Kwaye kukho inkosana eyayinegama elinguSwekile. INkosana uSwekile yathiywa elo gama ngenxa yothando lwayo lwezimuncumuncu eziswiti ezifana neekeyiki, iibhisikithi, iikeyiki ezineziqhamo, iidowunathi neepudini. INkosana uSwekile wayetefiswe kangangokuba wayengenakuze abelane nabanye abantwana belali ngezimuncumuncu zakhe.
“Akukho mntu utya iikeyiki zam! Uyaqonda, Mary? Lo ngumthetho!” watsho uNkosana uSwekile ebhekisa kumbhaki wasebhotwe. “Iikeyiki, iibhisikithi, neekeyiki ezineziqhamo zonke zezam ndodwa.”
Ngenye imini, umbhaki omtsha ongaziwayo wafika elalini. Waqalisa ukunika bonke abantwana izilayi zekeyiki neebhisikithi. Wathi uNkosana uSwekile akuva ngale nto, wacaphuka kakhulu waza wathumela oonogada bakhe ukuba baye kubamba umbhaki bamzise kuye.
“Ungena njani elalini yam uze uqalise ukunika abantwana izimuncumuncu. Kukuphikisana nomthetho oko!” wangxola ngomsindo uNkosana uSwekile.
“Mhlonipheki, ndixolisa ngokungazenzisiyo. Nceda undivumele ndilungise impazamo yam ngokubhakela wena wedwa,” waphendula umbhaki owayenegama elinguAwande. “Ndiza kukubhakela isimuncumuncu esitsha yonke imihla. Ezi zimuncumuncu ndizibhakayo zikhetheke kakhulu. Kufuneka usitye usigqibe ngemini enye.”
“Kakade, ndakuba nakho ukusigqiba isimuncumuncu yonke imihla!” yatsho iNkosana ngokurhala.
“Kulungile ke,” waphendula uAwande ngoncumo.
Ngoko ke, ngazo zonke iintsasa, uNkosana uSwekile wayefumana isimuncumuncu esisandula kubhakwa, awayesinkwamla ngomzuzu. Ngokuya zidlula iintsuku, izimuncumuncu zaziya ziba nencasa ngakumbi, zinkulu nangaphezulu. UNkosana uSwekile wayonwabe kakhulu, wayezigqiba zonke iikeyiki ezimnandi, iibhisikithi neekeyiki ezineziqhamo engabelani nangesuntswana nabantwana belali.
Kodwa ngokuya izimuncumuncu ziba zikhulu ngokuba zikhulu, uNkosana uSwekile wafumanisa ukuba wayengasakwazi ukuzigqiba. Kwafuneka ukuba azigcine kwindawo esekhusini ebhotwe ukuze uAwande angazi ukuba wayengasasigqibi isimuncumuncu yonke imihla.
Emva kweeveki ezimbalwa, iNkosana uSwekile kwakufuneke egcine izimuncumuncu ezininzi kangangokuba zange zibe sanela kwindawo esekhusini. Ngoko ke wabiza izicaka zakhe noMary, umbhaki wasebhotwe, wabayalela ukuba bazilahle ezinye izimuncumuncu.
“Niqinisekise ukuba uAwande akaniboni nisenza le nto,” wayalela.
Ngoko ke, ngentsasa elandelayo, uMary nezicaka bazithwala iintsalela zezimuncumuncu baya kuzilahla phakathi ehlathini elisemva kwebhotwe. Kodwa kwenzeka into engummangaliso: ngobo busuku xa wonke umntu wayelele, zonke izimuncumuncu ezazilahlwe ehlathini zabonakala kwakhona ebhotwe!
Ngentsasa elandelayo, uAwande, umbhaki, wafika nesimuncumuncu esinencasa esisandula ukubhakwa waza wafuna ukubonana neNkosana uSwekile nakanjani.
“Ubucinga ukuba andizukwazi ukuba ulahle izimuncumuncu zam? Wawungazange uvume ukutya sonke isimuncumuncu endisithumeleyo ekupheleni kolo suku lunye? Ndakulumkisa ekuqaleni ukuba izimuncumuncu zam zikhethekile yaye kwakufuneka uzigqibe,” watsho uAwande ngomsindo.
