ladideka iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni alazi nokuba libalekele kweliphi icala. Eso sikhalo sasivela kwibhinqa elalihlala kulo ndlu. Laqhubeka likhala libaleka kulo lonke igumbi lokuphekela liphatha kuxhuma, litake kwaye litsibe, liliphosa kancinci qho iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni. Le ngxolo yothusayo yabangela ukuba ikati ize ibaleka izokuncedisa ekuleqeni. Loo nto yanika eli bhinqa ithuba lokuthatha itoti ebomvu yokuspreya. Iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni layibaleka ikati, livuya kuba ibhinqa lalibonakala lincamile, kodwa lingayiqondi ingozi elalikuyo. Ibhinqa lalatha laza latshiza ngespreyi, ikati yathimla, laza iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni laziva ligevezela amadolo linesiyezi.
“Owu, le ngxolo iza kuluqhekeza ukhakayi lwam,” lacinga lisitsho iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni, “andisaboni kakuhle kuba intloko yam iyajikeleza. Owu, bendingenwe yintoni ukuze ndibe ukutya kwekati? Bekutheni ukuze ndingayimameli intsapho yam?” lashwantshwatha lisitsho ngaphambi kokuba lifeyinte. Ibhinqa lathatha umtshayelo laza lalitshayela iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni njengoko ikati yayibukele. “Phelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni, ungaphinde uze apha! Ndiza kube ndilindile kwaye ndijongile,” yatsho ikati njengoko ibhinqa laliphosa iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni ngaphandle ngomnyango wangasemva kobo bumnyama basebusuku. Yiloo nto ke, ukuza kutsho namhlanje, iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni lihlala ngaphandle, kude neekati neetoti zezipreyi namabhinqa anezikhalo ezikrakra. Kodwa ngamanye amaxesha amavumba amnandi ayalongamela, lize iphelana elingamameliyo elibrawuni likhawuleze lingene endlwini lifumane isidlwana ezinzulwini zentsunguzi yobusuku.
Yenza ibali linike umdla!
- Ubungaziva njani ukuba ubunokubona iphela kowenu? Zoba umfanekiso wakho xa ubona iphela.
- Masithi iphela lifuna ukucela uxolo kwikati ngenxa yokuba libe ukutya kwayo. Bhala ileta iphela eliyibhalela ikati.
- Zenze ngathi ulibhinqa elihlala endlwini. Bonisa indlela eliye laxhuma laza latsiba ngayo xa libona iphela.
- Sebenzisa udongwe okanye intlama yokudlala ukuze wenze ikati nephela elingumzekelo.
