Phansi etintsabeni letiluhlata taseMpumalanga bekunelipulasi. Kulenye yetinsimi talelipulasi bekudla lihhashi laKamuzi ngekuthula. Tonkhe tilwane talelipulasi betibangani. Betinalokunyenti lebeticocisana ngako, kepha Kamuzu yena bekanemahloni. Bekafuna kukhuluma nato, kepha bekehluleka kuphimisa emagama. Loku bekumenta ative anesitunge futsi alusizi.

Ngalelinye lilanga ekuseni, Kamuzu bekafuna kutsi “sawubona” kuBaas, umngani wakhe loyimbongolo. Wavula umlomo wakhe … kepha kute lokwenteka. Livi lakhe lelikhulu lelihoshotelako belingekho.

“Kwentekani?” kwabuta Kamuzu. “Ngihleba kuphela.” Wetama futsi!

“Utsiteni?” kwabuta Baas ahlafuna tjani, wakhotsa tidzebe takhe temlomo letineboya wabuye futsi wanchumisela Kamuzu emehlo. Sizatfu lesementa kutsi abute lombuto bekukutsi nanoma Kamuzi avule umlomo wakhe, kwavele nje kwaphuma livi lelipholile lelihlebako. Bekumangalisa.

“Livi lami,” kwahleba Kamuzu. “Lingilahlekele.”

“Ulahlekelwe livi lakho? Kepha uhlala vele ungasho lutfo, manje-ke likulahlekele njani?” kwabuta Baas. “Ungahlupheki. Ngitawulifuna livi lakho ngale kwemfula.”

Ngako-ke Baas wagwacatela wayoshona ngale kwemfula. Kepha, wanele nje kufika lapho wabuye futsi wanukelwa tjani lobumnandzi, wakhohlwa kufuna livi laKamuzu, wavele wacala watidlela tjani.

Emuva ngale kwemfula, Kamuzu bekacabanga ngetindlela tekutfola livi lakhe lelilahlekile. “Ngitawukwehla ngiye esitibeni,” washo aticabangela. “Ngitawuvula umlomo wami, ngiphakamise lulwimi lwami bese ngibuta inhlanti kutsi iyalibona yini livi lami.”

Kamuzi wema esitibeni wabese uvula umlomo wakhe. Inhlanti yaphakamisa emehlo yambuka.

“Cha, Kamuzi, ncesi, kute lutfo ngaphansi kwelulwimi lwakho. Kepha, ungahlupheki, livi lakho sitawulifuna lapha ngaphansi kwemacembe etimbalitemalili nasemkhatsini wetimbokojwana phansi esitibeni.”

Inhlanti yantjuza yahamba, kepha batsi sebangaphansi kwemacembe emalili, batfola kudla lokumnandzi labebangakudla lokwabenta bakhohlwa konkhe mayelana nelivi laKamuzi.

Kamuzi wadvonsa kanye umoya waphefula wabese uyesuka uyahamba. Wahamba akhekhetela afuna livi lakhe yonkhe indzawo. Wahlangana naSnorkel, ingulube naDozie, inkhomo lebeyinembala lomnyama nalomhlophe.

“Ufunani?” kwabuta Snorkel.

“Livi lami. Lingilahlekele,” washo Kamuzu ahleba.

“Nkhosi yami! Kwenteke njani loko? Ungahlupheki, ngitakusita kutsi ulifune.”

“Nami futsi!” kwasho Dozie. “Sitawulifuna etjanini ngale kwemfula.”

Nebakitsi − kwatsi nje lapho boSnorkel naDozie befika etjanini lobumnandzi ngale kwemfula, befika bema, badla bafukutsa futsi bakhohlwa ngako konkhe mayelana nekumsita atfole live lakhe.

Nabologwaja nabo abatange babe lusito. Betsembisa kufuna ngemehlo abo lamakhulu lansundvu. Betsembisa kulalela ngemadlebe abo latsambile lansundvu. Kepha kwatsi lapho nabewela umfula, njengato tonkhe letinye tilwane, konkhe labesebakucabanga bekukunambitseka kwetjani lobumnandzi.

