Kwakukhona inkosi eyabe isindala. Yayikhaliphile futhi inomusa. Kodwa kwakunento eyodwa eyayiwudabukisa umoya wayo – yayingenayo indodana eyayizoba yinkosi emva kwayo.
Inkosi yayidinga umuntu owayezoba umbusi olandelayo aphathe izwe kanye nabantu bayo. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga ekuseni, emva kwezimvula, yaqoqela ndawonye bonke abafana asebebadadlana, yakhuluma nabo.
“Namhlanje kuzoba usuku olukhethekile,” kusho yona, “sesi kile isikhathi sokuthi ngikhethe inkosi entsha futhi ngizokhetha omunye wenu lapha.” Kwaba nesasasa elikhulu, bonke abantu bekhuluma kanyekanye. Inkosi yaphakamisa isandla sayo, “... kodwa kufanele ningilalelisise.” Kwathi cwaka, wonke umuntu wabuka inkosi ngenkathi ichaza eyayifuna bakwenze.
“Ngizonikeza ngamunye wenu imbewu eyodwa. Kufanele umuntu ayitshale, ayinisele bese eyinakekela zonke izinsuku.” Yase ithi, “Ngosuku olufanayo ngonyaka ozayo, kufanele nibuyise izitshalo enizobe nizitshalile, mina ngiyobe sengikhetha umuntu ozoba yinkosi elandelayo.” Yabe seyinika umfana ngamunye imbewu eyodwa.
UNjabulo nabangani bakhe babejabule kakhulu. Bonke bakhuluma kanyekanye.
“Udadewethu utshala ummbila, ngakho uzongisiza,” kwasho omunye umfana.
“Umama uyakwazi ukulima imi no, ngakho uzongitshela ukuthi ngenzenjani,” kwasho omunye.
“Umalume wami uyazi lapho kutholakala khona inhlabathi evundile,” kwasho omunye futhi, “kanti uyakwazi ukuxosha izinyoni ukuba zingayidli imbewu.”
UNjabulo wabe elokhu ebalalele nje.
Ngenkathi ehamba eseya ekhaya, uNjabulo wayephethe imbewu yakhe esandleni. Yayiyincane – ingenkulu kunebhungane elincane.
“Kazi uzokhula ube yini?” kusho yena kule mbewana encanyana.
Wathi uma efika ekhaya watshela unina okwakushiwo yinkosi kanye nokuthi abanye abafana base benabo abantu ababezobasiza.
“Mmm,” kusho unina. “Mina ngeke ngikwazi ukukusiza. Lena yinto inkosi ethe uzenzele yona. Kodwa,” eqhubeka, “ngingakupha lokhu.” Wamnika ukhanjana lobumba ayezotshala kulo imbewu yakhe.
UNjabulo wehla waya ezansi emfuleni wakha inhlabathi wayifaka okhambeni lwakhe. Ngokucophelela okukhulu wavula umgojana omncane ngomunwe wakhe wabe esephonsa imbewu yakhe phakathi kuwona. Ngesineke wamboza imbewu ngenhlabathi wabe esefafaza amanzi amasha ayewakhe emfuleni phezu kwayo.
Emva kwalokho, wathola indawo enhle ayezobeka kuyo ukhamba lwakhe – indawo eyayingashisi kakhulu futhi ingabandi kakhulu. “Nazo-ke, mbewu yami encanyana. Ngiyethemba uthokozile,” kusho yena emamatheka.
Emva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa uNjabulo wabheka ukuze abone ukuthi imbewu yakhe yabe seyiqalile yini ukumila. Kodwa kwakungakenzeki lutho. Inhlabathi yayisabukeka yendlalekile nje njengosuku ayetshale ngalo imbewu. Ngakho uNjabulo waqinisekisa ukuthi inhlabathi yayiswakeme ngokwanele. Wabe esehlebeza, “Kulungile, mbewu encanyana, uyomila uma usukulungele ukumila.”
Kodwa nangokulandelayo wathi lapho ebheka, uNjabulo wangabona lutho oluyimbewu eqhumayo noma amaqabungana amilayo. Nasesikhathini esalandela lokho, kwakungenalutho nje. Izinsuku namaviki adlula noNjabulo edangele ukubona ukuthi imbewu yakhe yayingamili. Okwamdangalisa nakakhulu ukuthi ngalesi sikhathi bonke abangani bakhe base bekhuluma ngezitshalo zabo!
“Eyami seyingangonyawo lwami!” kusho omunye umfana.
