Kudala-dala, imbalela egqugqisayo yomisa yonke imijelo yamanzi, imilambo, amaqula nemithombo. Loo mbalela yajika ilizwe eli lonke layintlango eqhumayo. Iintubi zanqwamza onke amagqabi emithana kwakunye nengca, zaza izilwanyana zanyanzeleka ukuba zihlafune amagqabi omileyo ukuba nje zihlale ziphilile.
Kuba ubomi babunzima, kwafuneka ukuba izilwanyana zidibane ukuze zithethe ngale ngxaki izehleleyo. Zathetha ke, zixoxa, zancwina, zandumzela, zenjenjeyaa, zada ekugqibeleni zavumelana ngokuba indlela yokufumana amanzi, yayikukuba zembe iqula elinzulu. NguMvundla yedwa ke owala ukuthatha inxaxheba kuloo msebenzi.
“Hayi! Icebo lenu alisayi kusebenza konke,” watsho uMvundla, “ngoko ke andisayi kuzimoshela xesha mna, ndisemba.”
“Xa kunjalo ke nathi asizukwabelana nawe ngamanzi wethu!” zatsho ezinye izilwanyana.
UMvundla wavele nje wahleka, kodwa ezinye izilwanyana zona zaziqinisekile ukuba icebo lazo laliza kusebenza.
Kwangalo mini, izilwanyana zehla zaya entlanjeni, apho umhlaba wawusezantsi kakhulu khona. UNgonyama waqalisa ukwemba umngxuma. Kwaza ke, esinye emva kwesinye, izilwanyana zangena emngxunyeni ukuya kwemba – zonke nje ngaphandle koMvundla noFudwazana.
UMvundla wahlala kufuphi, ezihleka izilwanyana. Zange afune ukwemba kwaye akuzange kubekho mntu umnyanzelayo. Kodwa kwakohlukile kuFudwazana – wayesithi xa erhubuluza esiya kwemba, ezinye izilwanyana zingamvumeli ukuba embe.
“Hayi, Fudwazana,” zatsho. “Ucotha kakhulu. Uza kusichithela ixesha elininzi!”
Zanqengqeleka iinyanga. Kwakukudala kakhulu zisemba kwaza ekugqibeleni umngxuma wanzulu kakhulu ... kodwa kwabe kungekho nethontsi eli lamanzi.
“Ha! Ha! Ha! Bendinixelele!” wahleka waqikileka uMvundla. “Akukho manzi phaya ezantsi!”
“Unyanisile,” yatsho inxagu kwiqwarhashe. “Masivele sincame!
“Hayi, masiqhube. Siza kuwafumana amanzi,” watsho uFudwazana.
“Ngumnqweno nje lowo!” wahleka uMvundla.
Ngosuku ngalunye, uFudwazana wayebukela ezolile xa ezinye izilwanyana zibolekisana ngokwemba. Lahamba ixesha, kwembiwa ngakumbi, kodwa akwabikho phawu lwamanzi.
Ngolunye usuku olwalunqanqaza ukutshisa oku, xa zonke izilwanyana zazilele, zidinwe lelo langa litshisayo, kufutshane nomgxuma onzulu, owomileyo, uFudwazana wabuza kwakhona ukuba akangembi na naye. Asikho nasinye isilwanyana esamphendulayo. Ezinye zazidinwe kakhulu, zikhathazekile kwaye zingakhathalele kuphendula loo ntshwaqane wayeyithetha. Uninzi lwazo zazizilelele nje zibilile, zimbombozela kobo buthongo bazo.
UFudwazana wacothoza waya emngxunyeni waza waqalisa ukwemba. Umhlaba wawuqine okwelitye, kodwa waqhubeka ephanda-phanda, ephosa umhlaba owomileyo ngasemva. “Ndiyaphanda, ndiyaphanda ukuze ndifumane amanzi,” wadanduluka ecula njalo lo gama wayesemba. “Akululanga, kodwa kuza kulunga!”
Ngokukhawuleza waqamba ingonyana ukuzikhuthaza ukuba aqhubeke embe. UFudwazana wayicula eyiphinda-phinda:
“Ndiyaphanda ndiyaphanda Ndiphandela amanzi, Ndiza kwemba, ndembe, ndembe Ndaye ndiza kuwafumana la manzi.”
