Konke kwaqala mhla uMomma uMoeng wenza ingqayi yejem, eyenzela uMakhulu uMoeng njengesipho sosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. USana uBeka lwafumana eyona bhaloni luyithandayo embala uzuba. Wayefuna ukuyinika uMakhulu ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. UMomma uMoeng wabeleka uSana uBeka ngebhayana elithambileyo. Emva koko wathwala ingqayi yejem entloko waze wahamba esiya kwaMakhulu uMoeng. Ibhaloni yoSana uBeka yayisithi bhaku-bhaku-bhaku zaye iiflopsi zikaMomma uMoeng zisithi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa njengokuba esihla ngendledlana enothuli, de wadibana noSipho ephuma kwivenkile yakwaTip-Top. “Uyaphi, Momma uMoeng?” wabuza uSipho. “Mna noSana uBeka siya kwaMakhulu uMoeng. Namhlanje lusuku lwakhe lokuzalwa,” waphendula uMomma uMoeng. “Ndinepakethi yetships zeetapile ezikramzelayo endinokumnika yona uMakhulu uMoeng. Ingaba ndingahamba nani ukuya kuye nam?” wabuza uSipho.
“Ngokuqinisekileyo,” wancuma uMomma uMoeng, baze bahamba bonke. Ipakethi kaSipho yeetships zeetapile ezikramzelayo yayisithi rhwasharhwasha-rhwasha, ibhaloni yoSana uBeka isithi bhaku-bhakubhaku zaye iiflopsi zikaMomma uMoeng zona zisithi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa lo gama behla ngendledlana enothuli, de badibana noMnumzana uShabalala, owayesipha iinkukhu zakhe ukutya. “Niyaphi na?” wabuza. “Siya kwaMakhulu uMoeng.
Lusuku lokuzalwa kwakhe,” waphendula uMomma uMoeng. “Ndinenkukhu etyetyisiweyo endinokuyinika uMakhulu uMoeng. Ndinganiphathisa yona ukuze nimnike?” wabuza uMnumzana uShabalala. “Ngokuqinisekileyo,” watsho uMomma uMoeng eyithi khatha phantsi kwekhwapha loo nkukhu ityetyisiweyo waze wahamba noSana uBeka kunye noSipho. Inkukhu etyetyisiweyo yayingxola ikokoza isithi ko-ko-ko-ko, ko-koko-ko, ize ipakethi yeetships ezikramzelayo ithi rhwasha-rhwasharhwasha, ibhaloni yoSana uBeka ithi bhaku-bhaku-bhaku zaze iiflops zikaMomma zathi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa ukuhla ngendledlana enothuli bade bafika evenkileni yokubhaka kaNkosikazi uMakabelo. “Kufuneka sithengele uMakhulu uMoeng ikeyiki yosuku lokuzalwa,” watsho uMomma uMoeng. Bangena ngaphakathi.
Nkqim-nkqi yakhala intsimbi yokunkqonkqoza. “Molo, Nkosikazi uMakabelo. Ingaba uyazi ukuba namhlanje lusuku lokuzalwa lukaMakhulu uMoeng?” “Owu, ewe,” watsho uNkosikazi uMakabelo. “Ndimbhakele ikeyiki ekhethekileyo, kodwa andikwazi kuyishiya ivenkile. Ndinganiphathisa ukuze nimnike yona?” “Ngokuqinisekileyo,” wavuma uMomma uMoeng, kodwa kwakukho ingxaki eza kuvela – uMomma uMoeng kwakufuneka enezandla ezibini zokuphatha ikeyiki. Ngoko ke wacinga icebo.
