Kwesukasukela, eminyakeni eminingi eyadlula, kwakukhona igundane lehlathi okwakuthiwa uLegotlo. ULegotlo wayengumngani omkhulu kaMamanthwane – ilulwane. Bobabili babehlale bendawonye njalo. Kodwa uMamanthwane wayenomona noLegotlo. Ulegotlo wayenabangani abaningi futhi wayethandwa kakhulu kunelulwane. ULegotlo wayebuye abe nonkosikazi owayemthanda kakhulu. Ilulwane lalinomona ngazo zonke lezi zinto uLegotlo ayenazo. ULegotlo noMamanthwane babehlale bedla ndawonye. Lapho ilulwane liphekile, ukudla kwakuhlale kumnandi kakhulu.
“Kungani njalo nje uma wena wenze umhlunzi unambitheke kangaka?” kubuza igundane lehlathi. “Mina ngiyazibilisa njalo nje, futhi inyama yami isashukela. Yilokho okwenza umhluzi wami ube mnandi kakhulu,” kuchaza ilulwane. Kodwa lalisenga ezimithiyo. UMamanthwane wazicelela ukukhombisa igundane lehlathi ukuthi kwenziwa kanjani. Wathatha imbiza enamanzi afudumele nje, angashisi ngendlela yokuthi angashisa othile, kodwa watshela uLegotlo ukuthi amanzi ayeshisa lokhu okubilayo. Emva kwalokho uMamanthwane wagxumela phakathi embizeni, wayesephuma ngokushesha futhi. Ngenkathi uMamanthwane esephaka umhluzi, wawunambitheka kamnandi njengokwejwayelekile. ULegotlo wayemangele. Leli su leluwane lisebenza ngempela, ecabanga.
Lapho sebeqedile ukudla, igundane lehlathi laya ekhaya latshela umkalo ukuthi lizokwenza umhlunzi omnandi ofana nje nowelulwane. Umkalo walibuza ukuthi lokho lalizokwenza kanjani. “Lokho kuyimfihlo!” kusho uLegotlo. ULegotlo wacela umkakhe ukuthi abilise amanzi, wenza kanjalo. Ngenkathi umkakhe enganakile, uLegotlo wagxuma wangena embizeni. Kungekudala wayesebila emanzini! “Ngisize! Ngisize!” ememeza. “Ngiyasha!”Unkosikazi wegundane lehlathi waphuthuma ukumkhiphela ngaphandle, kodwa umonakalo wawusuwenzekile. ULegotlo wayeseshe kabi ngangokuthi bonke uboya bakhe base busukile. Isikhumba sakhe sase sibomvu, futhi siphinki ngenxa yamanzi ashisayo.
“Ubungenelani kodwa embizeni enamanzi abilayo?” kubuza umkakhe. “Ngoba uMamanthwane ungitshele ukuthi yilokho okwenza umhluzi wakhe unambitheke kakhulu ngempela,” kusho uLegotlo. Kwathi uma unkosikazi kaLegotlo embuka futhi ebona ukuthi ulimele kangakani, wakhala. Wamthatha wamhambisa kudokotela, kodwa udokotela wehluleka ukumsiza. Kunalokho, udokotela wathi kuLegotlo ngeke buphinde bumile uboya bakhe. Wathi uma unkosikazi kaLegotlo ezizwa lezi zindaba ezibuhlungu, wathukuthela kakhulu! Wabika lolu daba enkosini nasendlovukazini. Bathumela umyalelo kubo bonke abantu bomuzi ukuthi bathole ilulwane ukuze lijeziswe.
Wonke umuntu weza waqala ukucinga ilulwane. Kodwa-ke uMamanthwane wayevele esezwile ukuthi kuzokwenzekani ngakho wandiza waya ehlathini wazifihla. Abantu bomuzi bacinga, bacinga, kodwa abazange bamthole ndawo. Ngosuku olulandelayo, abantu bomuzi bathatha indlela ebheke ehlathini ukuze babone ukuthi bangamthola yini uMamanthwane lapho. Babeqinisile – bamthola uMamanthwane ecashe lapho esihlahleni. Bamlinda waze walala, base bembamba bahamba baqonda naye enkosini nasendlovukazini.
Lapho befika esigodlweni, uLegotlo nomkakhe base bevele bekhona lapho. UMamanthwane wayenamahloni okubuka umngani wakhe, uLegotlo, emehlweni. “Ukwenzeleni kimi lokhu? Ingani besingabangani abakhulu!” uLegotlo esho elulwaneni. “Yingoba benginomona ngawe,” kuphendula uMamanthwane. “Unazo zonke izinto engingenazo futhi wonke umuntu uyakuthanda, kanti mina bayangizonda.” Abantu bomuzi yabamangalisa kakhulu impendulo kaMamanthwane. Bamangala nje ukuthi kungani uMamanthwane engazange abuze umngani wakhe ukuthi wenza kanjani ukuthi wonke umuntu amthande.
Emva kwalokho inkosi yayisithi, “Hhayi-ke, usunikeze uwonkewonke isizathu sokuthi akuzonde ngokwedlulele manje.” Inkosi kanye nendlovukazi bayalela onogada ukuthi bathathe uMamanthwane bamfake ejele. Indlovukazi yathi, “Namuhla sizokuvalela! Kusasa sizonquma ukuthi sizokujezisa kanjani!” Ngakusasa ekuseni lapho onogada befika bezolanda uMamanthwane egumbini lakhe ejele, wayengekho. Wayeseqile kanti akekho owayazi ukuthi kanjani. ULegotlo nomkakhe bathukuthela uma bezwa lezo zindaba. Inkosi kanye nendlovukazi nabo babethukuthele kakhulu.
Bayalela abantu bomuzi ukuthi bacinge ilulwane futhi. Usuku lonke abantu bazama ukuthola nokubamba uMamanthwane, kodwa behluleka. UMamanthwane wayethole umhume kude nomuzi, owawungaziwa muntu. Lo mhume kwakunzima ukuwuthola. UMamanthwane waphinde wanquma ukuguqula omunye wemikhuba yakhe – ukusuka ngalelo langa, wayesephuma ukuze athole ukudla uma sekumnyama kuphela.
Yingakho-ke nanamuhla, ungeke uze umbone uMamanthwane, ilulwane, ngezikhathi zasemini. Ungambona ebusuku kuphela endiza ezungezungeza.
