Kudala-dala kwakukho abahlobo abakhulu, indlulamthi kunye nempungutye eneendlebe ngathi ngamalulwane. Babengamachule okweba kwaye kwixesha elininzi bebekunye kungekho nto ingako bayenzayo.

Ngenye imini uMpungutye wayelambile. “Yiza, mhlobo wam,” watsho kuNdlulamthi. “Masinqumle umlambo siye kuba ukutya kula fama iphaya.”

“Ucinge kakuhle ngqo!” yatsho indlulamthi, ikhotha imilebe yayo. “Ndibawela ivatala enencasa.”

Indlulamthi nempungutye zanqumla umlambo. Impungutye yabambelela nkqi entanyeni ende yendlulamthi kuba yayingakwazi kuqubha.

Kwelinye icala lomlambo, impungutye ekrelekrele yavula umngxuma ecingweni lomlimi ngamazinyo ayo abukhali. Impungutye nendlulamthi zakwazi ukuzinyanzela zithe cwaka kuloo mngxuma osecingweni ukuze ziyo kweba ukutya kwelinye icala. Impungutye yeba amaqanda amahlanu ehokweni yezikhukukazi yaze indlulamthi yahlafuna kwiindawo ezinelethasi, yayisaqalisa ukutya ivatala enencasa xa impungutye yasuka yaphakamisela impumlo yayo phezulu esibhakabhakeni yakhala.

“Shhhhh,” yafutha indlulamthi itshicela impungutye ngamasuntswana evatala.

“Uthetha ukuthini xa usithi, ‘shhhhh’?” yabuza impungutye isula amabhovu ayo. “Ndiyacula qho xa ndigqiba ukutya. Lisiko lam elo.”

“Hayi ke, ndilinde ndigqibe ivatala yam,” yambombozela indlulamthi. “Kungenjalo umlimi uza kukuva eze afike asigxothe.”

Impungutye yadikwa kukulinda. Yaphinda yaphakamisela impumlo yayo phezulu esibhakabhakeni yaqalisa ukucula, “Owoooooooo!”

Umlimi wayesitya isidlo sakhe sasemini xa wayesiva impungutye ikhala. Waphumela phandle ephethe intonga yakhe enkulu. Impungutye yambona esiza, yaze ngokukhawuleza, yaphuma emngxunyeni osecingweni yabe seyinyamalele umlimi engekayiboni.

Usizana lwendlulamthi, kwelinye icala, lwalumi lungxabalaze ngemilenze yayo yangaphambili lusonwabela ivatala yayo yokugqibela. Ithe yakubona umlimi esiza, yazama ukusukuma ukuze ibaleke, kodwa imilenze yayo yasuka yaphithana yaze yawa.

“Ungaze, ungaze uphinde undibele kwakhona!” wakhwaza umlimi, eyibetha ngentonga yakhe indlulamthi.

Yathi yakukwazi ukubaleka indlulamthi ekugqibeleni, yabe seyinemivumbo umzimba wonke kwaye iqumbele impungutye. Yaqhwalela ukuya ngasemlanjeni apho impungutye yayisabiwe bubuthongo khona phantsi kwetyholo.

“Umhlobo onguye!” yangxola indlulamthi, yatsho yavuka impungutye. “Ndiyakubulela ngokucula kwakho kuba ndibethwe ndamnyama nazuba.”

“Musa ukucaphuka,” yatsho impungutye. “Ndikuxelele ukuba ndicula qho ndakugqiba ukutya. Ngoku masinqumle umlambo sigoduke.”

Impungutye yabambelela entanyeni yendlulamthi yangena emanzini. Yakuba indlulamthi ifike kweyona ndawo inzulu yomlambo, yathi kwimpungutye, “Ndiza kuhlamba ke ngoku. Ndiva ubushushu kwaye ndidubekile ngenxa yokubethwa.”

“Akunakuyenza loo nto!” yatsho impungutye, iyithe ntsho indlulamthi ithe phuhlu iingqanda zamehlo. “Ukuba ungangena phantsi kwamanzi, ndiza kurhaxwa! Kaloku andikwazi kuqubha!”

“Kodwa kunyanzelekile ukuba ndihlambe,” yatsho indlulamthi. “Lisiko lam elo.” Yathi yakutsho, yathi dyumpu emanzini indlulamthi. Impungutye yarhoxozela ibetha ngamandla ngamathupha ayo.

“Nceda! Nceda! Ndiyarhaxwa!” yakhala impungutye.

Indlulamthi yayikhathazwe kukubethwa, kodwa yaba nosizi xa ibukele impungutye itshiza emanzini. Impungutye yayingumhlobo wayo.

Indlulamthi yafaka intloko phantsi kwamanzi yaze yaphakamisa impungutye ngentloko ukuze iyibeke entanyeni yayo. Yakhohlela impungutye itsarhiwe seyithe nca kwindlulamthi ukuze isindise ubomi bayo. Bathi bakufika kwelinye icala lomlambo, impungutye yacinga ngento eyenze umhlobo wayo. “Ndlulamthi?” yatsho ngelecawa.

“Ewe, Mpungutye,” yaphendula indlulamthi.

“Ndicela uxolo ngokukuphatha kakubi kangaka. Ndibonile ukuba into ondenze yona uyenze ngenxa yendlela endiqale ndakuphatha kakubi ngayo,” watsho uMpungutye.

Wanqwala uNdlulamthi. “Kunjalo,” watsho. “Bendiziphindezela kuwe ngenxa yento ondenze yona kuqala.”
 

“Uxolo,” yatsho impungutye.

Ngoko ke, impungutye nendlulamthi zazifunde ukuba kubalulekile ukuphatha abanye ngendlela esifuna ukuphathwa ngayo, kwaze ukususela ngaloo mini, zenza ngolo hlobo. Kude kube namhlanje, zisengabahlobo abakhulu.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Emva kokuba ufunde elithi Indlulamthi nempungutye, thetha nabantwana bakho ngendlela abathanda ukuphathwa ngayo ngabahlobo babo uze usebenzise izimvo zabo ukubhala uluhlu kunye nabo olubizwa ngale ndlela, iindlela ezili-10 zokuba ngumhlobo olungileyo.