UBusi wayelisele elincinane eliluhlaza elalihlala nosapho lwalo kufuphi nomlambo ogosogoso ezintabeni zoKhahlamba. UBusi wayelisele elonwabileyo, kodwa inye into eyayimenza lusizi. Wayengafani nabantakwabo, noodadewabo, nawo onke amanye amasele. Ubuso bona babufana nobabo. Kanti nomzimba wakhe wawufana nowabo. Kodwa omnye wemilenze yakhe engasemva wawumde futhi umkhulu ngokubaxekileyo. Maxa wambi amanye amasele asemancinane ayemqhula ngenxa yomlenze wakhe ongaqhelekanga, kwaze oko kwenza uBusi ukuba abe lusizi ngakumbi. 

“Ukuba nje bendifana naye wonke omnye umntu!” wayekholisa ukutsho embombozela. “Ukuba nje bendingembanga kangaka!” 

“Yimfitshimfitshi leyo!” watsho uTatomkhulu Sele. 

“Unyanisile uTatomkhulu!” watsho uMama Sele. “Lingathini isele elincinane lohlobo olulodwa ukuthetha imfitshimfitshi enjalo?” 

Kodwa uBusi zange abakholelwe. Ebesithi xa amasele ehleli exoxa enyeleni yomlambo ngeentshonalanga zasehlotyeni ezithatha ixesha, uBusi wayehlala emva kwawo ukuze kungabikho obona umlenze wakhe omde kakhulu wangasemva. Kanti xa enqakula iimpukane zesidlo sasemini, yena ebeqoshelisa umlenze wakhe ukuze ungabonakali, ukuze abukeke efana noko nabanye. 

Ekuhambeni komlambo, emqolombeni osebumnyameni phezulu entabeni kwakuhlala ukhozi olukhohlakeleyo. “Uze ungasondeli kolo khozi!” wayesoloko elumkisa njalo uMama Sele. 

Ngenye imini, xa wayeziva elusizi kakhulu uBusi, wenza isigqibo sokuya kuqubha yedwa. “Ndimbi kakhulu andifanelanga kudlala nabanye,” wacinga. “Ndikhetha ukuyichitha ndedwa imini.” 

Isele elincinane laqubha ixesha elide, laze lakhasela ngaphandle kwamanzi ukuze liphumle enyeleni yomlambo enengca. Lithe lisagcakamele ilanga, lajonga phezulu, laze labona umqolomba wokhozi. 

“Mhlawumbi ngendizihlalela apha!” lazicingela. Laliza kutsibela emva emlanjeni xa leva amazwi aphuma emqolombeni. 

“Mnumzana,” uBusi weva ilizwi lomntwana lisithi, “Nditshayele emqolombeni futhi ndisilungisile isidlo sakho sasemini. Ndingacela ukwehla ndiye emlanjeni ngelixa wena usatyayo, ukuze ndihlambe ilokhwe yam? Kaloku yiyo kuphela endinayo ngoku, kwaye ingcole kakhulu.” 

“Ucinga ukuba ndisisidenge, ntombazanana?” lahlokoma ilizwi ngomsindo. “Ukuba ndingakuyeka usondele emlanjeni, uza ubaleka uzimele!” 

“Owu hayi, Mnumzana,” isele lamva esitsho umntwana. “Andizi kubaleka. Uya kuyazi into yokuba ndisekhona apha kuba uza kundiva xa ndibetha ilokhwe yam emanzi emaweni ide icoceke.” 

“Xa usitsho, kulungile ke,” latsho ukhozi olukhohlakeleyo, “kodwa khawuleza kuba usemninzi umsebenzi osafanele ukuwenza!” 

UBusi wayibukela intombazanana enxibe ilokhwe emdaka kakhulu isihla isiya emlanjeni. Yafika yahlala phantsi ecaleni kukaBusi, yaqalisa ukukhala. 

“Musa ukukhala, ntombazanana,” latsho isele liyicenga, kodwa umntwana wasuka walila ngakumbi. 

“Owu, Sele,” yasitsho isikhalo, “andinakuze ndiphinde ndikwazi ukugoduka kwakhona! Olwa khozi lukhohlakeleyo lwandiba elalini yam kwiveki edlulileyo, ngoku ndilikhoboka lalo!” 

Kanye ngelo xesha, beva ilizwi elingqongqo lokhozi likhwaza emqolombeni, “Ntombazana uselapho? Ukuba andisiva isandi sokubetheka kwangoku, uza kuba senkathazweni ENKULU!” 

“Mhlobo wam,” watsho ngokukhawuleza uBusi, “musa ukuchitha ixesha! Ndinike ilokhwe yakho uze ubaleke ngamendu amakhulu. Ndiza kubetha ilokhwe kula mawa, ukuze ukhozi luve ingxolo. Luya kuthi lufumanisa ukuba ubalekile, uya kuba sowufikile ekhaya unomama wakho kwakhona!” 

“Sele, unobubele kakhulu,” yatsho intombazana. “Kodwa isidalwa esincinanana njengawe siza kuyibetha njani ilokhwe ngamandla ngokwaneleyo ukuze yenze ingxolo ephezulu?” 

“Kaloku,” watsho uBusi, “akukawuboni umlenze wam wohlobo olulodwa, owomeleleyo!” 

Ngeentloni, isele labonisa intombazanana umlenze walo omde omkhulu, obuqhushekwe ngokwesiqhelo. Umntwana wabona ukuba unalo ithuba xa kunjalo. Watsala ilokhwe wayithi nkxu emanzini. Yathi yakuba manzi, yayibetha elityeni amatyeli ambalwa. Yakugqiba yayigqithisela kuBusi ilokhwe ngokukhawuleza. Yaphuza isele ebunzi, yasebeza, “Ndiyabulela,” yaze yabaleka yemka. 

THWAXA! THWAXA! THWAXA! yayisitsho ilokhwe emanzi, xa uBusi wayethwaxa iliwa ngayo ixesha elide. Umlenze wakhe omde ngokubaxekileyo wawunamandla kangangokuba kwaba lula kuye ukwenza ingxolo ephezulu. Kwakuxa ukhozi lwalukhwaza intombazana kwakhona ukuba ikhawuleze, apho uBusi wayilahlela phaya ilokhwe, watsibela dyumpu emlanjeni waze waqubha wemka kwangoko. 

“Ekugqibeleni!” watsho umama kaBusi xa uBusi efika ekhaya. “Ubuphi?” 

Wathi xa esanga uBusi, wabona isihombiso esimenyezelayo kwibunzi elincinane lesele, kanye kuloo ndawo intombazana ibimphuze kuyo. 

“Awusemhle ngako!” watsho uMama Sele, futhi bamngqinela abantakwabo kunye noodadewabo. UBusi wathi akubona isithunzi sakhe emanzini, wancuma olona lwakhe lwalukhulu, nolubanzi uncumo lwesele. Wayevuyiswa kukuzibona emhle kangako. Kodwa ngaphezu koko, wayevuyiswa kukuba kuthe kanti ayimbanga kangako into yomlenze wakhe omde ngokubaxekileyo.