ULesedi wayesoyika yonke into nje. Wayesoyika izithunzi. Wayesoyika iingxolo. Wayesoyika neendudumo. Wayesoyika izinto ezininzi kakhulu kangangokuba bonke abantu babembiza ngokuba nguMpukwana.
Rhoqo ebusuku phambi kokuba alale, wayesenza izinto ezintathu. Wayevala ngci iingcango zeekhabhathi, kungathi kanti kukho into ezimele ngaphakathi apho ekhabhathini. Wayetyhalela phantsi kwebhedi zonke izihlangu zakhe nezinto zakhe zokudlala, ukuze kungabikho ndawo ekunokungena kuyo enye into eza kumhlasela. Athi ke emva koko avale mba iikhethini ukuze kungabikho nto inokungena. Aze angene ebhedini, atsale iduveyi yogqume nkqu namehlo lawo akhe.
“Lesedi,” watsho utata wakhe ngobunye ubusuku phambi kokuba kulalwe, “lixesha lokuba uyiyeke ngoku le nto. Umdala ngokwaneleyo ngoku kwaye ufanele ukuba wazi ngcono. Yeka oku kuba yimpukwana kwakho.”
“Igumbi lakho licocwa ndim yonke imihla,” watsho umama wakhe, ngobubele, “zange khe ndibone nto phaya mna.” Bamphuza bamnqwenelela ubusuku benzolo, bamxelela ukuba akhaliphe, aye kulala.
“Kulungile Mama. Kulungile Tata,” watsho esiya kwigumbi lakhe lokulala.
“Ngobu busuku,” wasebeza ezixelela oko, “ndiza kuzama ukukhalipha.”
Waza ke wenza izinto ezintathu. Wajonga ekhabhathini waza walushiya ucango lwayo luvulekile – kancinci nje. Wajonga phantsi kwebhedi, waza wabeka iimbadada zakhe kuphela. Waza, washiya isithutyana phakathi kweekhethini esanele nje ukuba kungene ukukhanya kwenyanga. Waza wangena ebhedini, wazogquma nentloko ngeduveyi!
ULesedi wayesaqala ukuva ubushushu obungathethekiyo bokuzingcwaba phantsi kweduveyi ukuva kwakhe isandi esingaqhelekanga – isandi esasivela apha kweli gumbi lakhe!
“Ngubani lowo?” wasebeza ngelizwi elingcangcazelayo, waza wavala iindlebe zakhe ngeminwe ukuze angeva nto. Wayesoyika kakhulu, kangangokuba wayefuna ukuvula umlomo wakhe akhale. Hayi, hayi, hayi, wazixelela oko. Mandizame ukukhalipha. Watsho wathi khwaphululu, wahlala phezu kwebhedi.
“Ko-ko-koo,” latsho ilizwi elingaqhelekanga. “Yho, hayi, hayi, hayi! Mandizame ukukhalipha. Ndicinga ukuba mandihambe ngoku.”
“Intoo-oni?” watsho uLesedi waza watshona phantsi kweduveyi kwakhona. “Ngubani lowo?”
“Ko-ko-koo. NdinguMosa. Nceda, nceda ungabinomsindo.”
ULesedi waphakamisa iduveyi, waza wakroba. Kwashukuma ithinzi ekoneni kwaza kwathi gqi ...
“Isikhukhukazi!” watsho uLesedi. “Wenza ntoni egumbini lam?” ULesedi wayengazi nokuba makahleke okanye akhale.
“Libali elifutshane,” watsho uMosa. “Yikati kaMama uKunene. Inkulu futhi ityebile kwaye ... ifuna ukunditya!”
“Kodwa kutheni ungazimeli nje?” wabuza uLesedi.
“Ndizimele nje, gezayo. Ndizimele apha,” sacacisa satsho isikhukhukazi.
“Ewe, kodwa undoyikisile,” watsho uLesedi.
“Uyoyika ngoku?” wabuza uMosa.
“Hayi,” watsho uLesedi.
“Uyabona ke! Wena awunanto mawuyoyike. Ikati kaMama uKunene ayifuni kutya wena. Ndim emsukelayo!” satsho isikhukhukazi.
“Iphi ikati?” wabuza uLesedi.
“Phayaa,” watsho uMosa eqhwaqhwazelisa amaphiko ehlala efesitileni, ekhomba phandle. “Jonga, jonga, isephaya yaye isafuna ukunditya.”
