Kudala-dala kwakukho umvundla owawubaleka kakhulu, usogqitha zonke ezinye izilwanyana zasefama. Wawuzingca, uzidla kakhulu ngamendu awo. Wawusoloko udlisela, uzikhumbuza ezinye izilwanyana ngokuba yimbaleki kwawo.
“Ndibaleka ndishiya nomoya,” wawuqhayisa utsho, uphinda-phinda loo mazwi kumhlobo wawo, uNcanda.
Ngenye intsasa uMvundla noNcanda badibana esangweni elibakhokelela emasimini, kwasefama apho. UMvundla awuphozisanga maseko, waqalisa ukuqhayisa, “Ndiyeyona mbaleki yakha yakho ehlabathini. Ndibaleka ndishiya nomoya.”
“Andiboni kanjalo mna,” watsho uNcanda ngokuzithemba. “Ndicinga ukuba nam lo ndingakogqitha ngokubaleka.”
“Unwabu olunjengawe?” wahleka uMvundla umsinekele. “Uyaziqhatha ukuba uthi wena ungandodlula ngamendu.”
UNcanda wacinga umzuzwana. Waza wathethela phantsi esithi, “Kulungile. Masibone ukuba ngubani obaleka ngaphezu komnye. Singakhuphisana elugqatsweni ngomso. Siza kubekisa ukusuka kweli sango siye ekupheleni kwamasimi size siphinde sibuye.”
“Kulungile,” watsho uMvundla. “Andizikubaleka nokubaleka ukuze ndiphumelele, Milenzana miFutshane omdala.”
“Uza kubona,” watsho uNcanda. “Akufuneki ude ube nemilenze emide ukuze uphumelele ugqatso, uyazi. Ndiza kuhlangana nawe kweli sango ngomso, ukuphuma kwelanga. Ndiza kuluphumelela ugqatso. Kufuneka undithembise ukuba xa ndiphumelele akusoze uphinde undibize ngamagama anjengooMilenzana miFutshane okanye Nwabu, kwakhona.”
“Kulungile,” wavuma uMvundla, uqinisekile kakhulu ngesiqu sawo. “Ukuba ngokwenene ufuna ugqatso nam, uza kulufumana. Ndiyathembisa ukuba andisoze ndiphinde ndithi Nwabu okanye Milenzana miFutshane – UKUBA uphumelele. Ndiyazi kakade ukuba oko soze kwenzeke. Ndinamendu angaphezulu nakwawomoya. Ndiza kufika ezantsi emasimini ndiphinde ndibuye lo gama wena usacinga ngokusuka. Ngoko ke ndiza kukwazi ukukubiza ngamagama athi Milenzana miFutshane okanye Nwabu kangangoko ndithanda. Ha! Ha!”
UNcanda waxelela umkhuluwa wakhe ngolu gqatso, “Owu zinkosi,” watsho umkhuluwa wakhe, “wenze impazamo enkulu. Yintoni ebangele ukuba ufune ukwenza into engenakwenzeka efana nale? UMvundla unamendu adlula nawomoya. Ngoku uza kukubiza ngamagama afana noNwabu noMilenzana miFutshane ubomi bakho bonke.”
“Ungakhathazeki,” watsho uNcanda, “ndineqhinga. Ndineqhinga elikrelekrele kakhulu. Ukuba uyandinceda, sisobabini singamfundisa isifundo uMvundla. Uza kutsho uyeke ukuzingca nokuqhayisa – kwaye akasoze aphinde andibize ngamagama athi, Nwabu okanye Milenzana miFutshane kwakhona!”
Ngosuku olulandelayo uNcanda wafika kuqala kunoMvundla. Njengesiqhelo, wathatha ixesha elide phambi kokuba afike apho, kodwa wayelinde enoncumo ebusweni bakhe ukufika koMvundla phambi kokuba ilanga lithi chapha endulini.
