Eveni lelibitwa ngekutsi yi-Gabon, bekunemmango lebewakhe ngasekugcineni kwelihlatsi. Enkhabeni yelihlatsi, emagaleni lasetulu kakhulu esihlahla lesikhulu, bekuhlala inyoni lekhetsekile − inyoni lebeyinisa litulu.
Konkhe lommango bewukukhumbula kutsi, besesisidze mbamba sikhatsi bayijabulisa lenyoni. Bebagcina kahle tinsalela tesinkhwa, ticentu tetitselo nelubisi lolusha lwekhokhonathi, futsi njalo ngeliviki noma lamabili licembu lebantfu bemmango belitsatsa konkhe lokudla lokumnandzi likuyise ehlatsini. Nasebabeke lokudla ngaphansi kwalesihlahla, lomunye wabo bekabese udlala ishuni lelula kuphiyano ledlalwa ngesitfupha. Ngemuva kwesikhashana, lenyoni beyibese iyandiza yehlela phansi emhlabatsini itewudla lokudla ibuye inatse. Beyitsi ingacedza, bese ihlabela ingoma lemnandzi. Ngaso sona leso sikhatsi, beyivula iphakamise timphiko tayo letimnyama, letimanyatela lokuluhlata sasibhakabhaka, kungakapheli liminithi, litulu bese liyacala liyana.
Loku kwachubeka iminyaka leminyenti. Njengoba litulu belihlala lina njalo nje, tilimo betikhula tandze kakhulu futsi bekuhlala kunekudla lokunyenti kulommango. Kepha ekuhambeni kwesikhatsi tintfo tacala tagucuka. Ngandlelatsite, bantfu balommango bacala kuhlala bamatasatasa ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi babese bacala kungayinaki lenyoni lenisa litulu. “Kuyafana nje, litawuna litulu,” basho njalo. “Sikhatsi manje sekuyekela kumosa leya nyoni lelibele lendzala!”
Kepha labantfu bebenta kabi. Batsi nabayekela kunakekela lenyoni, litulu layekela kuna. Tilimo tacala koma futsi tafa, netilwane nato tondza futsi taba butsakatsaka. Nanoma kunjalo, kute umuntfu lowaphuma kulommango waya ehlatsini wayokondla lenyoni lenisa litulu. Manje-ke besebamatasatasa kakhulu betama kutfola imali yekutsenga kudla edolobheni lelidvute.
Ngalelinye lilanga kushisa kakhulu, intfombatanyana lebeyibitwa ngekutsi nguKetti yancuma kuya ehlatsini nakuphuma sikolwa. “Kuncono kutawube kupholile lapho,” washo aticabangela. Wahamba wahamba, futsi ngemuva 
kwesikhatsi lesitsite, wefika kulesihlahla lesidze lapho bekuhlala khona lenyoni lenisa litulu. Ketti wabuka etulu esihlahleni. Masinyane nje, wakhumbula ngesikhatsi gogo wakhe ete naye lapha ehlatsini atewupha lenyoni kudla ngesikhatsi asesengumntfwana lomncane. Ketti wavula sikhwama sakhe sesikolwa wabuye futsi wakhipha lucetu lwesinkhwa lebelusele ngesikhatsi sekudla kwakhe kwasemini. Ngekucophelela wabeka lesinkhwa ngaphansi kwesihlahla. Manje-ke ngoba bekete iphiyano ledlalwa ngesitfupha, wahlabela ingoma lendzala lebekayati imphilo yakhe yonkhe.
Ngemsindvo lomkhulu lohumako, inyoni lenhle leluhlata sasibhakabhaka yehla emagaleni esihlahla ngetulu kwenhloko yaKetti futsi yacala kudla lesinkhwa. Kwatsi lenyoni seyicedzile kudla, yavula umlomo wayo yacala yahlabela emanothi lavakala kahle lambalwa, laphakeme. Yabase iphakamisa timphiko tayo leticwebetelako kwatsi futsi kusenjalo Ketti weva kudvuma kwelitulu lokukhulu. Watsi nje nakefika ekhaya, besekwehla lamakhulu ematfonsi emvula, aphotisa lomhlabatsi lobovu loshisa kakhulu.
Ketti wajabula kakhulu, kwate kwaba ngulapho atjela batali bakhe kutsi kwentekeni. “Ungakhulumi bulima!” kwasho make wakhe amtsetsisa. “Kute lobekasakholelwa ekutsini lenyoni beyisesenawo emandla ekunisa litulu!”
“Make wakho ucinisile,” kwasho babe waKetti. “Somiso siphelile manje futsi sesitawuphila kahle. Ungamosi sinkhwa lesikahle uloku wondlana naleya nyoni lenemona futsi!”
