Umama kaDimpho noSello wayenengxaki. “Iinyawo zam bezivakala ngathi zizitena zomkhenkce phezolo!” watsho ebantwaneni bakhe ngenye intsasa yangoMvulo. “Bezibanda kangangokuba khange buhle tu ubuthongo. Ngoku ndidinwe kakhulu!” 

“Ndiyazi!” watsho uSello. “Kutheni ungalali unxibe iikawusi ebusuku namhlanje?” 

“Unyanisile!” watsho uMama. “Abakrelekrele ngako abantwana bam!” 

Ngobo busuku wanxiba ezona kawusi zakhe zinoboya obuninzi. “UMakazi uThoko wandipha ezi kawusi njengesipho seKrisimesi,” watsho. “Zifudumele kakhulu! Ndiza kulala kakuhle kobu busuku banamhlanje!” 

Kodwa uMama wayephosisile. Ngentsasa yangoLwesibini, wayediniwe kwakhona.  

“Khange ndifumane nobuncinane ubuthongo,” wakhalaza. “Ukuba nje bendikwazile ukufudumeza ezi nyawo zam zigezayo zibandayo!” 

“Mama,” watsho uDimpho, “kutheni ungaqali ufake iinyawo zakho emanzini ashushu phambi kokuya kulala namhlanje?” 

“Ewe kuyavakala oko!” watsho uMama. “Ndiyabulela!” 

Emva kwesidlo sobo busuku, uMama wagalela amanzi ashushu esityeni esikhulu esibomvu. “Mmmm, atsho kamnandi!” watsho, eswahlaza amanzi ngeenyawo ngapha nangapha. “Ndiqinisekile ndiza kulala kakuhle namhlanje.” 

Kodwa ungaqashisela? Ngentsasa yangoLwesithathu, wayesadiniwe. “Kuqale kwalunga,” watsho, “kodwa emva kweeyure ezimbalwa, kuphinde kwabuya ibali elidala … iinyawo ezibanda, ceke! Kufuneka ndicinge ngenye indlela. Khawulezisa ugqibe ukutya, ngoku! Lifikile ixesha lokuya esikolweni!” 

Uthe uMama xa efika ekhaya evela emsebenzini ngaloo ntshonalanga, uDimpho wabe eneendaba ezimnandi. “Utitshala uthi xa umntu ephunga iti yejinja ufudumala wonke umzimba,” uchaze watsho. “Iti yejinja iya kuzifudumeza iinyawo zakho!” 

“Kulungile,” watsho uMama. Wayengavakali onwabile kwaphela. Emva kweenstuku ezininzi zobusuku bobuthongo obungehliyo, wayekhawuleza akruquke! 

Phofu uMama akakulibalanga akuxelelwe nguDimpho. Kusasa ngoMgqibelo, phambi kokuba aye emsebenzini, uMama ucele abantwana ukuba baye kuthenga ijinja. “Akukho nto incedileyo,” watsho, elungiselela ukuya emsebenzini. “Mhlawumbi ijinja iya kuwenza umsebenzi!” 

Bakhawuleza bahamba abantwana. “Ujonge ntoni, Sello? wabuza uDimpho bakuba befike ngasendleleni enkulu ecaleni kweevenkile. Zange amphendule uSello. Amehlo akhe ayethe ntsho-o kwinto ethile eyayikufutshane. “Sello!” wambiza kwakhona uDimpho. “Bamba isandla sam. Kufuneka sinqumle indlela ngoku.” 

“Alikafiki ixesha!” watsho uSello. “Jonga phaya! Kufuneka sincede laa kati!” Uthe engekamnqandi uDimpho, wabe selemkile uSello. 

 Kwiplothi elithafa, amakhwenkwe amabini aphantse alingana noSello ngobudala ayentlonta ikati engwevu. Ayehleka. Ikati yona yayifuna ukubaleka. 

