ONogolantethe yizinyoni ezinemilenze emide enombala osawolintshi kanye nemilomo emide, ezindiza zisuka eNyakatho ziye eNingizimu ziphinde zibuyele emuva futhi. Manje-ke, endulo onogolantethe babeyizinyoni ezinomsindo kunazo zonke emhlabeni jikelele.

Zazihlale zikhuluma nje. Lapho sezifika e-Afrika ekundizeleni kwazo eNingizimu, yileyo naleyo kuzo yayikhuluma ngento eyahlukile, zonke zazikhuluma kanyekanye, kodwa kwakungekho neyodwa kuzona eyayinento ehlaba umxhwele eyayingayikhuluma.

Uma unogolantethe owodwa uthe,”Inhlanzi! Ngiyakuthanda ukudoba.”

Omunye wawuthi, “Ngiyakuthanda ukudoba emanzini. Amanzi ayamanzisa.”

Omunye wawuthi, “Ukuba manzi? Ngiyakuzonda ukuba manzi.”

Kwakuqhubeka kanjalo-ke … “Angeke wome uma umanzi.”

“Umanzi? Ngabe ungandiza uma umanzi?”

“Ukundiza? Ngani? Kumele ubhule amaphiko akho nje bese ukwazi ukundiza!”

Kanti kwakuyilawo mazwi ambalwa okugcina eyawezwa intshe. Ayizange ikuthande
ukubanga umsindo konogolantethe ngoba yona into eyayifuna ukuyenza ngempela kwakuwukundiza.

Ngakho yasuka yayozama. Yazama izinsuku eziningi. Yagijima iya ngapha nangapha. Yabhula amaphiko ayo, kodwa ayizange ikwazi ukusuka phansi.

“Ngehlukile mina,” kusho yona. “Akuyikhona kuphela nje ukuthi labo nogolantethe bakhuluma kakhulu, bakhuluma nombhedo futhi. Badinga ukujeziswa.”

“Nathi futhi asikwazi ukumelana nalokhu,” kukhononda ezinye izilwane. “Ake siyobona isibankwa esikhaliphile.” Ngakho baya emfuleni.

“Nifuna kube nokuthula?” kubuza isibankwa. “Kulula! Velani nisho la mazwi, phakathi kwamabili, nizobe seniba nokuthula.” Sase sihlebeza amazwi anomlingo. “Kodwa,” kusho sona, “nikhumbule into eyodwa. Phakathi kwamabili ngosuku lwesithathu uzophela umlingo. Emva kwalokho kuzomele niqhamuke neqhinga lenu.”

Phakathi kwamabili kwahlangana zonke izilwane ndawonye. Zahlebeza amazwi anomlingo zase zilindela ukuthi kuse.

Ngosuku olulandelayo zamangala. Babethule du onogolantethe kanti nemilomo yabo yayivaleke ngci. Ekugcineni izilwane zase zikwazi ukuzwana. Zazikwazi nokuxoxa ngaphandle kokumemeza.

Intshe yayijabule kakhulu, ngakho yazama futhi. Yagijima yehla yenyuka. Yabhula amaphiko ayo yase izijwayeza ukundiza iyodwana nangokuthula, kodwa ayizange isuke phansi. Ekugcineni yabuyela emuva konogolantethe. Babehleli laphaya, beqoqene ndawonye, izimpaphe zabo zimahliphihliphi nemilomo yabo ivaleke ngci.

“Awu bantu,” kusho intshe, “babukeka bedangele kakhulu futhi belambile. Yebo bona bayacasula, kodwa kumele badle nabo. Ngifisa sengathi bangadla, kodwa bayeke ukuxoxa kangaka.”

Emini izilwane zaba nomhlangano. Zazazi ukuthi kwakumele ziqhamuke nelinye iqhinga kungakabi phakathi kwamabili.

“Uma onogolantethe bengavula imilomo yabo manje, bazokhuluma kakhulu ngokwedlulele,” kusho ufudu.

“Kumele sicabange indlela yokugcina imilomo yabo ingathi vu,” kukhononda imvubu.

“Kodwa kumele badle,” kusho intshe … yase iba necebo elihle kakhulu.

Ngaphambi nje kwaphakathi kwamabili izilwane zangunga onogolantethe. “Ngabe niyafuna ukuqeda ukusebenza komlingo owenza ukuthi imilomo yenu ingavuleki?” kubuza zona. Onogolantethe banqekuzisa amakhanda ngomdlandla.

“Empeleni, singakulungisa lokho,” kusho intshe, “kodwa ngaphambi kwalokho kumele nenze isethembiso, phela isethembiso siyinto engenakwephulwa NANINI.” Nonogolantethe babekwazi lokho. Banqekuzisa amakhanda ngamunye ngamunye, bavuma ukugcina
isethembiso noma ngabe yayicelani kubo intshe.

Sakhala isikhova phakathi kwamabili. Onogolantethe base belindele ukuvula imilomo yabo bese bexoxa ngesasasa ngesikhathi intshe ima, iqonda ithi thwi. “Manje-ke,” kusho yona, “nikhumbule isethembiso senu.” Onogolantethe banqekuzisa amakhanda futhi. “Kumele nethembise ngamunye ngamunye ukuthi ANGEKE NIPHINDE NANINI nithi vu futhi.”

Imilomo yonogolantethe yavuleka ngenxa yokwethuka, kodwa babesanda kwenza isethembiso nje. Kanti, vele kwakumele benze lokho ababekuthembisile.

Onogolantethe bathula kusukela ngalolo suku. Namanje usababona beshayisa imilomo yabo benza sengathi babanga umsindo, kodwa isethembiso asiguquki, nabo-ke abakasephuli leso sethembiso.

Namanje usayibona nentshe igijima ngesivinini esiphezulu, ibhula amaphiko ayo izama ukundiza, kodwa, ayikakwazi kuze kube namhlanje. Kanti ngenxa yokuthi bethembisa ukungakhulumi, onogolantethe abakwazi ukuyitshela intshe ukuthi izintshe azindizi.