Yayilusuku lesikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaMama. UNeo wayeyongile imalana yakhe ayiphiwayo waze wamthengela ibhokisi yeetshokolethi uMama. UTata yena wamthengela amacici amahle apinki waze uMbali yena wamzobela umfanekiso omhle ekhadini.

“Ndiyabulela kakhulu, zithandwa zam,” watsho uMama lo gama afaka amacici akhe ebhokisini yobucwebecwebe ephezu kwetafile ukuze akhuseleke, angalahleki. “Kufuneka ndikhawuleze ndihambe ngoku okanye ndiza kufika emva kwexesha kwindawo yokwenza iinwele. Ndiza kwenza iinwele zam ukuze ndikhangeleke ndimhle ngokwenene nangokugqibeleleyo kwitheko lam ngokuhlwa nje.”

Emzuzwini emva koko, uGogo wabiza uNeo. “Ndixakekile ndenza ukutya kwetheko lesikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaMama,” watsho. “Nceda undijongele uMbali.”

“Kulungile Gogo,” kwatsho uNeo. Kodwa wayevuma nje, kungekho nto ayivileyo. Wayenencwadi entsha ayiboleke kwithala leencwadi eyayibalisa ngamakhwenkwe amabini awayehamba ngenqanawe yabaphangi elwandle.

“Neo,” wakhwaza uGogo emva kwethutyana, “wenzani uMbali?”

UNeo waxhuma. Wayelibele shici ngodadewabo omncinane. Ingaba wayephi? Wayemva eziculela. Wayevule ibhokisi yobucwebecwebe kaMama kwaye wayenxiba onke loo maso nezo ntsimbi zomqala kunye nemisesane kwanezacholo zikamama.

“Hayi, Mbali!” watsho uNeo. “Awuvumelekanga ukuba uphathe ezo zinto.”

UMbali waqalisa ukulila, ngoko ke uNeo wasebenza ngokukhawuleza, enqabisa zonke iintsimbi zomqala, imisesane kunye nezacholo zikaMama. Waza ke emva koko wafunqula udadewabo omncinane wamsa ekhitshini.

UGogo wayexakeke kakhulu. Wayebukele inenekazi elihle eligama linguSiba kumabonwakude. USiba lo wayesenza ukutya ekuthiwa yisaladi enemibala esixhenxe.

“Kutheni le nto kusithiwa yisaladi enemibala esixhenxe?” wabuza uNeo.

“Jonga,” watsho uGogo, esolatha izithako ezisetafileni. “Inerayisi emhlophe, ipepa eluhlaza, ipepa ebomvu, ipepa e-orenji kunye ne-bheyikhoni ebrawuni kunye nepepile emnyama.”

“Umbala obomvu ngowona mbala ndiwuthandayo,” watsho uNeo, ekrekretha isiqwengana sebheyikhoni.

“Owam ngotyheli,” watsho ke yena uGogo.

“UBella ke yena uthanda oluhlaza,” watsho uNeo. '

“Opinki, opinki,” watsho uMbali.

“Kodwa Gogo, yimibala emithandathu kuphela nje leyo,” watsho uNeo.

“Kaloku ndiza kugalela umgubo wekhari,” watsho uGogo. “Mbali, unjani umbala womgubo wekhari?”

“Upinki,” watsho uMbali.

UGogo noNeo bahleka.

“Hayiiii,” wagigitheka uNeo, “utyheli.”

Kungekudala, yagqitywa ukwenziwa isaladi. UGogo wayibeka etafileni waze wayigquma ngelaphu. “Ndisaya kucela ummelwane uNkosikazi Mthembu ukuba andiboleke ikomityi yeswekile. Neo, uze uncede ujonge udadewenu. Uze uqinisekise ukuba akaphathi nenye into apha.”

“Yiza nabo bonke oonodoli bakho apha,” watsho uNeo kuMbali. “Uza kudlala ngabo lo

gama mna ndisafunda incwadi yam.”

UMbali wankcunkca ukuya kwigumbi lakhe lokulala waza nabo bonke oonodoli bakhe. UNeo wamncedisa uMbali ukuba abakrozise esofeni aze abombathise ukuze abalalise. Emva koko uye wathatha incwadi yakhe waqalisa nokufunda.

“La-la, la-la,” wabaculela njalo uMbali oonodoli bakhe. UNeo watyhila iphepha. Incwadi le yayimnandi kakhulu. “La-la, la-la,” uqhubeke nokucula njalo uMbali.

Ngephanyazo uNeo waphakamisa amehlo. UMbali wayengasaculi. Ingaba uyephi? Wamkhangela kuwo onke amagumbi. Nankuya, ekhitshini, ekhwele kwesinye sezitulo. Wayesitya isaladi enemibala esixhenxe kaGogo.

“HAYI!” wamngxolisa uNeo. “Loo saladi yeyetheko likaMama.”

Wakhawuleza wathatha icephe walungelelanisa umphezulu wesaladi waza waphinda wagquma kakuhle. Yakhangeleka kakuhle kwakhona ke ngoku. Thiza! Kuphantse konakala.

Ngentsimbi yesihlanu konke kwakusele kume ngendlela, konke kulungele ukuqalisa kwetheko. UMama wayesele ebuyile kwindawo yokwenza iinwele kwaye neenwele zakhe zazintle kakhulu. UNeo wancedisa uTata ekubaseni umlilo wokosa inyama waze noGogo wahlamba uMbali, wamnxibisa eyona lokhwe yakhe intle yetheko.

Ngephanyazo kwavakala isikhalo esibukhali esivela kwigumbi lokulala labazali bakaNeo, “Amacici am amatsha alahlekile!”

