Kudala onogwaja babenemisila emihle, emide, emfabamfaba ababeyitshikizisa uma bezizwa bethokozile noma besese. Ngaleso sikhathi bonke onogwaja babehlala esiqhingini, behlukaniswe nezwe loqobo umfula omkhulu okhephuzela amagwebu. Noma onogwaja babekwazi ukubhukuda, babengeke bakwazi ukufika ezweni loqobo ngoba kulo mfula kwakuhlala izingwenya eziningi ezinkulu, eziluhlazana okotshani, ezilambile. Ayikho into eyayithandwa yilezi zingwenya ukudlula isidlo esimnandi sasekuseni, sasemini nesakusihlwa esingunogwaja. Ngakho zonke izinsuku omama bonogwaja babetshela izingane zabo bathi, ‘NINGASONDELI esihlabathini sosebe lomfula! NINGASONDELI emanzini!NINGASONDELI kulezo zingwenya ezesabekayo, ezilambile!’
Ngenkathi besalalela omama babo onogwaja abancane, babephila impilo emnandi, begxumagxuma ngaphansi kwezihlahla bephanga utshani nezimbali ezazikhula endaweni ebazungezile. Kodwa kwakuthi lapho onogwaja sebekhula beba bakhudlwana abanye babo bafisa impilo enezigemegeme. ‘Kufanele ukuba mnandi ezweni loqobo!’ kusho omunye komunye. ‘Kufanele kube nezinto ezinhle ezidliwayo laphaya, kanye nezilwane eziningi esingadlala nazo. Akulungile ukuba singakwazi ukuya laphaya!’
Ngelinye ilanga unogwaja otshekulayo obizwa ngoHaruki waba neqhinga elihle kakhulu. ‘Niyazi ukuthini?’ eqhoshela abangani bakhe. ‘Namhlanje ngizokweqa ngiye ezweni loqobo!’ Akekho noyedwa owamkholwa kubangani bakhe, kodwa wayengenandaba nalokhu uHaruki. ‘Ngibukeni!’ washo etshekula eya esihlabathini sosebe lomfula.
Uma esefike onqenqemeni lwamanzi wamemeza ngokuzethemba, ‘We Nkosi yeziNgwenya! Phuma emanzini! INkosi yoNogwaja ifuna ukukhuluma nawe!’ Abangani bakaHaruki baqhaqhazela babamba ongezansi ngesikhathi kuphuma ingwenya enkulu esinekile, umzimba wayo onamandla uba sesihlabathini. Babengakaze bayibone into eyesabeka kangaka. Ingwenya yaphendula amehlo ayo kancane, yase ikhuluma ngezwi layo elibhongayo ithi, ‘Yebo, yini engingakwenzela yona silwane esincane esinesibindi?’
‘Empeleni,’ kusho uHaruki ngokuzethemba, engakukhombisi nhlobo ukwesaba, ‘Ngicabanga ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuthi thina maKhosi siqhathanise imibuso yethu. Ngizoqala ngokubala zonke izingwenya wena bese ubala bonke onogwaja. Sizobe sesibona-ke ukuthi ubani onombuso omkhulu kunowomunye.’
INkosi yezingwenya ayizange iyikholwe inhlanhla yayo. Yacabanga ngedili elimnandi ezoba nalo ngesikhathi sekuyithuba layo lokubala. ‘Umqondo omuhle lowo,’ isholo phansi, ikhotha kancane amazinyo ayo aphuzi acijile. Yase iphenduka ibathaza ibuyela emfuleni. Ngokushesha kwaphehleka amanzi ngesikhathi izingwenya zima zilandelana emfuleni ngemuva kwayo.
‘Nazo-ke!’ kusho uHaruki, esinekela abangani bakhe. Wagibela emhlane wengwenya yokuqala etshikizisa umsila wakhe ngesikhathi eqala ukubala. Abangani bakhe babamba umoya ngokumangala ngesikhathi bebona into ayeyenza. ‘Inye! Zimbili! Zintathu!’ ebala kakhulu, egxuma esuka phezu komhlane onezinciji omunye eya komunye. ‘Zine! Zinhlanu! Ziyisithupha! Ziyisikhombisa!’ waqhubeka, etshikizisa umsila wakhe omude, omhlophe ngamandla ngesikhathi egxuma eya ngokuya esondela ezweni loqobo. Ngemuva kwemizuzu eyishumi abangani bakhe base bebona icashazana elincane, limemeza futhi ligxuma kude.
‘Eyamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalombili! Eyamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesishiyagalolunye! Eyekhulu!’ Manje kwakungasekho zingwenya phambi kukaHaruki − kwakukhona izihlabathi zosebe lwezwe loqobo. Ngesikhathi esuka emhlane wengwenya yokugcina, wezwakalisa umsindo wenjabulo. ‘HA, HA! NGINIKHOHLISILE!’ waziqhoshela ngesikhathi endiza emoyeni eyomela esihlabathini. ‘Nina zingwenya ezimbi ningakhele ibhuloho lokuthi ngiyofika ezweni loqobo!’ Ngesikhathi ingwenya yokugcina izwa la mazwi yaphendula ikhanda layo elikhulu yaluma yanqamula umsila kaHaruki otshikizayo NGOKUQHUNSULA okukhulu! UHaruki wakhala ngokwethuka kodwa waqhubeka nokugxumagxuma ekhuphuka osebeni. Wayengenandaba nokuthi wayelahlekelwe umsila wakhe ngoba wayethole inkululeko. Namanje onogwaja banemisila emifishane, eyisinqamu njengekaHaruki!
