Akukho nalinye igama elingeyonyani kula alandelayo – ndiyathembisa. Ndiyafunga ngenene andisayi kuphosisa, kwaye ukuba ndithe ndaphosisa ndiza kutya impukane ihleli!

Mna kunye nosisi wam omdala kunam, uZandi, sithanda ukudlala egadini imini yonke. Sigxovuza, siziqikaqike eludakeni, sombe nemingxuma enzulu. Sizijula phaya izihlangu – ukwenza oku unganxibanga zihlangu kungcono kakhulu. Uyaluva udaka lunamzela kamnandi apha phakathi kweenzwane zakho. Ndiyithanda kakhulu loo nto!

UMama usoloko esithi kuthi, “Kowu, nina nobabini! Ziihagu kuphela ezithanda udaka kangaka.” Ngamanye amaxesha ude akhathazeke kuba siba mdaka kakhulu. Ndimbona ehlunguzela intloko – kodwa kusoloko kukho uncumo ebusweni bakhe. Kodwa asibi nangxaki, kuba ayikho into emnandi ukodlula ibhafu yamanzi ashushu emva kokudlala egadini.

Kodwa uZandi yena uyandodlula – wowu ude agqithise mpela. Mna iba zizandla neenyawo kuphela ezibamdaka. Kodwa kuZandi kubamdaka yonke nje indawo. Ugxampuza kanye kuloo mingxuma, aze aziqikaqike eludakeni. Kuba mdaka ukusuka ezinweleni ukuya ezingalweni kuye. Nditsho nempumlo le yembala iba mdaka.

UMama uye emva kwethuba athi, “Lixesha lokuhlamba kuni nobabini!”

Kodwa unotshe ukuba uZandi angene endlwini. “Malusi,” uye atsho kum, “Ndiza kuhlala kanye apha – kulo mngxuma!”

Ndiye ndimcenge, ndimxelela ukuba kufuneka angene endlwini aze kuhlamba. UZandi uye avele ahlunguzele njee intloko. “Owu hayi wethu musa ukundihlekisa wena, Malusi,” uhleka atsho.

Kodwa mna ndithanda kanye loo maqampu esepha ebhafini. Ndilola, ndilole, ndilole konke nje ukungcola kum. Ngoku ndizibona iinyawo zam zicocekile – kungasekho ludaka luphaxazayo. Ngoku lixesha lokucoca ubuso bam. Ndibuhlamba, ndibuhlambe, ndibuhlambe bonke nje. Konke oku kuvakala kamnandi.

Kusenjalo kungena uZandi. Usemdaka – ukusuka entloko ukuya ezinzwaneni. Undithi krwaqu kube kanye ajike ebusweni abe mbi. “Malusi,” uye atsho, “akuloyiki iGongqongqo laseBhafini?”

“Akukho nto injalo apha, akukho Gongqongqo laseBhafini,” ndivele ndimhleke nje.

“Ewe nangoku, likhona,” kutsho uZandi. “Liphuma kulo mngxuma wokuchitha amanzi kwaye lineengalo ezintathu namehlo amane kwaye lisoloko lilambile.” Ndicinga ukuba uZandi uzama njee ukundoyikisa.

“Ndiza kukuxelela enye into,” utsho uZandi, “akukho nto ithandwa liGongqongqo laseBhafini njengokutya abantwana abacocekileyo. Yiyo loo nto ndingazukuhlamba mna. Ela Gongqongqo loyiyekayo laseBhafini liyakucaphukela ukungcamla ubumdaka.”

Yho yeha ke, ngoku ingathi ndiqalisa ukuba nokoyikanyana okuncinane. Kukho into ethi mhlawumbi ngokwenene likhona iGongqongqo laseBhafini.

UZandi undincumela ngolubanzi uncumo, “Kulungile ke, Malusi. Ukonwabele ukuzihlamba – kodwa uze ungatyiwa ligongqongqo!” Uphume apho kwigumbi lokuhlambela waya ngqo ebhedini, wayokulala. Uza kuyingcolisa ibe yiloo nto, yonke ibhedi yakhe, kodwa ke akasayi kutyiwa liGongqongqo laseBhafini. Yu-u! 

“Musa ukoyika, Malusi,” ndizomeleze ndatsho. “Akukho nto injalo apha, akukho Gongqongqo laseBhafini.”

Kanye ngelo xesha yenzeka into! Kuqala kubekho isandi ngathi sesokurharhaza – njengamanzi ehla edreyinini. Emva koko ndive isandi esingaqhelekanga ngathi kuyancwinwa kwaza kwangathi kuyaduduma. Emva koko kubekho ukuntswiniza nokugxampuza, kwaza kwavakala isandi esithi wahla. Ekugqibeleni kwabakho into etsibayo ephuma emngxunyeni wokuchitha amanzi. IGONGQONGQO LASEBHAFINI!

Phambi kokuba nditsho nenelimdaka, iGongqongqo laseBhafini lanyusa iingalo zalo ezinkulu lawangawangisa ngazo lizijikelezisa. Laqhwanyaza ngaloo mehlo alo mane lathi, ngelizwi elingqokolayo, “Ayinguwe lo umdaka. Ngusisi wakho, anditsho? Usoloko ethetha kakubi ngam – kodwa akutshoyo akuyonyaniso. Akukho namnye kuthi maGongqongqo aseBhafini othanda ukutya abantwana.”

“Anikuthandi?” nditshilo, ndiziva ndikhululeka noko.

“Hayi, konke-konke,” lihleke latsho iGongqongqo laseBhafini. “Andikuchasanga ukutya isepha neziponji ngamanye amaxesha – kwaye ndiyakuthanda nokutya iikawusi ezindala – kodwa andisoze ndimtye umntwana.” Kanye ngelo xesha iGongqongqo laseBhafini landincumela ngolubanzi lona uncumo. “Nditsho neGongqongqo leNdlu yangaSese nalo alikuthandi ukutya abantwana. Nditdho neli leShawa iGongqongqo alikuthandi ukutya abantwana. IGongqongqo elithanda ukutya abantwana leleBhedi kuphela. Kodwa ungakhathazeki, Malusi, alibatyi abantwana abacocekileyo – litya abamdaka kuphela, abaya kulala bengakhange bahlambe.”

Owu, hayi bo! Uza kuthini uZandi! Ngokukhawuleza, ndixelele iGongqongqo laseBhafini konke malunga nodade wethu.

“Masingachithi xesha, akukho xesha lokulibazisa,” litshilo iGongqongqo laseBhafini. “Yikha iglasi yamanzi uze ubaleke kangangoko unakho uye egumbini likaZandi.”

Ndifike kanye ngexesha elifanelekileyo – iGongqongqo laseBhedini lalisele likhamisile, liwuvule ng’a umlomo. Sele lilungele ukumthi bimbilili uZandi. “Mka, gongqongqo!” ndakhwaza njalo. Ndawathi quba loo manzi kudade wethu.

“Halala!” lakhwaza iGongqongqo laseBhafini. “Ubumdaka buhlambekile. Ngoku ucocekile kwaye ukhuselekile.”

Kunjalo. Ndimsindisile uZandi kwiGongqongqo laseBhedini! Oku kuko kanye endikuxelele uMama xa endibuza ukuba kutheni ndichithele udade wethu ngeglasi yamanzi. Andazi ke nokuba uyandikholelwa kusini na. Kodwa konke kuyinyaniso – ndiyathembisa. Ndiyafunga ngenene ukuba andisoze ndiphosise, kwaye ukuba ndiyaphosisa ndiza kutya impukane!