Eminyakeni eminingi eyadlula, esigodini esikude, kwakuhlala intombazane enhle ebizwa ngokuthi nguSefako. USefako wayethandwa ngamadoda amaningi esigodini sakubo. Ayeze abhale izinkondlo kanye nezingoma encoma ubuhle bakhe. Kodwa-ke uSefako ayikho indoda ayefuna ukushada nayo kula madoda, into eyamthukuthelisa uyise ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuba indodakazi yakhe nayo ihlale izinze.

Ayengakwazi uSefako wukuthi kwakukhona owayemthanda ongejwayelekile kodwa owayezifihlile! Lona owayemthanda ezifihlile kwakuyingwenya eyayihlala emfuleni lapho ayekha khona amanzi. Nsuku zonke, emahoreni ambalwa ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga, uSefako wayehamba aye emfuleni nokhamba lwakhe ayokha amanzi esidlo sakusihlwa.

USefako wayenomkhuba wokuthatha isihlwashana ngaphansi kwesihlahla asithandayo ngemuva kokukha amanzi emfuleni. Ingwenya yayivamise ukucasha emanzini imbuke elala. Yayifisa ukukhuluma naye kodwa yayingazi ukuthi yayingenza kanjani ukuthi ayinake ngaphandle kokumesabisa.

Ngolunye usuku ingwenya yaqunga isibindi yasondela eduze kukaSefako ngemuva kokuthi esezunywe wubuthongo. Ingwenya eyayisha wuthando yayithokozile ngokuba nje seduze kukaSefako ngangokuthi yaze yaqala ukucula ngothando enalo ngaye.

USefako wayizwa ingoma emnandi wayesephenduka ekhona ebuthongweni, ecabanga ukuthi hleze wayeziphuphela nje. Ingwenya yayingafuni ukuthi uSefako avuke bese eyibona, ngakho yanyelela yabuyela emfuleni ngokushesha.

Lokhu kwaphinda kwenzeka nangosuku olulandelayo … nangolulandelayo … nangolulandelayo. USefako wayezwa ingwenya icula esebuthongweni kodwa uma evuka, yayingabonwa eduze kwakhe. Wayesezwa ukufohlofohloza kwamahlamvu kanye nokubhonga kwezinkomo ebangeni eliqhelile.

Lokhu kucula kwakuyithinta inhliziyo yakhe, uSefako wayeselokhu elangazelela ukumbona lo mculi. Ngakho uSefako waqala ukucinga isimangaliso sezwi phakathi komhlanga, ezihlahleni nasotshanini kodwa akazange alithole.

Ngolunye usuku uSefako wanquma ukuthi angeke asamcinga lo mculi wezimanga. Esikhundleni salokho, wahlela ukumbamba umnikazi walelo zwi elimnandi!

USefako wawakha amanzi emfuleni njengokwejwayelekile wayeseyolala ngaphansi kwesihlahla asithandayo wenza sengathi ulele ubuthongo. Njengokwejwayelekile, ingwenya efayo wuthando yahuquzela yaphuma emfuleni ukuze iyomculela.

Lapho uSefako ezwa izwi elimnandi, wavula amehlo akhe ngokushesha maqede wazithola ebheke ngqo ezinhlamvini zamehlo e… INGWENYA!

USefako wayethuke kakhulu! Ngokushesha, wasukuma wama ngezinyawo, kwathinteka ukhamba lwakhe ase echithekela emhlabathini wonke amanzi. Emva kwalokho waqala wabaleka enyusa usebe lomfula kodwa, ngeshwa, wakhutshwa yitshe wawa, wathi bhu phansi, Ingwenya eyayiguliswa wuthando, eyayimlandela, yama eduze yambuka. Ngesikhathi ihuquzela isondela, uSefako wavele woma wuvalo.

“Ungesabi,” kwasho ingwenya ngelipholile. “Bengikubuka ulele ngaphansi kwesihlahla izinsuku eziningi kakhulu, kodwa angikaze ngikulimaze. Pho ngingakudlelani manje?” Emva kwalokho ingwenya yaqala ukucula ingoma epholile eyavele yafudumeza inhliziyo kaSefako ngaso leso sikhathi.

Ingasenakho ukwesaba, intombazane enhle yahlala yalalela izwi okwase kukhula kuyo ukulithanda.

Ngemuva kwalokho, uSefako wayegijima ebheke ezansi emfuleni njalo kusihlwa ukuyohlangana nengwenya, ngemuva kwesikhathi, wanquma ukuthi ufuna ukushada nayo.

Ekugcineni, waqunga isibindi watshela uyise.

Uyise kaSefako wayengathokozile neze! “Ingabe le ngwenya yakho inazo izinkomo zokukhokha ilobolo lakho?” ebuza ngolaka. “Izokwazi ukukunika izingane nokukwakhela umuzi wakho?”

Nakuba uyise kaSefako wayengavumi ukuthi ashade nengwenya, imizwa yakhe ayizange iguquke. Lapho uyise ebona ukuthi indodakazi yakhe angeke iwuguqule umqondo wayo, wayivalela kwenye yamaqhugwane emzini. Nsuku zonke phakathi nemini, wayeyilethela ukudla abuye ayihlole.

Nokho ngolunye usuku uyise kaSefako wakhohlwa ukukhiya umnyango weqhugwane. USefako walinda isikhathi eside waze waqiniseka ukuthi kuphephile wavula umnyango wase egijima ngokushesha ehlela emfuleni.

Athi angafika lapho uSefako amemeze, “Ngwenya, Ngwenya, yimina, uSefako!” Ingwenya, eyayisinezinsuku eziningi imcinga, yavumbuka ngaphansi kwamanzi ukuze imbingelele.

Ngakusasa, uyise kaSefako wathola ukuthi indodakazi ayikho, ngakho wathukuthela! Eqhuma yintukuthelo, wathatha induku enkulu walandela ezinyathelweni zendodakazi yakhe waqonda emfuleni. Wayezimisele ukuvimba indodakazi yakhe ukuthi ishade nengwenya.

Lapho efika osebeni lomfula wabona uSefako ebhukuda emanzini nengwenya eceleni kwakhe.

“Sefako, Sefako,” kumemeza yena. “Buya lapha ngokushesha! Angeke ushade naleyo ngwenya.”

USefako waphendula ikhanda wayesephakamisela uyise isandla evalelisa ngaphambi kokuthi abhukude aqhele nengwenya. Uyise okhathazekile, wabuka engenakwenza lutho indodakazi yakhe isithela ngaphansi kwamanzi.

Ngemuva kwesikhathi eside, uSefako wabuya wazovakasha esigodini sangakubo. Inhliziyo kayise yayigcwele injabulo ukumbona. Wayesemkhumbule kakhulu, kanti ngalowo mzuzu, wayesekwazi okwakufanele akwenze.

“Ngiyanemukela, namukelekile, nobabili,” kusho yena, egijimela ukubingelela uSefako kanye nengwenya. Emva kwalokho waphendukela engwenyeni wayesethi, “Siyakwemukela emndenini wethu.”

* USefako uzithola esethandana nengwenya. Ucabanga ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthanda ingwenya? Kungani kungenzeka noma kungenzeke?

* Uma ungaba nesilwane esiwumngani, yisiphi isilwane obungasikhetha, futhi kungani?

* Dweba isilwane osithanda kakhulu. Bhala ingoma noma inkondlo ngesilwane sakho.