Ekuseni ngolunye usuku indoda engenakhaya yavuka. Yayichithe ubusuku bangayizolo icela ukudla, kodwa akukho noyedwa owayeyikhombise umusa.

Isisu sayo sasiduma ngoba yayilambe kakhulu. Inexhala lokuthola ukudla, yahamba yangena emakethe yomuzi ihamba icela kwabathengisayo izinsalela zokudla.

“Ngiyacela … bandla … Sekuyizinsuku ezimbili ngigcinile ukudla. Ngicela unikeze izinsalela zokudla kule ndoda echakile nengenakhaya,” isho incenga.

Kodwa iningi labantu lalithatha sengathi akabonakali lo mfokazi.

Labo ababembona, bamphonsela izithelo ezibolile futhi babembiza ngamagama afana nokuthi “igundane lomgwaqo” nokuthi “yinja yasezichakeni”.

Ngemuva kokuzama kaningi ithukwa kaningi, indoda yanquma ukuthi ihambe iyohlwaya endundumeni kadoti, ngethemba lokuthi ingakuthola ukudla lapho.

Ngesikhathi ihlwaya ezindundumeni zodoti omdala, ingalindele nje yahlangana nesikhwama esincane sesikhumba esasiboshwe ngentambo sathiwa ngqi phezulu.

Yasicosha maqede yasivula. Sasigcwele izinhlamvu zemali yegolide! Ngenhliziyo egcwele injabulo, yabala imali yayo.

“Lunye, zimbili, zintathu … ikhulu lezinhlamvu zemali yegolide!” yasho ngenkathi isiqedile ukubala. “Le izongodla impilo yami yonke.”

Ngenkathi indoda igijima ibuyela emakethe isilindele ukusutha, yezwa umthengisi ememeza ethi,

“Lalelani nonke! Ngilahlekelwe yisikhwama sami ebesinezinhlamvu zemali yegolide kanti ngiyoklomelisa noma ngubani ongangibuyisela sona!”

Indoda engenakhaya yayinenhliziyo enhle futhi yayimzwela ubuhlungu umthengisi. Yanquma ukwenza into efanele.

“Ngabe yiso lesi isikhwama esikulahlekele?” ibuza, iphakamisela phezulu isikhwama esicoshile.

“O nkosi yami, usitholile!” kwasho umthengisi ethatha isikhwama maqede ebala izinhlamvu zemali eyigolide.

Indoda engenakhaya yalinda isikhathi emva kwalokho yabuza ngeliphansi, “Mnumzane, ubusho okuthile ngomklomelo?”

“Umklomelo?” kubhuqa umthengisi. “Kungani kumele ngikunikeze umklomelo? Usuvele uyintshontshile enye yale mali!”

“Angikaze ngithathe lutho esikhwameni. Ngiyacela, unganginika phela umklomelo obuwuthembisile?” kucela indoda engenakhaya.

“Isikhwama esingilahlekele besinezinhlamvu zemali ezingamakhulu amabili phakathi.

Manje sesinezinhlamvu eziyikhulu kuphela. Usuvele untshontshe ngaphezu komklomelo wakho,” kwasho umthengisi ngentukuthelo.

“Ngiyakucela, mnumzane, angintshontshanga lutho,” kuchaza indoda engenakhaya.

“Zonke izinhlamvu zemali zisesikhwameni, zinjengoba bengizitholile.”

“Suka ngaphambi kokuthi ngibize abaqaphi benkosi ukuthi bazokubopha,” kumemeza umthengisi.

“Kungenzeka ngibukeke ngingelutho kuwena, kodwa ngiyindoda ethembekile,” kusho indoda engenakhaya.

“Biza abaqaphi ngizogeza igama lami phambi kwenkosi.”

Ngakho, umthengisi wabiza abaqaphi. Umthengisi wabalandela bekanye nendoda engenakhaya baqonda enkosini.

“Yini engingayeza ukunisiza nina nobabili?” kwabuza inkosi ngenkathi umthengisi nendoda engenakhaya bemile phambi kwayo.

 Umthengisi waba ngowokuqala ukuthi akhulume.

Watshela inkosi uhlangothi lwakhe lwendaba.

Wachaza ukuthi kwakukade kunezinhlamvu ezingaki zemali yegolilde esikhwameni sakhe esasikade silahlekile nokuthi indoda engenakhaya yayiyintshontshe kanjani ingxenye yaleyo mali.

 Inkosi yalalela umthengisi, emva kwalokho yaphenduka yabheka indoda engenakhaya yayibuza yathi, “Yini ofuna ukuyisho ukuziphendulela?”

 “Nkosi yami, ngithole isikhwama endaweni yokulahla izibi kanti besinezinhlamvu zemali yegolide eziyikhulu kuphela,” kusho indoda engenakhaya igobisa ikhanda ngenkathi ikhuluma.

“Yilona lelo iqiniso.”

 Inkosi yacabanga isikhashana yase ithi, “Mthengisi, ngabe ngikhuluma iqiniso?

Uthe isikhwama sakho besinezinhlamvu zemali yegolide ezingamakhulu amabili phakathi.”

 “Yebo, nkosi yami,” kwasho umthengisi.

 “Ngiyabona,” kwasho inkosi iphulula ubhebhenene lwentshebe yayo.

“Kulungile, ngiyanikholwa nobabili, futhi ngingayixazulula kalula le nto!

Mthengisi, uthe isikhwama esikulahlekele besinezinhlamvu zemali yegolide ezingamakhulu amabili.

Lelo yigolile eliningi kakhulu ukuthi ungahamba nalo esikhwameni esincane.

Kepha, isikhwama esitholwe yile ndoda engenakhaya besinezinhlavu zemali yegolide eziyikhulu kuphela ngaphakathi.

 Lokhu kuchaza ukuthi akusona isikhwama esikulahlekele. Ngikuyalela ukuthi unikeze le ndoda engenakhaya isikhwama njengamanje.”

Ngakho, umthengisi kwakungekho ayengabe esakwenza ngaphandle kokunikeza indoda engenakhaya isikhwama.

Ukuthembeka kwendoda engenakhaya kwakuthele izithelo futhi emva kwalokho yaphila isikhathi eside ijabulile, isinokuningi ezokudla nsuku zonke.