Kwakuwusuku olushisayo ethafeni lase-Afrika ngesikhathi uNogwaja enquma ukuhamba ehlele emfuleni ukuyophuza amanzana. Wayegxuma kancane ekushiseni endledlaneni evulekile ewubhuqu ngesikhathi ebona isibuko simenyezela elangeni. UNogwajwa wayengakaze asibone isibuko ngaphambilini ngakho-ke wayemangala ukuthi lesi silwane esingajwayelekile sasiyini. Ngesikhathi esondela, wamangala, wabona ukhalo kuso kanye nonogwaja omncane omhlophe njengaye ebuka emuva. UNogwaja wagijima ngokushesha okusemandleni akhe wayofuna usizo.

“Sizani! Ngicela ningisize bo!” ememeza ekhala.

UMpungushe wayeziphumulele emthunzini wesihlahla esikhulu ngemuva kokuzingela. Ngenkathi ezwa ukumemeza kukaNogwaja efuna usizo, wenza sengathi akezwanga lutho futhi wathemba ukuthi ezinye izilwane zizomsiza ngoba yena wayekhathele. Kodwa-ke ngokushesha nje, uNogwaja wavele wagijima waqonda ngqo lapho ayeziphumulele khona.

“Mpungushe, siza! Inunu, inunu!” kukhala unogwaja omncane omhloshana.

“Inunu? Ikuphi?” kubuza uMpungushe, ezamula.

“Ezansi ngasendleleni eqonde emfuleni. Isigwinye lonke ukhalo kanye nonogwaja omncane omhlophe njengami,” kuchiphiza uNogwaja.

Ekuqaleni uMpungushe wamxosha uNogwaja ngoba wayengafuni ukukholwa ukuthi into enjalo yayenzekile. “Uma ngabe inunu igwinye ukhalo, kungani pho silapha futhi singekho ngaphakathi kwayo?”

UNogwaja akakwazanga ukuphendula umbuzo lowo, waqhubeka nokucela usizo. UMpungushe wahamba wayobiza uNgwe yikhona bobathathu bezohamba ndawonye bayobona inunu engejwayelekile.

UMpungushe noNgwe balandela uNogwaja baya lapho kwakunenunu khona. Kancane kancane, bacathama bafika esibukweni. Ngenkathi sebeseduze nje, babona izilwane ezintathu zibabuka. Izilwane ezazisesiswini senunu zazibukeka zifana nabo nse! Zamemeza ngokwethuka zabaleka zibheke ezansi emfuleni ziyobiza uMvubu.

“Mvubu, sicela uze uzosisiza. Inunu igwinye ukhalo kanye nezilwane ezintathu ezifana nathi nse!” kwasho uMpungushe, ekhuluma ngokushesha okukhulu.

UMvubu akazange abanake kangako futhi waqhubeka nokuthokozela ukubhukuda kwakhe ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi lezi zilwane zazizama ukumphica. Kodwa ngenkathi ebona indlela ezazithuthumela ngayo, wavele waphuma emanzini. Emva kwalokho uMvubu, uNgwe, uMpungushe kanye noNogwaja baphuthuma endaweni lapho kwakukhona isibuko.

Ngesikhathi befika lapho, uNogwaja noMpungushe basala ngemuva ngoba babesaba ukuthi inunu engejwayelekile izobagwinya nabo. UNgwe noMvubu bagijima baya phambili ukuze bayohlasela inunu engejwayelekile … kodwa bathi uma bebona enye imvubu nengwe zigijima ziza kubo, babaleka bekhala, “Inunu! Inunu!”

Lezi zilwane ezine zabaleka ukuze ziyothola uBhubesi zafike zamxoxela indaba yenunu engejwayelekile.

“Igwinye unogwaja, impungushe, ingwe kanye nemvubu,” kuchaza izilwane zonke zikhuluma kanyekanye.

“Iphinde yagwinya lonke ukhalo,” kwengeza uNogwaja.

“Futhi izilwane ezisesiswini sayo bezifuna ukusihlasela!” kwasho uMvubu.

UBhubesi wayengakaze ayizwe into enjalo, ngakho-ke ngokushesha wabizela ndawonye umhlambi wakhe wamabhubesi wabe usugijima uyohlasela le nunu. UNogwaja, uMpungushe, uNgwe kanye noMvubu bawalandela ngemuva eduze nje.

Endleleni yazo zahlangana noNkawu, owayebukeka sengathi ucinga okuthile. Wagxumela phambi kukaBhubesi.

“Hha, Bhubesi, ave ngijabula ukukubona,” kusho yena. “Ngicela ungisize ngithole isibuko sami. Ngicabanga ukuthi kunomuntu osintshontshile.”

“Suka endleleni, Nkawu. Sinento ethile ebaluleke kakhulu okumele siyenze. Siphuthuma ukuyohlasela inunu esigwinye izilwane kanye nokhalo lonke,” kwasho uBhubesi engenasineke.

Inkawu yasuka endleleni kodwa yanquma ukuzilandela lezi zilwane ngoba yayifuna ukubona ukuthi le nunu ibukeka kanjani.

Ngesikhathi izilwane sezisondela lapho kwakukhona isibuko, amabhubesi, uMvubu kanye noNgwe bama bathula du belindele ukuhlasela. Emva lwalokho bagjima beqonde esibukweni! Kodwa-ke lapho bebona iqoqo lezilwane ezithukuthele ligijima liqonde kubo, bahlakazeka bonke bengena otshanini obude. Ezinye zase zilala zithi cu phansi, ezinye zacasha ngemuva kwezihlahlana kanti ezinye zakhwela emithini.

Ngenkathi kuhlaluka enkawini ukuthi lokhu izilwane ezazikwesaba kwabe kuyisibuko sayo, yavele yaqhuma yahleka. Yagijima yaqonda kuso futhi, izibuka ihleka, yathi, “Bengicinga wena usuku lonke, sibuko sami.”

Lapho ezinye izilwane zibona uNkawu ephambi kwenunu engajwayelekile nokuthi inunu inobungani kanjani kuye, zaqala ukucathama zaphuma lapho bezicashe khona futhi zaqala ukubuza uNkawu imibuzo mayelana nenunu engajwayelekile.

“Lesi yisibuko, akusona isilwane. Uzibuka wena kuso. Bheka, yimina lona osesibukweni,” kuchaza uNkawu, ebambe isibuko esiphakamisele phezulu.

Lapho izilwane zizwa lokhu, zonke zavele zahleka kakhulu, zachitha isikhathi eside zizibuka esibukweni