UNkosana uSwekile waqalisa ukuziva esoyika kancinci sabe nesisu sakhe sivakala ngathi siyagula kancinci, kodwa watya, watya wada wazigqiba iintsalela zezimuncumuncu ngokunjalo nesi uAwande awayesizisile ngaloo mini.
“Andisazonwabeli izimuncumuncu,” watsho uNkosana uSwekile ngosuku olulandelayo akufika uAwande nesimuncumuncu sosuku.
“Isithembiso sisithembiso, Mhlonipheki,” watsho uAwande.
INkosana yakhangeleka ilusizi. “Ndingenza ntoni ukukuyekisa ukundibhakela isimuncumuncu yonke imihla?” wabuza uNkosana uSwekile.
“Ubizwa ngokuba unguNkosana uSwekile kuba uthanda izinto eziswiti. Kodwa, ngenxa yemithetho yakho, abanye abantwana abayazi incasa eswiti,” waphendula uAwande. Ngoko ke, kufuneka uzitye izimuncumuncu, ide imilomo yabantwana ibe nencasa eswiti.” Esakuba etshilo umbhaki, waguquka wahamba waphuma ebhotwe, eshiyela uNkosana ikeyiki enkulu, enencasa ukuba ayitye.
UNkosana uSwekile wacinga wacinga ngento awayeyithethile uAwande kodwa zange ayiqonde. Yayiza kuba nencasa njani imilomo yabantwana ukuba yayinguye kuphela owayesitya izimuncumuncu zikaAwande? Ngoko ke uNkosana uSwekile waya kuhambahamba esitiyeni apho kwakuthe cwaka. Kwakufuneka acinge ngendlela anokumyekisa ngayo uAwande ukumzisela izimuncumuncu eziswiti yonke imihla.
Esahambahamba njalo, ibhola yesoka yaqabela ngaphaya kodonga oluphakamileyo lwesitiya yaza yawela ematyholweni. Okulandelayo inkwenkwana emdakana yavela ngaphaya kodonga izokuthatha ibhola. Yathi yakubona uNkosana uSwekile, yaphantsa yawela ngaphakathi kukoyika.
“Mhlonipheki, ndicela uxolo kakhulu. Bendize nje ukuzokuthatha ibhola,” yatsho inkwenkwe eyoyikayo.
UNkosana uSwekile wayexakeke kakhulu kukucinga icebo lokuyekisa ukufumana izimuncumuncu ezinencasa wada walibala ukuba nomsindo.
“Phambi kokuba uthathe ibhola yakho,” watsho, “nceda undixelele ukuba yintoni enokwenza umlomo wakho ube nencasa eswiti.”
“Zizinto ezenziwe ngeswekile, Mhlonipheki,” yatsho inkwenkwana ngeentloni. “Iikeyiki, needowunathi neebhisikithi – zonke izinto esingavumelekanga ukuba sizitye.”
Inkwenkwana yakhangaleka ilusizi kakhulu xa ithetha oku kangangokuba uNkosana uSwekile ngesiquphe waziva eneentloni. Okokuqala, wabona indlela awayezicingela yedwa ngayo. Wayenezimuncumuncu ezininzi kangangokuba wayengasazonwabeli, kodwa abantwana belali bengakhange bangcamle nto inencasa eswiti ixesha elide kakhulu.
Inkosana yangxama yabuyela ebhotwe yathumela ukuba kubizwe uAwande.
“Awande,” watsho, “Bendisoloko ndizicingela mna ndodwa ndaye ndigeza. Ndingathanda ukuba netheko labantu belali. Nceda ubhakele abantwana izimuncumuncu zakho, ngokunjalo nabazali babo. Ukusukela namhlanje, wonke umntu angazitya izinto eziswiti ukuba uyathanda.”
UAwande wancuma. “Nakanjani, Mhlonipheki!” watsho, waza wabhaka ezona keyiki zakha zamnandi, iibhisikithi neekeyiki ezineziqhamo abantu belali abakha bazibona okanye bazingcamla. Baza batya, batya bada bonela.
Ngentsasa elandelayo, uAwande, umbhaki, wayenyamalele kungazeki ukuba waya kutshona phi. UNkosana uSwekile waqhubekeka ukuba namatheko abantu belali – kodwa ngoku yena noMary babebhaka ngokwabo.