Nanoma nje Ketti angatange aphikisane nebatali bakhe, wativa acinisekile kutsi abenti kahle. “Ngifisa sengatsi ngabe gogo usaphila,” washo atitjela, “ngabe uyangikholwa!” Kepha gogo waKetti bekasaneminyaka lembalwa ashonile. Intfo yinye lebeyisalele Ketti bekuyiphiyano ledlalwa ngesitfupha lendzala yagogo wakhe.
Kwendlula emaviki lamabili kute litulu. Tilimo tacala kubuna futsi netimbambo tetilwane letilambile tacala kubonakala kakhulu manje. Lilanga lashisa kakhulu ngalokungenamusa livela kulesibhakabhaka lesiluhlata lesivutsako. “Anginandzaba nekutsi batsini!” kucabanga Ketti. “Sidzinga imvula. Kusasa ngiyahamba ngiyopha lenyoni kudla futsi!”
Ngakoke-ke ekuseni kakhulu ngelilanga lelilandzelako, ngemuva kwekutsatsa lucetu lwesinkhwa nemagungumence lagcwele sandla lawatsatsa edladleni, Ketti wanyenya waphuma endlini. Wahamba wayoshona enkhabeni yelihlatsi. Langakucaphelanga kutsi, babe wakhe naye bekavukile. Watsi nakabona kutsi indvodzakati yakhe yentani, wabona kutsi beyihamba iyopha lenyoni yelitulu kudla. “Ngitamfundzisa sifundvo loya mntfwana longalaleli!” washo atikhulumela atfukutsele. Wahlwitsa butjoki nemcibisholo wakhe wabuye walandzela Ketti ngekuthula wayoshona ehlatsini.
Yatsi nje lapho lenyoni nayehla itewudla kudla kwayo lebekubekwe nguKetti, babe wakhe waphakamisa butjoki bakhe wabuye futsi wakhulula umcibisholo bewunashevu. Lomcibisholo wandiza wacondza ngco enhlitiyweni yalenyoni. Lenyoni yakhala ngelivi lelinkenketako. Ngekwetfuka lokukhulu, Ketti wagucuka wabuka emuva − ngesikhatsi lesifanele wabona babe wakhe awela phansi, wafa. Ketti wamemeta etfukile futsi wagucuka − gesikhatsi lesifanele wabona umcibisholo uwa ngaphandle kwekulimata umtimba walenyoni lecwebetelako. Manje-ke lenyoni, ingakalimali, yaphakama yahlala egaleni lelisetulu kakhulu lesihlahla.
Ketti waphuma ehlatsini agijima waphumela ekuboneni intfo leyammangalisa kakhulu. Wonkhe umuntfu futsi sonkhe silwane lasibona sasilele phansi sifile. Ngenhlitiyo lebeyishaya kakhulu, wagijima yonkhe indlela wayoshona ekhaya kubo. Masinyane nje watfola iphiyano ledlalwa ngesitfupha yagogo wakhe. “Leli ngulo kuphela litsemba lami!” washo acabanga. “Lenyoni yelitulu itfukutsele. Kufanele ngiyente ijabule futsi! KUFANELE NGENTE njalo.”
Ngemuva kwehhafu yeli-awa, Ketti besabuyile ngaphansi kwesihlahla. Umtimba wakhe bewumanti nte umjuluko futsi bekaphefumulela etulu. Bucadlwana nje naye bekulele sidvumbu seyise. Ketti wavele wabuka eceleni masinyane, ngetandla letichachatelako, wacala wadlala lephiyano ledlwalwa ngesitfupha.
Wayidlala, wayidlala, iminwe yakhe yate yaba buhlungu. Ekugcineni, lebekakufuna kakhulu emhlabeni kwabese kuyenteka. Yehla inyoni yahlala phansi kwangatsi kute lokubi lokuke kwabakhona. Lenyoni yadla lamanye alamagungumence labekasolo alapho phansi yabuye futsi yahlabela emagama lambalwa. Ketti wachubeka wadlala lephiyano ledlalwa ngesitfupha, lenyoni yabese iphakamisa timphiko tayo … Ketti weva kukhwashatela emvakwakhe. Bekungubabe wakhe lobekasavukile. “Ngiyacolisa!” kwasho babe wakhe aphindzaphindza kulenyoni leluhlata sasibhakabhaka. Wabese ukhipha sandla sakhe ubamba indvodzakati yakhe wabese uhamba nayo kancane babuyela emuva emmangweni. Emmangweni wakubo tonkhe tilwane nebantfu besebavukile baphila futsi.
Kulobo busuku bantfu bemmango babamba umhlangano. Bonkhe bavuma kutsi bafundze sifundvo lesibalulekile. Kusukela ngalelo langa kuya embili, kute ngisho linye liviki lelendlula kungakabi neluhambo loluya ehlatsini kuyewupha lenyoni lebeyinisa litulu kudla.