Emva kwexesha, uMvundla weza ethe chu. Wathi akuva la mazwi ephuma emngxunyeni, watsho esingakanani sona isiqhazolo sentsini. Oku kwavusa nezinye izilwanyana. Ngomgqumo omkhulu womsindo, uNgonyama watsibela emngxunyeni, hlasi uFudwazana wamphosa kwinqumba yomhlaba okufutshane nomngxuma.
“Yho-o-o!” wakhala lo gama esiya kuthi bhaxa phaya phantsi. “Asibobulungisa obu! Nam ndiyafuna ukwemba!”
“Musa ukumosha ixesha lethu apha! Dlala phaya emhlabeni okufuphi nomngxuma,” watsho uNgonyama kabukhali, nto leyo yenza watsho walila uFudwazana.
Ezinye izilwanyana zamsizela uFudwazana okhaliphileyo nomncinci.
“Mnike ithuba naye!” wacenga njalo uMpunzi. “Ewe,” watsho uNdlulamthi, “myeke akhe azame!”
Engenzanga nelimdaka, uNgonyama waphuma emngxunyeni wadedela uFudwazana. Ngokucotha, wazisula iinyembezi zakhe waza watsibela emngxunyeni kwakhona. Kwakhona, waqalisa wemba, ecula:
“Ndiyaphanda ndiyaphanda Ndiphandela amanzi, Ndiza kwemba, ndembe, ndembe Ndaye ndiza kuwafumana la manzi.”
UMvundla noNkawu baqikaqikeka behleka.
UNgonyama wazinzisa isingci sakhe esaye sele sime nkqo, waza wancuma. “Bendinixelele ukuba yinkcitha xesha nje le!” watsho.
UMkhombe wasondela ngaphambilana ukuze akrobe emngxunyeni ... ngequbuliso, TSHWAAA! udaka olumanzi lwabhabha ukuphuma emngxunyeni lwambetha ebusweni!
“Lumka, uza kuphanyaza amehlo am!” wakhwaza esogquma ubuso bakhe, kodwa ezinye izilwanyana zaqaphela ukuba umhlaba umanzi.
“Amanzi!” zakhwaza zonke. “UFudwazana uwafumene amanzi!”
Izilwanyana zagilana, zishiyisana, iseso sizama ukuya kufika kuqala equleni apho amanzi ayesonyuka etsaza khona. Izilwanyana ezikhulu zatyhiliza abahlobo bazo abancinane ukuba basuke endleleni, kodwa uNdlovu omkhulukazi wayemkhulu ngaphezu kwazo zonke izilwanyana. Wathatha amathamo amakhulu nje ambalwa, wawasela onke loo manzi waza waqalisa, wemba amanye. Ezinye izilwanyana zanelwa nje kukukhalaza zindumzela – okanye ziqhwaye umhlaba lowo umanzi ukuze zifumane amaqabazana nje ambalwa amanzi.
UNdlovu wemba ngokukhuthala, ekhupha kwaye ephosa iimbumba ngeembumba zodaka lomhlaba lowo. Kwahle kwacaca ukuba ngokuya ekhupha ezo mbumba zodaka, loo mhlaba wawuya usoma ngokoma, wada ekugqibeleni woma nko.
Izilwanyana zawubukela loo mbono kalusizi. Ngokucothayo, zaguqukela kuFudwazana owayezihlelele buqelela kuzo.
“Ndlovu!” wakhwaza uMkhombe. “Phuma apho!”
“Fudwazana! Fudwazana!” izilwanyana zakhwazela phezulu. “Yiza wethu, sincede!”
Waza uFudwazana wacothoza ukubuyela apho emngxunyeni, waza waqalisa ukwemba ecula ingoma yakhe kwakhona:
“Ndiyaphanda ndiyaphanda Ndiphandela amanzi, Ndiza kwemba, ndembe, ndembe Ndaye ndiza kuwafumana la manzi.”
Kweli ityeli nezinye izilwanyana zangenelela:
“Uyaphanda, uyaphanda uphandela amanzi ...”
Akuzange kube kudala phambi kokuba uFudwazana aqalise ukuphosela ngaphandle udaka olumanzi. Waza wanqumama ekuqhwayeni umhlaba, wabhekela kude. Amanzi acocekileyo nabandayo abhobhoza enyuka, ezalisa iqula.
Izilwanyana zacula zaxhentsa, zaza zasela amanzi kangangoko zazifuna. NoMvundla nawo wangenelela – kwaye, kuba zonke izilwanyana zazonwabile, zalibaba nokumgxotha. UFudwazana wayebasindise bonke!
