Kadzeni eminyakeni leminyenti leyendlulile, kulomunye ummango lokhashane kakhulu, bekuhlala intfombatana lenhle ligama layo kunguSefako. Sefako bekatsandvwa ngemadvodza lamnyenti kulommango. Bebabhala tingoma netinkondlo badvumisa buhle bakhe. Kepha Sefako bekete inshisekelo yekushada nanoma nguyinye yawo, futsi loku kwenta babe wakhe watfukutsela.

Intfo labekangayati Sefako kutsi kukhona lobekamtsandza kepha atifihla! Futsi lona bekamtsandza atifihla bekuyingwenya lebeyihlala kulomfula bebakha emanti kuwo. Onkhe emalanga, ema-awa lambalwa-nje ngembi kwekutsi lilanga lishone, Sefako bekahamba aye emfuleni neludziwo lwakhe ayokha emanti ekupheka kudla kwakusihlwa.

Sefako bekanemkhuba wekulala sitfongwana ngaphasi kwesihlahla sakhe lasitsandza kakhulu ngemuva kwekukha emanti kulomfula. Lengwenya beyivamise kutifihla lapha emantini imbukele ngesikhatsi alele. Beyifisa kukhuluma naye kepha beyingati kutsi ingenta kanjani kute kutsi ayinake ngaphandle kwekutsi imtfuse.

Ngalelinye lilanga lengwenya yaba nesibindzi sekutsi isondzele kuSefako ngemuva kwekutsi alale. Lengwenya lebeyigcwele lutsandvo kwayijabulisa kakhulu kuba seceleni kwaSefako kangangobe yabese icala kuhlabela ngelutsandvo lebeyimtsandza ngalo.

Sefako wayiva lengoma wabese uyagucuka solo alele, acabanga kutsi uyabhudza. Lengwenya beyingafuni kutsi Sefako avuke bese uyayibona, ngakoke yantjuma yabuyela emantini masinyane.

Loku-ke kwaphindze kwenteka ngakusasa … nangakusasa … nangakusasa. Sefako bekayiva lengwenya imhlabelela ngesikhatsi alele kepha bekatsi nakavuka, akhandze kungenamuntfu dvute naye. Bekeva-nje emacembe akhwashatela kamnandzi netinkhomo tibhonsa khashane.

Lokuhlabela kwatsintsa inhlitiyo yakhe, futsi Sefako wabese ufuna kubona lomhlabeleli njalo njalo. Sefako wabese ucala kufuna lelivi leliyimfihlakalo emihlangeni, etihlahleni nasetjanini kepha akazange alitfole.

Ngalelinye lilanga, Sefako watsatsa sincumo sekutsi angeke asachubeka nekufuna lomhlabeleli loyimfihlakalo. Esikhundleni saloko, wahlela kubamba lomnikati walelivi lelimnandzi!

Sefako wakha emanti emfuleni njengoba ahlala enta wabese uyocambalala ngaphasi kwesihlahla sakhe lasitsandza kakhulu wenta sengatsi ulele. Njengalokwetayelekile, lengwenya legcwele lutsandvo yakhasa yaphuma emantini yayomhlabelela.

Sefako watsi nakeva lelivi lelimnandzi, wavula emehlo akhe masinyane futsi watitfola abuke-ngco ekhatsi emehlweni … ENGWENYA!

Sefako wesaba kakhulu! Masinyane, wavuka wema ngetinyawo, kwakhahleleka ludziwo lwakhe lwawa acitseka onkhe emanti. Wagijima wenyusa lusentse lwemfula, ngebhadi, wagilwa lidvwala wawa, washaya phasi kabuhlungu. Lengwenya legcwele lutsandvo, yema eceleni kwakhe yambuka. Yakhasa yasondzela kakhulu kuye, Sefako wavele watfomeka ngenca yeluvalo.

