Ezantsi kweenduli zaseMpumalanga ezambathiswe yingca eluhlaza kwakukho ifama. Kwidlelo elalikule fama, ihashe uKamuzu lalisoloko lizityela khona ingca ngokuzolileyo. Zonke izilwanyana zale fama zazingabahlobo. Zazininzi izinto ezazincokola ngazo, kodwa uKamuzu wayeneentloni. Wayefuna naye ukuncokola nazo, kodwa ilizwi lakhe lalingaphumi emlonyeni. Oku kwakumenza abe lilolo kwaye kwakumkhathaza.

Ngenye intsasa, uKamuzu wayefuna ukuthi “molo” kuBaas, umhlobo wakhe owayeyidonki. Wavula umlomo … kodwa zange kuphume nto. Ilizwi lakhe elikhulu lobuhashe lalilahlekile.

“Kwenzeka ntoni?” kubuza uKamuzu ebhidekile. “Ndiyasebeza nje kuphela.” Wazama ukuthetha kwakhona.

“Ubusithini?” kubuza uBaas emjonge ngqo uKamuzu, esetyisa ingca, ekwalenca nemilebe yakhe yedonki ephuphuzela uboya. Isizathu sokuba abuze yayikukuba nangona uKamuzu wayevule umlomo, wayesebeza nje kuphela. Oko kwakungaqhelekanga.

“Ilizwi lam,” kusebeza uKamuzu. “Lilahlekile.”

“Ulahlekelwe lilizwi? Kodwa ndingazange ndakuva uthetha nje, lilahleka njani ilizwi?” kubuza uBaas. “Kodwa ke ungakhathazeki. Ndiza kulikhangela ilizwi lakho phaya ngaphesheya komlambo.”

Wenjenjalo ke uBaas ukuqhwayiza ewela umlambo. Kodwa, wathi xa efika ngaphesheya komlambo, weva ivumba elimnandi lengca eluhlaza, waza walibala konke ngokukhangela ilizwi likaKamuzu, suka waqala ukuzityela ingca emnandi.

Kwelinye icala lomlambo, uKamuzu wayeshiyeke ecinga ngeendlela anokufumana ngazo ilizwi lakhe elilahlekileyo. “Ndiza kuhla, ndiye edamini,” ucinge wenza njalo. “Ndiza kuvula umlomo wam, ndiphakamise ulwimi lwam, ze ndicele iintlanzi zikhangele ukuba ingaba ziyakulibona kusini na ilizwi lam phantsi kolwimi.”

UKamuzu wema phezu kwedama wavula umlomo wakhe. Iintlanzi zaze zakhangela ilizwi elo apha ngaphakathi emlonyeni.

“Hayi khona, Kamuzu xola ndoda, akukho nto phantsi kolwimi lwakho. Kodwa, ungakhathazeki, siza kulikhangela phantsi kwamagqabi enyibiba naphakathi kwamatyana asezantsi apha edamini ilizwi lakho.”

Iintlanzi zadada zemka, kodwa zathi nje ukuba zibe phantsi kweenyibiba, zafumana ukutya okumnandi kakhulu, zaza zatya, zalibala konke ngelizwi likaKamuzu elilahlekileyo.

UKamuzu wenza isingqala esilusizi, waza waqhubeka nohambo lwakhe lokufunisa ngelizwi lakhe. Walikhangela kuyo yonke indawo ilizwi lakhe, edinwe esisinxekenxeke kukuqhuqha indawo yonke. Emva kwexesha elide ekhangela, wahlangana noSnorkel, ihagu, kunye noDozie imazi yenkomo elunga.

“Ukhangela ntoni?” kubuza uSnorkel.

“Ilizwi lam. Lilahlekile,” usebeze watsho uKamuzu.

“Hayi bo! Lilahleka njani ilizwi?” kutsho uSnorkel. “Phofu ungazihluphi, ndiza kukuncedisa ukulikhangela.”

“Nam ndizakukukhangelisa!” utshilo noDozie. “Siza kulikhangela engceni ngaphesheya komlambo.”

Owu usizana olunguKamuzu – bathe nje ukuba ooSnorkel noDozie bafike engceni emnandi engaphesheya komlambo, bema ngxi, baza baqalisa ukugramza besitya, baza balibala ngako konke malunga nokumnceda bamkhangelise ilizwi lakhe.