“Eyami seyiluhlaza cwe njengamagquma ehlobo!” kusho omunye umfana belu. UNjabulo wezwa inhliziyo yakhe isinda, kodwa wangasho lutho.
Izinyanga zahamba kwadingeka wonke umuntu azitholele ukhamba olukhulu kunakuqala ngoba phela izitshalo zazikhula. UNjabulo wayelokhu enalolo khamba oluncane unina ayemuphe lona ngoba phela imbewu yakhe yayingakamili.
Ekugcineni, lwafika olungaliyo lapho wonke umuntu kwakufanele ayokhombisa inkosi isitshalo sakhe. Ekuqaleni uNjabulo wayesaba. Wayengafuni nokuya lapho, kodwa unina wathi kufanele aye kokhombisa inkosi ukhamba lwakhe. UNjabulo wayazi ukuthi unina wayeqinisile.
Wathi uma efika endlini yenkosi uNjabulo wamangala ukubona izinhlobonhlobo zezitshalo abangani bakhe ababezitshalile. Kwakuyizinhlobonhlobo zemimo, ubukhulu nemibala. Futhi zonke zazizinhle kakhulu.
UNjabulo wabamba ukhamba lwakhe waluqinisa waluhlebela wathi, “Ungixolele mbewu encanyana, angikwazanga ukukujabulisa.” Wabeka ukhamba lwakhe phansi kanye nabanye. Wabe eseya kuyoma le emuva lapho ayecabanga ukuthi inkosi ngeke ikwazi ukumbona khona.
Yathi uma iqhamuka inkosi, kwathi cwaka. Bonke bama ngokuziqhenya bethemba ukuthi izitshalo zabo zazizokhethwa njengezidle umhlanganiso.
“Lolu usuku oluthathekisayo kakhulu,” kusho inkosi ngezwi elikhulu. “Ngibona izitshalo eziningi ezinhle kakhulu!” Yasho yehla yenyuka kancane, ibukisisa zonke izitshalo ngenkathi bonke beyibukisisa. Kwathi kungalindelekile yama, yacosha ukhamba. KwakungolukaNjabulo. UNjabulo kwathi akafe ukukhathazeka.
“Olukabani lolu khamba?” kubuza inkosi. Kwathi cwaka. UNjabulo wayephelile uvalo, wayecabanga ukuthi inkosi yayizomthukuthelela imxoshe. “Olukabani lolu khamba?” kuphinda kubuza inkosi futhi.
UNjabulo wadonsa umoya kakhulu washo kakhulu wathi, “Ukhamba oluphethe ngolwami, nkosi yami.”
Wonke umuntu waphenduka wabuka uNjabulo kanti abanye abafana baqala bahleka, kodwa bayeka uma ithi inkosi uNjabulo akeze phambili. Wathi lapho emi eduze kwenkosi, wazizwa enamahloni.
“Ungubani igama lakho?” kubuza inkosi.
“Igama lami uNjabulo,” washo ephakamisa amehlo ebuka inkosi.
Inkosi yakhokha umoya yase ithi ngezwi elikhulu, “Sengiyikhethile-ke inkosi entsha, igama layo uNjabulo!”
UNjabulo wamangala. Ingenzeka kanjani into enjalo? Yize noma wayezame ngakho konke okusemandleni ukuqikelela, wayengakwazanga ukumilisa imbewu ayeyinikezwe yinkosi.
Inkosi yase ithi, “Ngonyaka owodwa odlule ngalolu suku, nganikeza ngamunye ngamunye wenu imbewu ayezoyitshala. Ngathi yitshaleni, niyinakekele bese niyibuyisela kimina namhlanje. Nonke nikwenzile ebengikucele ukuthi nikwenze,” kusho yona. “Kodwa, nganinikeza imbewu engangiyibilise emanzini, okusho ukuthi yayingeke ikwazi ukumila. Nithe uma nibona ukuthi imbewu yenu ayimili, nazitshalela enye imbewu esikhundleni sayo. Nonke ningilethele lezo zitshalo. Nonke ngaphandle kukaNjabulo. Ungikhombisile ukuthi akenzanga nje kuphela lokho ebengithe akakwenze, kodwa ube nesibindi sokwethembeka. Nangu-ke umuntu engimkhethayo ukuba abe yinkosi, futhi uzoba yinkosi elungile!”
Inkosi yamamatheka ibuka uNjabulo, yazi ukuthi ikhethe ngokufanele.
