“Ashu! Ashu! Ashu!” kusho uKoketso.

UGogo wayematasatasa esitofini, akazange aphenduke nakuphenduka. “Kwenzenjani, Koketso?” kubuza yena.

“ASHU! ASHU! ASHU!” kumemeza uKoketso. “Izinyawo zami zibuhlungu. Zincane kakhulu izicathulo zami.”

UGogo waphenduka wambuka. “Angikukholwa lokho, Koketso. Lezo zicathulo zisezintsha kabi. Izinyawo zakho azikwazi ukuba sezikhule ngokushesha kangaka.”

“Hawu, Gogo,” kusho uKoketso, “mhlawumbe bezingeke zibe buhlungu kangaka ukuba bezingensundu futhi zingezimbi. Mhlawumbe ukuba bekuyizicathulo ezithambile, ezinhle ezinobucwebecwebe kanye neribhini bezizongilingana kangcono.”

UGogo waphenduka ukuze agovuze ibhodwe lakhe. “Mhlawumbe,” kusho yena.

“Ngiyacela bandla, Gogo,” kusho uKoketso. “Angikwazi ukugqoka lezi zicathulo ezimbi, ezinsundu edilini kusasa.”

“Ngiyabona,” kusho uGogo, eqoba u-anyanisi.

UKoketso wakhumula izicathulo zakhe, wase eya phandle wayokhala kancane.

Imambana enguMalume uKoos yadlula nethroli layo lokuthenga. “Kwenzenjani, Koketso?” kubuza yena.

“Ngiya edilini losuku lokuzalwa lomngani wami omkhulu kusasa,” kusho uKoketso, “kanti anginazo izicathulo ezinhle engizozigqoka.”

UMalume uKoos wabe esebheka ezintweni ezisethrolini lakhe, kodwa wathola ipheya lamateki amadala anezimbobo.

“Uxolo,” kusho yena. “Angikwazi ukukusiza, Koketso.”

“Ngibonga ukuthi okungenani uzamile ukungisiza,” kuphefumula uKoketso.

Kwase kuza iloli likadoti lama ngaphandle kwendlu.

“Ukhalelani, Koketso?” kubuza umshayeli.

“Ngidinga izicathulo zokuya edilini,” kusho uKoketso, “kanti angazi ukuthi ngingazithola kuphi.”

“Nxese,” kusho umshayeli. “Zonke izicathulo eziselolini lami zixubene nodoti. Kodwa ngivame ukubona izicathulo emigqomeni kadoti – kungenzeka ukuthi kukhona abantu abaningi kule ndawo abanezicathulo abangazifuni. Kungani ungabuzi abangani bakho?”

UKoketso wacabanga ukuthi leli yisu elihle ngempela. Ngakho wayobona umngani wakhe, uNkk Salmon.

“Sawubona!” kumemeza yena. “Nkk Salmon, ngidinga izicathulo zokuya edilini. Ngabe zikhona izicathulo zokuya edilini ongangipha nazo?”

UNkk Salmon weza emnyango ephethe ipheya lezicathulo. “Nazi, Koketso,” kusho yena, “ungazithatha lezi, kodwa ngeshwa esinye sinesithende esixegayo.”

Lezi zicathulo zazizinhle zinobucwebecwebe, futhi noKoketso wayecabanga ukuthi zinhle. “Ngiyabonga, Nkk Salmon!” kusho yena. UKoketso wazifaka izicathulo wase ethi ukudansa kancane. Kodwa isithende esixegayo sasinyakaza kakhulu. Khehle! Kukhala sona ngesikhathi uKoketso ehla ngomgwaqo, khehle-khehle.

“Hhayi cha,” kusho uKoketso, “angikwazi ukuya edilini nezicathulo ezikhehlezayo.” Ngakho-ke wabuyisela izicathulo kuNkk Salmon wase embonga ngokuzama ukumsiza.

“Kungani ungaceli izicathulo kumzala wakho uPinky?” kucebisa uNkk Salmon.

