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UMntwana uShukela no-Awande, umbhaki

Author

Ibhalwe ngu-Ayanda Hlatshwayo

Illustrator

Imdwebo nguChantelle noBurgen Thorne

Kwakukhona umntwana wasebukhosini obizwa ngokuthi uShukela. UMntwana uShukela wayethiwe kanje ngenxa yothando lwakhe lwezinto ezimnandi ezifana namakhekhe, amabhisikidi, amathathi, amadonathi kanye nophudingi. UMntwana uShukela wayetotosiwe ngendlela yokuthi wayengakwazi ngisho ukwabelana ngezinto ezimnandi nezingane zesigodi.

“Akekho umuntu odla amakhekhe ami! Uyezwa, Mary? Lowo ngumthetho!” kwasho uMntwana uShukela eqondise kumbhaki wasebukhosini. “Amakhekhe, amabhisikidi kanye namathathi konke ngokwami futhi okwami ngedwa.”

Ngolunye usuku, kwafika umbhaki ongaqondakali esigodini. Waqala ukuphana ngezingcezu zamakhekhe namabhisikidi kuzo zonke izingane. Lapho uMntwana uShukela ezwa ngalokhu, wathukuthela kakhulu wayesethumela abaqaphi bakhe ukuthi babophe umbhaki bese bemletha kuye.

“Awukwazi wena ukungena esigodini sami bese uvele unikeza izingane izicoficofi. Lokho kungukwephula umthetho!” kuthetha uMntwana uShukela ecasukile.

“Wena weNkosi, ngixolisa kakhulu. Ngicela ungivumele ngilungise iphutha lami ngokuthi ngibhakele wena kuphela,” kuphendula umbhaki ogama lakhe kwakungu-Awande. “Ngizokubhakela okusha okumnandi nsuku zonke. Lezi zicoficofi engizibhakayo zikhethekile kakhulu. Kumele udle sonke isicoficofi ngosuku olulodwa.”

“Ngempela, ngizokwazi ukuqeda isicoficofi nsuku zonke!” kwavuma uMntwana ngobugovu obukhulu.

“Kuhle kakhulu,” kuphendula u-Awande ngokumoyizela.

Ngakho, njalo nje ekuseni, uMntwana uShukela wayethola isicoficofi esibhakwe ngalelo langa, ayesimimilita. Ngokuqhubeka kwezinsuku, izicoficofi zaziba mnandi kakhulu futhi ziba nkulu. UMntwana uShukela wayejabule kakhulu, futhi wayewaqeda wonke la makhekhe, amabhisikidi namathathi amnandi ngaphandle kokuzipha ngisho nocezu izingane zesigodi.

Kodwa-ke lapho izicoficofi zilokhu ziba nkulu, uMntwana uShukela wayengasakwazi ukuziqeda. Kwakumele azigcine endaweni efihlekile yesigodlo yikhona u-Awande engezukwazi ukuthi akasiqedi isicoficofi sosuku nosuku.

Ngemuva kwamasonto ambalwa, uMntwana uShukela wayesebeke izicoficofi eziningi ngale ndlela yokuthi zazingasakwazi ukungena endaweni eyimfihlo. Ngakho-ke, wabiza abasebenzi bakhe kanye noMary, umbhaki wasebukhosini, wabatshela ukuthi balahle ezinye zalezi zicoficofi.

“Niqinisekise ukuthi u-Awande akaniboni nenza lokhu,” kuyalela yena.

Ngakho-ke, ngakusasa ekuseni uMary kanye nabasebenzi bathatha izicoficofi ezazisele baziyisa ekujuleni kwehlathi elingemuva kwesigodlo. Kodwa-ke kwavele kwenzeka into eyisimangaliso: ngalobo busuku, ngesikhathi wonke umuntu elele, zonke izicoficofi ezazilahlwe ehlathini zaphinda zavumbuka esigodlweni!

Ngakusasa ekuseni, u-Awande, umbhaki, wafika nesicoficofi esisha esimnandi wafuna ukubona uMntwana uShukela.

“Ubucabanga ukuthi angeke ngazi ukuthi uzilahlile izicoficofi zami? Awuzange yini uvume ukuthi uzosidla sonke isicoficofi engisithumelayo ngokuphela kwalona lolo suku? Ngakwexwayisa ekuqaleni ukuthi izicoficofi zami zikhethekile ngathi nokusho kufanele usiqede ngasinye,” kwasho u-Awande ngokucasuka.

