U-Olwethu, ingwane (octopus), wayephumule ngaphansi kwechopho ledwala edanyini elikhulu eduze nogu lolwandle. Wayesaba. Wayengakaze abe kude kangaka nedamu lakhe kuyi-reef. Wayehlale ezizwa ephephile kuyi-reef, ecashe kude le eqhelile ogwini nakubantu. Kodwa ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezedlule, umzala wakhe, u-Oscar, wayemfakele inselele yokuba athathe naye uhambo lokuyohlola idamu elingasogwini lolwandle. “Kuyabhora lapha. Mina ngifuna ukubona umhlaba. Woza ubhukude nami, Olwethu,” wayesho kanjalo.
U-Olwethu wayemncengile ukuba angahambi, kodwa u-Oscar akalokothi amlalele futhi ngaso sonke isikhathi wayenza lokho akufunayo. Manje, kwase kuphele izinsuku ehambile. Yingakho u-Olwethu wayenqume ukumcinga. Ukufuna kwakhe kwakumlethe kuleli damu elingasogwini lolwandle lapho, ekugcineni, athola khona izilwane zasolwandle ezazingamtshela ukuthi kwakwenzekeni ku-Oscar. “Wayenelukuluku eliyinqaba ukuze azizuzise yena,” kusho i-starfish ngokudabuka. Ama-anemone asolwadle avayizisa izimpondo zawo evuma, “Samxwayisa ukuba aziqaphele izinto ezinemibala egqamile ezintanta emanzini,” esho.
Inkalankala i-hermit yalunguzisa ikhanda layo ngaphandle kweqobhe layo futhi yathi, “Umdobi wayejabule efile ngokubamba ingwane.” U-Olwethu wadumala kakhulu. Kwakuzodingeka abuyele edanyini lakhe kuyi-reef yedwa. Kwase kuthi, njengoba entanta ngaphansi kwechopho ledwala, ecabanga ngendlela ayemkhumbule kakhulu ngayo u-Oscar, ngokuphazima kweso wezwa amazwi abantu. Lapho u-Olwethu elunguza, wabona intombazanyana, unina nogogo wayo onqenqemeni lwedamu. Babegqolozele ezansi emanzini. Njengoba u-Olwethu etshuza ebuyela ngaphansi kwechopho ledwala, wezwa ugogo ememeza, “Viwe, bheka, kunengwane! Uyayibona ngaphansi kwechopho ledwala?” U-Olwethu washesha washintsha umbala ukuze afane namadwala nokhula lwasolwandle olwalumzungezile. Kodwa uViwe wayesembonile. “Yebo! Bheka, ngicabanga ukuthi izama ukucasha,” esho, ekhomba lapho u-Olwethu ayekhona.
Ekhumbula lokho okwakwenzeke ku-Oscar, u-Olwethu wanquma ukutshuza ngejubane aye endaweni ephephile. Njengonyazi, waphuma waqhasha ngaphansi kwechopho ledwala wayocasha ekhosombeni ledwala elikhulu. Kodwa okwamethusa, intombazanyana yagwedla emanzini futhi yazohlala phezu kwedwala elikhulu lapho u-Olwethu ayecashe khona. Intombazanyana yayiphethe okuthile okunemibala egqamile esandleni, kodwa u-Olwethu wayengazi ukuthi yini.
U-Olwethu wayelokhu eyithanda imibala egqamile. Idamu lakhe emuva kuyi-reef lalinemibala egqamile. Laligcwele ama-anemone abomvu, amachitin acwebezelayo, ukhula lwasolwandle oluluhlaza okotshani kanye namastarfish amaningi amahle. U-Olwethu wayeqonda ukuthi kwakwenzeke kanjani ukuba u-Oscar adonseleke ekudleni kodobo okunombala ogqamile okwakusetshenziswe ngumdobi ukumbamba. Esendaweni yakhe yokucasha, u-Olwethu wabona into ekhanyayo ngokupinki ingena yehlela emanzini futhi imdlula.
Engacabanganga nokucabanga, wafaka ngobunono olunye lwezimpondo zakhe lwazungeza lento, futhi lapho kungekho okwenzekayo, waqala ukuyizungelezela ngophondo lwesibili. Wabe esezwa intombazanyana imemeza, “Bheka, Mama, ingwane ibambe i-snorkel sami.” U-Olwethu wethuka kangangokuba wayibamba waqinisa ngqi lento. Intombazanyana yafaka isandla emanzini, yasibamba i-snorkel sayo. Izwa umdonsiswano, nentombazana yadonsa ngamandla.
“Mama, ingwane ayifuni ukudedela i-snorkel sami!” kusho uViwe, eqala ukwethuka. “Hhayi-bo,” u-Olwethu ecabanga ngokushesha, Yimi lo osenza ubulima buka-Oscar manje! Uma ngingaqaphile, nami ngizobanjwa!” Ngokushesha, wadedela. I-snorkel sagxuma saphumela ngaphandle kwamanzi, futhi uViwe wacishe wawa edwaleni wangena emanzini. UGogo wahleka, “Awuve unenhlanhla weViwe.
Ubone ingwane futhi manje usucishe wabamba enye!” “Yebo,” kusho uViwe ejabulile, “futhi ingwane icishe yathatha i-snorkel sami!” Ngisinde ngokulambisa, u-Olwethu ecabanga njengoba eqala indlela ebhukuda ebuyela edanyini lakhe kuyi-reef. Egwinya amanzi futhi ewakhafula, wayesetshuza edabula amanzi futhi wasuka engozini. Ekude, wezwa ugogo kaViwe ethi, “Weee! Awubheke leya ngwane, Viwe! Itshuza ngesivinini emanzini njengendiza endiza esibhakabhakeni.” Kodwa u-Olwethu akazange ame ukuze ezwe lokho okushiwo nguViwe. Empeleni, akazange ayeke ukubhukuda waze wayofika le endaweni ephephile kuyi-reef.
Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!
- Wake waluthatha uhambo olwethusayo? Wazizwa kanjani? Kungani?
- Dweba isithombe sengwane. Ingwane ikwazi ukushintsha umbala! Ngakho ungayifaka umbala omuhle noma wenze iphethini.
- Yenza iphosta yoMuntu Olahlekile. Dweba isithombe somuntu olahlekile futhi ubhale igama lakhe, iminyaka yobudala kanye nencazelo yendlela abukeka ngayo ngezansi kwesithombe.
