Kudalo umfanyana omncane wayehleli ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwane osebeni lomfula omkhulu ekhala. Wayelahlekile.  

Buqamamana nalapho, uNgwenya wahuquzela emanzini eduze nonqenqema lomfula wabukela umfanyana lo omncane. UNgwenya wayefile ukulamba.  

“Kodwa ngingamudla kanjani umfana odangele kanje? Kusho ukuthi ngiyolunywa yisisu phela,” kusho uNgwenya. “Amanzi kuphela angenza lo mfana aphinde ajabule futhi. Kufanele ngimfundise ukubhukuda. Uzothi- ke lapho eseneme, bese ngiyakwazi ukumsobozela kahle!  

Ngakho uNgwenya watshikizisa umsilakazi wakhe omkhulu waya le nale waminciza waphuma emfuleni, waphumela lapho kwakuhleli khona umfana.  

“Mfana odangele,” kusho yena, “uyakhala ngoba ulahlekile. Ngizokufundisa ukubhukuda. Amanzi yiwo azophinde akujabulise futhi, uzobe sewukwazi ukuthola indlela eqonde ekhaya. Woza, gibela la kimina emhlane.”  

Ngakho-ke umfana wanwabela emhlane weNgwenya, yibo labo beshushuluza bengena emanzini ayephole kamnandi bantantela le phakathi nomfula.  

“Bambelela!” kumemeza uNgwenya, wabe esetshuza eya le phansi emanzini lapho kutshuza khona izinhlanzi, nalapho izitshalo zintengantenga khona zilandela imisinga yamanzi. Wabe uNgwenya esentanta le ezansi nomfula umfana elokhu esemhlane wakhe njalo. UNgwenya watshikizisa umsila wakhe uya le nale echaphazela umfana ngamanzi apholile. Waphenduphenduka, ukuze umfana agaqe azungeze isisu sakhe ukuze angawi phela. “Wayetshuza enqamula umfula, nomfana ethe ne emsileni wakhe.”  

Badlala emanzini usuku lonke. UNgwenya wayemhlekisa umfana, emva kwesikhashana, nempela umfana wayeseneme futhi.  

UNgwenya wabona ukuthi nempela umfana wayesehleka ejabule futhi. “Sekuyisikhathi sokuba ehle emhlane wami manje azibhukudele emfuleni, ngizobe sengimbamba ngimsobozela kahle,” kuzicabangela uNgwenya. “Njengoba eseyekile ukukhala mhlawumbe uzobe esemnandi ehla esiphundu! Kodwa phela ngeke ngivele ngimphonse le, bese ngiyamudla ngaphandle kwesexwayiso. Akulunganga neze lokho. Kufanele ngimlandele emanzini bese ngiyambamba-ke!”  

Ngakho uNgwenya wabhukuda waya onqenqemeni lomfula nomfana. “Sekuyisikhathi sokuba wehle emhlane wami bese uyazibhukudela ngokwakho,” kusho yena.  

“Ngobani?” kubuza umfana. “Ngiyathanda ukubhukuda nawe. Phela wena ungumngani wami omkhulu, Ngwenya!”  

“Uthini? Ngingumngani wakho omkhulu?”kubuza uNgwenya ngokumangala okukhulu.  

“Yebo, impela unguyena,” kuphendula umfana. “Ungifundise ukubhukuda wangenza ngaphinde ngathokoza futhi.”  

UNgwenya wamamatheka kakhulu, ngokudabukisayo, nangobuso obusontekile.  

“Hawu, unamazinyo amaningi bo, Ngwenya. Bengingakaze ngawabona ngaphambilini!” kusho umfana.  

Nempela umfana wabe esezingenela emanzini, uNgwenya emlandela. Umfana wayekuthanda ukuba semanzini, futhi wayebhukuda kuhle okwenhlanzi.  

