Kwesukasukela, kudzala kakhulu bologwaja bebanemisila lemihle, lemidze, lefutjutelako lemhlophe lebebahlala njalo bayintjikitisa noma ngabe kunini nabativa bajabulile. Ngaleso sikhatsi, bonkhe bologwaja bebahlala esichingini, lebesihlukene nesiganga, sehlukaniswe ngulomkhulu umfula lonemagwebu. Nanoma nje labologwaja bebakwati kuhlamba kepha bebangakhoni kufika esigangeni, ngoba kulomfula bekuhlala, imihlambi nemihlambi yetingwenya letinkhulu, letiluhlata futsi letilambile. Bekute lokunye kudla lokumnandzi kwasekuseni, kwasemini nakwakusihlwa lebetitsandza kukudla letingwenya ngaphandle kwalogwaja. Ngako-ke bonkhe bologwaja lababomake bebatjela bantfwababo batsi, “NINGASONDZELIelusentseni lwemfula lolunenhlabatsi! NINGASONDZELI emantini!NINGASONDZELI kuleto tingwenya letetfusanako futsi letilambile!”

Labologwaja labancane bebaphila imphilo lekahle kakhulu kuphela nje nabalalela bomake babo, bebacolosha yonkhe indzawo ngaphansi kwetihlahla futsi badla bonkhe tjani netimbali lebetimila yonkhe indzawo lapho bebakhona. Kepha kwatsi lapho labologwaja labancane bakhula, babese bacala kulangatelela imphilo yekufuna kwati tintfo. “Kufanele kubamnandzi kakhulu kuhlala esigangeni!” basho batikhulumela. “Kufanele kutsi kunetintfo letimnandzi kakhulu letidliwako lapho, netilwane letinyenti letichazanako lesingadlala nato. Akusikahle kutsi asikwati kuya lapho!”

Ngalelinye lilanga, lomunye logwaja lomncane lonemdlandla ligama lakhe lebekunguHaruki, wavele nje waba nembono lomuhle kakhulu. “Cagelani kutsini?” watikhukhumeta kubangani bakhe. “Lamuhla ngitawubaleka ngiye esigangeni.” Kute ngisho namunye webangani bakhe lowamkholwa, kepha Haruku akatange abe nendzaba. Watsi, “Ngibukeleni!”, wacondza elusentseni lwemfula lolunenhlabatsi.

Haruki watsi nakefika ekugcineni kwemanti, wamemeta ngesibindzi, “Hheyi wena, Nkhosi yeTingwenya! Phuma lapho emantini! Inkhosi yaboLogwaja ifuna kukhuluma nawe!” Bangani baHaruki batfutfumela futsi bamangala ngesikhatsi ingwenya lenkhulu levete ematinyo ihudvula umtimba wayo iphuma emantini iya esigangeni. Bebangakate sebayibone intfo letfusa kangaka. Lengwenya yagicita emehlo ayo kancane, yabese ikhuluma ngelivi lelindondako, lelindzindzitelako, “Yebo, ngingakwentela ini, wena silwanyana lesedzelelako?”

“Hhayi-ke,” kwasho Haruki ngalokukhulu kutetsemba, abukeka angesabi lutfo, “Ngicabanga kutsi sesikhatsi setfu tsine tinkhosi sekutsi sicatsanise imibuso yetfu. Kwekucala nje ngitawubala tonkhe tingwenya bese kutsi nawe-ke sewubala bonkhe bologwaja. Sitawubese siyabona-ke kutsi ngubani emkhatsini wetfu lonembuso lonemandla kakhulu.”

Lenkhosi yetingwenya ayimange iyikholwe inhlanhla yayo. Yacabanga ngelidzili lekudla lokumnandzi lebeyitawuba nalo masinyane nje nasekulitfuba layo lekubala. “Ngumbono lomuhle loyo,” yasho ngelivi lelipholile, iloku igijimisa lulwimi lwayo kancane etukwematinyo ayo lamtfubi futsi lacijile. Yabese iyagucuka yakhushutela yabuyela ekhatsi emfuleni. Masinyane nje emanti acala ayalutela, ngenca yetingwenya lebeseticalile tishaye ludvwendvwe emvakwayo emfuleni.

“Nako ngishona!” kwasho Haruki, asinatela bangani bakhe. Wamema emhlana wengwenya yekucala, ajikitisa umsila wakhe-ke wabese uyacala uyabala. Bangani bakhe babefutela ngekumangala nababona kutsi wentani. “Kunye! Kubili! Kutsatfu!” wabala amemeta kakhulu, azuba asuka kumunye umhlaba wengwenya lomashwilishili aya kulomunye lolandzelako. “Kune! Sihlanu! Sitfupha! Sikhombisa!” wachubeka wamemeta, ajikitisa ngekuhlanya umsila wakhe lomudze, lomhlophe ngesikhatsi aya ngekusondzela kakhulu esigangeni. Ngemuva kwemaminitsi lalishumi, bangani bakhe besebabona licashati nje kuphela, limemeta lizuba le khashane.

“Emashumi layimfica nesiphohlongo! Emashumi layimfica nemfica! Likhulu!” Manje, besekute tingwenya embi kwaHaruki − besekusele nje lusentse lwesiganga lolunenhlabatsi. Watsi nje nakatsi uyazuba wehla emhlana wengwenya yekugcina, wamemeta wevakalisa lenkhulu injabulo, “HA, HA! NGINENTE TILIMA!” washo atigcabha ngesikhatsi andiza emoyeni ayowela enhlabatsini. “Nine tingwenya letimbi nicedza kungakhela libhuloho lekutsi ngifike esigangeni!” Ingwenya yekugcina nayiva lamagama, yajikisa masinyane inhloko yayo lenkhulu yaluma umsila waHaruki lebewujikita, kwevakala lomkhulu umsindvo wekungcutfuka, NGCUTFU! Haruki wanswininita ngalokukhulu kwetfuka, kepha wachubeka nekucolosha wayoshona elusentseni. Bekanganandzaba kutsi sewulahlekelwe ngumsila wakhe ngoba sewutfole inkhululeko. Futsi-ke kute kube ngulamuhla, bologwaja banemisila lemifisha, letiguntu, njengewaHaruki!