UDumi Mbila wayelele ngomhlane, efudumeza isisu sakhe edwaleni elikhulu eliyisicaba. Wayesecishe wazunywa wubuthongo ngenkathi ezwa umsindo omkhulu wokugigitheka. Ngokuvilapha, wavula iso elilodwa. Izimbila ezincane ezimbili zazidlula ngelikhulu ijubane.

“EWUUU!!!” kwasho enye yazo kwenye ngenkathi sezedlule ngokuphepha edwaleni. “Leya mbila inuka KABI!” Zaphinda zagigitheka kakhudlwana zishesha.

UDumi waphefumula kakhulu, wayesephunga impukane eyayilokhu ibhuza izungeza indlebe yakhe. “Akunabulungiswa!” ezicabangela. “Akekho ongiqondisisayo mina.”

Kwakuyiqiniso. UDumi wayenuka kabi ngoba wayengcolile. Wayengcolile ngoba wayengalokothi ageze, kodwa akekho owayazi ukuthi kungani. Iqiniso wukuthi, uDumi wayewesaba amanzi. Ngelinye ilanga, eseyingane, wawa ngekhanda kuqala ewela obhukwini lodaka. UDumi wayengakwazi ukubhukuda, kodwa ngenhlanhla, umnewabo wamkhipha ngemilenze yakhe yangemuva. Ukusukela ngalelo langa, uDumi wayengasakwazi ukumela ukuba seduze kwamanzi. Lapho ezinye izimbila ziya echibini njalo ekuseni ukuze ziyogeza, uDumi wayenyonyoba ayocasha ezihlahleni. Akekho owakwazi ukumguqula ingqondo yakhe mayelana namanzi – ngisho unina imbala!

Izinsuku zedlula – ihlobo lalishisa kakhulu kungekho mvula. UDumi wayelokhu engcola kakhulu. Uboya bakhe babugcwele amafutha futhi busongene, enuka kabi. Okubana futhi, ukuthi iqulu lezimpukane lalimlandela noma kuphi lapho eya khona. UDumi, vele, wayengakuthandi lokhu kodwa wayenza sengathi akanandaba.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni, abantu abadala bendawo beza bazokhuluma noDumi. Bama kude, uDumi wababona bebambe amakhala abo becinana befuna umoya. 

“Siyaxolisa, Dumi,” kusho bona, “kodwa nawe uyazi ukuthi selokhu lingani isikhathi eside. Kukhona izimpukane eziningi lapha. Izimpukane ziyakuthanda ukungcola, kanti wena ungcole kakhulu, ngakho izimpukane ziyakuthanda! Zonke lezi zimpukane zizosigulisa … Kuhle kakhulu ukuthi uwushiye lo muzi.”

UDumi bandla! Wayezokwenzenjani? Wanyonyoba eshiya kabuhlungu. Wahamba, wahamba. Usuku lwaluya ngokushisa njengoba nelanga laliphakamela esibhakabhakeni esikhanyayo esiluhlaza. Ikhanda lakhe lalizwakala lisinda, nezinyawo zakhe zazibuhlungu! Ekugcineni, wezwa ukuthi ngeke esakwazi ukuhamba athathe esinye isinyathelo.

“Ngidinga umthunzana!” kusho yena, eqalaza ngapha nangapha. Kwakungekho zihlahla eziningi kule ngxenye yesiganga, kodwa wabona isihlahla sameva esincane esingekude kakhulu. Kancane kancane, uDumi watotobela kulesi sihlahlana. Walala phansi ngaphansi kwaso, wayeselala wathi zwi.

Kwedlula amahora amaningi. UDumi wayelele kahle ngendlela yokuthi akawabonanga ngisho namafu eqoqana esibhakabhakeni. Ilanga lase linyamalele. Isibhakabhaka saqhubeka nokuba mnyama. Umoya waya ngokuya uphola, uphola, kodwa imbila ekhathele yayisalele. Ekugcineni, imvula yaqala ukuthi chapha, chapha.

UDumi wavuka. Amaconsi amakhulu ayethela wonke umzimba wakhe! Emzini wezimbila, zonke izimbila zacashela imvula ngaphansi kwamadwala amakhulu. Kodwa lapha, kwakungekho lapho ayengacasha khona! Ekuqaleni, ngesikhathi uDumi ebona futhi ezwa imvula, wamemeza, wakhala, wagingqika eseyibhola elincane elinoboya. “Sizani!” enswininiza. “Sizani bakithi!” Kodwa ngisho izimpukane zazingasekho, uDumi wayeyedwa.

Kwase kwenzeka into engejwayelekile. Njengoba imvula epholile yayigobhoza phezu komzimba wakhe nje, uDumi wezwa ukuthi sekumnandi. Kancane kancane, wehlisa umoya, emva kwesikhathi, waze wathi ukuwavula amehlo akhe. “Imvula ibukeka iyinhle,” kusho yena, “futhi yenza esigangeni kunuke ngokuqabulayo!” Emva kwalokho uDumi wasukuma, wavula umlomo ukuze aphuze amaconsi emvula. “Iyanambitheka nayo bo!” esho ngokumangala. Wayejabule kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi ngokushesha waqala ukushaya unyawo phansi nokushaya izithupha zakhe.

Kungalesi sikhathi lapho uDumi aphenduka khona, wadansa indlela yonke ebuyela emzini wezimbila, ecula njengoba ehamba nje: “Imvula! Imvula! Ngiyayithanda imvula! Imvula! Imvula! Imvula!”

UDumi wafika emzini wezimbila ilanga selishona. Azikho izimbila ezambonayo – zonke zazicashele imvula ngaphansi kwamadwala amakhulu. UDumi wayengenandaba. Wayesekwejwayele ukuba yedwa, noma kunjalo, wayezizwa ejabule kabi! Wadla amacembe ambalwa njengesidlo sakusihlwa, wakhasela ngaphansi kwesihlahla futhi waphinde wazumeka, walala futhi.

Lapho uDumi evuka, imvula yayisinqamukile nomuzi usubukeka kahle, uqabulekile. Lapho ilanga liphuma, ukhaphethi wezimbali eziphinki ngokugqamile waqhakaza.

“Yoyoyo!” kwasho yena, eqalaza ngapha nangapha.

Ngaso leso sikhathi, zonke ezinye izimbila zeza kuye. Zaziphikelele echibini ziyogeza. Zamangala nje ukubona uDumi omusha, ohlanzekile, onuka kamnandi!

“Dumi! Kwenzekeni?” zabuza zonke, zimzungeza. Kodwa esikhundleni sokuthi akhulume, uDumi waqala ukushaya izithupha zakhe nokushaya phansi ngonyawo lwakhe … ngokushesha wayesegida, ecula. Zonke izimbila zahlanganyela naye, ngenkathi seziphikelele echibini: “Imvula! Imvula! Siyayithanda imvula! Imvula! Imvula! Imvula!”

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Nikeza izingane zakho iziqephu ezinkulu zephepha bese uphakamisa ukuthi zidwebe isithombe sokuthi uDumi Mbila wayezizwa kanjani mayelana namanzi ekuqaleni noma ekugcineni kwendaba – noma kukho kokubili!