Kwakuwusuku lokuzalwa lukaMama. UNeo wayonge imali yakhe ayiphiwayo wase emthengela ibhokisi likashokoledi. UBaba wayemthengele amacici amahle aphinki, kanti uMbali yena wayedwebe isithombe esihle ekhadini.

“Ngiyabonga, zithandwa zami,” kusho uMama, ebeka amacici ngokuphepha ebhokisini lokugcina ubucwebe eliphezu kwe-dressing table yakhe. “Kumele ngiphuthume manje, uma ngingenzi njalo ngizofika ngemva kwesikhathi kozongicwala izinwele. Ngizocwala izinwele zami ukuze ngibukeke ngokukhethekile edilini lami lakusihlwa.”

Emva kwesikhashana uGogo wabiza uNeo. “Ngisapheka ukudla kwedili losuku lokuzalwa lukaMama,” kusho yena. “Ngicela ungibhekele uMbali.”

“Kulungile, Gogo,” kusho uNeo. Kodwa empeleni wayengamlalele ukuthi uthini. Wayenencwadi entsha evela emtatsheni wezincwadi emayelana nabafana ababili abahamba olwandle ngesikebhe sezigcwelegcwele zasolwandle.

“Neo,” kumemeza uGogo emva kwesikhashana, “wenzani uMbali?”

UNeo wagxuma. Wayesekhohlwe nya ngodadewabo omncane. Kazi ukuphi? Wayemuzwa eziculela nje. Wayephethe ibhokisi elivuliwe elinobucwebe bukaMama, futhi egqoke yonke imigexo kanye nezindandatho kanye namasongo asezihlakaleni kaMama.

“Cha, Mbali!” kusho uNeo. “Awuvunyelwe ukuthi uthinte lezo zinto.”

UMbali waqala ukukhala, ngakho uNeo washesha wathatha yonke imigexo, izindandatho kanye namasongo wayokubeka. Wase equkula udadewabo omncane eya naye ekhishini.

UGogo wayematasatasa kakhulu. Wayebuka intokazi enhle ebizwa ngoSiba kumabonakude. USiba wayenza into ebizwa ngokuthi isaladi enemibala eyisikhombisa.

“Kungani ibizwa ngokuthi isaladi enemibala eyisikhombisa?” kubuza uNeo.

“Bheka la,” kusho uGogo, ekhomba izithako ezisetafuleni. “Inelayisi elimhlophe, ophepha abaluhlaza okotshani, ababomvu, abanombala osawolintshi, ubhekeni onsundu kanye nophepha omnyama.”

“Ngiyawuthanda umbala obomvu,” kusho uNeo, eluma ucezu lukabhekeni.

“Mina ngithanda ophuzi,” kusho uGogo.

“Kanti uBella yena uthanda oluhlaza okotshani,” kusho uNeo.

“Phinki, phinki!” kusho uMbali.

“Kodwa Gogo, kunemibala eyisithupha kuphela,” kusho uNeo.

“Empeleni, ngizothela nokhali,” kusho uGogo. “Mbali, uwumbala muni ukhali?”

“UPhinki,” kusho uMbali.

UGogo noNeo bahleka.

“Cha-a-a-a,” kugigitheka uNeo, “uphuzi.”

Ngokushesha yase iphelile ukwenziwa isaladi. UGogo wayibeka etafuleni wase eyimboza ngendwangu. “Ngisaya la kwamakhelwane ngiyocela uMama uMthembu ukuthi anginanele inkomoshi kashukela. Neo, ubheke udadewenu. Uqinisekise ukuthi akathinti lutho.”

“Letha la bonke othedi bakho,” kusho uNeo kuMbali. “Uzokwazi ukudlala ngabo ngenkathi ngifunda incwadi yami.”

UMbali wahamba waya egumbini lakhe wase ebuya nabo bonke othedi bakhe. UNeo wamsiza ukubaklelisa kusofa nokubambathisa ingubo ukuze abalalise. Wase ethatha incwadi yakhe waqala ukufunda futhi.

“La, la, la, la,” uMbali eculela othedi. UNeo waphenya ikhasi. Le ncwadi yayihlaba umxhwele kakhulu. “La, la, la, la,” kucula uMbali.

Kusenjalo uNeo waphakamisa amehlo. UMbali wayengasaculi. Ngabe uphi? Wambheka kuwo wonke amagumbi. Nanguya, ekhishini, eme phezu kwesinye sezitulo. Wayedla isaladi kaGogo enemibala eyisikhombisa.

“KAHLE BO!” kumemeza uNeo. “Eyedili likaMama!”

Washesha wathatha isipuni walungisa kahle ingaphezulu lesaladi wase ebuyisela indwangu ngobunono. Yayibukeka isafana neyayisanda kwenziwa. Hawu! Cishe konakala.

Konke kwase kumi ngomumo ngehora lesihlanu. UMama wayesebuyile esaluni futhi nezinwele zakhe zazibukeka zizinhle. UNeo wayesize uBaba ukuthi abase umlilo wezoso, kanti uGogo yena wayegeze uMbali wase emgqokisa ingubo yakhe yedili enhle kakhulu.

Kusenjalo kwaqhuma isililo egumbini lokulala labazali bakaNeo, “Alahlekile amacici ami amasha!”

