Kwesuka sukelwa kwakunemfana lomncane ligama lakhe bekunguTshego. Abenelilukuluku lekwati futsi anemahhunga kancane. Tshego abetsandza kubuka tindzawo letinsha. Bekabuta imibuto ngato tonkhe tintfo. “Make, tilwane tiyeva yini? Make, tilwane tiyakucondza yini loko lesikushoko? Make, tilwane tiyakhuluma yini? Make, kungani emakati anyawuta?” Wachubeka nekubuta imibuto wadzimate make wakhe wamtjela kutsi ayodlala ngephandle. Tshego wahamba waya ngephandle wayohlala eceleni kwelikati lakhe, Frisky. Wabuka Frisky, naFrisky wambuka. Kwakungatsi Frisky kukhona lafuna kukusho.
“Ngifisa shengatsi ngingakhuluma nawe bese nawe ukhulume nami, Frisky,” kusho Tshego. Kodvwa Frisky wamane nje wanyawuta wase ufulatsela Tshego. Tshego wakhokha umoya. Watibuta kutsi kungaba njani nangabe tilwane tingakhuluma. Ngako, esikhundleni sekutsi tinja tikhonkhotse, emakati anyawute futsi tinyoni tintjiyote, titawukwati kukhuluma tikusho ngalokucacile loko letikufunako. Tshego wahleka kancane acabanga futsi bekati kutsi loko ngeke kuze kwenteke. “Tshego?” Tshego wetfuka nakeva kubitwa ligama lakhe, kodvwa bekunguMake wakhe eme emnyango. Bekagcoke sigcoko sakhe lesimibalabala lasigcoka ngephandle.
Ngako Tshego wakhumbula kutsi bayokhempa! “Tshego, ukupakishile konkhe lokudzingako?” Kubuta Make. “Yebo, Make, ngicedze itolo ebusuku kupakisha,” Tshego amamatseka. “Ngako-ke asambe!” kusho make wakhe. “Ngiyabona kutsi babe wakho ufaka tintfo tekugcina emotweni.” Tshego bekati kutsi kukhempa kutawuba mnandzi. Bekanesifiso lesijulile sekwati konkhe ngetilwane letihlala eceleni kwendzawo yekukhempa. Lomndeni wangena emotweni futsi njengoba uhamba, Tshego wabala imizuzu badzimate befika endzaweni yekukhempa. Lendzawo yekukhempa yayinhle. Yayigegeletwe tihlahla, futsi Tshego besekehluleka kutibamba ajake kuyobona lendzawo lensha.“Babe, ngingatibutsa yini tinkhuni tekubasa umlilo njengoba wena usafaka lithende?” kubuta Tshego. “Ngumcondvo lomuhle loyo, kodvwa ungayi khashane.
Angifuni kutsi ulahleke kuletihlahla letigcwele lana,” kusho Babe.“Kulungile!” Kumemeta Tshego njengoba esuka agijima ayofuna tinkhuni. Kodvwa ngesizatfu sekutsi Tshego bekanelilukuluku futsi anemahhunga kancane, wangena kancane kancane ekhatsi kulelihlatsi angakanaki. Wabuka ngephansi kwemacembe, ngemuva kwematje nasetulu etihlahleni kuze abone tonkhe letilwane lebetihlala lapho. Ngesikhatsi Tshego sekabutse tinkhuni letinyenti, wacalata wabona kutsi … bekalahlekile! Nyalo, tonkhe letihlahla betibonakala tifana, futsi bekati kutsi angeke asakhona kuyibona indlela lebuyela emuva endzaweni lapho bakhempe khona.
Ngekushesha kwaba mnyama, futsi bekute inyeti lebeyikhanyisile. Tshego wahlala phansi, wagoba emadvolo asondzela esifubeni sakhe wakhala. Utabatfola njani batali bakhe futsi? Ngemuva kwaloko Tshego weva emavi lahlebayo madvute naye. Wayekela kukhala wacalata. Batali bakhe kungenteka sebakhonile yini kumtfola? Kodvwa kwakungesibo batali bakhe. Ngaphambi kwakhe kwakume lihhashi lelihle nesahhukulu lesinemehlo lamakhulu layirawundi. “Kwentenjani, mfana? Ukhalelani?” kubuta lesahhukulu. Tshego akakukholwa lakuva ngetindlebe takhe. Lesahhukulu sikhulume mbamba naye? “Wena …wena uyakwati kukhuluma?” Tshego angingita. Lesahhukulu sahleka. “Yebo, singakhuluma. Ngicela usitjele kungani ulapha wedvwana ebumnyameni.” “Ngilahlekile ngesikhatsi ngibutsa tinkhuni tekubasa umlilo,” kusho Tshego. “Kufanele kube sewulambile,” kusho lihhashi. Sisu saTshego sadvuma sivumelana naloko! “Mani lapha ngitakutfolela longakudla.” Ngaleso sikhatsi, lihhashi lesuka lahamba. Lesahhukulu sasala sicoca naTshego. Lelihhashi labuya liphetse ligala, lelinemahhabhula lamakhulu labovu. Tshego alambile wadla emahhabhula lamabili wativa sekancono kakhulu. “Nyalo, ngicabanga kutsi ngibabonile batali bakho ngale,” kusho lelihhashi. “Buya ugibele emhlane wami, ngitakutsatsa ngikuyise kubo.” Tshego wagibela emhlane welihhashi, futsi lesahhukulu sandiza sahlala ehlombe laTshego. Bonkhe besuka bancamula etihlahleni.
Ngekushesha befika endzaweni yekukhempa. Tshego wagcuma esuka emhlane walelihhashi watibonga totimbili letilwane ngelusito lwato. “Ngitawuphindze nginibone yini?” abuta. “Kungenteka,” kuphendvula sahhukulu, ngemuva kwaloko, totimbili letilwane tanyamalala tangena etihlahleni. “Make, Babe!” kumemeta Tshego njengoba agijima ayobahaga. Batali bakhe babonakala bakhatsatekile. “Ngiyacolisa kutsi ngihambe sikhatsi lesidze, kodvwa bengilahlekile. Ngenhlanhla, lihhashi lelihle nesahhukulu lesinemusa kungibuyisile kini. Benati nje kutsi tilwane tiyakhuluma?” Tshego akayekelanga kukhuluma! Make nababe wakhe bebajabule kakhulu kangangekutsi bamane nje bamamatseka babukene baphindze bamhaga Tshego. Ngemuva kwemalanga lambalwa, besekusikhatsi sekubuyela ekhaya. Ngekushesha nabefika ekhaya, Tshego wagijima waya kuFrisky. “Sawubona, Frisky. Bowungikhumbulile?” kubuta Tshego. Frisky watelula wanyawuta kancane.“Ngiyayati imfihlo yakho,” kusho Tshego, “futsi nasowulungele, ungakhuluma nami.” Frisky washikisha inhloko yakhe emkhonweni waTshego wase ukhansela etsangeni lakhe. Futsi Tshego wati kutsi Frisky ukuve konkhe labekakusho!
Yenta indzaba ibe nemdlandla!
- Kwake kwenteka yini walahleka endzaweni longayati? Wativa njani? Wawutfola njani umndeni wakho futsi?
- Ucabanga kutsi tilwane tiyasiva yini nasikhuluma nato? Kungani ucabanga njalo?
- Khetsa noma ngusiphi silwane. Nyalo bhala imibuto lemibili longasibuta yona nasingakhuluma.
- Bhala siphetfo lesisha salendzaba. Asesitsi Frisky ukhulumile kuTshego. Frisky bekangatsini?