“Molo, Milenzana miFutshane. Uqinisekile ukuba usafuna ukukhuphisana nam elugqatsweni? Uyazi ukuba akunalo nelincinane ithuba lokuba ungaphumelela. Ingaba ukulungele kusini na ukoyiswa? Khumbula, ndinamendu awodlula nawomoya,” watsho uMvundla.
UMvundla wawuqinisekile ukuba wawuza kuphumelela kangangokuba wawusele ucinga ngamanye amagama amatsha owawuza kumbiza ngawo uNcanda emva kogqatso. Oku kwakuza kuba mnandi kakhulu kuwo.
UNcanda wayezincumele ethe cwaka. Wayemile ezipholele elinde emgceni wokuqalisa ugqatso. “Masiqiniseke ngemithetho,” watsho. “Siza kubaleka siye ezantsi emasimini, size siphinde sibuyele kweli sango, akunjalo?”
“Ewe kunjalo,” watsho uMvundla. Emva koko wakhwaza wathi, “Lungani! Phakamani! Balekani! waza wabaleka kangangoko unakho.
Ngethuba usondela emazantsi emasimini, wawuphelile yintsini. “UNcanda inokuba kungona usazama ukuqala ukubaleka ngoku. Owu, lunwabu ke khona.”
Khawufane ucinge ukuba wamangaliseka kangakanani uMvundla xa uNcanda esithi gqi echulumancile ezantsi emasimini aze athi, “Ndifike kuqala kunawe!”
UMvundla wema okomzuzwana. Emva koko wathi guququ wabaleka ubuyela esangweni ngesona santya siphezulu ungazange wabaleka ngaso ngaphambili. UMvundla wawungafane ukhefuzele, uphefumlele phezulu, kodwa ngaloo mini wawukhefuzela, uphefumlela phezulu ubilile uthe xhopho ngexesha owafika ngalo esangweni. Wabheka ngasemva. Kwakungekho phawu lweNcanda. Ngeli xesha, wawuqinisekile ukuba uphumelele. Kanye ngelo xesha kwavakala ilizwi elonwabileyo kwelinye icala lesango. “Kwakhona, ndifike kuqala kunawe!” Yayingenakwenzeka loo nto! Kodwa ngenene nankuya uNcanda, emncumele kamnandi uMvundla.
UMvundla wawungawakholelwa amehlo wawo. UNcanda wayemshiyile elugqatsweni. Waguquka wemka ucothoza, ukugoduka ujingisa intloko yawo, uthe nyoxo ludano.
Kodwa ingaba wakwazi njani uNcanda ukushiya uMvundla? Inyaniso kukuba zange abaleke kwa-ukubaleka. Wathi nje ukuba uMvundla usuke emgceni usinge ezantsi emasimini, uNcanda wazimela ngasesangweni. Umkhuluwa wakhe wayesele ezimele kade ezantsi emasimini. Xa uMvundla ufika ezantsi emasimini, yayingumkhuluwa kaNcanda owathi gqi wathi “Ndifike kuqala kunawe!” UMvundla wawothuke kakhulu kangangokuba zange uqaphele nokuqaphela ukuba yayiyincanda yimbi leyo yayisitsho. Xa uMvundla wawufika entanjeni, ukhefuzela uphefumlela phezulu kwaye ubilile, konke ekwakufuneka uNcanda akwenze yayikukuphuma ngokuzolileyo kwindawo azimele kuyo athi, “Kwakhona, ndifike kuqala kunawe!”
UMvundla zange uphinde uqhayise kwakhona – ingakumbi uqhayisele uNcanda. Waba ngumhlobo ongcono kakhulu. Zange uphinde umbize ngamagama amabi uNcanda kwakhona. Kwaye zange uyibhaqe indlela uNcanda awamshiya ngayo ukuze aluphumelele ugqatso.
Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!
Yiba nomfanekiso-ntelekelelo wokuba unguNcanda. Bhalela uMvundla ileta umcacisela ukuba umqhathe njani na kwaye kutheni ukuze ufikelele kwisigqibo sokuba wenze oko.
