Kwasukasukela kwakunomfana omncane okwakuthiwa nguTshego. Wayenelukuluku elikhulu lokwazi izinto kanti futhi egangile. UTshego wayethanda ukubona izindawo ezintsha. Wayebuza imibuzo ngayo yonke into. “Mama, izilwane ziyakwazi ukuzwa? Mama, ingabe izilwane ziyakuqonda esikushoyo? Mama, izilwane zingakwazi ukukhuluma? Mama, kungani amakati ekhala ethi miyawu?” Wayelokhu eqhubeke njalo nemibuzo unina waze wathi makaphume ayodlala ngaphandle. UTshego waphumela phandle futhi wahlala phansi eduze nekati lakhe, uFrisky. Wagqolozela uFrisky, kanti noFrisky uzomgqolozela. Kwakusengathi uFrisky unento ayefuna ukuyisho.
Ngifisa ngabe bengikwazi ukukhuluma nawe nokuthi nawe ukhulume nami, Frisky,” kusho uTshego. Kodwa uFrisky wathi nje miyawu wabe esemfulathela uTshego. UTshego wakhokha umoya kakhulu wawukhipha. Wazibuza ukuthi kwakuyoba njani ukube izilwane zazikwazi ukukhuluma. Khona-ke, kunokuba izinja zikhonkothe, amakati athi miyawu nezinyoni zintshiyoze, zazizokwazi ukukhuluma futhi zisho lokho ezazifuna ukukusho ngokuqondile. UTshego wansinsitheka ngalo mcabango futhi waqonda ukuthi lokho kwakungeke kwenzeke. “Tshego?” UTshego wethuka lapho ezwa igama lakhe, kodwa kwakungunina emi emnyango. Wayegqoke isigqoko sakhe sokuzikhipha esimibalabala.
Khona-ke uTshego wakhumbula ukuthi babeyokhempa! “Tshego, usupakishe yonke into oyidingayo?” kubuza uMama. “Yebo, Mama, ngiqede izolo ebusuku ukupakisha,” uTshego emamatheka. “Masihambeni-ke!” kusho unina. “Ngiyabona ukuthi uyihlo uselayisha izinto zokugcina emotweni.” UTshego wayazi ukuthi kuzoba mnandi ukukhempa. Wayenelukuluku lokwazi konke mayelana nezilwane ezazihlala eduze nendawo ababezokhempa kuyo.
Umndeni wangena emotweni futhi njengoba babesuka behamba, uTshego wabala imizuzu baze bayofika endaweni yokukhempa. Indawo yokukhempa yayiyinhle. Yayizungezwe yizihlahla, futhi uTshego wayejahe kabi ukuhlola le ndawo entsha. “Baba, ngingayotheza izinkuni zokubasa umlilo lapho usamisa itende?” kubuza uTshego. “Ngumqondo omuhle lowo, kodwa ungayi kude kakhulu. Angifuni ukuba ulahleke phakathi kwezihlahla,” kusho uBaba. “Kulungile!” kumemeza uTshego njengoba egijima ehamba eyoqoqa izinkuni. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi uTshego wayenelukuluku lokwazi futhi enokuganga, wayelokhu engena ejula ehlathini engaqapheli nokuqaphela. Wabheka ngaphansi kwamaqabunga, ngemuva kwamadwala naphezulu ezihlahleni ukuze abone zonke izilwane ezazihlala lapho.Lapho uTshego eseqoqe inyanda enkulu yezinkuni, wabhekabheka endaweni ayekuyo futhi wabona ukuthi … wayelahlekile! Manje, zonke izihlahla zazibukeka zifana, futhi waqonda ukuthi wayengeke esakwazi ukuthola indlela ebuyela emuva endaweni yokukhempa.