UNeo wakhawuleza waya kwigumbi lokulala labazali bakhe. UMama wayentywizisa iinyembezi. “Bendiwafake apha,” walila. “Bendiwafake kule bhokisi yam yobucwebecwebe kusasanje, ngoku awekho! Inokuba kuqhekeziwe!”

“Owu nkosi yam,” watsho uNeo. “UMbali ebedlala ngemisesane neentsimbi zomqala zakho kusasa nje, kodwa ndiye ndazibuyisela zonke kakuhle kwakhona, ndiyakuthembisa.”

“Mbali,” wakhwaza uMama. “Yiza apha.”

UMbali wabebezelisa umlebe wakhe ongezantsi waze wathokombisa intloko yakhe.

“Aphi amacici am?” wabuza uMama. UMbali waqalisa ukulila.

“Bendikuxelele ukuba uze umjonge udadewenu, Neo” watsho uGogo. “Uyazi ukuba akavumelekanga ukuba adlale ngezinto zikamama wakho.”

UNeo wayesiva kakubi kakhulu. Wayithokombisa intloko yakhe. “Ndicela uxolo olungazenzisiyo, Mama,” wangqumshela. Ngoku usuku lwakhe lwesikhumbuzo sokuzalwa lwalonakele kwaye yayilityala lakhe.

Yima! Yintoni leya ivele phaya? Kwakukho into emenyezelayo ekhaphethini, ngaphantsi kwetafile yokubeka izinto zokuthambisa. Ngokukhawuleza wakhasa wangena phantsi kwetafile wayichola. “Nali elinye lamacici akho, Mama!” wakhwaza.

Wakhangela kuyo yonke indawo ekhangela elinye icici elipinki – phantsi kwetafile yokubeka izinto zokuthambisa, phantsi kwebhedi, kwidrowa kaMama. Wade wayakukhangela nditsho nasebhedini kaMbali kunye nakwinqwelwana yoonodoli bakhe, kodwa zange alifumane naphi na elo cici. UMama wayelusizi kakhulu – wayengakwazi ukunxiba icici elinye kuphela.

Kanye ngelo xesha, kwavakala ukunkqonkqoza emnyango. Abahlobo babo babefika beze ethekweni. Kwanyanzeleka ukuba uMama anxibe amacici akhe amadala azuba wazama nokuncuma waza waya kubulisa wonke umntu owayeze kumnqwenelela iMini eMnandi. UTata wabeka isoseji emlilweni kwaze kwakamsinyane kwahlekwa kwancokolwa ngumntu wonke.

UNeo wayembona ukuba uMama uselusizi. “Akwaba bendimjonge ngcono ngokwenene uMbali,” wacinga njengokuba wayenceda uGogo emphathisa iisaladi ukuya kuzibeka etafileni enkulu phandle.

“Masityeni,” watsho uTata. “Konke kukhangeleka kumnandi. Enkosi Gogo ngokwenza ukutya okumnandi kangaka.”

“Ufunde ukwenza isaladi enemibala esixhenxe kwinenekazi ebelikumabonwakude,” watsho uNeo. “Kukho irayisi emhlophe, ipepa eluhlaza, ipepa ebomvu, ipepa e-orenji kunye nebheyikhoni ebrawuni nomgubo wekhari otyheli kunye nepepile emnyama.

“Nopinki, nopinki,” kwakhwaza uMbali, ebetha itafile ngecephe lakhe. “Nopinki, nopinki.”

“MHMHMH,” watsho uMama. “Andisakwazi kulinda ukuba ndide ndiyingcamle.”

Waziphakela kakhulu egalela epleyitini yakhe waze wakha icephe. Ngephanyazo wayeka ukuhlafuna. Wathi gqa amehlo amakhulu nangqukuva. Kwakukho okungalunganga!

“Yintoni?” wabuza uTata.

“Akuyithandi?” wabuza uGogo. “Ingaba ndigalele umgubo wekhari omninzi?”

UMama wafaka isandla emlonyeni wakhe waze watsala into ethile. “Icici lam” wakhwaza. “Nali icici lam ebelilahlekile.”

“Upinki,” watsho uMbali ngolubanzi uncumo. “Upinki.”

“UMbali ufake icici lakho esaladini,” wagigitheka uNeo. “Ebelusizi kuba isaladi ibingenawo owona mbala awuthandayo.”

“Ndicinga ukuba ngokuhlwa nje kufuneka siyibize ngokuthi yisaladi enemibala esibhozo,” wancuma esitsho uGogo.

Wonke umntu wahleka, nditsho noMbali owayebambe icici elipinki likaMama.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

* Ukunye nabantwana bakho, khangelani iresipi yokutya ekungekho nabani na kuni owakhe wazama ukukupheka ngaphambili kwi-intanethi okanye kwincwadi yokupheka. Ninonke khangelani ukuba zithini na izithako ezifunekayo ze ke nizifunde nilandela amanyathelo akwiresipi. Okanye, ninonke ningapheka ukutya eningazange nakutya ngaphambili ngokudibanisa izithako ezikhoyo apho ekhaya. Emva koko yibhaleni phantsi iresipi leyo ukuze nikwazi ukukupheka kwakhona nangenye imini oko kutya okanye nabelane nabanye ngayo.

* Ngowuphi owona mbala uwuthandayo? Dlalani uqashi-qashi nonke, apho uxelela wonke umntu amagama ezinto onokucinga ngazo nezinowona mbala uwuthandayo. Khangela ukuba bangawuqashela kamsinyane kangakanani na loo mbala! Wonke umntu makafumane ithuba lokuchaza owona mbala awuthandayo.