UZinhle wayekuthanda ukudlala ugqaphu ebaleni lokudlala kunye nabahlobo bakhe uSindi noZongi. Inye kuphela into eyayimkhathaza. Xa abahlobo bakhe bexhumaxhuma, iinwele zabo zaziphephethekela phezulu nasezantsi, ziphinde zijuleke ukusuka ecaleni ukuya kwelinye. UZinhle wayenesihlwitha esishinyeneyo seenwele ezithambileyo ezazisenza imilo enkulu engqukuva, futhi zazingakwazi ukuya ngapha nangapha njengezabo.
Ngenye intsasa yangoMgqibelo uZinhle wabuza umama wakhe, “Mama, kutheni ezam iinwele zingakhuli zihle njengeenwele zabahlobo bam? Iinwele zabo zibhabhela macala xa sidlala ugqaphu. Kuhle kakhulu oko! Ndiziva ndilusizi kuba ezam iinwele azikwazi kushukuma njalo. Zihlala zimi ndawonye!” “Nangona iinwele zakho zahlukile kwezabahlobo bakho, nazo zintle njengezabo!” watsho uMama. UZinhle wajika ubuso wabukeka elusizi, kodwa umama wakhe wamncumela. “Khawuzijonge, Zinhle,” watsho. “Iinwele zakho zihluma ezingcanjini zazo ziye phezulu, ngokwemithi nezityalo. Ngokunjalo zingqukuva kwaye zinkulu ngokomhlaba esihlala kuwo. Unakho ukudlala-dlala ngazo nawe wenze iipateni neemilo ezintle ngazo. Iinwele zakho zingummangaliso – kanti oko kukhethekile!”
La mazwi amonwabisa uZinhle. Wabaleka waya phandle ukuya kuxelela abahlobo bakhe ngeenwele zakhe ezingummangaliso. Kodwa akuba exelele uZongi noSindi okuthethwe nguMama wakhe, bajongana, basuka bayothula phezulu intsini.
“Iinwele zingaba ngummangaliso njani?” wabuza uZongi. “Ha-ha-ha!” wahleka uSindi. “Khawuyeke iziqhulo, Zinhle! Ummangaliso? Ayikho wethu loo nto!”
Amehlo kaZinhle azala ziinyembezi, kodwa zange ade alile. Wayengafuni ukuba uZongi noSindi bamhleke kwakhona. Kanye ngelo xesha, amantombazana abona uMakhulu ebawangawangisela isandla. Wayemi ngasemnyango wakhe kufuphi nabo.“Jongani, siyabizwa nguMakhulu,” watsho uZinhle.
Bobathathu aba bantwana babethanda ukuncedisa uMakhulu. Wayebabalisela amabali amaninzi abaphe neziqhamo ezomisiweyo qho xa beye kumtyelela. Ngoko ke uZinhle, uZongi noSindi bakhawuleza baya kuqonda ababizelwa kona nguMakhulu.
“Andiphilanga namhlanje,” watsho uMakhulu. “Ndifuna ukunithuma kwaNtuli niye kuthatha iyeza.”
Abantwana babelusizi kukuva ukuba uMakhulu akaphilanga baze bavuma ukuya kumlandela iyeza.
“Ndiza kunizobela imephu ukuze ningalahleki,” watsho uMakhulu. “Imephu iya kunikhokelela kwaTata uNtuli, oya kuninika iyeza lesiNtu.” UMakhulu wangena ngaphakathi waya kuthatha iphepha nepenisile ukuze azobe imephu. Wakhangela edrowini yakhe, kodwa akafumana phepha. “Kuza kufuneka ukuba ndenze elinye icebo,” watsho.
Wawajonga ngokuwaqwalasela amantombazana nganye. Wasuka wathi, “Zinhle, uneenwele ezintle kakhulu. Zibukeka zomelele. Mandiziphothe ngokuvula imiqolo ukuze ndenze imephu kuzo. Imephu iya kuninceda ukuba nifike kwaNtuli.” UMakhulu wahlala esitulweni sakhe esibomvu asithanda kunene, waze uZinhle wahlala emethini phambi kwakhe. UMakhulu waphotha iinwele zikaZinhle. Amanye amantombazana ayebukele ngomdla. UMakhulu wathi xa ekama iinwele futhi eziphotha ngokweepateni ezahluka-hlukileyo, uZongi noSindi bamangaliswa bubude beenwele zikaZinhle. “Wowu! Unyanisile umama wakho,” watsho uSindi. “Iinwele zakho ZINGUWO ummangaliso! Nangona zibukeka zimfutshane, zinde kunokuba umntu ezicingela!”
“Inene,” watsho uZongi. “Ngumnqa omkhulu lo!”
UZinhle wabancumela ngovuyo.
Akuba egqibile uMakhulu ukuphotha iinwele zikaZinhle, imiqolo yayibukeka ncam njengemephu eza kukhokelela abantwana kwaNtuli! Bathi xa babehamba kwindledlana emxinwa ethafeni, uZongi noSindi bamana besima beziqwalasela ngobunono iinwele zikaZinhle ukuqinisekisa ukuba basahamba ngentsingiselo echanekileyo. Baluqhuba uhambo lwabo ngengoma ababeyiqambile:
“UMakhulu akaphilanga, uMakhulu akaphilanga.
Siya kwaNtuli, siya kulanda amayeza esiNtu – amayeza okunyanga uMakhulu!”
Ekugqibeleni abantwana bafika kwaNtuli. Apho uTata uNtuli wabanika iingxowana ezimbini zeyeza likaMakhulu. Endleleni yawo egodukayo amantombazana aphinda asebenzisa imephu yemiqolo kaZinhle ukuze ibakhokele. Ekufikeni kwabo endlwini kaMakhulu, bamnika iyeza lakhe. Ngentsasa elandelayo, uZinhle, uZongi noSindi baya endlwini kaMakhulu ukuya kujonga ukuba ingaba uziva ebhetele na. Bafika enkcenkceshela isitiya sakhe.
“Molweni bantwana bam,” watsho ngoncumo olukhulu uMakhulu. “Ndiziva ndisemandleni amakhulu namhlanje, ndiyanibulela!” Amantombazana avuyiswa kukuva ukuba kuthe kanti bamncedile uMakhulu, kodwa ikhona enye into eyayifike ezingqondweni zawo. “Makhulu, unganceda uphothe iinwele zam ngendlela ozenze ngayo iinwele zikaZinhle?” wabuza uSindi. “Nezam, torho!” watsho uZongi. “Ngokuqinisekileyo,” watsho uMakhulu. “Ngenani ngaphakathi.”
Ngexesha leendaba esikolweni ngentsasa elandelayo, abahlobo abathathu baxelela iklasi ngeendlela zabo zokulungisa iinwele ezingummangaliso. Ngexesha lokuphumla, bathi besaqala ukudlala ugqaphu abanye abantwana bababuza ngemiqolo yeenwele zabo ezobe imephu eya kwaNtuli. “Ngummangaliso wenene,” watsho omnye, baza bangqina bonke abanye.
