Kadzeni dzeni, tilwane betingenayo imisila. Betingajabuli ngaloku, ngako-ke tabita umhlangano emgodzini wekunatsa emanti.

Imbila yabukela tilwane tendlula ngendlela tiya emhlanganweni.

“Sheshisa! Kudzingeka siye emhlanganweni,” kwmemeta Logwaja ngesikhatsi azubazuba endlula.

“Ungahlupheki, ngitakulandzela!” kwaphendvula Mbila agucula umhlane wakhe awubhekisa ngasemisebeni yelilanga lelifutfumele.

“Awusijoyini?” kwbuta Ngobiyane ngesikhatsi endlula.

“Ungahlupheki, ngitawuba sendleleni yami masinyane,” kwphendvula Mbila alele ngehlane entela kufutfumalisa sisu sakhe.

Silwane sekugcina kwendlula bekungumngani lomkhulu waMbila, Lufudvu. “Ayi emhlanganweni wena?” kwabuta yena.

“Kuphela-nje nangabe umngani wami angangigibelisa,” kwphendvula Mbila.

“Kodvwa ligobolondvo lami vele liyasindza-nje,” kusho Lufudvu. “Kuhle, mine angisindzi. Ungeke uve nemehluko kutsi ngihleti ngetulu,” kusho Mbila ngalokukhulu kumoyitela.

“Kodvwa ligobolondvo lami licinile futsi angeke uhlale kahle uma uhleti etulu,” kwachaza Lufudvu.

“Ngiyimbila! Ngetayele kuhlala emadvwaleni lacinile!” Kwphendvula Mbila, azuba agibela etulu emhlana waLufudvu. Mbila bekasindza kakhulu, kodvwa yini lebeyingentiwa nguLufudvu? Mbila phela bekungumngani wakhe lomkhulu.

Lena emhlanganweni, tilwane takhuluma ngemisila.

“Ngibukeka ngimubi ngaphandle kwemsila,” kwakhonona Mphisi.

“Uma ngetama kujika nangigijima, ngiyawa ngoba ngite umsila,” kwsho lihlosi.

“Ngidzinga lomunye umlente kute kutsi ngikwati kukhulula tandla tami uma ngijikela etihlahleni ngikha titselo,” kwasho Ngobiyane.

“Asiceleni Umdali kutsi asiphe imisila,” Bhubesi wabeka umbono.

Ngako-ke, tilwane tagucula buso bato babheka esibhakabhakeni. “Hawu, Mdali, sicela imisila!” Tacela.

Livi lelikhulu labhavumula livela esibhakabhakeni. “Kusasa ekuseni, nihambe niye lapha entasi emfuleni lapho-ke nitawukhandza imisila kulesihlahla lesikhulu.”

Tilwane tabuyela ekhaya titiva tinelitsemba nenjabulo.

“Angisakhoni kulindza kutsi ngitfole umsila. Kusasa asihambe kanyakanye siyolandza imisila yetfu,” kusho Mbila ngesikhatsi Lufudvu amehlisa edvwaleni lalibita ngekutsi ‘likhaya’.

Lufudvu ngetati kutsi uhamba kancane, ngakusasa wavuka ekuseni kakhulu. Bekusemnyama ngesikhatsi esuka ekhaya lakhe futsi leti letinye tilwane betisaselele.

Ngesikhatsi Lufudvu endlula ekhaya laMbila wamemeta, “Buya wena! Asihambe siyotfola imisila yetfu!”

“Hhayi namuhla, ngiva ngiyavilapha. Ngitawuvele ngihlale kulelidvwala ngitijabulise ngelilanga. Ngicela ungiphatsele umsila wengce uwushiya lapha uma sewubuyela ekhaya kakho,” kusho Mbila ngalokukhulu kumoyitela. “Ngingawutsandza umsila lomudze loneboya lbunyenti.”

