UNomsa wayebukele udadewabo omdala, uMandisa, esenza isihombiso sentamo. Umama wabo wakhwaza esekhitshini,
“Mandisa, nceda undiyele evenkileni. Nalu uluhlu loko oza kukuthenga.” UMandisa walufunda uluhlu loko aza kukuthenga,
“Isonka, imajarini, ibhotolo yamandongomane, ijam ye-aprikoti, umgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, iswekile, ubisi, iti netyuwa.
Ndiza kudinga iingxowa ezimbini zokufaka konke oku.” UNomsa wangcileza etsiba-tsiba. “Ndingeza nam? Ndiyacela ndingeza?”
Wayenemadlana awayeyongile. Wayezithanda iiswiti ezinkulu ezingqukuva ezimthubi evenkileni. “Unyanzelekile?” uMandisa waba nesingqala.
Wayeneminyaka elishumi elinesibini, ekaNomsa imithandathu yaye ngamanye amaxesha uMandisa wayedikwa ngudadewabo omncinci olandelana naye.
“Kuza kufuneka undincedise ukuthwala ezi zinto ke.”
“Nakanjani, nakanjani!” wathembisa uNomsa. “Ndicela ufunde uluhlu kwakhona, ndifuna ukuva ukuba zintoni na esiza kuzithenga.”
“Isonka, imajarini, ibhotolo yamantongomane, ijam ye-aprikoti, umgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, iswekile, ubisi, iti netyuwa,”
wafunda uMandisa logama uNomsa abala izinto ngeminwe. Zilishumi izinto eziza kuthengwa, into nganye imelwe ngumnwe omnye.
UNomsa wayengekakwazi ukufunda, kodwa wayebalasele ngokukhumbula izinto.
Umntu nodade wabo baphuma bangena esitratweni. Umoya wawuvuthuza ngamandla! Wabhenguza iimpahla zabo wasakazela inkunkuma eyayisesitratweni
ezinyaweni zabo. Xa bedlula ngakwisaluni yokwenza iinwele esegaraji kaNkosikazi Ngubane, babona uFezeka noPhumla bephothwa iinwele.
UNkosikazi Ngubane wayeyincutshe ekuphotheni. UFezeka noPhumla babengabahlobo abasenyongweni bakaMandisa.
“Yhu, anisebahle!” watsho uMandisa akungena esaluni eyokubona uhlobo olutsha lokuphotha. Lwaluluhle isimanga.
“Unxibe ihempe entsha,” watsho uMandisa kuFezeka. Wagoba ehlikihla ilaphu layo ngeminwe. “Uyifumene phi ke le?”
UNomsa waba nesingqala. Wayefuna ukuya kufika evenkileni ngokukhawuleza. Kodwa into awayecinga ngayo uMandisa kwezi ntsuku
yayiziimpahla neenwele nezihlangu. “Ndiyasithanda isihombo sakho sentamo,
Phumla!” watsho uMandisa egoba ukuya kuphatha isihombo esitsha sentamo somhlobo wakhe. Kanye ngelo xesha, yhooo!
Umoya waluxhwila uluhlu lokuzakuthengwa esandleni sikaMandisa! Lwabhabhela ngaphaya kothango, lwabhabha phezu kophahla lomzi osebumelwaneni.
Lwalumkile, lahlekiyane, shwaka! Lwaluphaphathekile lumke mpela, tu! “Ngoku ndisengxakini,” watsho uMandisa ebeka isandla sakhe emlonyeni.
“Kuza kufuneka ndigoduke ndiyokucela uMama andinike olunye uluhlu kodwa uza kucaphuka!”
“Akunyanzelekanga! Ndiyakhumbula ukuba kukho ntoni kuluhlu,” watsho uNomsa engcileza etsiba-tsiba.
“Ndizikhumbula zonke izinto.” Waphakamisa izandla zakhe wazibala izinto ebezikuluhlu ngeminwe yakhe yolishumi.
Umnwe ngamnye wawumele into ebikuluhlu lwezinto eziza kuthengwa. “Isonka, imajarini, ibhotolo yamantongomane, ijam ye-aprikoti,
umgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, iswekile, ubisi, iti netyuwa!” watsho. UMandisa wakhangeleka emangalisiwe. “Wenze kakuhle, Sisi!
Ndiyavuya uhambe nam. Masiye evenkileni ngokukhawuleza size sizithenge ezo zinto. Kungenjalo uMama uza kuqumba.”
Bathi bakufika kwaMamBhele Cash Store, uMandisa wathenga zonke izinto uNomsa awayezikhumbule eminweni yakhe elishumi waza
wazifaka kwiingxowa zokuphatha. UNomsa wajonga kwibhotile enkulu yeeswiti ezimthubi nakwibhotile yeeswiti ii-jelly babies ezazikufutshane nethili.
Wakhupha imali wayinika uMandisa. Wakhomba iiswiti awayezifuna waza uMandisa wazithenga. UMandisa wongeza nesitok’switi esibomvu.
“Leyo yeyokundisindisa ekungeneni engxakini,” watsho uMandisa. “Ndiyakwazi uyazithanda izitok’switi ezibomvu.”
Elowo wathwala ingxowa eneempahla ezithengiweyo bagoduka wabe uNomsa emunca isitok’switi sakhe esibomvu.
Ekhaya, bakhuphela iimpahla ezisengxoweni phezu kwetafile yasekhitshini waza uMandisa wabuza, “Mama ndingazenza iipenikeyiki eziza kutyiwa ngesidlo
sangokuhlwa namhlanje?” Wayesazi ukuba uNomsa uyazithanda iipenikeyiki. “Ewe,” watsho umama wabo.
“Ndinomsebenzi omninzi wesikolo wokumakisha kule njikalanga. Ingandinceda kakhulu into yokuba nenze isidlo sangokuhlwa.”
Bobabini uMandisa noNomsa baxuba umgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, ubisi, iswekile nentwana yetyuwa ukwenza iipenkeyiki.
Bawuyeka umxube ukuba unyuke bawulinda iyure. Emva koko benza iipenikeyiki ezinye iipenikeyiki nezinye iipenikeyiki zaninzi iipenikeyiki.
Ikhitshi lalinuka kamnandi kakhulu!
Akufika ekhaya uTata, wangqala ngqo ekhitshini. “Impumlo yam indixelela ukuba siza kutya iipenikeyiki ngokuhlwa nje!
Ndaye ndiyabona ukuba iintombi zam zombini ngabapheki. Niza kuhlohla ntoni kuzo?” wabuza. “Kukho inyama esiliweyo ebisele izolo.
Singasebenzisa yona,” watsho uMandisa. “Yaye ikhona nejam ye-aprikoti. Ijam ye-aprikoti yeyona ndiyithandayo emhlabeni wonke!”
watsho uNomsa engcileza etsiba-tsiba. “Nam ngokunjalo,” watsho uTata ehleka. Akungena ekhitshini uMama, waqhwaba izandla.
“Nenze kakuhle, zintombi zam!” watsho. Iipenikeyiki zazimnandi. “Ndingazikhumbula izithako zokuzenza,” watsho uNomsa.
Waphakamisa isandla sakhe wazibala kwiminwe yakhe emihlanu, “Umgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, ubisi, iswekile nentwana yetyuwa!”
Utata wakhe wahleka wammbambazela egxalabeni. “Ntombi yam encinci ekrelekrele!” watsho. “Mhlawumbi nam kufuneka ndisebenzise iminwe ukukhumbula
izinto!”
