“Mini, sekuyisikhathi sokuyofuna ukudla!” kusho uMama uBubhibhi ngolunye usuku ekuseni. “Ngizokuthuma kwenye indawo entsha namhlanje!”

UBubhibhi uMini wamisa amadletshana akhe acijile. “Kuphi?” kubuza yena. Wayethanda ukuyofuna ukudla ezindaweni ezintsha ezivusa isasasa.

“Umuthi uwiswe isivunguvungu ngesonto eledlule,” kusho uMama uBubhibhi. “Isiqu sawo senze ibhuloho phezu kwesiziba esingezansi negquma. Iya laphaya, uwele ngebhuloho lomuthi bese ubheka ukuthi angeke yini usitholele ukudla ngaphesheya kwesiziba.”

Wasuka wahamba uBubhibhi uMini. “Ngimncane, kodwa nginekhono lokuthola ukudla!” eziculela ngesikhathi esho ngejubane ehla egqumeni eya endaweni esezansi eyithafa. Emva kwesikhashana, wabona uSikhova ehleli engquphazela egatsheni lomuthi. “Sawubona, Sikhova,” kusho uBubhibhi uMini ngenhlonipho.

“Sawubona,” kuvumela phansi uSikhova. “Uyaphi kodwa uwedwa?”

“Ngizowela isiziba esimnyama ukuze ngiyofuna ukudla,” kusho uBubhibhi uMini ngokuziqhenya.

“Kulungile, kodwa uqaphele,” kusho uSikhova. “Awunawo amazipho abukhali njengawami!”

UBubhibhi uMini wedlula ezihlahleni nasemithini. . Wase ebona uMpungushe ezihlalele ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla esikhulu. “Awu, nguwe kanti, Bubhibhi uMini,” kusho uMpungushe ngezwi elinobungani. “Uyaphi?”

“Ngiyofuna ukudla ngaphesheya kwesiziba,” kusho uBubhibhi uMini.

“Eyi, kodwa uqaphele,” kusho uMpungushe. “Awunawo amazinyo abukhali njengawami!”

Ngalesi sikhathi, uBubhibhi uMini wayesekubona ukukhazimula kwamanzi esizibeni kujana. Waphuthuma kuwo. Ngemuva kwesikhashana wahlangana noNogwaja. Wayegingqika otshanini obude elangeni . “Sawubona, Mini,” ekhuluma enensa, ngesikhathi ehlafuna umucu wotshani obude. “Uphuthumaphi?”

“Ngizowelela ngaphesheya kwesiziba ngiyofuna ukudla,” kuchaza uBubhibhi uMini.

“Oooo,” kusho uNogwaja ovilaphayo “Unesibindi! Ngabe awuyesabi INTO?”

“Yini leyo NTO?” kubuza uBubhibhi uMini ngezwi elincane.

“Uyayazi,” kusho uNogwaja, “INTO ehlala esizibeni!”

“Angesabi!” kusho uBubhibhi uMini, eqhubeka nohambo. Kodwa ngesikhathi esasondela eduze nesiziba, ,waqala ukufisa sengathi ngabe wayengahlangananga noNogwaja. Ngabe yini leyo NTO, futhi INTO leyo izomenzani?

Ekugcineni wafika ebhulohweni lomuthi. “Angeke ngibuke phansi,” ezitshela. Washesha wagibela esiqwini somuthi waqala ukuwelela ngaphesheya. Kodwa wathi uma efika maphakathi nesiqu somuthi akaze akwazi ukuzibamba, wabuka phansi … nansiya INTO! Ubuso bayo bubheke ngakuye! UBubhibhi uMini akazange afune ukukhombisa ukuthi wethukile, wase ekhombisa ubuso obungebuhle … kodwa kwamethusa ukuthi, le NTO ikhombise ubuso obubi nayo futhi!

Inhliziyo kaBubhibhi uMini yayishaya ngamandla ngesikhathi egijima ebuyela ekhaya. Wagijima wadlula uNogwaja, owayelele, kodwa wama uma efika kuMpungushe. “Ngisize!” esho ehefuzela, “kukhona INTO esizibeni! Kumele ngenzenjani?”

