Zonke izilwanyana zazisazi ukuba uNgwenya unemfumba enkulu yegolide emzini wakhe, kodwa akakho owakhe wayibona kuba uNgwenya wayenolunya kwaye ekhohlakele. Wayeza kuzileqa azilume ngamazinyo akhe abukhali. Ngosuku olushushu lwasehlotyeni, uNkawu wayephumile ehamba-hamba emlanjeni waze wabona uNgwenya engqengqile egcakamele ilanga. UNkawu, owayeqaqadekile, wachola intonga waze wahlokohla uNgwenya ecaleni emzimbeni wakhe. UNgwenya zange ashukume, waphinda wamhlokohla uNkawu.
“Ngokuqinisekileyo ubhubhile,” watsho uNkawu. Wabaleka waya kuxelela ezinye izilwanyana. Zonke izilwanyana zafika emngcwabeni kaNgwenya. Zema zijikeleze umzimba wakhe zithetha. Zazifuna ukuqonda ukuba ngubani oza kufumana imfumba enkulu yegolide kaNgwenya. Zonke zaziyifuna igolide, kakade, kodwa umthetho wasematyholweni wawusithi igolide yeyezalamane zikaNgwenya. Ingxaki yayiyileyo – akukho mntu wayesazi ukuba ngoobani izalamane zikaNgwenya eziphilayo. Ngoko ke uFudo olumkileyo wabiza intlanganiso enkulu ngasemlanjeni ukuze kufunyaniswe oko.
Okokuqala iintaka, ngeentsiba zazo ezimibala-bala namazwi azo amnandi, zasukuma zathetha. “Ngokuqinisekileyo sizizalamane zikamama wethu esimthandayo uNgwenya,” zacula kunye. “Nangona uNgwenya wayengemhlanga njengathi, ebebekela amaqanda amakhulu esantini. Sikufanele ukufumana imfumba enkulu yegolide.” Zakhwaza ezinye izilwanyana, “HAYI-I-I!” zaze zahlala phantsi iintaka. “Yinyaniso engenakuphikiswa leyo,” watsho uFudo. “UNgwenya ebebekela amaqanda amakhulu esantini. Ingaba ukhona omnye onento yokuthetha?”
Uhlanga lwamacilikishe lwasukuma, lwafuthela iintaka. “Ngamampunge lawo,” yatsho inkokheli yamacilikishe. “Ndazi amacilikishe amaninzi nawo azalela amaqanda, kodwa thina asizontaka kwaphela. UNgwenya ebelilungu lohlanga lwethu ngenxa yesikhumba sakhe esinamaxolo. Sikufanele ukufumana imfumba enkulu yegolide.” Zakhwaza ezinye izilwanyana, “HAYI-I-I!” aze ahlala phantsi amacikilishe. “Yinyaniso engenakuphikiswa leyo,” watsho uFudo. “UNgwenya ebenesikhumba esinamaxolo. Ingaba ukhona omnye onento yokuthetha?”
Kwabakho umtshizo ophuma emlanjeni, kwaze kwatakela ngaphandle kwamanzi iintloko ezine ezizuba. “Asikhathali yinto yokuba yena ebezalela amaqanda, okanye kukuba ebenesikhumba esinamaxolo,” itshilo intlanzi. “Sinamaxolo nathi, kwaye besiqhele ukubukela uNgwenya equbha phantsi kwamanzi yonke imihla. Ebeyintlanzi, njengathi. Sikufanele ukufumana imfumba enkulu yegolide.” “Owu hayi, asiyonyaniso leyo,” yatsho inkokheli yamacilikishe. “Mjonge ngoku elele phaya. Unemilenze emine. Ndibonise intlanzi enemilenze emine.” “Kodwa ebequbha,” yatsho intlanzi.
“Khanimeni!” watsho uBhadi. “UNgwenya unemilenze emine. Wonke umntu kuhlanga lwamabhadi unemilenze emine, ngoko ke ngokuqinisekileyo ebelibhadi. Sikufanele ukufumana imfumba enkulu yegolide.” “Kodwa anizaleli maqanda,” zacula iintaka. Intlanzi yatakela ngaphandle komlambo yaze yatshiza iintaka ngamanzi. Iintaka zasuka zabhabha ukuntingela esibhakabhakeni ziphaphazela. “Uyenzele ntoni loo nto?” yabuza enye yeentaka. “Ukuba benizizalamane zikaNgwenya ngenene, beniya kuwathanda amanzi,” yatsho intlanzi. “Ngaphaya koko, nanikhe nambona uNgwenya ebhabha?” Ngephanyazo zonke izilwanyana etyholweni zazisilwa zodwa zikhwaza. “Yimani, wonke umntu! Yimani!” watsho uFudo, kodwa akakho owayemmamele.
Ngephanyazo, weva umbambazelo egxalabeni lakhe, wajonga emva. Kwakukho into eyoyikekayo eyayimjongele ezantsi. Yayinamehlo amakhulu namazinyo abukhali. YayinguNgwenya! “Bendicinga ukuba ubhubhile,” watsho uFudo, engcangcazela eqokobheni lakhe. “Bendilele,” watsho uNgwenya ngelizwi lakhe elikhulu. “Kodwa ndivuswe yiyo yonke le ngxolo.” UFudo wadumzela ecela uxolo waze warhubuluzela ngasematyholweni. UNgwenya wajika wajonga ezinye izilwanyana. “Heyi!” wakhwaza. Wonke umntu wayeka ukulwa kwaze kwathi cwaka. Bajonga uNgwenya bengawatwezanga ngako amehlo.
“Kwatsho kwabhetele,” watsho uNgwenya. “Kanene nonke nifuna igolide yam, ingaba kunjalo? Kulungile, okokuqala, ndinqwenela ukufumana isidlo sasebusuku nezalamane zam eziphilayo. Ngoko ke ngubani ofuna ukusala ukuze atye ukutya okumnandi?” wabuza uNgwenya ekhotha imilebe yakhe. “Iintaka zizalamane zakho,” yatsho intlanzi, iqubhela kude ngokukhawuleza. “Owu hayi, ngamabhadi,” zatsho iintaka zibhabha zisiya kuthi ngcu phezulu emithini. “Anemilenze emine.” Kodwa uhlanga lwamabhadi lwaluselunyamalele ematyholweni. “Kulungile,” atsho amacilikishe, “ngoku kushiyeke thina sodwa. Uze uncede, ungasityi torho, Ngwenya.” “Ukunitya?” watsho uNgwenya encumile. “Ndingazityela ntoni izalamane zam? Hayini bo, macilikishe. Masihambeni siye kwisidlo sasebusuku.”
Ngoko ke amacilikishe alandela uNgwenya aya endlwini yakhe, apho bafika batya ikeyiki yemarula basela namanzi amnandi asemthonjeni, babebaliselana okuhlekisayo behleka kwade kwarhatyela. Kanti ukususela ngaloo mini, zonke izilwanyana zaba nolwazi lokuba amacilikishe azizalamane zenene eziphilayo zikaNgwenya, kwacaca ukuba mhla wabhubha, ngawo aya kufumana imfumba enkulu yakhe yegolide.
