Kwakhe kwakho inkosi eyayisel’ikhulile ngeminyaka. Le nkosi yayilumkile kwaye ilungile. Kodwa kwakukho nto inye eyayiyenza lusizi – yayingenanyana owayenokungena endaweni yayo xa ingasekho.
Inkosi yayifuna umntu oza kuphatha xa ingasekho, ajonge imihlaba yayo nabantu bayo bonke. Ngantsasa ithile, emva kweemvula, waqokelela onke amakhwenkwe asele emadadlana, wathetha nawo.
“Namhlanje lusuku olulodwa,” watsho, “ixesha li kile lokuba ndonyule inkosi entsha kwaye ndiza konyula omnye wenu.” Kwabakho uchulumanco olukhulu, batsho nabo babebiziwe bathetha bonke ngaxeshanye. Inkosi yaphakamisa izandla zayo, “... kodwa ke ndiphulaphuleni kakuhle.” Bathi cwaka bonke, baqwalasela enkosini xa yayibacacisela ngento ekufuneka beyenzile.
“Ndiza kunika umntu ngamnye kuni ukhozo lwembewu lube lunye. Kufuneka umntu alutyale olo khozo, alunkcenkceshele, alunonophele ntsuku zonke.” Yaza emva koko yathi, “Kwangale mini kulo nyaka uzayo, kufuneka nizise izityalo enizikhulisileyo, mna ke ndikhethe inkosi eza kulawula.” Yaza yanika inkwenkwe nganye ukhozo olunye.
UNjabulo nabahlobo bakhe bavuya kakhulu. Batsho bathetha bonke ngaxeshanye.
“Usisi wam ulima umbona, ngoko ke uza kundincedisa,” yatsho enye inkwenkwe.
“Umama uyakwazi ukulima imifuno, ngoko ke uya kundixelela into emandiyenze,” yatsho enye.
“Umalume uyazi apho kufumaneka khona umhlaba olungileyo,” yatsho enye, “kwaye uyayazi nendlela yokunqanda iintaka zingayityi imbewu.”
UNjabulo wahlala nje wabaphulaphula.
Endleleni egodukayo, uNjabulo wayeluphethe ngesandla ukhozo lwakhe lwembewu. Lwaluluncinane kakhulu – lungaphantsi nakwelona bhungane lincinane.
“Andazi ukuba uya kukhula ube yintoni na?” watsho kolu khozo luncinane.
Akufika ekhaya, wamxelela unina ngento ethethwe yinkosi, nangokuba onke amanye amakhwenkwe ayenomntu oza kuwancedisa.
“Mhh,” watsho unina. “Andinako ukukuncedisa mna. Le yinto oyalelwe yinkosi ukuba uyenze ngokwakho. Kodwa,” wongeza ngokuthi, “ndingakunika le nto.” Waza wamnika ingqayana encinane ukuze atyale kuyo ukhozo olo.
UNjabulo waya emlanjeni, waza womba umhlaba aza kuwufaka engqayini leyo. Wavula kakuhle umngxunyana ngomnwe wakhe, walufaka apho kuwo ukhozo. Walogquma ngocoselelo ukhozo olo ngomhlaba, waza walufefa ngamanzi acocekileyo omlambo.
Emva koko, wafuna indawo entle yokubeka ingqayi enokhozo olo – indawo eyayingatshisi kakhulu neyayingabandi kakhulu. “Nako ke khozwana oluncinane. Ndithemba ukuba wonwabile,” watsho encumile.
Emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa uNjabulo waya kujonga ukuba ukhozo luntshulile na. Kodwa akukho nto yayenzekile. Umhlaba wawusakhangeleka njengalaa mini wayelutyale ngayo ukhozo. Ngoko ke uNjabulo waqinisekisa ukuba umhlaba ufume ngokwaneleyo. Walusebezela wathi, “Kulungile lukhozwana oluncinci, uze untshule xa sowulungele ukwenza njalo.”
Kodwa xa wayeze kuhlola kwakhona uNjabulo zange kubonakale zityalo ziluhlaza zintshulileyo namagqabi. Kwanasemva koko zange kubonakale nto. Kwaqengqeleka iintsuku neeveki kungekho nto ibonakalayo,waza uNjabulo walusizi akubona ukuba ukhozo lwakhe aluntshuli. Waba lusizi ngakumbi akuva bonke abahlobo bakhe bethetha ngezityalo zabo!