ULesedi wakroba ngefesitile, nantso ikati kaMama uKunene. Yayinkulu yaye yayijamele ntsho efesitileni.
“Gibisela into phaya kuyo,” watsho uMosa.
“Andinakuyenza loo nto!” watsho uLesedi othukile.
“Ngoba?” wabuza uMosa.
“Mhlawumbi ingayonzakalisa loo nto ndiyigibiseleyo,” wacacisa uLesedi.
“Kodwa ukuba iyandibamba inditye iya konzakalisa mna,” watsho uMosa etsibela phantsi emgangathweni kwakhona. “Kodwa kuba ngoku sowundibhaqile apha, kungcono ndihambe.”
“Uye phi?” wabuza uLesedi.
“Ndiza kuya endle,” watsho uMosa.
“Endle? Awungowamntu na kanene?” wabuza uLesedi. Wayebhidekile.
“Hayi. Ndizihlalela ndodwa endle,” watsho uMosa, “kodwa ngamanye amaxesha ndihlala ... ndihlala ... ”
“Ee-we,” watsho uLesedi, “uhlala ... phi?”
“Emhmm ... emhmmmm ... apha!” watsho uMosa.
“INTOONI?” ULesedi zange ayikholelwe le nto wayegqiba kuyiva!
“Kaloku, mna ndiyoyika ebusuku ndize ndilinde side sicime isibane sakho. Ndize ndingene apha ngokutyhala iikhethini zakho,” uMosa wakokoza esitsho. “Akwaba ubungayivali mba ke noko ifesitile le. Loo nto yenza ukungena kube nzima kakhulu.”
“Uxolo,” watsho uLesedi.
“Emva koko, ndizame ukungena phantsi kwebhedi yakho, kodwa ndingakwazi kuba kuzele izihlangu nezinto zokudlala zakho phaya,” isikhukhukazi sakokoza kalusizi. “Ndize, ndizame ukungena ekhabhathini yakho, kodwa usoloko uluvala mba ucango. Ngoko ke bendisoloko ndilala phayaa, ekoneni, ecaleni kwalaa bhokisana yomthi.”
“Kanti nguwe lo obusenza le ngxolo bendimana ndiyiva,” watsho uLesedi.
“Nawe nje wenza ingxolo,” watsho uMosa, “kwaye iyandoyikisa, kodwa ayoyikeki ngaphezu kwekati kaMama uKunene. Ingxolo eyenzayo yona indoyikisa kakhulu.”
ULesedi noMosa bathula, bajongana emehlweni umzuzu wonke.
UMosa woyika ngaphezu kwam, wacinga njalo uLesedi, yaye akanalo nekhaya eli lembala.
“Ko-ko-koo ... Mhlawumbi singoyika kunye,” wacebisa watsho uMosa.
“Okanye sibe ngamakhalipha kunye,” watsho uLesedi.
“Ewe,” watsho uMosa. “Sesingamakhalipha kakade ngoku, kuba asizukoyikiswa yile ngxolo eyenziwa kwasithi.”
Ke ngoko uLesedi noMosa baqulunqa amacebo. Baqala bazivula iikhethini. Waza uLesedi wayidudulela phantsi kwefestile ibhokisi yomthi.
“Ingalikhaya lakho elitsha eli,” watsho. “Ndakusoloko ndizishiya zivulekile iikhethini. Ukuba woyika nyhani, ungangena phantsi kwebhedi. Ndakushiya nomnyango wekhabhathi uvulekile.”
“Nam ndakuthi cwaka,” watsho uMosa. “Andizukwenza zandi zingaqhelekanga nezikoyikisayo ebusuku.”
Ngoko ke, ukusukela kobo busuku, uMosa noLesedi baqalisa ukukhalipha. UMosa wahlala phezu kwebhokisi yomthi phantsi kwefestile, aze athi xa engena egumbini enze uKo-ko-koo obulisayo. ULesedi ke wayencuma yena esebuthongweni.
Kwaye, yhaz’intoni ...
ULesedi akasazoyiki izithunzi neendudumo ngoku, yaye bonke abantu bayekile ukumbiza ngokuba nguMpukwana. Kwaye noMosa akasayoyiki ngoku ikati kaMama uKunene – unendawo ekhuselekileyo yokuzimela nanokuhlala kuyo.
KWAYE ... uMosa umana eshiya izipho ezithathu phezu kwebhokisi yomthi, aze uLesedi, nomama wakhe kunye notata wakhe babenamaqanda amatsha esidlo sakusasa.
