Iminenke ehlala engadini kaMama uMondliwa beyingakathabi nakancani.

“NGIDINIWE” kubalabala uMnenke uSlimy.

“Nami ngidiniwe,” kutjho uSpeedy umnganakhe omkhulu. “Kubayini thina singathandwa ngezinye iingogwana zengadi le?”

“Iyangisilinga indlela esiphathwa ngayo le,” kuraga uSlimy.

“Iye, kanti thina senzeni engaka?” kubuza uSpeedy.

“Nginombono. Asibuthele yoke iminenke siyokunghonghoyila kwezinye iingogwana.” Kutjho uSlimy eza nombono.

“Mbono omuhle loyo,” kuvuma uSpeedy. “Sizozitjela bona nathi sifuna ukuthandwa.”

Ngakusasa kwakhona, uSpeedy noSlimy nayo yoke iminenke yahlangana ngaphasi kwesihlala sameva bona ikhulume nezinye iingogwana.

“Siminenke sisoke nje sifuna ukuhlonitjhwa,” kutjho uSpeedy. “Sifuna bona noke nje nisithande.”

“AKUKGHONAKALI!” kubabaza uViyaviyani. “Iminenke ilitshwenyo.”

“KUNJALO!” kuvuma uNyosi. “Iminenke kufuze iphele endaweni.”

“Niyatshwenya,” kutjho uSbungu.

“Senzeni okumbi?” kubuza uSlimy.

“UTHINI? Qala isibazi esisenyaweni lameli,” kutjho uNtethe. “Niyazi ngasithola njani? Ngeminenke! Nina nikhamba ninenkezela amafinyela yoke indawo le siwagadange sitjhelele siwe besilimale. Niyazi bona amafinyelenu la atjhelela kangangani?”

“Thina abanye sibancancani, sanamathela emafinyelenenu la asisanamathuluki,” kutjho iNdlovukazi uTjhontjhwani.

“Awa-ke!” kubabaza iminenke. “Thina besingazi.”

“Akupheleli lapho,” kuraga uSbungu. “Niyazi bona nibanga umjeje ongangani endleleni?

Phela nina nikhamba kancani khulu.”

“Akupheleli lapho,” kuraga uViyaviyani. “Akhenilise ukudla amabhlomu, siyanibawa.

Nimotjha ingadi yethu ehle.”

Iminenke yathoma ukuzizwa kabuhlungu. Beyingazi bona ibanga imiraro engaka.

Iminenke emincani yazizwa kabuhlungu kangangobana beyalila.

“Akunanto ehle na eyenziwa minenke?” kubuza uSlimy.

Zathula ezinye iingogwana. Zacabanga, zacabangisisa bona kungaba yini ehle iminenke eyiyenzako.

Ekugcineni, uViyaviyani wathi, “AWA! Ngiyacolisa, kodwana nina minenke niyatshwenya. Abe akunanto nayinye ehle eniyenzako.”

“Eqinisweni, mina ngicabanga ukuthi yoke iminenke ikhambe engadinapha. Soke nje sesidiniwe!” kuraga uVeremu, ngitjho nanyana naye akhamba atjhiya amafinyela.

“IMINENKE AYIKHAMBE! AYIKHAMBE!” zatjho iingogwana zitjhagala.

“Jamani, jamani,” kutjho uSlimy. “Sinikeleni ithuba.”

“Iye,” kutjho uSpeedy. “Sinikeleni ithuba sinitjengise bona nathi kunento ehle esingayenza.”

Zacabanga isikhatjhana iingogwana. “Kulungile-ke,” zatjho zivuma. “Ninamalanga amabili enizositjengisa ngawo ukuthi kunento ehle eningayenza, nakungasinjalo, akube yindlela!”

Kwathi ngemva kokuthi iingogwana zibuyele lapha zihlala khona engadini, iminenke yahlala phasi, yacabanga, yacabangisisa.

“Kungaba njani nasingafunda ukugijima?” kutjho uSpeedy eza nombono.

“Mbono omuhle loyo,” kuvuma uSlimy. “Izani-ke minenke sijimeni!” Iminenke yajima ilanga loke, kodwana kwabhala ukugijima.

“Awa-ke!” kwatjho umnenke olupheleko. “Sisalindeni? Asize neqhinga elizokwenza ezinye iingogwana zisithande.”

“Naku enginakho engqondweni!” kutjho uSlimy. “Kunokuthi sidle amabhlomu asidle ikhula.”

“Kulungile!” kuvuma abanye. Nakuya iminenke irhiribidelana nekhula engadini.

“Awa-ke, lokhu kona angekhe kusisebenzele. Ikhula LIMBI, alidleki!” kwatjho uSpeedy ngemva kwesikhatjhana.

Iminenke yadana khulu. Abanye besele bathutha imizabo bakhamba.

“Mina ngineqhinga,” kutjho uSimphiwe ahleka, umnenke omncani kunabo boke. Ngibawa sihlanganeni soke phezulu esidulini.”

“Uyahlanya? Uyazi bona kuzasithatha ilanga loke ukukhwela isiduleso,” kutjho uSlimy

“Ngibawa ningithembe,” kutjho uSimphiwe.

Adlula amalanga amabili yakhwela beyafika esitlhorini sesiduli. Ezinye iingogwana zahlangana phasi ekuthomeni kwesiduli ukuze zibone bonyana iminenke yenzani.

“Ngiliphi iqhinga oza nalo?” zifuna ukwazi.

“Eh, em …” kutjho uSimphiwe.

“Khuluma,” kutjho ezinye iingogwana.

“Nizosivumela bona sihlale naningabona lokho esikwenzileko,” kutjho uSimphiwe.

Ezinye iingogwana zajama tsi, zisolo ziqale uSimphiwe.

“Nakho-ke,” kwatjho uSimphiwe atjhidela hlanu komkhuphukela wesiduli. “Sinenzele naku UMTJHIBIRIGO ngamafinyela weminenke yoke.

Kwathuleka isikhatjhana njengombana zoke iingogwana zicabanga ngento le.

“KULUNGILE!” zatjho zivuma. “Akhesibone bona unjani.”

Bakwenza lokho. Zoke iingogwana zadlhegana njengombana zitjhibiriga. Bekumnandi khulu. Zoke iingogwana ziwuthandile umtjhibirigo, bekwaquntwa nokobana iminenke ingasakhambi engadini!