Kwake kwabakhona inkhosana ligama layo bekunguShukela. Inkhosana Shukela yetsiwa leligama ngenca yelutsandvo lwayo lwemibhako lemnandzi lenongotelako njengemakhekhe, emabhisikithi, emathathi, emadonathi, nabophudingi. Inkhosana Shukela beyonakele kangangekutsi beyingababeli nebantfwana balesigodzi umbhako wayo lomnandzi lonongotelako.

“Kute lodla emakhekhe ami! Uyevisisa Mary? Lowo ngumtsetfo!” kwasho Inkhosana Shukela kulombhaki wasebukhosini. “Lamakhekhe, emabhisikithi nemathathi konkhe kwami futsi mine ngedvwa.”

Ngalelinye lilanga kwefika umbhaki kulesigodzi. Wacala wapha bonkhe bantfwana tincetu temakhekhe nemabhisikithi. Ngesikhatsi Inkhosana Shukela iva ngaloku, yatfukutsela kakhulu yase itfumela bogadzi bayo kutsi bambophe lombhaki bese bammikisa kuyo.

“Usitsatsaphi sibindzi lesingaka sekungena esigodzini sami bese ucala upha bantfwana umbhako lomnandzi. Kuphambene nemtsetfo!” kumemeta Inkhosana Shukela ngekutfukutsela.

“Wena Waphakatsi, ngiyacolisa ngempela. Ngicela ungivumele ngilungise liphutsa lami ngekutsi ngibhakele wena wedvwa,” kwaphendvula lombhaki ligama lakhe lelalingu-Awande. “Ngitakubhakela umbhako lomusha lomnandzi onkhe emalanga. Lombhako lomnandzi lengiwubhakako ukhetsekile. Ufanele kutsi uwudle wonkhe lombhako ngelilanga.”

“Kunjalo, ngitawukhona kucedza umbhako lomnandzi onkhe emalanga!” kwasho Inkhosana ngebukhali.

“Kuhle kakhulu loko,” kwaphendvula Awande amoyitela.

Ngako-ke, onkhe emalanga ekuseni, Inkhosana Shukela beyitfola umbhako lomnandzi lomusha, labekawushwabudzela ngekushesha awucedze. Ekuhambeni kwemalanga, lombhako lomnandzi wabonakala kungatsi sewuya ngekuba mnandzi ngalokwendlulele futsi uba mukhulu kakhulu. Inkhosana Shukela yajabula kakhulu, futsi yawacedza onkhe lamakhekhe lamnandzi, emabhisikithi nemathathi ngaphandle kwekwabela bantfwana bakulesigodzi ngisho lucetwana-nje.

Kepha lapho lombhako lomnandzi uya ngekuba mkhulu kakhulu, Inkhosana Shukela yatfola kutsi angeke isakhona kukucedza. Kwadzingeka kutsi awugcine encenyeni lesitsele yalesigodlo kute kutsi Awande angete ati kutsi akasawucedzi lombhako wakhe lomnandzi onkhe emalanga.

Emva kwemaviki lambalwa, Inkhosana Shukela abesagcine umbhako wakhe lokumnandzi lomningi kangangekutsi besekute lomunye lotawenela kulendzawo lesitsele. Ngako-ke wabita tisebenti takhe naMary, lombhaki wasebukhosini, wabese ubatjela kutsi abawulahle lomunye walombhako lomnandzi.

“Yentani siciniseko kwekutsi Awande akaniboni nenta loku,” waba nika umtsetfo.

Ngako-ke, ngakusasa ekuseni Mary naletisebenti betfwala lombhako lomnandzi lebewusele bayowufaka ekhatsi ehlatsini lelingemuva kwalesigodlo. Kodvwa kwenteka intfo lemangalisako: ngalobo busuku, ngesikhatsi bonkhe balele, wonkhe lombhako lomnandzi lobewulahlwe ehlatsini wabonakala esigodlweni!

Ngekusa ekuseni, Awande, umbhaki, wefika nembhako lomnandzi lomusha, wafuna kubona Inkhosana Shukela ngemandla.

“Ucabange kutsi ngingeke ngati uma ulahle lombhako wami lomnandzi? Awuzange uvuma kudla wonkhe lombhako lomnandzi lengikutfumela wona ngekuphela kwelilanga. Ngakwecwayisa ekucaleni kutsi umbhako wami lomnandzi ukhetsekile futsi nekutsi kufanele uwucedze wonkhe,” kwasho Awande ngekutfukutsela.

