ULesedi wayezithanda iinkwenkwezi. Nakuba abanye abantwana babengxamela ukuba kude kuse, yena wayengxamela ukuba kude kuhlwe. Wayengaboyiki konke konke ubumnyama. Wayekuthanda ukuphumela phandle phambi kokulala nje ukuba ajonge isibhakabhaka ebusuku.

Ngoku, yiba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wazo zonke iinkwenkwezi awayezibona. Amakhulukhulu eenkwenkwezi eziqaqambileyo ezikhazimlayo, nenyanga enkulu, engqukuva, etyheli.

“Lixesha lokulala, Lesedi!” wamemeza watsho umama wentombazanana.

“Ndiyeza, Mama!” waphendula uLesedi.

Kodwa uLesedi wayengekakulungeli ukungena. Wayefuna ukubala iinkwenkwezi. “Inye, zimbini, zintathu, zine…” ULesedi wayesele ebale waya kutsho kwikhulu elinamashumi amathathu anesithathu ukuva kwakhe umama wakhe ememeza kwakhona.

Wathi xa eguqukela ukungena, waqaphela ukukhanya okukhulu, okuqaqambileyo esibhakabhakeni. Kwakuya kusondela ngokusondela. Yayisisiphekepheke esikhulu! ULesedi zange awasuse amehlo akhe kuso waza wabukela njengoko sasihlala phantsi egadini yakowabo engaphambili.

ULesedi waya kwisiphekepheke waza wasichukumisa. Sasigudile saye sasimenyezela saye sasivakala sifudumele. Kwavuleka ngesaquphe ucango olukhulu olusecaleni kwaza kwehlela emhlabeni inqwanqwa lokunyathela.

“Mhlawumbi ndingakhe ndijonge ngaphakathi ngokukhawuleza,” wacinga uLesedi.

Wahamba ngokuthe chu, wenyuka inqwanqwa lokunyathela. Kwakukho izibane eziqaqambileyo namaqhosha abomvu nazuba yonke indawo. Kodwa yayiliqhosha elikhulu elimthubi elalingaphantsi nje kweefestile elatsala umdla wakhe.

“Ingaba kungenzeka ntoni bethu xa ndinokulicofa?” watsho ngokuvakalayo.

PR-I-I-I latsho iqhosha njengoko wayelicofa. Lwaza ucango lwavaleka mba kwaza kwakho isandi esikhulu esithi VR-U-U-M njengoko injini yayiqalisa ukuduma. Okulandelayo, weva ilizwi kumboko wokuthetha lisithi, “Isiphekepheke siyaphakama 3, 2, 1…”

ULesedi wasiva isiphekepheke sishukuma! Sashukuma ukusuka ngasekhohlo ukuya ngasekunene; sashukuma ukunyuka nokuhla, saza senyuka ngesandi esikhulu.

“UMama uza kukhathazeka kakhulu,” wacinga uLesedi, kodwa wayenoncumo olukhulu ebusweni bakhe. Wayesiya emajukujukwini ekugqibeleni! Ejonge ngeefestile zesiphekepheke, wayekwazi ukuyibona indlu yakokwabo isiya iba ncinci ngokuba ncinci njengoko babebhabhela phezulu.

Wawangawangisa ngesandla ebulisa waza wathi, “Usale kakuhle Mama! Ndiza kubuya kwangoku!”

Phezulu, phezulu, phezulu senyuka isiphekepheke. Sathungathungela sijikeleza phakathi kweenkwenkwezi. Sajikela sajikeleza iiplanethi saza senyukela phezulu kakhulu emajukujukwini. “Andisangxame ngako ukude ndibalisele uTshepo noAmina ngale nto esikolweni,” wacinga.

ULesedi wayesakrobe ngefestile xa wabona into ngaphambili. Ingaba yi…? Ewe yayiyiyo! Yayiyinyanga … yaye kwakukho indoda eyayimi phezu kwayo. Yawangawangisa isandla ngokungathi iyambulisa.

“Yindoda esenyangeni!” watswina watsho uLesedi ngochulumanco.

Indoda yaqhubeka yawangawangisa isandla sada isiphekepheke sahlala enyangeni ngesandi esithambileyo. Yaza yasondela yankqonkqoza efestileni kaLesedi.

“Molo,” yatsho ivele efestileni. “Andifumani zindwendwe zininzi. Ngubani igama lakho?”

“NdinguLesedi,” watsho ngokuzingca. “Andimelwanga ukuba ndilapha. Ayisosiphekepheke sam esi. Siye sahlala egadini yethu, ngoko ke ndiye ndangena saza sanduluka!”

“Inokuba kungenxa yokuba uyintlola ngendalo,” yatsho indoda.

“Ndiyiyo. Ndiyawathanda amajukujuku ndaye ndizithanda ngokukhethekileyo iinkwenkwezi. Eneneni igama lam uLesedi, lithetha ukukhanya,” watsho.

“Yantle loo nto! Nantsi into omawugoduke nayo.” ULesedi wavula ifestile wakhongozela. Indoda yamnika ilityana. “Lilitye elikhethekileyo lasenyangeni. Ngoku unento eya kukunceda ukusoloko ukhumbula uhambo lwakho lobudelangozi.”

“Enkosi kakhulu, Ndoda esenyangeni!”

Nangona uLesedi wayelonwabele uhambo lwakhe lobudelangozi, wayeqalisa ukuziva ebudinwa. “Yhe bethuna! UMama uza kuba nexhala ngam!” wacinga, ezamla. Wabhekabheka. “Mhlawumbi ukuba ndicofa eliya qhosha limthubi kwakhona, isiphekepheke sakundigodusa.”

Walicofa ke. Ngesaquphe ilizwi lavakala kumboko wokuthetha kwakhona lisithi, “Uhambo olugodukayo luyaqala 3, 2, 1…”

“Sala kakuhle, Ndoda yasenyangeni!” wakhwaza uLesedi ngokukhawuleza.

“Hamba kakuhle Lesedi. Ndiyathemba ndizakukubona kwakhona,” watsho ewangawangisa isandla embulisa.

Isiphekepheke saphakama sesuka enyangeni saza sajika sithe chu. ULesedi wayekwazi ukubona iPlanethi Mhlaba kude ezantsi. Yayikhangeleka ngathi yibhola ezuba eqakathayo yena nabahlobo bakhe ababethanda ukudlala ngayo. Waza wasiva isiphekepheke sihuza ukuhlela ezantsi, ezantsi, ezantsi, sada sathi ngcu egadini yakowabo. Ucango lwavuleka, laza inqwanqwa lokunyathela lehlela phantsi.

“Ndisekhaya!” wakhwaza uLesedi.

Wabaleka wehla ngenqwanqwa lokunyathela waza wajonga phezulu kwinyanga enkulu, engqukuva, etyheli, waza wacinga ukuba ubona indoda encinane iwangawangisa isandla ibulisa.

Wathi umama kaLesedi akuphuma phandle emkhangela, wayifumana intombi yakhe ilele cum engceni.

“Owu sana lwam, unokuba udinwe kakhulu,” watsho emfunqula.

Wamngenisa ngaphakathi endlwini wamqoshela ebhedini. Waza weva into esandleni sikaLesedi. Yayililitye elingqukuva, elingwevu.

“Intombi encinci ehlekisayo,” wancuma, emphuza uLesedi ebunzi.

Waza wacima isibane waphuma endlwini, engaqaphelanga ukuba ilitye elingqukuva, elingwevu lalikhanya ebumnyameni.