Kwanemivundla zange ibe luncedo nganto. Yathembisa ngokukhangela ngaloo mehlo ayo makhulu namdaka. Yathembisa ukuba iza kumamela ngezo ndlebe zayo zibhakubhaku, zimdaka. Kodwa yathi nje yakuwela umlambo, njengabo bonke, konke eyayicinga ngako yayiyincasa yengca emnandi.

UKamuzu wajonga kubahlobo bakhe. “Akukho mntu undincedayo. Akukho mntu ukhangelayo. Wonke nje umntu uyagramza, konwatyelwe ukutya okumnandi,” usebeze watsho kalusizi. Waguquka ebuyela efama ukuze aqhubeke nokuzikhangelela ilizwi lakhe ngokwakhe. UKamuzu wakhangela phantsi kwamatyholo. Wakhangela emva kweshedi. Ukhangele naphezulu emafini, waza wajonga nakwezo nduli zimngqongileyo.

“Owu hayini, kukho isiphango esizayo! Sele kusina kakhulu ngaphaya kwezaa nduli. Oko kuthetha ukuba umlambo uza kuzalisa.” Wajika ephala ukubuyela emlanjeni. “Kufuneka ndilumkise ezinye izilwanyana. Kodwa ndiyasebeza nje kuphela, soze zindive.”

Wema apho okomzuzwana uKamuzu, waza waweva amachaphaza emvula okuqala esithi chapha-chapha kuye emqolo. Umlambo wawusele ugquma kwaye uzalisa. Wonke ubani wayesaxakekile ehlafuna, egramza, enkwamla, esitya ingca.

UKamuzu wavula umlomo wakhe ezama ukuthetha, kodwa zange kubekho nto yenzekayo. Akuzange kubekho nosebesebe lo wembala. Ngoku wayesoyika kakhulu. Wayeqonda mhlophe ukuba kufuneka abe nento ayenzayo, kungekonakali. Ukuba abahlobo bakhe bazama ukuwela umlambo, baza kurhaxwa bonke. Wadlokovisa intloko yakhe, waphakamisa isingci sakhe, waze wangqisha ngeempuphu zakhe. Akukho namnye kwizihlobo zakhe owayiqaphelayo loo migudu. Amanzi phambi kwakhe ayequkuqela ngesantya esiphezulu.

Kanye ngelo xesha kwaqalisa ukunetha ngamandla. Zonke izilwanyana zaphakamisa iintloko, zijonga, zaze zaqalisa ukubaleka zisiya emlanjeni.

UKamuzu walibala ngelizwi lakhe elilahlekileyo. Walibala ngokuba neentloni kwakhe, walibala nangokuba lusizi kwakhe. Wajongana namaza omlambo alwatyuza ngesantya esiphezulu waza, ephala ngokukhawuleza kangangoko anako, waya ngqo kuwo, watsho ngomtsi omde phezu kwaloo maza alwatyuzayo, ewelela ngaphesheya. Akuthi gxididi ngaphesheya komlambo, wavula umlomo wakhe waze wakhwaza,“YIMANI! MUSANI UKUWELA!”

Izilwanyana zazothuke kakhulu. Zange zaliva ilizwi elikhulu, nelikhwaza kangaka liphuma emlonyeni kaKamuzu.

“Jikani!” ukhwaze watsho uKamuzu. “Yiyani emaweni.”

Wonke ubani wabalekela emaweni ukuzikhusela emvuleni. Baqundana apho ngeentloko.

“Usisindisile, Kamuzu,” watsho uBaas. “Enkosi.”

“Ulifumene ilizwi lakho,” watsho uSnorkel.

“Ewe,” wangqina uDozie, “kumnandi ukuva ilizwi lakho. Ubusoloko uthule uthe cwaka, besicinga ukuba awufuni kuthetha nathi.”

“Ndineentloni,” watsho uKamuzu. “Ndisuke ndingazi ukuba ndithini na.”

“Kodwa singabahlobo bakho nje,” yatsho imivundla. “Akukho mfuneko yokuba ube neentloni kuthi.”

“Ukususela namhlanje,” watsho uBaas, “sifuna ukukuva uthetha. Sithembise ukuba uza kuthetha?”

“Thembisa! Thembisa! Thembisa!” zatsho zonke ngaxeshanye.