Njalo nje lapho umfana ebhukuda eduze naye, uNgwenya wayezicabangela athi, “Manje yiso kanye isikhathi sokuba ngimsobozele! Uzonambitheka kamnandi impela ngoba nangu useneme!” Kodwa njalo lapho ecabanga ngokudla umfana, wayevele alunywe yisisu kabi kakhulu. Ngakho uNgwenya wabhukuda waya osebeni lomfula wazithi dinsi esihlabathini.  

“Njalo uma ngicabanga ukumudla lo mfana ngiphathwa yisisu esibuhlungu ngokwesabekayo,” washo wakhala.  

Inyoni uNukani wayezihlalele phezulu esihlahleni somkhiwane. Wandiza weza ezansi wathi cababa egatsheni elaliseduze noNgwenya. “Hhayi bo kwenzenjani kuwena?” washo etshiloza.  

“Ngisola ukuthi ngiyagula ngoba akuvumi ngidle loya mfanyana,” kuphendula uNgwenya.  

“Hhayi suka, awusafuni vele ukumudla,” kuphendula uNukani. “Ungumngani wakho! Umfundise ukubhukuda, manje useneme futhi.”  

“Cha bo! Akayena umngani wami! Ngifundise lo mfana ukubhukuda khona ngizodla umuntu ojabulile. Angikwazi ukudla umfana odangele. Anganambitheka kabi njengezinyembezi zakhe,” kusho uNgwenya etshikizisa umsila wakhe egqolozele uNukani.  

NoNukani wavusa izimpaphe zakhe wandiza waya egatsheni elingaphezulu nesihlahla. Wabona ukuthi kungcono angasondeli kuNgwenya. Watshekisela ikhanda lakhe eceleni wabe esethi, “Njengoba umfana eseneme futhi, sekuyisikhathi sokuba abuyele emndenini wakhe, Ngwenya. Awusoze, umudle ngoba unguye umngani wakho.”  

“Sengathi uqinisile,” kububula uNgwenya, washo wamincizela wangena emanzini. Wabhukuda waqonda kumfana owayentanta ngomhlane emanzini ngaphansi kwelanga lase-Afrika elifudumele.  

“Manje njengoba seweneme nje futhi, kufanele uphume emanzini ugoduke uye emndenini wakho,” kusho uNgwenya. “Uma usufika osebeni lomfula, ubuke isihlahla somkhiwane wasendle lapho bewuhleli khona ukhala. Kukhona umuntu okulindile lapho.”  

“Ubani?” kubuza umfana.  

“Uzomazi uma usumbona,” kusho uNgwenya emamatheka ngalobo buso obusontekile, kwavela amazinyo akhe amakhulu nacijile. Ngakho-ke bebobabili, uNgwenya nomfanyana, babhukuda banqamula umfula beqonde lapho kwakumi khona isihlahla somkhiwane wasendle. UNgwenya wasala emanzini, ngenkathi umfana ephumela osebeni lomfula.  

Umfana waqalaza phezulu le esihlahleni somkhiwane wabona uyise ehlezi emthunzini. Wagijimela kuyena. “Ngaze ngajabula ukukuthola, Baba,” kusho yena.  

“Ndodana yami! Ngaze ngajabula ukukubona!” kusho uyise. “Kodwa ngibona uNgwenya laphaya emanzini obubhukuda kuwona! Uyingozi kakhulu, futhi angamsobozela umfanyana omncane njengawe uma eke wamthola!” Wamanga umfana wakhe. “Siyabonga impela ngoba uphephile manje!”  

Umfana wase ephenduka wabuka uNgwenya. Wayezilalele emanzini eduze nosebe lomfula. Wawungacabanga ukuthi wugodo nje, wayelele ethule du. Kodwa ngaphezudlwana nje kwamanzi, amehlo akhe alambile amgqolozela umfana. Umfana wayeqhaqhazela. “Ngiyagodola, Baba. Asigoduke manje.”  

Umfana wase ephakamisa ingalo yakhe wavayizela uNgwenya. UNgwenya watshikizisa umsila wakhe ephendula umfana wantanta buthule enqamula umfula.