Iingwamza ziintaka ezinemilenze emide e-orenji kunye nemilomo emide e-orenji, nezibhabha ukusuka eMantla ziye emaZantsi zize ziphinde zibhabhe zibuyele emva. Nantsi into ke, kudala-dala iingwamza yayizezona ntaka zingxola kakhulu kwihlabathi xa lilonke.

Zazisoloko zithetha ngalo lonke ixesha. Ngexesha ezifika ngalo e-Afrika kolo hambo lwazo luya emaZantsi, intaka nganye kuzo yayithetha ngento eyohlukileyo, zonke zazithetha ngaxeshanye, kwaye kwakungekho nanye kuzo eyayithetha into enomdla.

Ukuba enye ingwamza ithi, “Intlanzi! Ndiyayithanda intlanzi.”

Enye iza kuthi, “Ndiyakuthanda ukuloba iintlanzi emanzini. Amanzi ayamanzisa.”

Enye ke ithi, “Ubumanzi? Andikuthandi tu ukuba manzi.”

Iya kuqhubeka njalo ke loo botyo ingenanquma, kuthiwe … “Awusoze wome xa ukhe wamanzi.”

“Umanzi? Ungakwazi khona ukubhabha xa umanzi?”

“Ukubhabha? Kutheni, ungaqhwaqhwazelisi amaphiko akho nje ubhabhe!”

Ngawo kanye loo mazwi okugqibela awaviwa yinciniba. Yayingakuthandi ukuncokola
kweengwamza, kodwa yalibala ngengxolo yazo kuba eyona nto yayinqwenela kakhulu ukuyenza yayikukubhabha.

Nantso ke isimka ukuya kuziqhelisa. Kwaqengqeleka iintsuku ezininzi izama.
Yayibaleka iye ngapha ibuye iye ngaphaya. Yaqhwaqhwazelisa loo maphiko ayo, kodwa ayizange ikwazi ukuntinga isuke emhlabeni.

“Hayi ke,” yatsho. “Ezaa ngwamza azithethi kakhulu nje kuphela, zithetha ubuvuvu bodwa. Zifuna ukohlwaywa.”

“Nathi asikwazi ukuyinyamezela ingxolo yazo,” kukhalaza nezinye izilwanyana. “Masihambe siye kubona icikilishe elinobulumko, sicele icebo.” Zahamba ke
zaya emlanjeni.

“Nifuna inzolo?” labuza icikilishe. “Kulula oko! Thethani nje la mazwi ezinzulwini zobusuku ngokuhlwanje, niza kuyifumana inzolo.” Emva koko lasebeza amazwi omlingo. “Kodwa,” litshilo, “nize nikhumbule into enye. Ezinzulwini zobusuku, ngosuku lwesithathu umlingo uza kuphela ungasebenzi. Emva koko kuza kufuneka nize nelenu icebo.

Ezinzulwini zobusuku izilwanyana zaqokelelana. Zasebeza amazwi omlingo zaze zalinda kwayintsasa elandelayo.

Ngosuku olulandelayo zazimangalisiwe. Kwakungekho nesinye isandi esiphuma kwiingwamza kwaye imilomo yazo yayivaleke vingci. Ekugqibeleni ezinye izilwanyana zazikwazi ukuva esinye xa sithetha. Zazikwazi ukuthetha esinye nesinye ngaphandle kokukhwazana.

Inciniba yayivuya kakhulu, yaze yaphinda yaziqhelisa ukubhabha kwakhona. Yabaleka isiya ngapha nangapha. Yayiqhwaqhwazelisa iimpiko zayo kwaye iziqhelisa ukubhabha kwindawo ezolileyo, kodwa zange intingele phezulu, iwushiye umhlaba. Ekugqibeleni yabuyela kwiingwamza. Nazo zihleli phaya, ziqundene ngeentloko, iimpiko zazo zikhukhumele, ziquthe imilomo yazo, ivalekile vingci.

“Owu nkosi yam,” yatsho inciniba, “zikhangeleka zingonwabanga kwaye zilambile. Zingade zibe ziyadika, kodwa noko kufuneka zityile. Ndinqwenela ukuba zingavele zitye nje, ngaphandle kokuthetha.”
Emini emaqanda izilwanyana zabamba intlanganiso. Zazisazi ukuba ezinzulwini zobusuku kufuneka zibe sele zize necebo.

“Ukuba iingwamza zithe zayivula imilomo yazo ngoku, ziza kuthetha nangaphezulu.” latsho ufudo.

“Kufuneka sicinge indlela yokuyigcina ivalekile laa milomo yazo,” imbombozele yatsho imvubu.

“Kodwa kufuneka zityile,” yatsho inciniba … yaze yeza nelona lakhe lakrelekrele icebo.

Kanye phambi kokuba kubethe eyeshumi elinambini ezinzulwini zobusuku, izilwanyana zaqokelelana zahlangana zingqonge iingwamza. “Ingaba niyafuna uphele umlingo onivale imilomo?” kubuza izilwanyana. Iingwamza zanqwala ngothakazelelo.

“Kulungile ke, singakulungisa oko,” yatsho inciniba, “kodwa kuqala, kufuneka nenze isithembiso, kwaye isithembiso sisivumelwano ESINGENAKUNGAFEZEKISWA.” Nditsho nazo iingwamza zaziyazi loo nto. Nganye, nganye zanqwala zivuma ukuba ziyathembisa ukwenza nantoni na inciniba eziyalela ukuba ziyenze.

Isikhova sakhala. Iingwamza zazisele zilungele ukuvula imilomo yazo zincokole ngochulumanco ukuma nkqo kwenciniba isithi “Ngoku ke,” yatsho, “khumbulani isithembiso senu.” Iingwamza zanqwala kwakhona. “Ingwamza nganye iza kuthembisa ukuba AYISOZE KWAKHONA iphinde ithethe nelinye ilizwi.”

Iingwamza zathi nkebe imilomo kukumangaliswa, kuba zazisandul’ ukwenza eso sithembiso. Kwaye ke kwakunyanzelekile zisigcine isithembiso eso.

Ukususela ngaloo mini iingwamza zathula okokoko. Ungazibona zinqwakuzelisa imilomo
yazo zisenza ngathi zenza ingxolo, kodwa isithembiso sisithembiso kwaye zisasigcinile.

Kananjalo uya kuyibona nenciniba ibaleka ngesantya esiphezulu kakhulu, iqhwaqhwazelisa

iimpiko zayo izama ukubhabha. Kodwa, kude kube namhlanje ayikakwazi ukubhabha. Kwaye, ngenxa yesithembiso iingwamza ezasenzayo sokungaphindi zithethe, azikwazi kuyixelela ukuba iinciniba ezi umthetho wazo azikwazi kubhabha.