Wathatha inkukhu etyetyisiweyo wayibeka phezu kwengqayi yejem awayeyithwele. Ngoko ke waba nazo izandla ezibini zokuphatha ikeyiki ekhethekileyo yosuku lokuzalwa. Wahamba ke uMomma uMoeng, uSana uBeka kunye noSipho bephuma kuloo mnyango uthi nkqim-nkqi. Lwathi lwakuva ivumba lekeyiki uSana uBeka lwanambitha lusithi, “ncam, ncam, ncam, ncam.” Inkukhu etyetyisiweyo yayingxola ikokoza isithi ko-ko-ko-ko, ko-koko-ko, ize ipakethi yeetships ezikramzelayo ithi rhwasha-rhwasharhwasha, ibhaloni yoSana uBeka ithi, bhaku-bhaku-bhaku zaze iiflops zikaMomma uMoeng zithi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa ukuhla ngendledlana enothuli de badibana noValecia.
“Kuyiwaphi ngumntu wonke?” ubuzile uValecia. “Siya kwaMakhulu uMoeng. Lusuku lwakhe lokuzalwa,” wacacisa uSipho. “Ndinesipha seentyatyambo endinokumnika sona uMakhulu uMoeng. Ndingeza nam?” wabuza uValecia. “Ngokuqinisekileyo,” watsho uMomma uMoeng baze bahamba bonke. Isipha seentyatyambo samenza wathimla uValecia, “Atshuu! A-A-Atshuuuu!” Inkukhu etyetyisiweyo yayingxola ikokoza isithi ko-ko-ko-ko, ko-koko-ko, ize ipakethi yeetships ezikramzelayo ithi rhwasha-rhwasharhwasha, ibhaloni yoSana uBeka ithi, bhaku-bhaku-bhaku zaze iiflops zikaMomma uMoeng zathi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa ukuhla ngendledlana enothuli de babona uMnumzana uSithole epeta esitiyeni sakhe semifuno.
“Niyaphi na nonke, Momma uMoeng?” wabuza uMnumzana uSithole. “Siya kwaMakhulu uMoeng. Lusuku lwakhe lokuzalwa,” waphendula uMomma uMoeng. “Ndinenqwelwana ezele yimifuno yakhe,” watsho uMnumzana uSithole. “Ningandinceda niyithathe nize nimnike yona?” “Ngokuqinisekileyo,” waphendula uMomma uMoeng. Kodwa ngoku uMomma uMoeng waba nengxaki ENKULU – zazininzi kakhulu izinto ekufuneka aziphathe! Kwafuneka ecinge icebo. Kuqala wehlisa uSana uBeka emqolo waze wabeleka inkukhu etyetyisiweyo ngebhayana elithambileyo.
USana uBeka LWAKHALA KAKHU-U-U-LU! Ngoko ke uMomma uMoeng wakhwelisa inkukhu etyetyisiweyo kwinqwelwana waze wabeleka uSana uBeka ngebhayana elithambileyo. USana uBeka lonwaba kakhulu yaze nenkukhu etyetyisiweyo yavuyela ukumana inqola yonke loo mifuno. UMomma zange akuthande oku ngoko ke wayithwalisa uValecia inkukhu etyetyisiweyo. Iintsiba zayenza yarhawuzela impumlo kaValecia kwaye zamenza wathimla nangaphezulu, “AAAAATSHUUUUU!” UValecia wayengonwabanga. Ngoko uMomma uMoeng wathatha inkukhu etyetyisiweyo wayithwalisa uSipho waza wamphathisa neentyatyambo zikaValecia. Ngoku uValecia wayenezandla ezibini zokuphatha ikeyiki. NoMomma uMoeng wayenezandla ezibini zokutyhala inqwelwana enemifuno. Wonke ubani wayonwabile baza bahamba ukuya kwaMakhulu uMoeng.