UMntwana uShukela waqala ukuzwa esenokwesaba okuncane nesisu sakhe wasizwa sesigulagula, kodwa wadla, wadla, kwaze kwabe uyaziqeda zonke izinsalela zezicoficofi kuhlanganisa naleso u-Awande ayesilethile ngalolo suku.

“Angisazithokozeli lezi zicoficofi,” kwasho uMntwana uShukela ngakusasa ekuseni lapho u-Awande efika nesicoficofi sosuku.

“Isethembiso yisethembiso, wena weNkosi,” kwasho u-Awande.

Umntwana wayebukeka edangele. “Yini engingayenza ukukumisa ukungibhakela izicoficofi nsuku zonke?” kwabuza uMntwana uShukela.

“Ubizwa ngoMntwana uShukela nje ngoba uyazithanda izinto ezimnandi nezinoshukela. Kodwa, ngenxa yemithetho yakho, ezinye izingane kazibazi ubumnandi obusashukela,” kwaphendula u-Awande. “Ngakho, kumele ube lokhu uzidla izicoficofi, imilomo yezingane ize ibe noshukela.” Esekushilo lokho, umbhaki waphenduka wayesephuma esigodlweni, eshiya elikhulu ikhekhe, elinambithekayo ukuze uMntwana uShukela alidle.

UMntwana uShukela wacabanga, wacabanga ngalokho u-Awande ayekushilo kodwa akaze akuqondisisa. Yayizoba noshukela kanjani imilomo yezingane uma ngabe kwakunguye yedwa odla izicoficofi zika-Awande? Ngakho-ke, umntwana wathi ukuhambahamba esivandeni lapho kwakuthule khona. Kwakufanele acabange indlela yokuyekisa u-Awande ukuletha izicoficofi ezimnandi nsuku zonke.

Ngesikhathi esazihambela nje, ibhola lezinyawo landiza ngaphezu kothango olude lwesivande lawela ezihlahleni. Okulandelayo, umfanyana omahlikihliki nje wavela phezu kothango ezolanda ibhola. Ngenkathi ebona uMntwana uShukela, wacishe wawa phansi ngenxa yovalo.

“Wena weNkosi, ngiyaxolisa kakhulu. Ngize ukuzolanda ibhola nje,” kwasho umfana owesabayo.

UMntwana uShukela wayematasa ecabangana nesu lokumisa ukuthola izicoficofi ezimnandi ngangokuthi waze wakhohlwa ngisho ukucasuka.

“Ngaphambi kokuthi ulande ibhola lakho,” kusho yena, “ngicela ungitshele ukuthi yini engenza umlomo wakho ube mnandi sashukela.”

“Izinto ezenziwe ngoshukela, wena Wenkosi,” kwasho umfanyana ngamahlonyana.

“Amakhekhe namadonathi kanye namabhisikidi – zonke nje izinto thina esingavunyelwe ukuthi sizidle.”

Umfanyana wayebukeka edangele ngesikhathi esho lokhu ngangokuthi uMntwana uShukela wavele wazizwa eseshaywa amahloni. Okokuqala ngqa, wabona ukuthi ubelokhu ezicabangela yena yedwa. Wayethole izicoficofi eziningi ngale ndlela yokuthi wayengasazithokozeli, kodwa izingane zesigodi zazingakaze zinambithe nanoma yini emnandi sashukela esikhathini eside kakhulu.

Umntwana waphuthuma emuva esigodlweni wathumela ukuthi kubizwe u-Awande.

“Awande,” kwasho yena, “bengilokhu ngizicabangela mina ngedwa futhi nginobulima. Ngingathanda ukuba nomcimbi oqondiswe kubantu besigodi. Ngicela ubhake izicoficofi zakho wenzele izingane kanye nabazali bazo. Ukusukela namuhla, wonke umuntu angazidla izinto ezimnandi ezisashukela uma efisa kanjalo.”

U-Awande wamoyizela. “Ngokuthokoza okukhulu, wena Wenkosi!” kwasho yena, wase ewabhaka amakhekhe, amabhisikidi namathathi ahlotshisiwe namnandi kakhulu abantu besigodi ababengakaze bawabone noma bawanambithe. Hhawu, badla, badla baze basutha.

Ngakusasa ekuseni, u-Awande, umbhaki, wayesenyamalele kungaziwa namkhondo wokuthi ukuphi. UMntwana uShukela waqhubeka nokwenzela abantu besigodi imicimbi – kodwa manje yena noMary base bezibhakela bona ngokwabo.