Kudala kakhulu, kwisixekwana esiseluxolweni saseMudavula, kwakuhlala ulovane olonqena kakhulu. Ngelo xesha, zonke izilwanyana zazilima ukuze zizondle zona neentsapho zazo. Zonke ngaphandle koLovane. Ngenxa yokonqena kwakhe, wayengafuni ukusebenza njengabo bonke abanye. Endaweni yoko, wacinga icebo eligwenxa ukuze aboleke kwabanye aphile kakuhle.
Ngentsasa yomnye uMvulo, uLovane waya kuMvundla eyokuboleka umgubo wombona. Phambi kokuba afike kwindlu kaMvundla, watshintsha ibala lesikhumba sakhe ukusuka kwelimdaka ukuya kweliluhlaza.
“Nceda undiboleke umgubo wombona ,” wacela uLovane.
“Uza kundihlawula nini?” wabuza uMvundla.
“Ekupheleni kwenyanga!” wathembisa uLovane.
UMvundla wazalisa iemere engenanto eyayize noLovane. ULovane wathatha umgubo wombona wagoduka nawo, encumile njengoko wayehamba. Wayecinga ngecebo lakhe eligwenxa ukuqhatha ezinye izilwanyana. Waqamba ingonyana ukumkhumbuza icebo lakhe.
‘Ndiza kutshintsha imibala yam
Kodwa akukho mntu uya kuze azi.
Bendiluhlaza ngokuya uMvundla ubendibona,
KuCilikishe ndiza kuba tyheli.
USelesele uza kubona uLovane olumnyama
KuFudwazana, ndakuba mdaka ngombala.
Ndawuyitshintsha-tshintsha imibala yam.
Soze bazi ukuba ndim!’
NgoLwesibini, uLovane wavuka elambile. “Andinakutya isidudu yonke imihla. Ndifuna irayisi!” ULovane wacinga. “Ndiza kulitshintsha ibala lam libe tyheli ndize ndiye kuCilikishe. Ukuba ndingaqhatha wonke umntu andiyi kubhatala mntu nto!”
ULovane waya kuCilikishe ne-emere yakhe engenanto, owayizalisa ngobubele ngerayisi. ULovane wathembisa ukuhlawula uCilikishe ekupheleni kwenyanga.
NgoLwesithathu, emva kokupheka irayisi, uLovane wajonga ipleyiti yakhe engonwabanga. “Hayi! Irayisi engenanto ayimnandanga. Ndifuna inyama!” ULovane wacinga umzuzwana. “USelesele uza kundinika inyama!” wagqiba.
ULovane watshintsha ibala lakhe lamnyama wabaleka waya endlwini kaSelesele ne-emere yakhe engenanto. USele wayizalisa iemere yakhe ngenyama. Kwakhona uLovane wathembisa ukuhlawula uSelesele ekupheleni kwenyanga.
“Ndirhalela iziqhamo. Ndiyazifuna!” ULovane wacinga ngoLwesine. “Ngubani oneziqhamo?” ULovane wacinga esonwaya intloko yakhe. “UFudwazana! Ewe, uFudwazana!”
ULovane watshintsha isikhumba sakhe samdaka ngebala waya kuFudwazana ne-emere yakhe engenanto. Wacela iziqhamo kuFudwazana, waza uFudwazana wazalisa iemere yakhe ngeebhanana, iiorenji nama-apile.
“Enkosi, enkosi, Mnumzana uFudwazana. Ndawukuhlawula ekupheleni kwenyanga,” wathembisa.
Lonke ixesha uLovane waqhuba wacula ingoma yakhe ukuze akhumbule amaqhinga akhe emibala.
‘Ndiza kutshintsha imibala yam
Kodwa akukho mntu uya kuze azi.
Bendiluhlaza ngokuya uMvundla ubendibona,
KuCilikishe ndiza kuba tyheli.
USelesele uza kubona uLovane olumnyama
KuFudwazana, ndakuba mdaka ngombala.
Ndawuyitshintsha-tshintsha imibala yam.
Soze bazi ukuba ndim!’