Nangona wayeyinkwenkwana, uSello wayenelizwi elikhulu. “YEKANI LOO NTO NIYENZAYO!” wakhwaza. “Yekani loo kati!” 

“Ewe, yiyekeni!” watsho uDimpho. 

Amakhwenkwe aphakamisa iintloko. “Kutheni sifanele ukwenza njalo?” yatsho enye ijalile, kodwa enye inkwenkwe yayikhulula ikati eyayisoyika. “Ukhathazwa yintoni wena, phofu? Yikati nje enyabileyo engenakhaya le! Yiza sihambe Jabs!” 

Akuba efikile umama kaDimpho noSello ekhaya ngaloo mva kwemini, zange awakholelwe amehlo akhe. Abantwana bakhe babembambazela ikati efukufuku engwevu. Yona ikati yayisenza izandi ezalatha ukonwaba futhi izikhotha. UMama wabona ukuba bayiphe inyama eyayisele kwisidlo sabo. 

“Kanti kwenzeka ntoni ngoku?” wabuza esabucaphuka. “Nisizisele ntoni eso silwanyana apha ekhaya? Yikhupheni phandle ngoku!” 

“Kodwa Mama, iyana imvula phandle,” watsho uSello. “UKitty uza kuba manzi! Nceda sivumele simgcine, nje ngobu busuku banamhlanje, andithi? UNGANCEDA TORHO?” 

UMama wakroba phandle ngefesitile. Babenyanisile. Ngokuya ebesehla etekisini bekukho amafu angwevu esibhakabhakeni. Ngoku yayigalela imvula. “Kulungile,” watsho equthe imilebe, “kodwa ngomso, iyahamba loo kati.” 

“Enkosi, Mama!” batsho bobabini abantwana. 

“Hmmmph,” watsho uMama. Wahlala phantsi, wakhulula izihlangu zakhe, wahlikihla iinyawo zakhe. “Iphi ijinja enindithengele yona?” wabuza. “Eli lixesha lekomityi yam yokuqala yejinja!” 

Abantwana bajongana bethe phuhlu amehlo amakhulu angqukuva. Babelibele ukuthenga ijinja! UMama waqumba kakhulu. Wahlala equmbe njalo ngobo busuku. Kwakuba kucocekile ekhitshini, waya ngqo ebhedini yakhe. 

Kusasa ngeCawa xa uDimpho noSello bevuka, bafumanisa ukuba wayengekho umama wabo kungekho nomkhondo wakhe. Bamangaliswa – kaloku wayengumntu ovuka kwangoko. Kanti nekati babengayiboni. 

“Masijonge ukuba unjani na uMama,” watsho uDimpho. Bavula umnyango wegumbi lakhe lokulala bengangxoli, bakroba phakathi. Ucinga ukuba babona ntoni? UMama wayengqengqe ebhedini, ebukeka ecubhukile. Ikati eyayizisonge ezinyaweni zakhe, yayisenza izandi ezibonisa ukonwaba futhi ingxola. 

“Molweni,” wabulisa uMama. “Indlela endilele kamnandi ngayo! Ekugqibeleni iinyawo zam bezifudumele!” Wajonga ikati. “Ndicinga ukuba sifanele ukukugcina!” wayixelela watsho. “Masithi unguJinja!” Ikati engwevu, efukufuku yankwinizela phezulu nangakumbi. 

Bahleka abantwana, beqhwaba izandla betakataka. USello wasuka wema. Wayefinge iintshiyi. “Kodwa, kutheni sisithi nguJinja?” wabuza. 

“Kaloku,” watsho uMama, “beniye evenkileni niye kuthenga ijinja, kodwa endaweni yayo nibuye nale kati. Ifudumeze iinyawo zam ngendlela uDimpho ebethe ijinja iza kwenza ngayo, ngoko ke igama lakhe nguJinja!” 

Bayithiya elo gama kanjalo.