Yayiyintsasa ebandayo nemvula idyudyuza. UMama wayenxibe idyasi yakhe eshushu nesikhafu. “Thoko,” watsho uMama, “ndiya eKapa kudliwanondlebe lwesithuba somsebenzi. Ndiza kubuya kwangethuba ukuze ndikwazi ukulungiselela isidlo sangokuhlwa.”
UMakhulu noThoko bakroba efestileni, bambukela uMama njengokuba echafuza kuloo mvula. Usizana olunguMama! UMakhulu wathi “Shu, kubanda kakhulu ukuba umntu ame apha, mandibuyele ebhedini okomzuzwana.”
UThoko wagalela eyona siriyeli ayithandayo esityeni, wongeza ubisi waze wazamisa. Kwakungelo xesha kanye awathi wafikelwa yeyona ngcinga ekrelekrele. Ngoko ke, wathi akugqiba ukutya wazalisa imbiza ngamanzi, waza wakhangela kwisikhenkcezisi ukuba yintoni anokuyigalela embizeni. Aha, umbeko wayizolo wepapa nomhluzi! UThoko wawugalela embizeni loo mbeko wazamisa yade ipapa yathamba, umhluzi wawajika amanzi amdaka ngebala. Emva koko wakhwela esitulweni, wakroba ekhabhathini yokutya.
“Wenza ntoni?” wabuza uMakhulu xa angena ekhitshini. Wayesanxibe igawuni yakhe epinki emfumamfuma.
“Ndiphekela uMama isuphu aza kuyitya xa ebuya egodola, elambile,” watsho uThoko.
“Yingcinga entle kakhulu leyo,” watsho uMakhulu. “Mandikuncedise.”
UMakhulu wajonga embizeni. “Yintoni le?” wabuza.
“Ngumbeko,” watsho uThoko.
“Yindlela elungileyo yokuqala isuphu leyo,” watsho uMakhulu, “kodwa kufuneka nezinye izinto.”
“Ndiyazi,” watsho uThoko. “Masigalele iipesika! UMama uyazithanda iipesika.”
“Azigalelwa iipesika esuphini, Thoko,” watsho uMakhulu. “Into esiyifunayo yiminqathe.”
UMakhulu wacoca umnqathe, waza wawunqunqa. Emva koko wawugalela embizeni waze wayibeka esitovini ukuze ibile. Emva koko uMakhulu wagalela isandla see-ertyisi. UThoko waya ekhabhathini waze wabuya nepakethi yeebhiskiti ezenziwe ngejinja.
“UMama ukuthanda kakhulu oku,” watsho uThoko. “Ezi bhiskiti ziza kuyenza isuphu ingcamleke kamnandi.”
UMakhulu wahleka. “Owu, Thoko, akukho mntu ugalela iibhiskiti xa epheka isuphu. Kufuneka thina sifumane inkonxa yetumato, itswele, icephe lencindi yemifuno kunye nentwana yetyuwa.”
UMakhulu wavula inkonkxa yeetumato wavumela uThoko ukuba ayigalele esuphini. Emva koko wagalela isiqholo semifuno waza waqalisa ukunqunqa itswele.
Kwakamsinyane, agwantya iinyembezi amehlo kaMakhulu. “Shu!” watsho ngesingqala uMakhulu. “Ukunqunqa itswele kundenza ndilile, kwaye ukulila kundenza ndibe nemifinya. Nceda uzamise isuphu kancinane lo gama ndisaya kufinya.”
UThoko wazamisa ejonge zonke izithako zesuphu azigaleleyo uMakhulu zijikajikeleza. Yayingumbeko kuphela into yena awayeyigalele. Oku akulunganga tu! Le suphu ibifanele ukuba yisuphu kaThoko ekhethekileyo, ayiphekela umama – hayi ekaMakhulu!
Ngoko ke, lo gama uMakhulu angekhoyo, uThoko waya ekhabhathini waza wafumana okuthile okukhethekileyo nawayekwazi ukuba uMama ukuthanda kakhulu. Ngokukhawuleza, wakugalela esuphini, wazamisa ekudibanisa nayo. Xa uMakhulu ebuya wathi, “Mmmm, ngoku inevumba lesuphu ekhethekileyo!”
UThoko noMakhulu bayiyeka isuphu ukuba ibhadle okomzuzwana. Emva koko uMakhulu wacima isitovu wathi, “Ngoku ilungele ukuba ifudunyezwe phambi kokuba uMama abuye. Yiza, Thoko, ndiza kukufundela ibali lo gama silinde ukufika kukaMama.”
Lo gama uMakhulu esafundayo, uThoko walala yoyi. Okulandelayo awakuvayo yayilucango lwangaphambili kunye noMama xa ekhwaza esithi, “Ndibuyile!”
UMama wayekhangeleka egodola kwaye ediniwe, kodwa wayeneendaba ezimnandi kakhulu. Wayewufumene umsebenzi!
“Ndifile yidlala!” watsho uMama, ekhulula idyasi yakhe. “Yintoni le inuka kamnandi kangaka?”
“UThoko ukuphekele isuphu,” watsho uMakhulu.
“Enkosi, Thoko,” watsho uMama. “Ndifuna kanye loo suphu ukuze ndifudumale.”
Akugqiba ukutshintsha iimpahla ezimanzi, anxibe iimpahla ezomileyo uMama, bahlala phantsi batya.
“Mmmmm,” watsho uMama, “ayisemnandi! Yintoni le iyenza ibe mnandi kangaka?”
“Ndigalele intwana yesiqholo semifuno esimnandi,” watsho uMakhulu.
“Hayi,” watsho uMama, “asiyiyo. Ndingcamla …”
UThoko wathi cwaka ngathi akakho. UMakhulu wafinga iintshiya emangalisiwe.
“Ewe, ndingcamla into emnandi, eswiti!” watsho uMama.
Xa yonke isuphu iphelile, uMama waya ekhabhathini waza wathi, “Ngoku kukho into ebendiyigcinele ithuba elikhethekileyo.” Kodwa uMama zange akufumane oko wayekukhangela. “Kuyamangalisa,” watsho uMama, “Bendigcine amaqhekeza amathathu eyona tshokholethi ndiyithandayo ndiwagcinele ithuba elikhethekileyo.”
UThoko wajingisa intloko yakhe ejonge phantsi. Wayesiva ngathi uMakhulu umjonge ntsho.
“Thoko,” wabuza uMakhulu, “uyenze ntoni itshokholethi kaMama?”
UThoko waqalisa ukulila xa wayexelela uMama ukuba itshokholethi uyigalele esuphini. Kodwa endaweni yokuba aqumbe, uMama wahleka, “Yiyo le nto yenze isuphu yakho ingcamleke kamnandi kangaka!”
“Kwaye eli lilo kanye ithuba elikhethekileyo,” wancuma uMakhulu. “Ufumene umsebenzi namhlanje!”
UThoko wazisula iinyembezi emehlweni akhe.
“Uyazi, Thoko sithandwa sam,” watsho uMama, “ucinge okuhle kakhulu ukuba undiphekele isuphu. Yintoni igama layo?”
“Yisuphu ekhethekileyo kaThoko,” watsho uThoko.
“Ngokwenene, yeyona suphu imnandi ndakhe ndayitya,” watsho uMama, esanga uThoko.
