Kwesukasukela, kwakukhona indlulamithi kanye nempungushe enamadlebe afana nawelulwane ezazingabangani abahle. Zombili zazinekhono elihle lokweba kanti zazichitha isikhathi esiningi zindawonye zenza okungalungile.

Ngolunye usuku uMpungushe wayezizwa elambile. “Woza, mngani wami,” esho kuNdlulamithi. “Masiwele umfula sintshontshe ukudla epulazini elingaleya ngaphesheya.”

“Wumbono omuhle lowo!” kwasho indlulamithi, ikhotha izindebe zayo zomlomo. “Ungathi sengiyalinambitha ikhabe.”

Indlulamithi nempungushe zawuwela umfula. Impungushe yabambelela yaqinisa entanyeni yendlulamithi ngoba yayingakwazi ukubhukuda.

Ngaphesheya komfula, impungushe ehlakaniphileyo yavula imbobo ocingweni lomlimi ngamazinyo ayo abukhali. Emva kwalokho impungushe nendlulamithi zazimpintsha ngokuthula ocingweni ukuze zintshontshe ukudla okukolunye uhlangothi. Impungushe yantshontsha amaqanda amahlanu esidlekeni sesikhukhukazi kanti indlulamithi yazihlafunela ulethisi. Yathi lapho isithi izitika ngekhabe eliconsisa amathe kanti impungushe isizophakamisa ikhala layo ilibhekise phezulu esibhakabhakeni maqede ibubule.

“Shhhhh,” kuhleba indlulamithi iphimisela izicucu zekhabe emzimbeni wempungushe.

“Usho ukuthini uma uthi, ‘shhhhh’?” kubuza impungushe yesula izindevu zayo. “Ngiyacula njalo uma sengiqedile ukudla. Kuyisiko lami nje.”

“Kulungile, ngilinde-ke ngiqede ikhabe lami,” kuhlafuna indlulamithi. “Uma kungenjalo umlimi uzokuzwa bese eza ezosixosha.”

Impungushe yayisikhathele ukulinda. Yaphinda yaliphakamisa ikhala layo maqede yaqala ukucula, “Owoooooooo!”

Umlimi wayesazidlela isidlo sasemini ngenkathi ezwa impungushe ishaya umkhulungwane. Wagijima waphumela phandle nenduku yakhe enkulu. Impungushe yambona eza, njengoba ishesha kakhulu, yagijima kakhulu ingena emgodini ocingweni kwabe iyanyamalala emehlweni ngaphambi kokuthi umlimi ayibone.

Indlulamithi bandla, ngakolunye uhlangothi, yayimile igxamalazile, isazama ukuthokozela isigaxana sokugcina sekhabe. Ngenkathi ibona umlimi eza, yazama ukusukuma bese iyabaleka, kodwa imilenze yayo yaphambana, yakhubeka, yawa.

“Ungaphinde, ungaphinde ungintshontshele futhi!” kumemeza umlimi, eshaya indlulamithi ngenduku.

Ngenkathi indlulamithi iphunyula ekugcineni, yayisinemivimbo kuwo wonke umzimba wayo kanti yayithukuthelele impungushe. Yaxhuga ibheke emfuleni lapho impungushe yayihonqa khona ngaphansi kwesihlahla.

“Lo mngani onguyena!” kuthetha indlulamithi, ivusa impungushe. “Ngiyabonga ngokucula kwakho, mina ngishaywe ngimabokoboko.”

“Ungacasuki,” kwasho impungushe. “Ngikutshelile ukuthi ngiyacula njalo uma sengikuqedile ukudla kwami. Manje, masiwele umfula sibuyele ekhaya.”

Impungushe yabambelela entanyeni yendlumithi, indlulamithi yabhukuda ingena emfuleni. Indlulamithi yathi lapho isifika engxenyeni ejule kakhulu yomfula, yathi kumpungushe, “Sengizogeza manje. Ngizwa konke ukushisa futhi ngikhathazekile ngemuva kokuthi ngishayiwe.”

“Awukwazi!” kwasho impungushe, ibuka indlulamithi ngamehlo amakhulu. “Uma ungena ngaphansi kwamanzi, ngizominza! Angikwazi ukubhukuda!”

“Kodwa kumele ngigeze,” kwasho indlulamithi. “Yisiko lami.” Yathi ingasho njalo, indlulamithi yaziphonsa ngaphansi kwamanzi. Impungushe yagwiliza yashaya izidladla zayo.

“Sizani! Sizani! Ngiyaminza!” kukhala impungushe.

Indlulamithi yayicasukile ngokushaywa kwayo, kodwa yaphatheka kabi ukubuka impungushe igwiliza izungeza emanzini. Phela impungushe kwakungumngani wayo. 

Indlulamithi yafaka ikhanda layo ngaphansi kwamanzi yase isebenzisa lona ukuqukula impungushe ukuze ibuyele entanyeni yayo. Impungushe yayikhwehlela futhi ixhililwe, yabambelela entanyeni yendlulamithi ukuze iphephise impilo yayo. Ngenkathi sezifika ngaphesheya komfula, impungushe yacabanga ngeyayikwenze kumngani wayo. “Ndlulamithi?” esho ngeliphansi. 

“Yebo, Mpungushe,” kuphendula indlulamithi.

“Ngiyaxolisa ngokukuphatha kabi. Ngiyabona ukuthi okwenze kimi kungenxa yendlela embi engikuphathe ngayo phambilini,” kusho uMpungushe. 

UNdlulamithi wanqekuzisa ikhanda. “Kunjalo,” kusho yena. “Bengiphindisela ngalokho okwenze kimi.”

“Uxolo,” kwasho impungushe.

Nokho-ke, impungushe nendlulamithi zazifundile ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi uphathe abanye ngendlela esifuna ukuphathwa ngayo nathi, kanti ukusukela ngalelo langa, zazenza kanjalo. Futhi, kuze kube namuhla, zisengabangani abakhulu.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Ngemuva kokufunda Indlulamithi nempungushe, khuluma nezingane zakho mayelana nokuthi zithanda ukuphathwa kanjani ngabangani bazo bese usebenzisa iziphakamiso zazo ukubhala uhlu ngokuhlanganyela olubizwa ngokuthi, Izindlela eziyi-10 zokuba umngani omuhle.