Ngokushesha kwaba mnyama, futhi kwakungekho nyanga. UTshego wahlala phansi, waqoshama futhi wakhala ekhalela phansi. Wayeyophinde abathole kanjani abazali bakhe? Khona-ke uTshego wezwa amazwi ehleba eduze nalapho ayekhona. Wayeka ukukhala futhi wabhekabheka. Ingabe abazali bakhe babekwazile ukumthola ngandlela-thile? Kodwa kwakungebona abazali bakhe. Phambi kwakhe kwakumi uhashi omuhle nosikhova onamehlo amakhulu ayindilinga. “Kwenze njani, nsizwa? Kungani ukhala?” kubuza usikhova. UTshego akakukholwanga ayekuzwa. Ingabe usikhova usanda kukhuluma naye ngempela? “U- … uyakwazi ukukhuluma?” uTshego engingiza. Usikhova wansinsitheka. “Yebo, siyakwazi ukukhuluma. Manje, sicela usitshele ukuthi ubekwa yini lapha wedwa emnyameni.” “Ngilahlekile lapho ngisatheza izinkuni zokubasa umlilo,” kusho uTshego. “Kumele ukuthi uyafa yindlala,” kusho uhashi.
Sasho sakhala isisu sikaTshego sivuma! “Linda lapha, ngizokulandela into yokudla.” Washo esuka uhashi egijima. Usikhova wasala futhi wahlalisa uTshego. Uhashi wabuya ephethe igatsha elinama-aphula amakhulu, abomvu. UTshego wamimilita amaaphula amabili njengoba elambile wabe esezizwa engcono kakhulu. “Bheka, ngicabanga ukuthi ngibabonile abazali bakho ngale,” kusho uhashi. “Woza, gibela kimi emhlane, ngizokuyisa kubo.” UTshego wagibela emhlane kahashi, kanti usikhova wandiza wahlala ehlombe likaTshego. Bendawonye bahamba badabula ezihlahleni.
Ngokushesha bafika endaweni abakhempe kuyo. UTshego wagxuma wehla kuhashi futhi wazibonga zombili lezi zilwane ngenxa yosizo lwazo. “Sisazophinde sibonane futhi?” ebuza. “Mhlawumbe,” kuphendula usikhova, futhi ngemva kwalokho, zombili izilwane zanyamalala ezihlahleni. “Mama, Baba!” kumemeza uTshego njengoba egijima eyobahaga ngothando. Abazali bakhe babebukeka bekhathazekile. “Ngiyaxolisa ukuthi ngihambe isikhathi eside, kodwa kade ngilahlekile. Ngenhlanhla, uhashi omuhle nosikhova onomusa bangibuyisele kini. Benazi ukuthi izilwane ziyakwazi ukukhuluma?” UTshego wakhuluma int’engapheli! Unina noyise bajabula kakhulu ukumbona kangangokuthi bavele bamamatheka nje bebhekene futhi baphinda bahaga uTshego ngothando. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, kwase kuyisikhathi sokubuyela ekhaya. Lapho nje befika ekhaya, uTshego wagijima wayofuna uFrisky.
“Sawubona, Frisky. Ubungikhumbula?” kubuza uTshego. UFrisky wazelula futhi washo umiyawu wakhe omncane. “Ngiyayazi imfihlo yakho,” kusho uTshego, “futhi lapho usukulungele, uzokhuluma nami.” UFrisky wahuhla ikhanda lakhe engalweni kaTshego wayesegibela ethangeni lakhe. UTshego wayazi ukuthi uFrisky wayewaqondile wonke amagama ayewashilo!
Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!
- Ingabe wake walahleka endaweni ongayazi? Wazizwa kanjani? Waphinde wawuthola kanjani umndeni wakho?
- Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi izilwane ziyasiqonda lapho sikhuluma nazo? Kungani ucabanga kanjalo?
- Khetha noma yisiphi isilwane. Manje bhala phansi imibuzo emibili obungayibuza sona ukube besikwazi ukukhuluma.
- Bhala isiphetho esisha sale ndaba. Yiba nombono wokuthi uFrisky ukhulume noTshego. Yini uFrisky abengayisho?
