ULesedi wayezithanda izinkanyezi. Ngesikhathi ezinye izingane zimagange zilinde ukuthi kube sekuseni, yena wayemagange elinde ubusuku. Wayengabesabi nhlobo ubumnyama. Wayekuthanda ukuphumela phandle ngaphambi kwesikhathi sokulala ukuze nje abuke isibhakabhaka ebusuku.

Manje-ke, awuzibone ngeso lengqondo zonke izinkanyezi ayezibona. Amakhulu ngamakhulu ezinkanyezi ezigqamile, ezibenyezelayo kanye nenyanga enkulu, eyindilinga, ephuzi.

“Sekusondele isikhathi sokulala, Lesedi!” kumemeza unina wentombazanyana. “Ngiyeza, Mama!” kuphendula uLesedi.

Kodwa-ke uLesedi wayengakakulungeli ukungena ngaphakathi. Wayefuna ukubala izinkanyezi. “Kunye, kubili, kuthathu, kune …” ULesedi wayesebale wafika ekhulwini namashumi amathathu nantathu ngenkathi ezwa unina esememeza futhi.

Lapho ephendukela ukungena endlini, wabona ukukhanya okukhulu, okugqamile esibhakabhakeni. Kwakulokhu kusondela, kusondela. Kwakungumkhumbimkhathi omkhulu! ULesedi akawasusanga amehlo ache kuwo, wawubuka ngesikhathi uhlala laphaya esivandeni sakubo esingaphambili.

ULesedi wahamba eqonde kulo mkhumbimkhathi wafike wawuthinta. Wawushelela, ucwebezela futhi uzwakala ufudumele. Khona manjalo kwavuleka umnyango omkhulu ohlangothini kwaba nomkhwelo owehlela phansi.

“Mhlawumbe ngingabheka ngokushesha nje ngaphakathi,” kucabanga uLesedi.

Kancane, wahamba enyuka emkhwelweni. Kwakukhona izibani ezigqamile kanye nezinkinobho ezibomvu neziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka yonke indawo. Kodwa kwakuyinkinobho enkulu esawolintshi ngezansi kwelinye lamawindi eyamkhanga kakhulu.

“Kungenzekani ngempela uma ngicindezela laphaya?” kusho yena kuzwakala.

P-I-I-BH kusho inkinobho ngesikhathi eyicindezela. Emva kwalokho isicabha savaleka ngci kwase kuzwakala umsindo omkhulu othi V-U-U-M ngesikhathi injini iqala ukuduma. Okulandelayo, wezwa izwi esipikheni lithi, “Umkhumbimkhathi usuyasuka 3, 2, 1…”

ULesedi wezwa umkhumbimkhathi unyakaza! Wawunyakaza uya ngapha nangapha, uya phansi naphezulu, emva kwalokho waphakama ngamandla.

“UMama uzodinwa kabi,” kucabanga uLesedi, kodwa wayegcwele ukumoyizela ebusweni bakhe. Ekugcineni wayezoya emkhathini! Ngamawindi omkhumbimkhathi, wayelokhu ebona indlu yakubo iya ngokuncipha, incipha ngesikhathi bendizela phezulu.

Wavayiza evalelisa ethi, “Usale kahle, Mama! Ngeke ngithathe isikhathi eside!” Umkhumbimkhathi waya phezulu, phezulu, phezulu. Watshuza phakathi naseceleni kwezinkanyezi. Wagwintshiza uzungeza umhlaba waya kude, kude emkhathini. “Akulindwe nje ngize ngixoxele uTshepo no-Amina esikoleni ngalokhu,” kucabanga yena.

ULesedi wayesabuka ngaphandle kwewindi ngesikhathi ebona into ethile le phambili. Kungenzeka ukuthi yi…? Yebo, kwakuyiyo! Kwakuyinyanga … kanti kwakukhona indoda eyayimile kuyo. Yayibonakala sengathi imvayizela isandla.