“Ungasabi,” kwasho lengwenya ngelivi lelipholile. “Bengiloku ngikubuka ulele ngaphasi kwesihlahla emalanga lamanyenti, kepha ngangakulimati. Ngingakudlelani-ke manje?” Lengwenya yabese ihlabela ingoma yekumdvudvuta leyavele-nje yatsintsa inhlitiyo yaSefako.

Ingasasabi, lentfombatana lenhle yavuka yahlala futsi yalalela lelivi lebeseyicale kulitsandza.

Ngemuva kwaloko, Sefako bekahamba ngekushesha ashone entasi emfuleni ayohlangana nalengwenya lehlabelako onkhe malanga kusihlwa, ngemuva kwesikhatsi lesitsite, watsatsa sincumo sekutsi ufuna kushada nayo.

Ekugcineni, watfola sibindzi sekutjela babe wakhe.

Babe waSefako ayizange imjabulisa lendzaba! “Lengwenya yakho inato yini tinkhomo tekukulobola?” wabuta atfukutsele. “Itawukwati yini kukutfolisa bantfwana iphindze futsi ikwakhele likhaya?”

Nanoma-nje babe waSefako akazange avume kutsi ashade lengwenya, indlela bekativa ngayo Sefako ngalengwenya ayizange intjintje. Babe wakhe watsi nakabona kutsi indvodzakati yakhe angeke vele iyintjintje ingcondvo yayo, wamkhiyela kulenye indlu yetjani yalapha emmangweni. Onkhe malanga emini, beketa atomhlola futsi amnike nekudla.

Kepha ngalelinye lilanga babe waSefako wakhohlwa kukhiya umnyango walendlu yetjani. Sefako walindza sikhashana wenta siciniseko sekutsi bekuphephile kuvula umnyango agijime masinyane ashone entasi emfuleni.

Masinyane-nje nakefika lapho, Sefako wamemeta, “Ngwenya, Ngwenya, ngimi, Sefako!” Lengwenya, lebeyiloku imfuna kamatima emalanga lamanyenti, yaphuma emantini yatombingelela.

Ngakusasa, babe waSefako wamtfola anyamalele, futsi loko kwamtfukutselisa kakhulu! Atfukutsele kakhulu, watsatsa indvuku lenkhulu walandzela tinyatselo tetinyawo tendvodzakati yakhe wacondza emfuleni. Bekatimisele kuvimba indvodzakati yakhe kutsi ingashadi nalengwenya.

Watsi nakefika elusentseni lwemfula, wabona Sefako abhukusha emfuleni nalengwenya ilapha eceleni kwakhe.

“Sefako, Sefako,” wammemeta. “Wota lapha masinyane! Angeke uyishade lengwenya.”

Sefako wajikisa inhloko yakhe wavilitisela babe wakhe sandla ngembi kwekuhlamba ahambe nalengwenya. Lobabe lokhatsatekile wabuka ngekuphelelwa ngemandla kute langakwenta indvodzakati yakhe ihamba inyamalala nengwenya ngaphansi kwemanti.

Ngemuva kwesikhatsi, Sefako wabuya watovakasha lapha emmangweni. Inhlitiyo yababe wakhe yajabula kakhulu nakambona. Bekamkhumbula kakhulu, futsi ngaleso sikhatsi, wavele-nje wati kutsi ufanele enteni.

“Nemukelekile, nemukelekile, nobabili,” kwasho yena, agijima ayobingelela Sefako nalengwenya. Wabese ukhuluma nalengwenya watsi, “Nemukelekile emndenini wami.”

* Sefako utsandzana nengwenya. Ucabanga kutsi yintfo lengenteka yini kutsi utsandzane nengwenya? Kungani kungenteka noma-ke kungani kungeke kwenteke?

* Nakungenteka ube nemngani losilwane, ngusiphi silwane longasikhetsa, futsi yini lengakwenta kutsi usikhetse?

* Dvweba silwane lositsandza kakhulu. Bhala ingoma noma inkondlo ngalesilwane.