Ngobunye ubusuku obutjhisako behlobo, uphela bekakhamba kabuthaka etafuleni yangekhwitjhini. Bekadla iintshutshuru zoburotho ebezirhatjheke etafuleni, zirhatjhwe mndeni obesele ulele emibhedeni. Kusese njalo wezwa itjhada. Zzzzz, Zzzzz! “Khuyini lokho?” kubuza uphela. Uqala ngapha nangapha kodwana akaboni litho. Walizwa godu. Zzzzz, zzzzz! “Ngubani owenza itjhada elisilingakweli?” uphela ukhulumela phasi. “Ngingunompopoloza,” kuphendula ilizwi. “Wena ungubani? Begodu kubayini ukhulumela phasi kangaka?” Uphela waqala ngapha nangapha. “Ukuphi?” uyabuza. “Kufuze bona umncani khulu ngombana angikuboni. Ngiyathemba kobana uyazi ukuthi ngimi isikhulu la.” Unompopoloza wahlala etafuleni eduze nophela. “Nguwe isikhulu?” kutjho unompopoloza ngephimbo lokudelela. Uphela akhange akuthande nakancani lokho. “Ngisikhulu la. Abantu nabangifumana ngidla ukudla kwabo, bayakulisa bangasakudli. Kuba ngekwami, okutjengisa bona bayangihlonipha begodu bayangisaba,” utjho aziqhenya uphela.
Watjho afulathela unompopoloza, watjhinga ezinkini lapho bekunezitja ezifeyila khona, wathoma ukudla iinsalela ezisemapleyidini. Soke isikhathesi, unompopoloza uqale uphela ngelihlo elibukhali. Bese waphapha ngehla kwehloko kaphela, enza itjhada soke isikhathi. “Nange usikhulu, kubayini udla iinsalela zokudla kwabo?” kubuza unompopoloza. Uphela wajuguja inyawo lakhe langaphambili alinga ukuqotjha unompopoloza kodwana unompopoloza waraga nokwenza itjhada magega nophela. Emaswapheleni, uphela wathi, “Ngibawa ulise ukwenza itjhada elisilingakweli? Nange abantu bangasifumana, bazosipitliza sobabili.” “Angibasabi abantu!” kuphendula unompopoloza. “Ngiyabaluma ngisele iingazi zabo. Nabalinga ukungipitliza, ngitjhida msinya ngiye kwelinye ihlangothi ngibaleke. Kuthi nasele bacabanga ukuthi ngikhambile, ngibuye! Itjhada engilenzako libahlanganisa iinhloko.
Bazivala ngeengubo ngitjho nanyana kutjhisa. Begodu nangibalumako, msinyana kuvela isilonda esihlohlonyako.” Bese unompopoloza wahleka abuyelela. Kungakalindeleki omunye wakhanyisa ilerhe langekhwitjhini. Kwangena indoda ngekhwitjhini yatjhinga ezinkini yavulela amanzi epompini yazalisa irhalasi. Uphela msinyana wagijimela ebharasini ngemva komnyango wayozifihla khona. Unompopoloza bekangakatshwenyeki nakancani. Wazenzela itjhada lakhe, waphapha atjhinga ngapha nangapha nemahlangothini woke wendoda e njengombana iziselela amanzi. Ekuthomeni, indoda le yalinga ukuphaya unompopoloza ngesandla sayo. Nanyana kunjalo, unompopoloza bekasolo aziphaphela ngehla kwehlokwayo. Indoda le yathoma ukusilingeka khulu beyajuguja isiliphasi sayo ngamandla. Kodwana unompopoloza bekalokhu azijikajikela ngehla kwehlokwayo, enza itjhada lakhe elisilingako. Ekugcineni, indoda yaphelelwa mamandla, yacima ilerhe yabuyela emuva yayokulala.
“Ngicabanga ukuhlala endaweni engizifihle kiyo le isikhatjhana,” kucabanga uphela. “Angazi ukuthi unompopoloza uyephi begodu angiqiniseki bona kuphephile ukuthi ngiphume.” Wenza kuhle ngokuzifihla isikhatjhana ngombana unompopoloza waphaphela ngekumbeni yabentwana begodu bekaphapha ngeenhloko zabo. “Baba!” kurhuwelela omunye umntwana. “Kuno nompopoloza ngekamureni yethu. Sibawa uze uzosisiza.”
Lokho kwenza bona umndeni woke uvuke, msinyana woke umuntu bekazuma kiwo woke amakamura aphethe umsamelo noma isiliphasi, alungele ukubetha unompopoloza. Kodwana ngaso soke isikhathi omunye nakabona unompopoloza, bekavele atjhide msinya aye kwelinye ihlangothi abaleke. Lokhu kwaraga isikhatjhana, kungasikade abantu baphela amandla. Babuyela emuva bayokulala bazivala iinhloko ngeengubo, ngitjho nanyana bekutjhisa khulu bona bangenza njalo.
Lokha unompopoloza nakaphaphako abuyela ngekhwitjhini, uphela waphuma endaweni ebegade azifihle kiyo. Wathi kunompopoloza, “Yoo, ungihlulile.” “Wenze boke abantu baya phasi naphezulu balinga ukukubamba kodwana akekho noyedwa okghonileko.” “Ngikutjelile ukuthi angisabi muntu. Nje-ke ngitjela, ucabanga bona ngubani isikhulu samambala?” kubuza unompopoloza. “Kwamambala nguwe!” kuphendula uphela. “Ungaba mncani kodwana uhlule abantu.” “Kuyangithabisa ukuthi siyavumelana ngalokho,” kutjho unompopoloza ngokuziqhenya. “Kusukela nje, ungangibiza nanyana kunini abantu nabakunikela nanyana ngimuphi umraro.” “Ngizokwenza njalo, ngiyathokoza,” kuphendula uphela agijima ajarhile ayokufuna ezinye iinsalela zokudla
Kusukela ngelangelo ukuya phambili, uphela nonompopoloza baba bangani abakhulu begodu basebenzisana bona basilinge abantu ngendlela abangakghona ngayo!
Yenza indaba le ibemnandi!
- Cabanga ngazo zoke iimbunjwa ezisilinga abantu: abonompopoloza, iimpukani, amaphela nezinye ozaziko. Ngiyiphi esilinga khulu? Kubayini ucabanga njalo?
- Tlola ikondlo ngesibunjwa sinye namkha ngaphezulu kwezingehla. Cabanga ngokuthi ziqaleka njani, zikhamba njani, amatjhada eziwenzako nezinto ezizenzako ezisilinga namkha zithuse abantu.
- Yenza inunwana yakho! Dweba inunwana yakho. Tlola phasi bona yikulu kangangani, idlani nokuthi yenza itjhada elinjani.
