Ngobunye ubusuku obumnyama, u-Onke wayelele zwi embhejaneni wakhe omncane, egunjini lakhe lokulala elincane, endlini ayehlala kuyo noMama, noBaba, noGogo, kanye nenja encane engumngani wakhe ebizwa ngoMdlwane. UMdlwane wayelele engutsheni ebomvu ezinyaweni zombhede ka-Onke. Wayehona kancane futhi ephupha ngokubamba izinkwe epaki.

Kusenjalo u-Onke wezwa umsindo omkhulu wase evuka ethukile. “Ngabe uyini lowo msindo?” kusho yena, eqhaqhazela. Wazimboza ikhanda ngengubo. “Ngifisa sengathi kungebe inunu noma yisipoki esisabekayo. Angizithandi izipoki.”

PHAHLA! “Nanso futhi,” kusho yena, ezama ukuqina isibindi. “Kumele ngithole ukuthi yini eyenza lowo msindo.” Ngakho-ke u-Onke wathatha ithoshi leplastiki eliluhlaza okotshani ayeligcina etafuleni eliseceleni kombhede, wase elikhanyisa elizungezisa igumbi.

“Ngabe ucabanga ukuthi lowo msindo wenziwe yisipoki?” kubuza u-Onke kuMdlwane, owayesalele ethe zwi futhi ephupha ngokujaha izinkwe. U-Onke wamumbambatha ekhanda.

HHOO! HHOO! Kwezwakala umsindo omusha owawuvela ngaphandle.

“Ngabe yisipoki yini leso?” kubuza u-Onke, ekhanyisa ithoshi lakhe efasiteleni.

Kwakukhona into enkulu, ekhuluphele ensundu, embozwe yizimpaphe, enomlomo ophuzi, eyayihleli egatsheni ngaphandle. U-Onke wahleka wase ethi, “Akusona isipoki. Yisikhova esikhulu nje esihleli ngaphandle kwegumbi lami. Kodwa ngiyafisa ukwazi ukuthi yini le eyenza umsindo wokuphahlazeka?”

HHOO! HHOO! Isikhova esikhulu sanweba amaphiko aso sase sindiza siwela ingadi.

“Izikhova zizingela amagundane nezingoso ebusuku, yingakho abantu bengaziboni nhlobo. Kuyinhlanhla enkulu ukubona isikhova,” kusho u-Onke. “Ngabe akunjalo, Mdlwane?”

Kodwa uMdlwane wayelele ethe zwi, ngakho u-Onke wahlikihla isisu sakhe esincane esinoboya wase ehona wase ephendukela engutsheni yakhe ebomvu.

“Mhlawumbe umqondo wami udlala ngami nje,” kucabanga u-Onke. Kodwa kusenjalo wabona okuthile okumnyama nokwesabekayo ekhoneni legumbi. Kwakubukeka sengathi yinunu enkulu enamaphiko okhozi namazipho ebhubesi kanye namazinyo amade afana nawentibane.

“Ngabe yisipoki lesi?” kusho yena, ekhanyisa ithoshi lakhe ekhoneni legumbi. U-Onke wahleka lapho ebona ukuthi empeleni kwakuyini. “Akusona isipoki! Yizingubo ezingcolile nje ezilenga esitulweni. Bekufanele engabe ngizibeke ngendlela uMama ayethe ngizibeke ngayo. Akunjalo, Mdlwane?” Kodwa uMdlwane wayesalele ethe zwi futhi namathe akhe ayesevuzela engutsheni yakhe ebomvu.

“Kodwa ngabe ubuyini lowo msindo wento ephahlazekayo owenzeke phambilini?” kusho u-Onke. PHAHLA! Wezwa umsindo futhi wase eqhaqhazela. “Kufanele ukuthi yisipoki leso,” kucabanga yena, “futhi kuzwakala sengathi sindiza emoyeni ngaphandle kwegumbi lami.”

U-Onke wayezama ukuziqinisa isibinjana, noma amadolo akhe ayeqhaqhazela njengojeli. Walunguza ngemva komnyango wegumbi lakhe lokulala, wase ebheka ephaseji elimnyama.

Kodwa kwakungekho lutho lapho, kwakukhona izicathulo zabazali bakhe nje eduze nodonga, kanye nendishi yamanzi kaMdlwane kumata omncane. U-Onke wanyonyoba kukhaphethi ephaseji, wadlula igumbi lokulala labazali bakhe, wase elunguza ekhishini.

“Yisipoki!” esho ememeza, ekhanyisa ithoshi esithunzini esimnyama esime eduze kwesitofu. Isipoki sasigqoke amaphijama aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka anezimvu ezinomfonomfo kuwo.

“Amaphijama kaGogo lawo,” kusho u-Onke. “Uwantshontsheleni amaphijama kaGogo, Sipoki?” U-Onke wakhanyisa ithoshi lakhe ukuze abuke ubuso besipoki. KwakuwuGogo!

“Onke,” kusho Gogo, esekhamisile nje ngenxa yokwethuka. “Waze wangethusa. Bengicabanga ukuthi uyisipoki.”

“Bengicabanga ukuthi nguwe oyisipoki,” kusho u-Onke, egigitheka. “Wenzani ekhishini ebusuku kangaka, Gogo?”

“Bengingakwazi ukulala,” kusho uGogo, “ngakho-ke ngize ngeza ekhishini ukuze ngizitholele ubisi olushisayo kanye namabhisikidi. Ngabe ufuna ukuzitholela okokubamba umoya kwaphakathi namabili nami?” U-Onke wamamatheka wase enqekuzisa ikhanda lakhe.

Ngakho yena kanye noGogo bahlala etafuleni lasekhishini bexoxela phansi bede begcobhoza amabhisikidi aklamuzelayo ezinkomishini ezinobisi olushisayo. Base bezenzela isemishi elithosiwe abazokwabelana ngalo, elilinama-pickles, i-ham, ushizi, utamatisi, kanye nolethisi oluhlaza omusha.

Lapho sebeqedile ukudla nokuphuza, baxubha amazinyo abo okwesibili ngalobo busuku. U-Onke wabe esefisela uGogo ubuthongo obumnandi wase ebuyela egunjini lakhe lokulala. Lapho evula umnyango, uMdlwane wagxuma wase ekhonkotha.

“We Mdlwane,” kusho u-Onke, emumbambatha ekhanda, “yimina nje, nja ecabanga okungasile. Ngabe ubucabanga ukuthi ngiyisipoki?”

UMdlwane wakhotha ubuso bakhe wase ephenduka engutsheni yakhe ebomvu.

“Ngisombulule impicabadala kusihlwa nje. Ngabe ubukwazi lokho, Mdlwane?” kubuza u-Onke.

Kodwa uMdlwane wayesezigoqile wase evala amehlo akhe.

“Kubukeka kuyisu elihle lokho,” kusho u-Onke. “Ulale kahle, Mdlwane.”

“Ulale kahle,” kusho isipoki esinobungani esasisophahleni, esasidlula endlini sifuna ubisi olushisayo kanye namabhisikidi esizokudla.

Kodwa u-Onke wayeselele zwi.