Kwathi kwakufika ukuphela kwenyanga, izilwanyana zalinda ukufika kukaLovane ukuza kuzihlawula oko wayekubolekile. Kodwa uLovane zange afike.
Okokuqala uMvundla waya endlwini kaLovane. “Abo balapha! Abo balapha!” UMvundla wakhwaza kakhulu esangweni.
ULovane wakroba ngefestile. Wathi akubona uMvundla, wakhumbula iculo lakhe. “Awu Mnumzana uMvundla, ndandiluhlaza ngokuya ndandiboleka umgubo wakho wombona,” uLovane wazixelela. Ngokukhawuleza, watshintsha ibala lesikhumba sakhe satyheli waza waya esangweni esiya kudibana noMvundla.
“Ndikhangela ulovane oluluhlaza,” watsho uMvundla emangalisiwe.
“Ulovane oluluhlaza? Ndihlala ndodwa apha. Ndisandula kufika,” uLovane wamxokisa uMvundla.
Wahamba uMvundla waza uLovane wangena endlwini yakhe. “Ndingokrelekrele,” waqhayisa ngokuvakalayo uLovane, etsibela esofeni.
Kwiintsuku ezilandelayo, uCilikishe, uSelesele noFudwazana nabo beza kukhangela ulovane olwaluboleke kubo irayisi, inyama neziqhamo. ULovane wabaqhatha bonke ngokutshintsha ibala lesikhumba sakhe ukuze bangamazi.
Enye inyanga yedlula. Waza uMvundla, uCilikishe, uSelesele noFudwazana badibana ngasemthini omkhulu wemarula beye kukha iziqhamo zawo ezimnandi ezibugolide. Ekhangele ibhaskithi yeemarula uFudwazana wathi, “Ulovane oluluhlaza luhalala endlwini yolovane olumdaka ngebala. Oluya lovane lumdaka ngebala lundityala i-emere yeziqhamo.”
“Hayi,” watsho uMvundla. “Ulovane olutyheli luhlala kulaa ndlu. Ndikhangela ulovane oluluhlaza olundityala i-emere yomgubo wombona.”
“Hayi,” watsho uCilikishe. “Ulovane olumnyama luhlala kulaa ndlu. Ndikhangela ulovane olutyheli olundityala i-emere yerayisi.”
“Hayi,” watsho uSelesele. “Ulovane olumdaka ngebala luhlala kulaa ndlu. Ndikhangela ulovane olumnyama olundityala i-emere yenyama.”
Waza uCilikishe wathi, “Ingaba ulovane olunye lusiqhathe sonke ngokutshintsha ibala lesikhumba salo? Masiye sonke kulaa ndlu ngaxeshanye.”
Ngoko ke uMvundla, uCilikishe, uSelesele noFudwazana bahambela phezulu baya endlwini kaLovane baza bamkhwaza ukuba aphume.
ULovane wakroba ngefestile wabona izilwanyana ezinomsindo. Waziva eneentloni uba ubuvila bakhe bumphathele ingxaki engako, ngoko waphuma waya kucenga uMvundla, uCilikishe, uSelesele noFudwazana ukuba bamxolele.
UMvundla, uCilikishe, uSelesele noFudwazana bavuma ukumxolela uLovane. “Kodwa soze uphinde ufumane nto nakowuphi apha kuthi,” batsho.
Ukusukela ngaloo mini ukubheka phambili, ulovane olonqenayo kwafuneka lukusebenzele ukutya kwalo, njengamntu wonke.
* Ingaba uLovane wayeboleka okanye wayesiba xa wayethatha izinto kuMvundla, uSele, uFudo noCilikishe? Yintoni umahluko phakathi kokuba nokuboleka?
* Kutheni ucinga ukuba kulungile ukuyibuyisa into oyibolekileyo?
* Yiba nomfanekiso ngqondweni wokuba awufuni abantu bakwazi ukuba ungubani. Sebenzisa iimpahla ezindala, iminqwazi, iziqwengana zelaphu neendondo zelanga ukutshintsha indlela okhangeleka ngayo. Khumbula ukuba ungatshintsha nendlela ohamba nothetha ngayo ukuzifihla ukuba ungubani.
