Ngenye intsasa, ukuvuka kwazo zonke izilwanyana, kwakungekho mkhondo wokuphuma kwelanga esibhakabhakeni ngasempumalanga.

“Namhlanje ilanga inoba liyonqena ukuphuma,” zatsho. “Kwakamsinyane liza kuphuma njengesiqhelo, kwaye siza kutsho sikwazi ukuya kusela amanzi equleni.”

Kodwa izilwanyana zaziphazama. Zalinda, zalinda kodwa kwahlala kumnyama, ilanga lingaphumi. Ngoko ke zagqiba kwelokuba zithi saa kuwo onke amacala ohlukileyo zikhangele ilanga.

“Ndiza kuqala ndikhangele emithini phaya ehlathini,” wacinga njalo uNomatse. Wakhangela kuyo yonke imithi awayedlala kuyo imihla ngemihla. Kuqala zange afumane nto ngaphandle kobumnyama. Waya ngokuya engena ngokungena ehlathini, waqaphela ukukhanya okuluzizi phaya phambili. “Naliyaa!” watsho echulumancile. “Bendisazi ukuba ndiza kulifumana apha ilanga!” UNomatse wayeyichanile indawo elikuyo. Emva kokuhamba esiya phambili, wade walifumana ilanga liphithene namasebe omthi omde. “Ungakhathazeki Langa!” watsho uNomatse. Ndingaba ndimncinane, kodwa amazinyo am abukhali kakhulu! Ndiza kuwakrukra la masebe ndikukhulule.”

“Enkosi,” lancwina latsho ilanga. “Kudala ndizama ukuphuma kulo mthi sekuziiyure ezininzi, kodwa ngokuye ndizama kungona, ndiya ndiphithana nangaphezulu.”

Kwa oko, uNomatse omncinane waqalisa ukukrukra amasebe. Yayingumsebenzi onzima, kodwa zange anikezele. Emva kweyure, lalisele likhululekile kancinane ilanga kwaze emva kwenye iyure, kwabe sekusele amasebe namasetyana amancinane nambalwa asabambe ilanga phezulu emthini. Kodwa kwakukho ingxaki – njengokuba unomatse wayekrukra amasebe ngobuninzi bawo, lalisiya litshisa kakhulu ilanga.

Kwakamsinyane uNomatse weva ivumba loboya bakhe burhawuka kwaye buqhuma. “Uxolo Langa , kodwa andikwazi kuqhubeka nokukukhulula,” watsho. “Ubushushu bakho buyandoyisa! Jonga, umsila wam uyatsha!”

Ilanga lalinxunguphele lifuna ukukhululeka. “Nceda qhubeka undikhulule Nomatse! latsho iLanga. “Kufuneka ndiphume apha kulo mthi ukuze ndikwazi ukukhanyisela ihlabathi yonke imihla. Yonke into ifuna ukukhanya kwam kunye nobushushu bam ukuze iphile.”

UNomatse wayesazi ukuba oko kuthethwa lilanga yinyaniso. Ngoko ke nangona uboya bakhe obubrawuni babujike bamnyama nomsila wakhe utshe waphela, waqhubeka ekrukrutha amasebe elalibhabhiseke kuwo ilanga.

Ekugqibeleni uNomatse walikhulula ilanga, kodwa amehlo akhe ayebuhlungu kakhulu kangangokuba kwafuneka awavale. “Nceda, Langa,” wacenga watsho “Andikwazi kuqhubeka, ndiyayeka ngoku. Amehlo am onzakele kwaye kufuneka ndiwaphumze.” Kodwa ilanga lamcenga limcela ukuba angayeki koko aqhubeke, waza naye wenza njalo.

Ekugqibeleni waligrenya lonke ixolo kunye nomthi walo owawuphithanise ilanga. Kancinane, lanyukela esibhakabhakeni, laza njengokuba linyuka kwakho ukubengezela okupinki okunabele kulo lonke ihlabathi. Njengokuba ilanga linyuka, lalithetha noNomatse. “Enkosi kakhulu, mhlobo wam omncinane!” latsho iLanga. “Usebenze nzima kakhulu ukundisindisa, kwaye ngokwenza oko usindise zonke izilwanyana neentaka nezityalo. Ndingakwenzela ntoni mna ukukubulela?”

UNomatse wacinga imizuzwana. Wayesoloko enqwenela ukubhabha. “Ndinike iimpiko,” watsho, “ukuze ndibhabhe ndintingele phezulu esibhakabhakeni.”

“Kulungile, latsho ilanga, ngoku uneempiko ezimbini, kwaye uza kukwazi ukubhabha ngokukhawuleza kuneentaka. Ngenxa yokuba amehlo akho onzakele ngela xesha ubundinceda, uza kulala emini uze uvuke ebusuku. Nangona amehlo akho engasakwazi ukumelana nokukhanya konke konke, uza kukwazi ukubona kwaye uve kakuhle kakhulu kunjalo nje ebusuku!”

Yiloo nto ke uNomatse wajika waba lilulwane nje. Wayexakekile ejikeleza ngobusuku engenalo kwaphela ixesha lokucinga ngomsila wakhe ongekhoyo noboya bakhe obubrawuni nobomi bakhe njengonomatse ophezulu emithini. Nangona wayengasakwazi ukonwabela ukukhanya kwelanga, wayesabuva ubushushu balo ngaphakathi entliziyweni yakhe.