“Ungakhathazeki,” kusho uMpungushe, “thatha itshe elikhulu bese uyikhombisa lona le NTO! Lizoyethusa!”

Ngakho uBubhibhi uMini wathatha itshe elikhulu wase ebuyela esizibeni. Kodwa wathi uma efika maphakathi nebhuloho lesiqu somuthi wabheka phansi kuleya NTO, nayo yayiphethe itshe elikhulu!

Walahla itshe wagijima wabuyela emuva ngebhuloho lesiqu somuthi, wedlula uNogwaja noMpungushe, waze wafika ngaphansi komuthi okwakulele kuwo uSikhova. “Sikhova, Sikhova!” ememeza ngezwi elivevezelayo elikhombisa ukwethuka. “Ngisize! “Kukhona INTO esizibeni! Kumele ngenzenjani?”

“Mmmmm,” kucabanga uSikhova. “Hamba nenduku bese ukhombisa leya NTO induku! Kuzokusiza lokho!” kusho yena.

Ngakho uBubhibhi uMini wazitholela induku enkulu, ende, futhi wayezwa selwehlile uvalo, wabuyela ebhulohweni lesiqu somuthi. Kodwa wathi uma ephakamisa induku ebuka phansi, wabona INTO iphethe induku enkulu nayo futhi!

Eshaywa uvalo, uBubhibhi uMini walahla induku emanzini, wagijima ehefuzela, wedlula uNogwaja, uMpungushe noSikhova, wakhuphuka egqumeni wayongena ekhaya. Wawa phansi eduze kukaMama uBubhibhi ngenxa yokukhathala, watshela unina ukuthi kwenzekeni.

“Awu, Mini, bandla,” kusho uMama uBubhibhi ngezwi eliduduzayo. “Ungakhathazeki! Ngiyazi ukuthi yini okumele uyenze. Ngemuva kokuphumula kancane, buyela esizibeni. Ungahambi nazinduku noma namatshe. Uma ufika maphakathi nebhuloho lomuthi, , ubheke emanzini futhi, kodwa manje uma ubona INTO, uyimamathekele!”

“Ngimamatheke?” kubuza uBubhibhi uMini ngokumangala. Wayengakholwa ukuthi umuzwe kahle umama wakhe.

“Yebo, umamatheke,” kusho uMama uBubhibhi. “Ngiyakwethembisa ukuthi kuzosebenza lokhu.”

Nangempela wayeqinisile uMama uBubhibhi. Ngesikhathi uMini efika maphakathi nebhuloho lesiqu somuthi, wabuka phansi wamamatheka. Kwamumangaza kakhulu ukuthi, neNTO yambuka ngobuso obunobungani ngendlela angazange ayicabange! UBubhibhi uMini wathathazela INTO nayo yamthathazela. UMini wajabula kakhulu! Wangqabashiya phezu kwebhuloho lesiqu somuthi, ngemuva kwamahora ambalwa ethokozile, wabuyela ekhaya nenqwaba yezimpande ezimnandi ngaphansi kwengalo ngayinye.

Kusihlwa ngalelo langa, ngesikhathi umndeni wobubhibhi uhleli phansi udla isidlo sawo esimnandi, uBubhibhi uMini waxoxela uMama kuthi kwenzakaleni. “Ngithe uma ngimamatheka, INTO yangimamathekela nayo futhi!” kusho yena.“Ngiyazi,” kusho uMama.

“Kanti ngithe ngesikhathi ngithathaza, neNTO, yangithathazela futhi!” kusho uBubhibhi uMini.

“Ngiyazi,” kusho uMama uBubhibhi futhi.

“Ngicabanga ukuthi ifuna ukuba ngumngani wami!” kusho uMini.

“Ngiyazi,” kusho uMama.

UBubhibhi uMini athi ukucabanga isikhashana. “Kodwa Mama,” kusho yena, “iyini leya NTO?” UMama uBubhibhi wase emtshela. Ngabe ucabanga ukuthi wathini uMama uBubhibhi?