Kwakukho ilali encinane eyayimi kwinyele lehlathi. Esizikithini seli hlathi, kwawona masebe aphezulu omthi omkhulu kunene, kwakuhlala eyona ntaka ikhethekileyo – intaka eyenza imvula. Abahlali bale lali, babethe gqolo bezinika ithuba lokugcina le ntaka yonwabile ngamaxesha onke. Babegcina iingququ zesonka, amaqhekeza eziqhamo kunye nobisi olutsha lwekhokhonathi, kwaye rhoqo ngeveki iqela labahlali bale lali bebethatha ezi zimuncumuncu bazise ehlathini bafike bazibeke phantsi kwalo mthi. Bayakuthi ke emva kokuba bezandlele phantsi kwalo mthi, aze omnye adlale ngonyana ithile ngepiyano edlalwa ngeminwe. Kuya kuthi ethubeni, ubone loo ntaka ibhabha isiza ezantsi ukuza kutya ize isele kananjalo. Iya kuthi yakugqiba, uyive iqalisa ukucula eyona ngoma imyoli. Icula njalo uza kuyibona inyusa amaphiko ayo azuba amenyezelayo, kungekudala emva koko, imvula iqalise ukuna.
Iminyaka emininzi imvula yayisina rhoqo, izityalo zikhula ngokwaneleyo kangangokuba kwakukho ukutya okuninzi kuloo lali. Kodwa ke kungekudala, izinto zaqala ukutshintsha … abahlali baloo lali basuka bathanda ukuxakeka zezinye izinto, kwaze oku kwabangela ukuba balibale ngentaka yemvula. “Kuza kunetha nokuba kutheni,” babesitsho.
Kodwa ke ngelishwa, abantu babewuphosile umhlola. Bathe bakuyeka ukuyikhathalela intaka, imvula yayeka ukuna. Izityalo zaqala ukoma nokubuna, nezilwanyana zayimidyubha ebuthisayo. Nangona kunjalo, kwakungekho mntu kuloo lali waphumayo ukuya ehlathini ukuze ondle intaka eyayibazisela imvula. Eyona nto babexakeke yiyo ngoku kukwenza imali ukuze baye kuthenga ukutya kwidolophu abamelene nayo.
Ngaminazala ithile intombazana encinane egama linguKetti yagqiba ekubeni iye ehlathini. Uhambile, wahamba, kwaze emva kwethutyana, wafika kumthi omde eyayihlala kuwo intaka yemvula. UKetti uqwalasele phezulu emthini. Kusenjalo, wakhumbula ngelaa xesha umakhulu wakhe wayehamba naye ukuya apho ehlathini ukuze bondle intaka, nangona yena wayesemncinane. Kwangoko uvule itasi yakhe wakhupha amaqhekezana esonka ebishiyekile. Ngenkathalo nangobunono, ubeke eso sonka phantsi kwaloo mthi. Nanjengoko ke ebengaphethanga piyano edlalwa ngeminwe, uye wacula ingoma.
Ngesandi esidandulukayo esikhulu, intaka yemvula yathi gqi emasebeni phezu kwentloko kaKetti yaze yaqalisa ukutya isonka. Ithe yakugqiba ukutya le ntaka, yavula umlonyana wayo yaze yacula iinowuthi eziphezulu zengoma ngokucwengileyo yaze kwangoko yanyusa amaphiko ayo akhazimlayo. Kwangoko uKetti weva ukundila kwezulu waza wathi efika kowabo, kwabe sele kusiwa amachaphaza amakhulu emvula.
UKetti waxelela abazali bakhe ukuba kwenzeke ntoni. “Akusekho mntu ukholelwayo kulaa ntaka! Musa ukudlala ngesonka sakho uphisa ngaso kuyo!” wamngxolisa njalo umama wakhe.
“Akwaba umakhulu ebesaphila,” wacinga njalo uKetti, “yena ebeza kundikholelwa!” Kodwa ke kwakusele iyiminyaka eliqelana eswelekile umakhulu kaKetti. Inye kuphela into awayesayigcinile uKetti kwezo zikamakhulu, yayiyipiyano yeminwe kamakhulu wakhe.
Zigqithile iiveki ezimbini kungekho nethontsi lemvula. “Andikhathali nokuba bathini!” ucinge watsho uKetti. “Siyayidinga imvula. Ndiza kuya kuyondla kwakhona intaka ngomso!”
Kwangentseni kusuku olulandelayo, uKetti wathatha isilayi sesonka nesandla esigcwele ngamaqunube abomvu kwikhitshi lakowabo, waza wasingisa kumbindi wehlathi. Akazange aqaphele kodwa ukuba utata wakhe naye wayehleli ethe qwa. Wakukrobela oko kuza kwenziwa yintombi yakhe. “Ndiza kumfundisa isifundo kanene lo mntwana ungenambeko!” utshilo ezithethela ngomsindo. Uthe hlasi isaphetha sakhe neentolo zakhe waze wamlandela ngokuthe cwaka uKetti ukuya ehlathini apho.
Ithe kanye xa intaka isihla emthini isiza kudla ukutya ekubekelwe nguKetti, utata wakhe waphakamisa isaphetha sakhe waze wadubula ngotolo olubulalayo. Utolo lwaya kungena ngqo entliziyweni yentaka yaza yatsho ngesikrakra isikhalo. Ngokoyika okukhulu, uKetti waguquka wabona utata wakhe esiwa phantsi – esifa. Wajika wajonga intaka, wabona utolo lusiwa lungayenzanga nomkrwelo emzimbeni loo ntaka. Emva koko intaka yandanda inyukela kwelona sebe liphezulu lomthi.
Intliziyo yakhe iye yabetha ngamandla, wagqotsa ukuya kowabo uKetti. Endleleni eya ekhaya wabona wonke umntu nezilwanyana bethe tywaa emhlabeni, befile. Ekhaya ufumene laa piyano idlalwa ngeminwe kamakhulu wakhe. “Kuphela kwethemba endinalo ke eli!” ucinge watsho. “Intaka yemvula iqumbile. Kufunekandiyonwabise kwakhona!”
UKetti wabaleka wabuyela emthini omkhulu. Ngezandla ezingcangcazelayo, waqalisa ukudlala ipiyano yeminwe. Udlale, wadlala, yade yaqaqamba iminwe yakhe. Ekugqibeleni, nantso intaka ibhabha isiza, yatya amaqunube ambalwa yaze yacula iinowuthi ezimbalwa zengoma. Uthe esadlala ingoma njalo uKetti, intaka yaphakamisa amaphiko ayo… UKetti weva ukurhashaza emva kwakhe – utata wakhe uvukile! “Ndicela uxolo!” utshilo izihlandlo ngezihlandlo ebhekisa kwintaka enkulu eluhlaza. Emva koko wabamba intombi yakhe ngesandla bagoduka bethe chu ukuya elalini. Nalapho elalini, wonke umntu wayevukile kwanezilwanyana ngokunjalo.
Ngobo busuku abahlali belali baye babamba intlanganiso. Bonke baye bavumelana ngamxhelo mnye ukuba bafunde isifundo esibalulekileyo. Ukusukela ngaloo mini, akuzange kuphinde kubekho nanye iveki egqithayo kungakhange kuyiwe ehlathini ukuze kondliwe intaka eyayibazisela imvula.