“Yindoda yasenyangeni!” kuklabalasa uLesedi ngenjabulo.

Indoda yayilokhu imvayizela isandla umkhumbimkhathi waze wathi cababa enyangeni. Emva kwalokho indoda yeza isondela yaze yangqongqoza ewindini likaLesedi.

“Sawubona,” kusho yona ngale kwengilazi. “Angitholi zivakashi eziningi mina. Ungubani igama lakho?”

“NginguLesedi,” kusho yena ngokuziqhenya. “Akufanele ukuba ngibe lapha. Lo mkhumbimkhathi akuwona owami. Uhlale esivandeni sakithi, ngase ngivele ngingena wabe usundiza nami njalo!”

“Mhlawumbe kungenxa yokuthi wazalwa vele ungumahambehlola,” kusho indoda.

“Nginguye. Ngiyawuthanda umkhathi futhi ngithanda ngokukhethekileyo izinkanyezi. Eqinisweni, igama lami, uLesedi, lisho ukukhanya,” kusho yena.

“Kuyamangalisa lokho! Nakhu ongakuthatha uye nakho ekhaya.” ULesedi wavula iwindi wakhipha isandla sakhe. Indoda yamnikeza itshe elincane. “Yitshe elikhethekile lasenyangeni. Manje usunokuthile okuzokusiza ukukukhumbuza uhambo lwakho.”

“Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Ndoda yasenyangeni!”

Nakuba uLesedi wayeluthokozela uhambo lwakhe, wayeseqala ukuzizwa enokukhathala okungatheni nokho. “Nkosi yami! UMama uzokhathazeka ngami!” kucabanga yena, ezamula. Wabheka ngapha nangapha. “Mhlawumbe uma ngicindezela leya nkinobho esawolintshi futhi, indiza izongithatha ingibuyisele ekhaya.”

Nebala wayicindezela. Khona manjalo, wezwa izwi eliphuma esipikheni futhi, lithi, “Uhambo olubuyela emuva luyaqala, 3, 2, 1 …”

“Usale kahle, Ndoda yasenyangeni,” kumemeza uLesedi ngokushesha.

“Uhambe kahle, Lesedi. Ngiyethemba ukuthi ngizobuye ngikubone futhi,” kusho yona imvayizela isandla.

Umkhumbimkhathi waphakama enyangeni wase uzungeza kancane. ULesedi wayekwazi ukubona uMhlaba ukude le phansi. Wawubukeka njengebhola eliluhlaza eligqomayo yena nabangani bakhe ababethanda ukudlala ngalo. Emva kwalokho wawuzwa undiza ushwibeka wehla, wehla, wehla, uze uyohlala ngokuthi qithi esivandeni sakubo. Isivalo savuleka, umkhwelo wehlela phansi.

“Sengisekhaya!” kumemeza uLesedi.

Wahlala phansi emkhwelweni wayesebuka phezulu enyangeni enkulu, eyindilinga, ephuzi, wayesecabanga ukuthi ubona indoda encane ivayiza isandla.

Ngesikhathi unina kaLesedi ephumela phandle ezocinga, wathola indodakazi yakhe ilele izunywe wubuthongo otshanini.

“Hawu bandla ntombazanyana yami, kusho ukuthi ukhathele kakhulu,” kusho yena emthatha.

Wamqukula uLesedi wangena naye ngaphakathi wayesemfaka engutsheni embhedeni. Emva kwalokho wabe esezwa okuthile esandleni sikaLesedi. Kwakuyitshe eliyindilinga elimpunga.

“Uyintombazane encane ehlekisayo,” washo emoyizela, eqabula isiphongo sikaLesedi.

Emva kwalokho wacisha isibani wayesephuma ekamelweni, engasaqaphelanga ukuthi itshe eliyindilinga, elimpunga lalikhanya ebumnyameni.