Ngakho uKoketso wenza kanjalo.”Sawubona!” kumemeza yena kubo kaPinky. “We Pinky, ngidinga izicathulo zokuya edilini. Ngabe zikhona izicathulo zokuya edilini ongangipha zona?”

UPinky wayobheka ekhabetheni lakhe. “Nazi, ungazithatha lezi,” kusho yena kuKoketso. Izicathulo zazinezinhliziyo ezincane ezibomvu yonke indawo futhi leso naleso sasinefindo lokuhlobisa elikhulu elimhlophe. UKoketso wayejabule kakhulu.

“Ngiyabonga, Pinky!” kusho yena. Wazifaka izicathulo wase edansa kancane. Zazizinhle lezi zicathulo, kodwa zaziciphiza izinzwane zakhe.

“Ashu,” kusho uKoketso. “Angikwazi ukuya edilini ngezicathulo ezingimpintshayo.” Ngakho wazibuyisela kuPinky wase embonga ngokuzama ukusiza.

“Kungani ungaceli izicathulo ku-Anti uShirley?” kucebisa uPinky.

Ngakho uKoketso wenzenjalo. Kodwa izicathulo zika-Anti uShirley zazinkulu kangangokuthi kwakumele ahambe ashesheze ukuze zingakhumuki – sheshe,sheshe, sheshe, sheshe. Ngakho uKoketso kwadingeka ukuthi azibuyisele emuva.

UKoketso waya kuwo wonke umuntu amaziyo. Futhi konke lapho ayeya khona, abangani bakhe babemnika izicathulo okumele azizame.

Kodwa asikho nesisodwa esasimlingana kahle. Izicathulo zikaPhumla zazindala kangangoba izinzwane zikaKoketso zazivele ngaphandle kanti amasoli azo ayephaqaza – phaqa phaqa phaqa. Izicathulo zikaMama uMaloyi zazinezithende eziphakeme kakhulu kangangoba uKoketso wayelokhu ewa futhi ebhinyilika amaqakala. Ezesalukazi esinguNkk Naidoo zazicishe zilunge, kodwa zazibanga umsindo. Kle, kle-kle. UKoketso akazange azithole izicathulo zokuya edilini ayezifuna, ngakho waya ekhaya.

Wathola uGogo ekhishini. “Eyi Gogo,” kusho uKoketso ngokudabuka, “Sengiye ezindaweni ezahlukene futhi ngizame ngazama, kodwa AKUKHO MUNTU onezicathulo angangipha zona!”

“Kanti zinani leziya?” kusho uGogo, ekhomba ipheya lezicathulo ezisetafuleni.

UKoketso wabheka. Izicathulo zazicwebezela zinamaribhini aphinki.

UKoketso wazifaka wase edansa, wazungeza ephenduka ekhishini. Izicathulo zezwakala zikahle ezinyaweni zakhe, zazingakhehlezeli, zingasheshezi, zingakleklezi. “Ngiyazithanda, Gogo,” kusho yena. “Uzitholephi?”

“Yizicathulo zakho ezinsundu ezimbi,” kusho uGogo. “Ngesikhathi usahambile kufike uferi ozenze zaba zinhle.”

UKoketso wabuka etafuleni wase emamatheka. “Hawu, Gogo, bekunguwe lowo feri!” kusho yena. “Ngibona ubhasikidi wakho wokusebenza … kanye neglu … kanye nokokucwebezelisa. Ngiyazi ukuthi bekunguwe!”

Wavele waqhuma yinsini uGogo.

“Ngiyakuthanda, Gogo,” kusho uKoketso ngesikhathi emgona emuthi nkamfu okhalweni.

“Nami ngiyakuthanda, Koketso,” kusho ugogo wakhe. “Ngiyethemba ukuthi zikulingana kahle manje.”

“Impela,” kusho uKoketso, “zilingana kahle!”

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Nikeza izingane zakho iphepha kanye namakhrayoni/noma amakhrayoni angamapensela. Phakamisa ukuthi zidwebe isithombe sepheya lezicathulo ezingathanda ukuzigqoka emcimbini okhethekile.