Ngelunye usuku ekuseni, ngesikhathi izilwane zivuka, kwakungekho lutho olukhombisa ukuphuma kwelanga esibhakabhakeni esisempumalanga.

“Kungenzeka ukuthi ilanga liphethwe ubuvila nje namhlanje,” kusho zona. “Lizophuma maduze njengenjwayelo, bese sikwazi ukuyophuza emgodini wamanzi.”

Kodwa izilwane zazenza iphutha. Zalinda, zalinda kodwa umhlaba walokhu umnyama nje. Ngakho zanquma ukuphuma ngezindlela ezahlukene ukuze zithole ilanga.

“Ngizoqala ngibheke ezihlahleni zikadukathole wehlathi,” kucabanga iSinkwe. Sabheka esihlahleni ngasinye esasidlala kusona nsuku zonke. Ekuqaleni asitholanga lutho, ngaphandle kobumnyama kuphela. Ngesikhathi singena ekujuleni kwehlathi, sabona ukukhazimula okuncane maphambidlana naso. “Naliya!” sisho ngesasasa. “Ngazile ukuthi ngizolithola lapha ilanga!” Sasiqinisile iSinkwe. Ngemuva kokuhamba ibangana, sagcina sesilitholile ilanga, libambeke emagatsheni esihlahla eside. “Ungakhathazeki, Langa!” kusho iSinkwe. “Noma ngimncane nje, kodwa amazinyo ami abukhali kakhulu! Ngizoququda la magatsha bese ngiyakukhulula.”

“Ngiyabonga,” kububula iLanga. “Sekuphele amahora amaningi ngizama ukuzikhipha kulesi sihlahla, kodwa bekuthi uma ngizama, kuqhubeke nokubambeka kwami.”

Ngakho-ke iSinkwe esincane saqala ukuququda amagatsha. Kwakuwumsebenzi onzima, kodwa asizange siyeke. Ngemuva kwehora, sase silikhulule kancane ilanga; ngemuva kwelinye ihora, kwase kusele amagatshana kanye nezintana nje okusabambe ilanga phezu kwesihlahla. Kodwa kwakukhona inkinga − ngesikhathi iSinkwe simatasatasa siququda amagatsha, laliya ngokushisa kakhulu ilanga.

Dukuduku, iSinkwe sezwa ukunuka kokusha koboya baso, sabona nentuthu.”Ngiyaxolisa, Langa, kodwa angeke ngikwazi ukuqhubeka,” kusho sona. “Uyashisa kakhulu kimina! Buka nje, umsila wami uyasha!”

ILanga lalingenza noma yini ukuze likhululeke. “Ngicela uqhubeke, Sinkwe!” kusho iLanga. “Ngidinga ukuphuma kulesi sihlahla ukuze ngikwazi ukukhanyisela umhlaba usuku ngalunye. Yonke into idinga ukukhanya kanye nokufudumala kwami ukuze iphile.”

ISinkwe sasazi ukuthi kwakuyiqiniso lokho okwakushiwo yiLanga. Noma uboya baso obuhle base bushintshe bamnyama, futhi nomsila waso wawushe waze wanqamuka,  saqhubeka nokuququda amagatsha ayebambe iLanga.

Emva kwesikhathi, kwase kusele kancane ukuthi iSinkwe  sikhulule iLanga, kodwa amehlo aso ayebuhlungu kakhulu kangangokuthi kwadingeka ukuthi siwavale. “Ngiyakuncenga bandla, Langa,” kusho sona, “kumele ngiyeke ngempela manje. Amehlo ami alimele futhi ngidinga ukuwaphumuza.” Kodwa iLanga laphinde lasincenga futhi ukuthi siqhubeke, ngakho saqhubeka.

Ekugcineni saluma igxolo kanye nokhuni lokugcina olubambe iLanga. Lakhuphuka kancane liya esibhakabhakeni, kanti ngesikhathi lenza kanjalo, kwaba khona ukukhazimula okuphinki okwagcwala umhlaba wonke. Ngesikhathi ilanga liphakama, lakhuluma neSinkwe: “Ngiyabonga kakhulu, mngani wami omncane!” kusho iLanga. “Usebenze kanzima ukuze ungisindise, futhi  ngokwenzenjalo ususindise zonke izilwane, izinyoni kanye nezitshalo. Ngingakwenzelani ngalokho na?”

ISinkwe  sathi ukucabanga isikhashana. Kade sasifuna ukundiza. “Ngiphe amaphiko,” kusho sona, “ukuze ngikwazi ukundiza ngiye phezulu esibhakabhakeni.”

“Kulungile,” kusho iLanga, “usunawo manje amaphiko amabili, futhi usuzokwazi ukundiza ngesivinini esikhulu uye phezulu kakhulu kunezinyoni. Ngenxa yokuthi ulimaze amehlo akho ngesikhathi ungisiza, uzolala emini bese uvuka ebusuku. Noma amehlo akho engeke esakwazi ukumelana nokukhanya, uzokwazi ukubona kanye nokuzwa kahle impela ebusuku!”

Sashintsha kanjalo-ke iSinkwe  saba iLulwane. Lalimatasatasa kakhulu lindiza liya phezulu ebusuku kangangokuthi lalingawukhumbuli umsila walo, uboya balo obunsundu kanye nempilo yalo njengeSinkwe  phezulu ezihlahleni. Noma lalingasakwazi ukuthokozela ukukhanya kweLanga, lalisakuzwa ukufudumala kwalo enhliziyweni yalo.