“Esam singangonyawo lwam ubukhulu!” yatsho enye inkwenkwe.
“Esam siluhlaza njengeenduli ehlotyeni!” yatsho enye. Intliziyo kaNajabulo yaba buhlungu kakhulu kodwa akathetha nto.
Zedlula iinyanga waze wonke umntu kwafuneka afune iingqayi ezinkulu zezityalo zabo. UNjabulo yena wayesenalaa ngqayi wayeyinikwe ngumama wakhe kuba esakhe isityalo sasingekantshuli.
Ekugqibeleni, lwa ka usuku lokuba wonke umntu abonise isityalo sakhe enkosini. Ekuqaleni uNjabulo wayesoyika, engafuni kuya, kodwa umama wakhe wathi makayibonise inkosi isityalo sakhe. UNjabulo wayesazi ukuba umama wakhe unyanisile.
Akufika uNjabulo endlwini yenkosi wamangaliswa kukubona zonke izityalo ezazityalwe ngabahlobo bakhe. Zazimile ngeendlela ngeendlela, zibukhulu bahlukileyo, zinamabala ahlukileyo. Zaye zonke zazintle kakhulu.
UNjabulo wayibamba ingqayi yakhe waza wayisebezela wathi, “Ndicela uxolo mbewana, andikwazanga ukukonwabisa.” Waza wayibeka phantsi ingqayi kunye nezinye. Wema ngasemva apho wayecinga ukuba inkosi ayizi kumbona khona.
Yathi yakuvela inkosi, bathi cwaka bonke. Bema bonke ngokuziqhenya bethemba ukuba ezabo izityalo ziza kukhethwa njengezona zihle.
“Olu lusuku oluchwayitisayo,” yatsho inkosi ngokuvakalayo. “Ndibona izityalo ezininzi ezihle!” Wehla enyuka, eqwalasela zonke izityalo, bonke bemqwalasele. Ngesaquphe wema waze wathatha enye yeengqayi. YayiyekaNjabulo. UNjabulo wanga uyagula lixhala.
“Yekabani le ngqayi?” yabuza inkosi. Kwathi cwaka. UNjabulo wayesoyika, ecinga ukuba inkosi iza kukhathazeka, imgxothe. “Yekabani le ngqayi?” yabuza kwakhona inkosi.
UNjabulo waphefumla nzulu waza wathetha ngokuvakalayo, “Le ngqayi uyiphetheyo, yeyam, nkosi yam.”
Wonke umntu wajika wajonga kuNjabulo, aza amanye amakhwenkwe aqalisa ukuhleka, kodwa ayeka yakuba inkosi ibize uNjabulo ukuba eze ngaphambili. Xa wayemi ecaleni kwenkosi, wayeziva eneentloni.
“Ungubani igama lakho?” yabuza inkosi.
“Igama lam ndinguNjabulo,” watsho ephakamisela amehlo akhe enkosini.
Inkosi yaphefumla nzulu yaze yathi ngokuvakalayo, “Ndiyonyule inkosi entsha kwaye igama layo nguNjabulo!”
UNjabulo wamangaliseka kakhulu. Ingenzeka njani le nto? Nangona wayenenyameko enkulu, akazange akwazi ukulukhulisa ukhozo awayelunikwe yinkosi.
Yaza yathi inkosi, “Kunyaka ophelileyo ngalo mhla, ndanika ngamnye kuni ukhozo lwembewu amakalukhulise. Ndaniyalela ukuba nilutyale, nilunyamekele nilubuyisele kum namhlanje. Nonke niwuthobele umyalelo wam,” yatsho inkosi. “Kodwa ndanika ngamnye kuni ukhozo endandilubilise emanzini, into ethetha ukuba ezo nkozo zazingenakuntshula. Nathi nakubona ukuba iinkozo zenu azintshuli, elowo kuni watyala olunye ukhozo endaweni yoluya ndandininikile lona. Nonke nindiphathele ezo zityalo. Nonke ngaphandle koNjabulo. Akenzanga nje into endandiniyalele yona, kodwa ubonakalise ubugorha bokunyaniseka. Ndikhetha yena ke ukuba abe yinkosi, kwaye uya kuba yinkosi elunge kakhulu!”
Inkosi yamncumela uNjabulo, isazi ukuba yonyule kakuhle.
