“Shesha, Neo, asinaso isikhathi esiningi!” kusho uHope ebeka phansi isikhwama sakhe esisindayo. UHope noJosh babelinde uNeo. Bonke babeya epaki njengengxenye yecebo likaHope!UHope wayeqale ukwakha icebo emva kokufunda incwadi entsha ayeyithengelwe unina. Yayimayelana nentombazane eyayisindise isigodi sayo ngobuqhawe esilwaneni esesabekayo. UHope wayeyithokozele ngempela le ncwadi kangangokuba wayeqede ukuyifunda ngosuku olulodwa vo waze wasiphupha nokusiphupha lesi silwane esesabekayo ngalobo busuku!

“Ngethemba ukuthi lokho osihlelele khona sizokuthokozela. Kodwa wena ujaheni kangaka?” uNeo ebuza uHope ngenkathi evala umnyango wangaphambili. UNeo wayefake isigqoko sakhe asithandayo sezigebengu zasolwandle nendwangu yakhona yokuvala iso.“Nami angazi njengawe nje, Neo. UHope ungicele ukuthi ngiphathe ikhayithi lami siye epaki,” kusho uJosh ekhomba ikhayithi.“Ngethembeni, nizokuthokozela lokhu!” kusho uHope esuka ehola abangani bakhe. UNeo noJosh balandela, bezama ukuhambisana naye.Bathe uma befika epaki, babona imeya ihaqwe yisixuku esikhulu sabantu. “Kwenzekani?” uJosh ebuza owesifazane owayemi eduze nje.

“Phela, sekuyisikhathini eside, kukhalazwa kumeya ngokuthi awukho umthunzi owanele epaki,” emphendula. “Ngakho, yenza isiqiniseko sokuthi kutshalwe izihlahla eziningi ezintsha kanti namuhla izele ukuzobungaza lokhu nabantu bonke.”“Awu bakithi! Ipaki igcwele kakhulu ukuthi ngingakwazi ukusebenzisa icebo lami,” kusho uHope, ejabhile.“Liphi icebo?” kubuza uNeo noJosh ngasikhathi sinye, bebukana.

“Niyayikhumbula indaba engiyifundile mayelana nentombazane enesibindi eyasindisa isigodi sangakubo?” kubuza uHope. “Empeleni, benginethemba lokuthi singazakhela isilwane esesabekayo, sisibophele ekhayithini likaJosh bese siyindizisa phezu kwepaki. Kodwa manje bhekani!” kusho uHope ekhomba abantu abeneme ababemi bezungeze imeya.UNeo wabona ukuthi uHope wayejabhe kangakanani. “Icebo elihle lelo, Hope!” kusho yena. “Asihambe siye laphaya ngemuva kwalesiya sihlahla esikhulu. Akekho ozosibona laphaya.” UJosh noHope banqekuzisa amakhanda bevumelana nalokhu base nempela beqonda khona.

“Josh, ake uhambe uyofuna izinti. Neo, khumula isigqoko sakho sezigebengu zasolwandle nepheshi lelo,” kuyalela uHope ekhipha izingubo zakhe zekarate nebhelunde esikhwameni sakhe.UJosh wathola izinti ezincane eduze nomgqomo kadoti, abangani abathathu base behlala emva kwezihlahla besebenzisa izintambo eziphuma esikhwameni sikaHope ukuze bazibophe njengesiphambano emzimbeni wesilwane abasenzile. UHope wase elifutha ibhelunde elibophela ekhanda lesilwane.Isilwane basigqokisa izembatho zikaHope zekarate nesigqoko nendwangu yeso kwezigebengu zasolwandle kukaNeo. UJosh wabophela isilwane ekhayithini lakhe. Konke-ke kwabe sekumi ngobumo!

Izingane zacasha emva kwezihlahla zabe sezidedela intambo yekhayithi. Umfutho womoya onamandla wafukula isilwane sabheka phezulu esibhakabhakeni. Senyuka, senyuka, senyuka sibheke phezulu, sintweza le esibhakabhakeni siqhela kubo.

Ngaleso sikhathi, uBella nonina base befikile epaki ukuzohambisa uNoodle. Lapho uNoodle ebona isilwane silenga esibhakabhakeni, waqala ukukhonkotha ezama ukudlubulundela entanjeni yakhe. UBella wazama ukubamba intambo kaNoodle, kodwa wayedonsa ngamandla kakhulu kunaye kwaze kwadingeka ukuba amdedele. Nango-ke uNoodle esegijima edabula ipaki. UBella nonina balandela ngejubane emva kwakhe.

Isilwane saqala ukuntanta sehla siqonde ngqo ekhanda lemeya ngenkathi isethula inkulumo yayo! UNoodle naye wayengazibekile phansi egijima eqonde kuyona esasikhonkotha belu isilwane – uBella nonina babelapha ngemva kwakhe.

UJosh wadonsa intambo yekhayithi, ezama ukukhuphulela isilwane lesi phezulu esibhakabhakeni, kodwa babe sebephuzile. UNoodle wathi egxumela isilwane lesi, washayisa imeya yawa phansi. Izingcucu zamaphepha enkulumo yemeya zaphephuka zagcwala ipaki lonke, nabantu baqala ukubaleka bashona ndawo zonke.

UNeo, uJosh, uHope, uBella nonina baphuthuma khona ukuze bayosiza. Bafica imeya isephansi eduze kwesilwane uNoodle elokhu esikhonkotha. Izingane zasiza ukuthulisa uNoodle ngenkathi unina kaBella esiza imeya.

UHope wase elichaza icebo lakhe nokuthi lalingaphumelelanga kanjani. Imeya yalalela, kwathi lapho uHope eseqedile, yasimze yambuka nje … yabe isiphubuka ihleka. “Uyabona-ke, manje usungabhala eyakho indaba yesilwane esesabekayo,” kuphakamisa imeya.

Ngisho noma icebo likaHope lingazange liphumelele, kodwa kwaba usuku bonke ababeyohlale belukhumbula!