Yayilusuku olumnandi, olungaxakekanga ngasemlanjeni. Yonke into yayithe cwaka. Ingxolo ekuphela kwayo yayinguNtakazana etswitswizela phantsi logama wayecoca amazinyo kaMvubu amakhulu, amcaba.

UMvubu wayekonwabele ukuba amazinyo akhe acocwe. Wayelele intloko ingaphandle kwamanzi, umlomo ewuvule ng’a. Ilanga lalimfudumezile kwathi engazanga, wozela walala. Waphupha ngesicuku esikhulu sengca enencasa sidadela ngakuye, waza, ephupheni lakhe, waluma kakhulu waza waginya.

“Utye uNtakazana!” Ilizwi lamvusa uMvubu esoyika. Yayingomnye wemikholwane. Wawukhangeleka unomsindo kakhulu! Ubuso bawo obupinki babujika busiba bomvu!

“Umtyile uNtakazana,” wamemeza kwakhona, ekhomba uMvubu ngephiko lakhe.

“Andisoze!” uMvubu wazithethelela. “Nditya ingca, hayi iintakazana! Ngaphandle koko, uNtakazana ngumhlobo wam! Andinakuze ndimtye!”

“Ndikubonile! Ebecoca amazinyo akho, waza wena wamginya!”

UMvubu wakhumbula iphupha lakhe. Ngoku wayesoyika! Ingaba wayeginye umhlobo wakhe ngempazamo? Waza xa ephuma emanzini, weva isandi esiqhelekileyo sokutswitswiza. YayinguNtakazana!

UMvubu wabhekabheka macala onke ukubona ukuba uphi uNtakazana. Ekugqibeleni, waqonda ukuba isandi sasivela phakathi esiswini sakhe. Wayemginyile umhlobo wakhe!

“Uyabona? Ndikuxelele!” watsho uMkholwane. Umtyile uNtakazana!”

“Ndi… bendingajonganga ku…” wakhala uMvubu. “Kufuneka simhlangule. Kufuneka simkhuphe esiswini sam!”

Ngeli xesha zonke izilwanyana ezihlala ngasemlanjeni zasezisondele ukuzokuqonda ukuba kwakusenzeka ntoni na. Zonke zaqala ukuza namacebo.

“Masithumele iintlanzi ezincinci zihle ziye esiswini sakho. Zingakhokela indlela ukuze uNtakazana adade aphume,” watsho uNkawu. Kodwa zakuva oku, zonke iintlanzi ezincinci zadada zemka.

“Singasebenzisa elinye lamazinyo am ukusika sivule isisu sakho size sisindise uNtakazana,” wacebisa uNgonyama. UMvubu zange acinge ukuba ngumbono omhle lowo.!

“Siza kuthini? UNtakazana akanakuhlala esiswini sam umphelo!” watsho uMvubu. Kodwa zange abe nakucinga amanye amacebo abhetele. Mhlawumbi angasuka avumele uNgonyama asike avule isisu sakhe aze akhuphe uNtakazana. Wayesecicini lokuvumela oku xa uSikhova omdala weza kumhlangula.

“Thobani umoya, nonke,” watsho uSikhova. Bonke baphulaphula. “Ndiphatheleni usiba olukhulu,” wayalela.

Ngokukhawuleza, enye yeentaka yabhabha yehlela apho uMkholwane wayemi khona yaza yabuya nale nto wayeyifunile uSikhova.

“Kwaza kwakuhle!” watsho uSikhova njengoko wayebhabhela emhlabeni phambi koMvubu. “Ngoku khamisa kangangoko unakho, ndaye ndiza kugwencela ndingene!” watsho.

“Musa ukuyenza loo nto! Uza kukutya nawe!” walumkisa uNkawu.

“Hayi, khawuthule!” uSikhova wabaxelela. Kodwa ngokuzola wathi kuMvubu, “Ungakhe ulinge! Nokuba wenza ntoni na, ungawuvali umlomo wakho logama ndiphaya!”

USikhova wagwencela wangena kwimihlathi emikhulu neyoyikekayo kaMvubu! Waza waqala ukunyumbaza umqala kaMvubu ngokuthambileyo ngosiba. Ekuqaleni kwamgigithekisa uMvubu, kodwa ngesaquphe …

“Ghorho … gorho …gorhooooo!” wakhohlela uMvubu, waza uSikhova noNtakazana baphuma ngomlomo bebhabha! Bobabini babevuza ngamathe kaMvubu. UNtakazana wamanga uSikhova waza wakhawuleza waya kwanga noMvubu.