Olwethu, i-octopus, bekaphumulile ngephansi kwelitje echibini lelikhulu leliseceleni kwelwandle. Bekesaba. Bekangakake waba khashane kangaka nelichibi lakhe ngephandle kwendzawo lahlala kuyo. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi bekaphephile ngephansi kwendzawo yakhe yekuhlala, ikhashane nelusetse nebantfu. Kodvwa emalangeni lambalwa landlulile, umzala wakhe, Oscar, abemcele kutsi ahambe naye kuze babuke lamanye emachibi lasedvutane nelwandle. “Kubhora kakhulu lana. Ngifuna kubona umhlaba. Bhukusha nami sihambe, Olwethu,” kusho Oscar.
Olwethu abemncenge kutsi angahambi, kodvwa Oscar akamlalelanga, ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi abenta lakufunako. Nyalo, besekahambe emalanga. Kungako Olwethu atsatsa sincumo sekumfuna. Kumfuna kwakhe kwamfikisa kulelichibi leliseceleni kwelwandle, lapho ekugcineni, atfola tidalwa taselwandle lebetingamtjela kutsi kwentekeni ku-Oscar. “Bekanesifiso sekutizuzisa yena,” kusho inhlanti iva buhlungu. Tidalwa taselwandle tanyakatisa imilomo yato tivumelana nayo, tatsi “Simecwayisile kutsi acaphele tintfo letimibalabala letilenga emantini.” Inkhala yakhipha inhloko yayo yaphuma kulengebhuta yayo yatsi, “Labadvweba tinhlati bebakujabulele kakhulu kubamba i-octopus.”
Olwethu abeva buhlungu kakhulu. Bekufanele abuyele emuva echibini lakhe ngephansi kwelitje lakhe ahamba yedvwa. Ngako, njengoba antanta ngephansi kwemngcengcema, acabanga ngendlela labekhumbule ngayo Oscar, ngekushesha weva emavi ebantfu. Ngesikhatsi Olwethu alunguta, wabona intfombatane lencane, make wayo nagogo wayo emngcengcemeni walelichibi. Bebabuke batse njo phansi kulamanti. Njengoba Olwethu abuyela emuva abhaca ngephansi kwalomngcengcema, weva logogo amemeta atsi, “Viwe, buka lapha yi-octopus! Uyayibona yini ngephansi kwalomngcengcema?” Olwethu ngekushesha washintja umbala kuze afanane nalamatje nelukhula lwaselwandle loluseceleni kwakhe. Kodvwa Viwe abembonile. Watsi: “Yebo! Buka, ngicabanga kutsi wetama kubhaca,” akhomba lapho Olwethu akhona.
Akhumbula lokwenteke ku-Oscar, Olwethu wancuma kuphephisa lugogo lwakhe. Ngekushesha wagijima waphuma ngephansi kwalomngcengcema wabaleka wayobhaca ngephansi kwalelinye litje lelikhulu. Kodvwa ngelishwa, lentfombatane lencane yadzabula emantini futsi yahlala kulelitje lelikhulu ngetulu kwalapho Olwethu bekabhace khona. Lentfombatane beyiphetse intfo letsite emibalabala lekhanyako esandleni sayo, kodvwa Olwethu bekangayati kutsi iyini.
Olwethu abeyitsandza imibala lekhanyako. Lichibi lakhe emuva labekahlala khona lalimibalabala. Laligcwele tidalwa tasemantini letibovu, ema-chitins lakhatitelako, lukhula lwaselwandle loluluhlata netinhlanti letinyenti letinhle. Olwethu wacondza kutsi kubangelwe yini kutsi Oscar advonseleke kulelidoba lelinemibalabala lekhanyako lomdvwebi wetinhlanti lalisebentisile kuze ambambe. Lapho bekabhace khona Olwethu wabona lentfo lekhanyako lepinki ekhatsi emantini yendlula ngakuye. Ngaphandle kwekucabanga, ngebunono wagocela lunyawo lwakhe kulentfo leyayifakwe emantini, futsi nakabona kutsi akwenti lutfo, wacala kugocela lolunye lunyawo lwakhe kulentfo.
Ngemuva kwaloko weva lentfombatane lencane imemeta itsi, “Buka, Make, leoctopus seyibambe snorkel sami.” Olwethu wetfuka kakhulu kangangekutsi wasibamba wasicinisa snorkel labesifake emantini. Lentfombatane lencane yabamba snorkel sayo lesifake emantini. Yayiva kutsi sibambekile, lentfombatana lencane nayo yafaka emandla yadvonsa.
“Make, le-octopus ayifuni kuyekela le-snorkel sami!” kusho Viwe, acala kushaywa luvalo. “Hawu angeke,” kucabanga Olwethu, “ngenta bulima njenga-Oscar! Nangingakacaphelisisi, nami ngitawubanjwa!” Ngekushesha, wayiyekela lesnorkel lebeyisemantini.
Le-snorkel saphuma emantini ngekushesha, futsi Viwe wacishe washelela kulelitje wangena emantini. Gogo wahleka, “Unenhlanhla, Viwe. Ubone i-octopus wacishe wayibamba futsi!” “Yebo,” kusho Viwe ngekujabula, “futsi le-octopus icishe yabamba le-snorkel sami!” Ngisindze ngekulambisa, kucabanga Olwethu njengoba acala kubhukusha abuyela emuva echibini lakhe ngephansi kwelitje.
Amunya emanti futsi awakhafula, ngekushesha besekahamba emantini abalekela ingoti. Sekahambe libanga, weva gogo waViwe atsi, “Hawu! Buka le-octopus kutsi ihamba kanjani, Viwe! Igijima lamantini shengatsi yindiza indiza esibhakabhakeni.” Kodvwa Olwethu akazange eme kuze eve kutsi Viwe utsini. Ecinisweni akayekelanga kubhukusha wadzimate wafika endzaweni lephephile ngephansi lesekugcineni kwemanti.
Yenta indzaba ibe nemdlandla!
- Kwake kwenteka yini waba seluhambweni lolutsite? Wativa njani? Kungani?
- Dvweba sitfombe se-octopus. I-octopus ingashintja umbala! Ngako ungayifaka umbala lojabulisako noma iphethini.
- Yenta iphosta Yemuntfu Lolahlekile. Dvweba sitfombe salomuntfu lolahlekile futsi ubhale ligama lakhe, iminyaka nenchazelo yekutsi ubukeka njani ngephansi kwalesitfombe.
