Kudala-dala, imivundla yayinemisila emide, emihle nemfumamfuma emhlophe neyayiyijiwuzisa xa ivuya okanye ichulumancile. Ngelo xesha, imivundla yayihlala esiqithini, esasahlulwe emhlabeni ngumlambo obanzi owawulephuza amagwebu. Nangona imivundla yayikwazi ukuqubha, yayingakwazi ukufikelela kwicala elinomhlaba onabantu, kuba kaloku kulo mlambo kwakuhlala inqwaba yeengwenya ezinkulu, eziluhlaza nezilambileyo. Akukho nto zaziyithanda kakhulu ukodlula umvundla njengesidlo sazo sakusasa, esasemini nesangokuhlwa ezi ngwenya. Ngoko ke, mihla le, oomama bemivundla babexelela amantshontsho abo ukuba, ‘BAHAMBELE KUDE kumanxweme esanti! BAHAMBELE KUDE emanzini! BAHAMBELE KUDE kwezo ngwenya zinoburhalarhume zilambileyo!’
Ukuba ngenene amantshontsho abamamele oonina, baye baphile ubomi obugqwesileyo nobuzele lulonwabo, ubabone betsiba-tsiba phantsi kwemithi benqwamza nengca kunye neentyatyambo ezazikhula apho ayehlala khona. Kodwa ke yayisithi xa ikhulile le mivundla, inqwenele ubomi obungummangaliso. ‘Inokuba kumnandi kweliya cala lomhlaba onabantu!’ wawubeva bexelelana ngelitshoyo. ‘Inokuba kukho izinto ezimnandi esinokuzitya phaya, kunye nezilwanyana ezininzi esinokudlala nazo. Hayi, ayimnandanga into yokuba sibe asikwazi ukuya phaya!’
Ngenye imini, umvundlana okhethekileyo nodlamke kakhulu ogama linguHaruki, waziva unombono okhethekileyo. ‘Uyazi yintoni?’ uqhayise watsho koontanga bakhe. ‘Namhlanje ndiza kusaba ndiye kweli cala lingesosiqithi!’ Akukho namnye kubahlobo bakhe owamkholelwayo, kodwa akazange akunanze oku uHaruki. ‘Zenikhangele! Utshilo, waze waxhumela kunxweme lomlambo olunesanti.
Uthe akufika kumnyele wamanzi uHaruki, wakhwaza ngokuzingca, ‘Wheyi, Nkosi yeeNgwenya! Phuma emanzini! INkosi yemiVundla ifuna ukuthetha nawe!’ Kuthe kwakuthi thu ingwenya enkulu sele isinekile, itsalela umzimba wayo onamandla ngaphandle emanzini isiya esantini, abahlobo bakaHaruki bangcangcazela bakhefuzela. Abazange bayibone into eyayisoyikeka kangako. Ingwenya ijikelezise amehlo ayo ngokucothayo, yaze yathetha ngelizwi elinzulu nelidumzelayo, ‘Ewe, ndingakwenzela ntoni, nyamakazanandini esileyo encinci?’
‘Oya,’ watsho ngokuziqhenya uHaruki, ekhangeleka engoyiki kwaphela, ‘Ndicinga ukuba kufikelele ixesha lokuba thina zinkosi sithelekise ubukhosi bethu. Kuqala, ndiza kuzibala zonke iingwenya, emva koko ungayibala yonke imivundla. Oku ke kuza kusenza sibone ukuba ingaba ngubani phakathi kwam nawe onobona bukhosi bukhulu.’
Ingaba ucinga ukuba iNkosi yeeNgwenya ingayivuma le nto aza nayo uHaruki? Fumana okwenzekileyo kwiveki ezayo!
Inkosi yeengwenya yayingalikholelwa ithamsanqa elifumeneyo. Yayinomfanekiso ngqondweni wetheko lesidlo eyayiza kuba nalo xa sele ingumjikelo wayo ekubaleni. ‘Intle le mbono,’ itshilo ngelisebezayo, ihambisa ngokucothayo ulwimi lwayo kuloo mazinyo ayo atyheli atsolo. Emva koko iphethukile yabhadazela ngasemlanjeni. Emva koko amanzi azamazama, oku kusenzeka kuba kwakukho umgca omde weengwenya owawuthe tse emva kwayo apha emlanjeni.
‘Nantso ke!’ utshilo uHaruki, esinekela abahlobo bakhe. Uxhumele kumqolo wengwenya yokuqala, ejiwuzisa umsila wakhe ngoku aqalayo ukubala. Abahlobo bakhe basuka bakhefuzela bemangaliswe koko babekubona. ‘Inye! Zimbini! Zintathu!’ wabala ekhwaza, etsiba ukusuka kumqolo wengwenya nganye esiya komnye. ‘Zine! Zintlanu! Zintandathu! Zisixhenxe! Waqhubekeka, ejiwuzisela kude umsila wakhe omde omhlophe ngokuya esondela ngokusondela apha kweli cala lomhlaba ungesosiqithi. Emva kwemizuzu elishumi, into eyayibonwa ngabahlobo bakhe yayisele iyintlantsana nje, ikhwaza itsibatsiba phaya qelele.
‘Amashumi asithoba anesibhozo! Amashumi asithoba anesithoba! Ikhulu!’ Ngeli thuba ke kwakungasekho ngwenya iphambi kwakhe uHaruki – into eyayikho lunxweme lwesanti lwalo mhlaba ungesosiqithi. Uthe xa etsiba esehla kumqolo wengwenya yokugqibela, wenza umkhwazo wovuyo. HEKE! HEKE! NDINIQHATHILE! NGCIPH` NANDIWEZA!’ uqhayise watsho ngeli lixa antingela emoyeni esiya kuthi gxada esantini. ‘zingwenyandini ezinoburhalarhume nindenzele ibhlorho yokuwela ndize kufika kweli cala lingesosiqithi!’ Ithe ingwenya yokugqibela yakuva la mazwi, yaguqula ngokukhawuleza intloko yayo enkulu yaze yaluma loo msila ujiwuzayo kaHaruki ngoMNQWAMZO omkhulu! UHaruki wankwiniza luloyiko, kodwa waqhubekeka exhumaxhuma ukuya elunxwemeni. Wayengayinanzanga nakanye into yokuswela kwakhe umsila kuba wayeyifumene inkululeko yakhe. Kunanamhlanje, imivundla inemisila emifutshane, etyebileyo, njengoHaruki!