Amavili enqwelwana ayesithi tswi-tswi-tswi. UValecia wayeneswekile yokuhombisa ikeyiki ezidleleni zakhe ngoko ke wayezikhotha esithi, lence, lence, lence. USana uBeka lwalunambitha lusithi “ncam ncam ncam ncam.” Inkukhu etyetyisiweyo yayingxola ikokoza isithi ko-koko-ko, ko-ko-ko-ko, ize ipakethi yeetships ezikramzelayo ithi rhwasharhwasha-rhwasha, ibhaloni yoSana uBeka ithi bhaku-bhaku-bhaku zaze iiflops zikaMomma zathi phaqa-phaqa, phaqa-phaqa ukuhla ngendledlana enothuli ukuya endlwini kaMakhulu uMoeng. UMomma uMoeng wankqonkqoza kumnyango wangaphambili. USipho wahlaba ikhwelo. UValecia wakhwaza. Kodwa KWAKUNGEKHO MPENDULO. UMomma uMoeng watyhala ucango lwangaphambili baza bangena ngaphakathi bonke. Kodwa KWAKUNGEKHO BANI APHO. Bakhangela ekhitshini – AKUKHO MNTU. Bakhangela kwigumbi lokulala – AKUKHO MNTU. Bakhangela kuyo yonke indawo. Ingaba uyephi uMakhulu uMoeng? UMomma uMoeng wathi, “Masiqalise ukupheka mhlawumbi uMakhulu uMoeng angabuya athi gqi.”
Ngoko ke yiloo nto kanye ethe yenziwa ngabo bonke – wonke umntu ngaphandle koSana uBeka. Lwaluhleli phezu kwekhawuntari yasekhitshini esecaleni kwefestile lukrobile, lwade lwabona uMakhulu uMoeng esiza ehamba ngendledlana esesezantsi kwenduli elithambeka. “Makhulu! Makhulu!” lwakhwaza. Wonke umntu wakroba. “MAKHULU! MAKHULU!” bonke bakhwaza ngaxeshanye. “MAKHULU!” Phaya emazantsi enduli uMakhulu wathi “EE, EE, EE. Kukho umntu ondikhwazayo. Ngoku andikwazi kugqitha ezivenkileni ndizithengele isidlo sangokuhlwa sosuku lwam lokuzalwa.” UMakhulu wajika waza wanyuka loo nduli ilithambeka. Izilipasi zakhe zazisithi shixi-shixi, shixi-shixi kulo ndledlana inothuli. Ekugqibeleni wafika kumnyango wangasemva.
Xa ewuvula wonke umntu waqala ukucula ingoma yokubhiyozela usuku lokuzalwa. Phezu kwetafile kwakukho ipayi eyenziwe ngemifuno kunye nezimuncumuncu zejem ezenziwe nguMomma uMoeng, amaqanda asandula ukuzalelwa yinkukhu etyetyisiweyo, ikeyiki ekhethekileyo yosuku lokuzalwa kunye neetships ezikramzelayo ezenziwe ngeetapile. Itafile yayihonjiswe ngeentyatyambo kunye nebhaloni entle ezuba yoSana uBeka. “OLU LOLONA SUKU LWAM LOKUZALWA NDILONWABELEYO!” watsho uMakhulu. Kwaye oko wayekwazi ngokwenene, kuba uMakhulu wayesele ebhiyozele imihla yokuzalwa engamashumi asibhozo okanye engamashumi alithoba phambi kolu suku! SEBENZISA UBUGCISA BAKHO! Bhala uluhlu lwazo zonke izinto abantu abasebalini abazipha uMakhulu ukulungiselela ukuba umbhiyozo wosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe ube ngokhethekileyo. Emva koko yongeza izinto ezintathu obungathanda ukuzipha uMakhulu ukuba nawe ubuye kwakhe ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa.
SEBENZISA UBUGCISA BAKHO!
Bhala uluhlu lwazo zonke izinto abantu abasebalini abazipha uMakhulu ukulungiselela ukuba umbhiyozo wosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe ube ngokhethekileyo. Emva koko yongeza izinto ezintathu obungathanda ukuzipha uMakhulu ukuba nawe ubuye kwakhe ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa.
