UNeo wabheka ngefasitela legumbi lakhe lokulala ebuka ingxenye empunga yomgwaqo ompunga lapho okwakugcwele khona abantu abamanzi, abampunga ababegijima emvuleni empunga, ena ngamandla. Wayengakwazi ukuphuma, kanti wayesefundele uMbali zonke izincwadi zakhe.

Kusenjalo kwangena uGogo enezinwele ezibheke phezulu ngokupheshulwa umoya wangaphandle. Wayephethe okuthile. UNeo wabona ukuthi le nto iyisicaba, ithanda ukuba yisikwele, futhi inemibala eminingi … futhi yayingavuleka – injengebhokisi lomcebo!

“Le kwakuyindaba engangiyithanda ngesikhathi ngisemncane ngilingana nawe,” kusho uGogo kuNeo. “Kwakuwumnyango wami wokungena emhlabeni omkhulu, obanzi.”

Wase eyivula incwadi.

Ekhasini lokuqala kwakukhona isithombe sendawo yomlingo, ekude kakhulu nosuku olumpunga ngokwedlulele. Iqele lalinemibala eluhlaza okotshani kanye nesagolide nensundu, nesibhakabhaka esihle, esikhulu, esiluhlaza phezulu, kanye nelanga elifudumele, eliphuzi, elikhipha umkhovu etsheni.

“Hawu! Ngabe kuyiqiniso lokhu?” kumangala uNeo.

UGogo wamamatheka. “Hawu, awazi yini? Zonke izindaba zingezangempela, uma ukholelwa kuzo,” kusho yena. Wase ekhomba endaweni ekhasini lapho kunomfana ocishe alingane noNeo onqamula eqeleni.

Lapho uGogo efunda, uNeo wavala amehlo akhe wasuka la ekhona, weqa amagquma … wanqamula umhlaba omuhle, onsundu … esinge emhlabeni omkhulu, obanzi.

Wezwa amazwi aseqeleni.

“Phuma! Phuma!” kucula inyoni encane.

“Lolu usuku oluhle!” kucula izihlonono.

“Phuma, woza uzodlala,” kuhleba umoya otshanini obude.

UNeo wakhumbula imvula enayo, empunga, futhi wazibuza ukuthi ngabe kufanele yini ukuthi abe ngaphandle. Kodwa-ke endabeni, ungenza noma yini. Kwakungekho mvula lapha. Ngakho, uNeo wanqamula iqele.

Into yokuqala ayibonayo kwaba yinto ephakeme enomzimba onamandla, yokhuni. Yayinezingalo ezinde, ezinsundu ezazifinyelela esibhakabhakeni, futhi inekhanda elikhulu, elingathi linezinwele eziyizinti eziluhlaza okwamaqabunga ezazipheshulwa umoya oshisayo.

“Sawubona,” kusho uNeo, ehlahle amehlo. “Uyini?”

“Ngiyisihlahla. Ngikwazi ukubona kulo lonke iqele elikhulu lamathafa asagolide. Gibela, uzobuka kanye nami.” Kusho isihlahla seluleka, uNeo wase egibela.

Ephezulu emagatsheni, uNeo wakwazi ukubona ukuyofika ekupheleni komhlaba. Kanti-ke kwakukuningi okwakulaphaya phandle, okwakucishe kumethuse lapho ecabanga ngakho.

Kodwa isihlahla sambamba walokhu ephephile, salokhu sihleba sithi, “Hamba uyohlola leya ndawo. Ungesabi. Ngumhlaba omuhle, omkhulu, obanzi laphaya.”

Ngakho-ke, uNeo wehlela phansi wase enqamula iqele.

Kungekudala, wahlangana nendunduma yesihlabathi eqinile enezimbobo ezincane, ezifana neminyangwana. Wayezwa amazwi ayisigidi abamatasatasa ngaphakathi, kanye nokukhala kwezinyawo ezincane eziyizigidi eziyisithupha.

“Sanibona! Ningobani?” Kumemeza uNeo komunye weminyango.

“Sawubona!” kuphendula izwi elincane. “Siyizintuthwane. Sixoxa izindaba zomhlaba lapha. Ngabe kukhona ofuna ukuzizwa?”

UNeo wayezithanda izindaba, ngakho wahlala phansi wase elalela. Izintuthwane zamxoxela izindaba zazo zeqele kanye nehlathi, kanye nezintaba kanye namadolobha angaleya.

“Izindaba eziningi kangaka pho?” kubuza uNeo.

“Kunezindaba eziningi njengezinkanyezi ezisesibhakabhakeni,” kuphendula izintuthwane.

UNeo wavayiza evalelisa, wase eqhubeka enqamula eqeleni.

Ekugcineni, uNeo wahlangana namanzi amaningi ayegeleza esigodini kusukela ekuseni kuze kube sebusuku. UNeo wangena ukuze apholise imilenze yakhe eshisayo.

Amanzi amthela ezinyaweni zakhe ase ehleka ethi, “Ngingumfula. Ngizula ngisuka ezintabeni ngiye olwandle. Woza, ungilandele. Ngizokuyisa ekhaya.”

UNeo wacabanga nje ukuthi kwakuzoba kuhle kanjani lokho. Ngakho-ke, walandela umfula wehla ngesigodi kanye naphakathi kwezintaba. Bahamba ndawonye intambama yonke kwaze kwacishe kwaba sebusuku, ekugcineni, baze bafika esicongweni sentaba.

Eselapho-ke, uNeo wayekwazi ukubona idolobha elincane, elihlanzwe yizimvula selikhazimuliswa yilanga elase liyozilahla kunina.

Umfula wahuba kamnene wathi, “Kulungile, goduka. Kukhona abantu abakuthandayo laphaya, abalinde ukwabelana nawe ngezindaba.”

UNeo wehlela phansi, wanqamula idolobha. Wabona imigwaqo enobuyaluyalu eyayidabula edolobheni, ifana nemifula. Wabona izindlu, okwakusengathi zifudunyezwe ukukhanya kwasebusuku. Ngaphakathi kwazo abantu babematasatasa, njengezintuthwane ezincane.

Ekugcineni, uNeo walunguza ngefasitela lapho okwakukhona ugogo omdala, onezingalo eziqinile kanye nezinwele ezibheke phezulu njengamagatsha esihlahla, owavala incwadi, wagoba ukuze aqabule umfanyana amfisele ubusuku obuhle.

UNeo wacabanga ngeqele kanye nezihlahla kanye nezintuthwane kanye nomfula. Kanti ngesikhathi ebuka isalukazi, uthingo lwenkosazane lwakhanyisa leyo ndlu encane ngemibala egqamile efana naleyo yesithombe esisencwadini yendaba. UNeo wacabanga ngalolu hambo olunezigameko olwalungaphakathi kwamakhasi encwadi yendaba eyayithandwa nguGogo, wabuye wacabanga ngoGogo noMbali le ekhaya.

Ngakho uNeo wasuka encwadini, wangena embhedeni wakhe ofudumele, egumbini lakhe anethezeka kulo, ekhaya lakhe elincane.

Yingakho, njalo lapho umhlaba ubukeka umpunga, negumbi lakhe libukeka lilincane kakhulu, uNeo uvele avule incwadi. Ungena emnyango ophakathi kwamakhasi encwadi, bese eya emhlabeni omkhulu, obanzi.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Nindawonye, cabangani futhi nenze isigcawu sasendabeni nisebenzisa izinto ezisendaweni yenu. Yenzani uhlobo oluyisilinganiso sangempela sesigcawu, noma nenze isigcawu esincane ebhokisini lezicathulo.