UNeo waphuthuma egumbini lokulala. UMama wayehlengezela izinyembezi. “Ngiwabeke la,” kukhala yena. “Ngiwafake ebhokisini lobucwebe namhlanje ekuseni, manje aselahlekile! Kungenzeka ukuthi sigqekezelwe!”

“Awu nkosi yami,” kusho uNeo. “UMbali ubedlala ngamacici kanye nemigexo yakho namhlanje ekuseni, kodwa ngibuyisele kahle yonke into, ngiqinisile.”

“Mbali,” kumemeza uMama. “Woza la.”

Lwaqala ukuvevezela udebe olungezansi lomlomo kaMbali, wase eqala ukubheka phansi.

“Aphi amacici ami?” kubuza uMama. UMbali waqala ukukhala.

“Ngikutshelile ukuthi ubheke udadewenu, Neo,” kusho uGogo. “Uyazi ukuthi akumele adlale ngezinto zikaMama wakho.”

UNeo waphatheka kabi. Wagebisa ikhanda lakhe. “Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu, Mama,” engundaza. Manje kwase konakele usuku lokuzalwa lukaMama wakhe futhi lokhu kwakube yiphutha lakhe.

Yimani bo! Yini le ayeyibona? Kwakukhona into eyayikhazimula ngaphansi kwedressing table. Ngokushesha uNeo wakhasa ngaphansi kwe-dressing table wase eyicosha. “Nali elinye lamacici akho, Mama!” kumemeza yena.

Walibheka yonke indawo elinye icici eliphinki – ngaphansi kwe-dressing table, ngaphansi kombhede, ediloweni likaMama. Wabheka nasembhedeni kaMbali kanye nasenqoleni yokuqhuba unodoli wakhe, kodwa akazange alithole ndawo. Umama wayekhathazeke kakhulu – wayengakwazi ukugqoka icici elilodwa.

Kusenjalo kwezwakala kukhala insimbi yasemnyango. Abangani babo base befikile beze edilini. UMama wafaka amacici akhe amadala aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, wase emamatheka wayobingelela bonke abantu ababezomfisela usuku oluhle lokuzalwa. UBaba wosa amasosishi kanti emva kwesikhashana nje wonke umuntu wayesehleka, exoxa.

UNeo wabona ukuthi uMama wakhe wayesadangele. “Ngifisa sengathi ngabe bengimbheke kangcono uMbali,” kucabanga yena ngesikhathi esiza uGogo ukuqukula isaladi iye etafuleni elikhulu ngaphandle.

“Masidleni-ke,” kusho uBaba. “Ibukeka imnandi. Siyabonga, Gogo ngokwenza ukudla okumnandi kanje.”

“Ufunde ukwenza isaladi enemibala eyisikhombisa entokazini ekumabonakude,” kusho uNeo. “Naliya ilayisi elimhlophe, nophepha abaluhlaza okotshani, nababomvu, nabanombala osawolintshi, nobhekeni onsundu, nokhali ophuzi, kanye nophepha omnyama kuyo.”

“Ophinki, ophinki!” kumemeza uMbali, eshaya itafula ngesipuni sakhe. “Ophinki, ophinki!”

“MMMM,” kusho uMama. “Angisakwazi ukuzibamba.”

Waphakela isaladi eningi epuletini lakhe wase ekha umthamo ogcwele. Kusenjalo wayeka ukuhlafuna. Wavula amehlo kakhulu aba yizimbulunga. Kukhona okwakungahambi kahle!

“Kwenzenjani?” kubuza uBaba.

“Ngabe awuyithandi yini?” kubuza uGogo. “Ngabe ngithele ukhali omningi kakhulu kuyo?”

UMama wafaka isandla sakhe emlonyeni wase edonsa okuthile. “Icici lami!” kumemeza yena. “Nali icici lami ebelilahlekile.”

“Phinki,” kusho uMbali emamatheke kakhulu. “Phinki!”

“UMbali ufake icici lakho kusaladi,” kugigitheka uNeo. “Ubephatheke kabi ngoba isaladi beyingenawo umbala wakhe awuthandayo.”

“Ngicabanga ukuthi kusihlwa kumele siyibize ngesaladi enemibala eyisishiyagalombili,” kumamatheka uGogo.

Kwahleka wonke umuntu, kuhlanganisa noMbali owayephethe icici likaMama eliphinki.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

* Wena unezingane zakho, bhekani ku-inthanethi noma ebhukwini lokupheka ukuze nithole amaresiphi ento okungekho kini oke wazama ukuyenza ngaphambilini. Nindawonye, bhekani ukuthi yiziphi izithako enizozidinga bese nifunda futhi nilandele imiyalelo ekuresiphi. Noma-ke nizenzele uhlobo lokudla okusha ndawonye ngokuhlanganisa izithako eninazo ekhaya. Bese nibhala phansi iresiphi ukuze niyisebenzise futhi kamuva noma nabelane ngayo nabanye.

* Yimuphi umbala wakho owuthandayo? Dlalani umdlalo wokuqagela nindawonye, lapho utshela khona wonke umuntu amagama ezinto ongazicabanga ezinombala owuthandayo kuzo. Bheka ukuthi wonke umuntu ushesha kanjani ukuqagela igama lombala! Nikeza wonke umuntu ithuba lokuchaza umbala awuthandayo.