Lufudvu wamangala kutsi Mbila abengayi. “Ngitakwenta njalo,” washo ajabulile, asabona kutsi lokungenani angeke ameme Mbila emhlane wakhe.

Ngentsatsakusa, leti letinye tilwane tangenela indlela seticondze emfuleni tilicembu lelikhulu. Betisheshisa kunaLufudvu, ngako-ke tamengca endleleni. Kodvwa Lufudvu bekatimisele kufika esihlahleni atitfolele umsila wakhe newemngani wakhe, ngako wachubeka wakhasa waya embili.

Kwatsi lapho letilwane setisondzela dvute nemfula, tabona lesihlahla sigcwele imisila. Bekukhona imisila lemifisha, imisila lemidze, imisila leneboya nemisila leyondzile. Bekunemisila lemihle nemisila lemibi.

Tilwane tacala taya ngakulesihlahla. Bekucacile kutsi noma ngabe ngubani lofinyelela kucala utawukhetsa umsila loncono. Ngobiyane wazuba esuka esihlahleni waya esihlahleni. Bhubesi, Hlosi naLidvuba bagijima. Ndlovu naBhejane bajaka kwaba busantfusantfu. Jakalazi wacocoma ngesivinini njengaNgulube, kodvwa Ngulube wahamba ema yonkhe indzawo adla timphandze letimnandzi. Lufudvu walandzela ngemuva.

Ngobiyane waba wekucala kufika esihlahleni. Wacukula umsila lomudze kuyendlula yonkhe. Hlosi waba ngewesibili naye watsatsa lomunye lomudze umsila. Leti letilandzelako tilwane takhetsa imisila kulena lebekadze isele ilenga kulesihlahla.

Ngesikhatsi Ngulube naLufudvu befika ekugcineni, bekunemisila lemibili kuphela lebeyisele. Munye umsila bewumfisha ulukhuni, kantsi lona lomunye bewuncama ushwilene. Ngulube wakhetsa lona loshwilene umsila, ngako-ke Lufudvu watfola lona lomkhulu.

Bekute lutfo lobelusele esihlahleni, futsi kute namunye lowakhumbula kutsi Mbila bekafuna umsila naye.

Asedvwaleni lakhe, Mbila abetibona tilwane setibuyela ekhaya. Tilwane behamba tijikitisa imisila yato tiyiyisa ngalapha nangalapha. “Angisakhoni kulindzela kutfola umsila wami musha!” kwacabanga Mbila.

Mbila wabona Lufudvu naNgulube beta kanye. “Ungiphatsele umsila wami Lufudvu?” kwabuta Lufundvu ngesikhatsi sebasondzele kakhulu.

“Cha, ngiyacolisa mngani wami, kodvwa iphelile! Mine naNgulube sitfole lena lemibili imisila yekugcina. Buka lowami umsila,” kuchaza Lufudvu akhomba umsila wakhe locinile. “Nguloku kuphela lengikutfolile.”

“Kufanele kutsi ngabe ngiye mine ngekwami!” kwasho Mbila atisola. “Nginematubane kunendlula nobabili nine. Ngabe ngititfolele umsila wami lomuhle-nje kube angikavilaphi kangaka.” Lufudvu naNgulube bahamba bathulile.

Kungako-ke timbila tingenayo imisila – kodvwa solo tisahlala emadvwaleni tijabulele kufutfumala kwelilanga!

Yenta indzaba iphile!

• Cabanga kutsi tilwane betikhetse imisila leyehlukene kulesihlahla. Dvweba sitfombe sanoma ngusiphi silwane lesineluhlobo lwemsila lolwehlukile, njengaLufudvu nemsila welibhubesi noma lidvuba nemsila wengulube.
• Woba nguseshi wemagama! Buka ngekucophelela endzabeni. Ungawatfola: emagama etilwane letine – mabili emagama etinombolo – emagama lasihlanu lachaza imisila?
• Tentise sengatsi unguMbila. Bhala incwadzi leya kuMdali ucele lelinye litfuba lekutfola umsila.