Inkhosana Shukela yacala yeva yesaba kancane nesisu sakhe saba sengatsi siyagula kancane, kodvwa wadla waphindzaphindza wawucedza lombhako losele nalona abewuletsile Awande ngalelo langa.

“Angisawujabuleli lombhako lomnandzi,” kwasho Inkhosana Shukela ngakusasa ekuseni ngesikhatsi Awande efika nembhako lomnandzi wangalelo langa.

“Sitsembiso, sitsembiso, wena Waphakathi,” kwasho Awande.

Inkhosana Shukela yabukeka ilusizi. “Yini lengingakwenta kukumisa lokungibhakela lombhako lomnandzi onkhe emalanga?” kwabuta Inkhosana Shukela.

“Ubitwa ngekutsi uyiNkhosana Shukela ngoba utsandza tintfo letinongoteleko. Kantsi, ngenca yemitsetfo yakho, labanye bantfwana abakwati kunongotela,” kwaphendvula Awande. “Ngako-ke, ufanele kutsi udle uphindzaphindze lombhako lomnandzi, kute kunongotele lemilomo yalabantfwana.” Ngekucedza kusho loko, lombhaki wagucuka wahamba waphuma kulesigodlo, washiya likhekhe lelikhulu lelimnandzi leNkhosana Shukela kutsi ilidle.

Inkhosana Shukela yacabanga yacabanga ngaloku lokushiwo ngu-Awande kodvwa ayizange ikuvisisa. Imilomo yalabantfwana itawunongotela njani nangabe bekungiyo yodvwa lebeyidla lombhako lomnandzi wa-Awande? Ngako-ke, lenkhosana yahamba yaya engadzeni lapho bekuthule khona. bekafuna kucabanga indlela yekumisa Awande kutsi angabe asayiletsela umbhako lomnandzi onkhe emalanga.

Isahamba, libhola letinyawo landiza ngetulu kwelubondza loludze lwengadze laye layowela ehlashaneni. Lokulandzelako kwavela umfanyana lomncane longcolile ngetulu kwalolubondza atotsatsa lebhola. Ngesikhatsi abona Inkhosana Shukela, waphose wawa ngenca yekwetfuka.

“Wena Waphakathi, ngiyacolisa. Ngite-nje kutotsatsa lebhola,” kwasho lomfana lowetfukile.

Inkhosana Shukela beyiphisheke kakhulu icabanga lisu lekumisa lokutfola lombhako lomnandzi kangangobe yakhohlwa kutfukutsela.

“Ngaphambi kwekutsatsa lebhola yakho,” kwasho yona, “ngicela ungitjele kutsi yini lengenta umlomo wakho unongotele.”

“Tintfo letentiwe ngashukela wena Waphakathi,” kwasho lomfanyana ngemahloni. “Emakhekhe, emadonathi nemabhisikithi – tonkhe tintfo lesingakavunyelwa kutsi sitidle.”

Lomfanyana wabukeka alusizi ngesikhatsi asho loku yaze Inkhosana Shukela yativa inemahloni. Yatibona kwekucala-ngca kutsi beyinemona ingabacabangeli kangakanani labanye bantfu. Abenembhako lomnandzi lomnyenti kakhulu labengasawujabuleli, kodvwa labantfwana balesigodzi bebangakaze banambitse intfo lenongotelako sikhatsi lesidze kakhulu.

Lenkhosana yasheshisa yabuyela esigodlweni yase itfumela kutsi kubitwe Awande.

“Awande,” kwasho yena, “Benginemona ngingacabangelani futsi ngikhohlakele. Ngitsandza kuba nelidzili lebantfu balesigodzi. Ngicela kutsi ubhake umbhako wakho lomnandzi ubhakele labantfwana nebatali babo futsi. Kusuka namuhla, wonkhe wonkhe angatidla tintfo letinongotelako nabatsandza kutidla.”

Awande wamoyitela. “Ngentfokoto, wena Waphakathi!” kwasho yena, futsi wabhaka lamahle kakhulu nalamnandzi kwendlula emakhekhe, emabhisikithi nemathathi labantfu balesigodzi labebangakate sebawabone noma bawanambitse. Futsi bawadla, baphindze bawadla baze baneliseka.

Ngakusasa ekuseni, Awande, umbhaki, abesanyamalele futsi kwangatfolakali neluhala lwekutsi ushonephi. Inkhosana Shukela yachubeka nekwentela bantfu balesigodzi emadzili – kodvwa manje besekubhaka yena naMary ngekwabo.