Kamuzu wabuka bangani bakhe. “Kute longisitako. Kute lofunako. Tonkhe tilwane tiyafukutsa, tiyahlwabula, tiyadla futsi tiyaphanga,” washo ahleba kalusizi. Wagucuka wahamba wabuyela emuva epulasini wayocala kufuna yedvwana. Kamuzu wabuka ngaphansi kwemahlatsi. Wabuka ngemuva kwelishabhu. Wabuka etulu emafini wabuye futsi wabuka naphansi etintsabeni.

“Hhayi bo, kuta sivunguvungu! Selivele liyana etintsabeni. Loku kusho kutsi umfula utawugcwala.” Wajika agabadvula wabuya emuva emfuleni. “Ngifanele ngicaphelise letilwane. “Kepha ngihleba kuphela, angeke bangive.”

Wema lapho sikhashana futsi weva litfonsi lekucala limshaya emhlana. Lomfula besewuvele uneludzaka futsi sewucala kugcwala. Tonkhe tilwane betiloku timatasatasa tifukutsa, tihlwabula, tidla futsi tiphanga.

Kamuzu wavula umlomo wakhe … kepha kute lokwenteka. Kute ngisho kuhoshota kwelivi lokwaphuma emlonyeni wakhe. Manje besasaba kakhulu. Bekufanele ente lokutsite. Nakungenteka bangani bakhe betame kuwela umfula, batawuminta bonkhe. Watjekisa inhloko yakhe, wantjikitisa umdlonga wakhe wabuye wagcoba phansi ngemasondvo akhe. Kute ngisho munye webangani bakhe lowamnaka. Emanti labekasembikwakhe ageleta ngekushesha.

Khona lapho lacala kuna ngemandla. Tonkhe tilwane tabuka etulu tabuye futsi tacala kugijima setijakele emfuleni.

Kamuzu wakhohlwa ngelivi lakhe. Wakhohlwa ngekuba nemahloni wabuye futsi wakhohlwa nangekuba lusizi. Wabukana nemfula lojakele kugcwala, wagabadvula ngekushesha ngawo onkhe emandla akhe washona kuwo, kwambita kutsi azube kakhulu ece lomfula. Watsi nakehlela ngale kwemfula wavula umlomo wakhe futsi wamemeta watsi, “MANINI! NINGEWELI!”

Tonkhe tilwane talelipulasi betibangani. Betingatange setive livi lelikhulu kangaka, lelivakalako liphuma kuKamuzu.

“Buyelani emuva!” Kwamemeta Kamuzu. “Hambani niye etulu emadvwaleni.”

Tonkhe tilwane tagijima tayoshana emadvwaleni kute titivikele kulelitulu. Tahlala taminyetelana ndzawonye.

“Usisindzisile, Kamuzu,” kwasho Baas. “Siyabonga.”

“Ulitfolile livi lakho,” kwasho Snorkel.

“Yebo,” kwasho Dozie, “kuhle kukuva. Bewuhlala njalo ubindzile, besicabanga kutsi umane nje awufuni kusikhulumisa.”

“Nginemahloni,” kwasho Kamuzu. “Ngihlala ngingati kutsi ngitsini,”

“Kepha sibangani,” kwasho logwaja. “Awukafaneli kutsi ube nemahloni kitsi.”

“Kusukela manje kuye embili,” kwasho Baas, “sifuna kukuva ukhuluma. Setsembise kutsi utawenta njalo?”

“Setsembise! Setsembise! Setsembise!” tasho tonkhe kanye kanye.

Wabese-ke, Kamuzu, lihhashi, waphakamisela inhloko yakhe esibhakabhakeni futsi wamemeta watsi, “YEBO! YEBO YEBO, NGIYANETSEMBISA!”