Ekadeni imiqasa kade inemisila emide emihle, emide, enamaboya emhlophe egade ziyitjikizisa lokha nayithabileko namkha nayithakasileko. Ngesikhatheso, yoke imiqasa beyihlala phezu kwesihlengele, esihlukaniswe nenarhambala ngobubanzi, nangomlambo ophehla amagwebu. Nanyana imiqasa beyikwazi ukududa, beyingakghoni ukufika enarhenimbala, ngombana ngemlanjeni bekuhlala amadazeni weengwenya ezikulu, ezilihlaza satjani nezilambileko. Iingwenyezi ayikho into ebeziyithanda ukudlula ukudla isidlo sekuseni, semini nesentambama somqasa. Ngalokho-ke ngamalanga boke abonina bemiqasa bebatjela abentwana babo bonyana, “BADLALELE KUDE neendawo ezimagega nelwandle ezinesanda! BADLALELE KUDE namanzi! BADLALELE KUDE nendawo ezineengwenya ezithusako nezilambileko!”
Lokha imiqasana nayisalalele abomanina, yaphila ipilo ehle enethabo, yeqayeqa ngaphasi kwemithi iphangelana utjani namathuthumbo akhula magega nayo. Kodwana lokha imiqasa nasele ikhulile, eminye yayirhalela ipilo etjengisa isibindi. “Kufuze ukuba mnandi khulu enarhenimbala!” batjho njalo komunye nomunye. “Kufuze ukuba nezinto ezimnandi zokudla khona, kunye neenlwana ezinengi ekungadlalwa nazo. Akukalungi bonyana singakwazi ukuya khona!”
Ngelinye ilanga, umqasa omncani khulukhulu othanda ukudlala obizwa ngokuthi nguHaruki, waba nombono omuhle khulu. “Niyazi kobana yini?” waqhotjhela abangani bakhe. “Namhlanjesi ngizokubalekela enarhenimbala!” Akekho ebanganini bakhe owamkholwako, kodwana uHaruki akhenge abenendaba. “Ningiqale!” watjho yena, eqela endaweni emagega nomlambo enesanda.
Lokha uHaruki nafika emphethweni womLambo, warhuwelela ngokuzithemba, “Yeyi, Kosi yeeNgwenya! Phuma ngemanzini! IKosi yemiQasa ifuna ukukhuluma nawe!” Abangani bakaHaruki bathuthumela, badosa ummoya lokha ingwenya ekekenisileko idosela umzimbayo onamandla esandeni. Akhange khebayibone into ethusa kangakaya. Ingwenya yageda amehlwayo kabuthaka, yase ithi, ngelizwi elikhulu, elibhodlako, “Iye, ngingakwenzelani, wena sidalwa esincani esinekani?”
“Kuhle,” kwatjho uHaruki ngokuzithemba, angatjengisi ukwesaba nakancani, “Ngicabanga bonyana sikhathi sethu njengamakhosi bonyana silinganise imibuso yethu. Kokuthoma ngizakubala zoke iingwenya, nawe ungabala yoke imiqasa. Ngalokho sizakwazi ukubona bonyana ngubani phakathi kwethu unombuso onamandla.”
Ikosi eyingwenya akhenge ikholwe itjhudu layo. Yacabanga ngesidlo esimnandi ezokubanaso lokha nasele kusikhathi sayo sokubala. “Mqondo omuhle loyo,” yatjho kabuthaka, ikhambisa ilimi layo kabuthaka phezu kwamazinyo asarulani, amasungulwana. Yaphenduka, sakuzisonga yabuyela ngemanzini. Msinyana amanzi azamazama, lokha iingwenya nazithoma ukurhema zenza umjeje omude ngemva kwakhe ngemlanjeni.
“Awuzwake!” kwatjho uHaruki, akekenisele abangani bakhe. Weqela phezu komhlana wengwenya yokuthoma, watjikizisa umsilakhe lokha nakathoma ukubala. Abangani bakhe badosa ummoya ngokumangala lokha nababona lokho ayekwenza. “Kunye! Kubili! Kuthathu!” ubalela phezulu, weqa asuke phezu komhlana wenye iingwenya, eqele phezu kwenye. “Kune! Kuhlanu! Kuthandathu! Kukhomba!” waragela phambili, atjikizisa umsila wakhe omude, omhlophe lokha nakeqako asondela eduze nenarhambala. Ngemuva kwemizuzu emihlanu, abangani bakhe bebabona intwanyana encani nje inande irhuwelela yeqa kude le nabo.
“Matjhumi alithoba nabunane! Matjhumi alithoba nathoba! Likhulu!” Kwanjesi bekungasenangwenya phambi kukaHaruki – besele kusesandeni magega nelwandle. Lokha nakeqela phasi asuka emhlana wengwenya yokugcina, warhuwelela ngokuthaba okukhulu. “YELELE! YELELE! NGINIDLELEZELE!” wazikghantjhela lokha nakaphezulu emmoyeni eqela esandeni. “Nina zingwenya ezinelunya ningenzele ibhlorho lokuya ngenarhenimbala!” lokha ingwenya yokugcina nayizwa amagama la, yajuguja ihlokwayo yabetha umsila kaHaruki MSINYANA khulu! UHaruki warhuwelela ngokuthuka, kodwana waragela phambili eqayeqa yoke indlela magega nelwandle. Akhenge abanendaba nokuthi ulahlekelwe msila ngombana uyitholile ikululeko yakhe. Kungalokho nanamhlanjesi, imiqasa inemisila emifitjhani, eziintontjana, njengoHaruki.
