Ilanga lasekuseni lalikhanya bha njengoba uLulu ehleli emucwini wotshani ebaleni lezemidlalo lesikole sakubo. Namuhla kwakuwusuku lwezemidlalo e-Primary Yezinambuzane. ULulu wayejabule kakhulu. Wayebamba iqhaza kwezokugxuma ukuya phezulu. “Amazeze

angagxuma afike phezulu kakhulu!”ememeza njengoba egxumela etsheni, kwase kuba segatsheni elincane wabe esedlulela egatsheni lesihlahla esiseduze. ULulu wabheka phansi esesihlahleni futhi wabona ezinye izinambuzane zizilungiselela izenzakalo

zalolo suku. Zonke izinambuzane zazizethemba ngoba zazilokhu zizilungiselela kanzima ukuze zilungele usuku lwanamuhla.

 

Untethe welula imilenze yakhe yangemuva. “Imilenze yami inamandla kakhulu. Ngicabanga ukuthi kuzongihambela kahle kwezokugxuma ibanga elide namuhla,” esho. “Ngicabanga ukuthi ngizonqoba emjahweni wami namuhla,” kusho uphela njengoba edla
isicucu sokugcina se-pancake futhi wasula umlomo ngephiko lakhe.UJekamanzi, uMiyane, uNyosi noMpukane babhakuzisa izimpiko zabo njengoba babephikisana ngokuthi ubani owayezokwazi ukundiza ukufika phezulu kunabo bonke. “Ukundizela phezulu
kuyisenzakalo esikhethekile,” kusho uJekamanzi. “Akuzona zonke izinambuzane ezinezimpiko, kodwa labo kithi abanazo, bakwazi ukundizela phezulu kakhulu. Ngicabanga ukuthi ngizobuya nendebe namuhla.”

                                                                                                                                                            

 

UNkubabulongo wayazi ukuthi wayezokwazi ukugingqa ibhola liye kude kakhulu ngemilenze yakhe eqinile yangasemuva. UNtuthwane wayazi ukuthi ithimba lakhe lalizonqoba umjaho wokunikezelana ngenduku ngoba kwase kuphele izinyanga lizilungiselela ukunikezana ngenduku. Futhi uVemvane wayazi ukuthi wayezokwazi ukundiza ngaphezu kwazo zonke izithiyo emjahweni onemigoqo. ULulu wayezethemba naye. “Ngizogxuma ngibedlule bonke namuhla,” esho. “UZara ucabanga ukuthi angangehlula, kodwa ngizoyinqoba indebe!” Ngalokho uLulu wagxuma kakhulu esuka esihlahleni futhi wahlala … kokuthile okunoboya. “Ngikuphi?” uLulu ekhala ngokudideka. ULulu wayelokhu ephupha emini futhi wayengabonanga ukuthi uNkawu wayenyuka ngesiqu
sesihlala. Manje wayebhajwe eboyeni bukaNkawu!

 

ULulu wayesezwa iNkosazana uNyosikazi ememezela, “Sanibona, sanibonani. Siyanamukela nonke badlali, imindeni yenu kanye nezibukeli! Lungelani ngoba sesizoqala. Sicela bonke abadlali babuthane maphakathi nenkundla.” ULulu wayezizwa izibukeli ezinomsindo zihleka, zishaya izandla namaphiko. ULulu nesixuku babengazi ukuthi kwakunamaxoxo ayecashe ngaphansi kwamaqabunga esihlahla esasiwele phansi. Ayelindele nje isikhathi esifanele ukuze agxume aphume futhi azitike ngazo zonke izinambuzane ezimnandi!

 

Khonamanjalo, uLulu wayezama ezabalazela ukuphuma eboyeni bukaNkawu, kodwa lokho kwamane kwenza isimo saba sibi nakakhulu. Wabe esememeza kakhulu kangangokusemandleni, “Sizani bo! Sizani bo! Ngicela ongangisiza bo!” Kodwa akekho owalizwa izwi lakhe elincane elalimbozwe yizinambuzane ezinomsindo.

 

ULulu wabe esezwa iNkosazana uNyosikazi ethi, “Umgxumo waphezulu wamantombazane usuzoqala. Sicela bonke abafuna ukubamba iqhaza, baye endaweni yabazogxuma baye phezulu.“Mayebabo,” kumemeza uLulu. “Nakhu ngizophuthelwa ngumncintiswano wami!” Wazama ukugqashula eboyeni bukaNkawu, kodwa babuminyene kakhulu. ULulu waqala ukukhala. Wayezilungiselele ngokuzikhandla enzela lolu suku futhi manje wayengasenakuba nethuba
lokuncintisana.
Ngemva kwesikhashana, uLulu wezwa iNkosazana uNyosikazi ethi, “Umgxumo waphezulu wamantombazane uhamba kahle kakhulu. Sekuyithuba lokugcina lokugxuma kukaZara. Intambo iphezulu kakhulu. Ake sibone ukuthi uyaphumelela yini.”
Yilapho-ke uLulu awakhumbula khona amazwi kanina, “Ngisho noma izimo zibukeka zingenathemba, njalo kukhona ongakwenza, Lulu.” Ngakho uLulu waqhamuka nesu elihle kakhulu. “Ngiyizeze,” ezitshela. “Ngikwazi ukuluma. Lapho
ngiluma, kuzoshoshozela kushoshozele.” Yilokho kanye uLulu akwenza – waluma uNkawu izikhathi eziningi kangangokunokwenzeka.

 

“Aaaaaawu!” kumemeza uNkawu. “Kukhona okungilumayo!Kuyashoshozela.” Wanwaya indawo elumayo kakhulu kangangokuba waqhwanda uLulu waphumela ngaphandle koboya bakhe, futhi wayesendizela emoyeni. “Weeeeee!” kumemeza uLulu njengoba endiza ngaphezu kwentambo yomgxumo waphezulu! UZara akakukholwanga ayekubona. “Uqhamukephi, Lulu?” ebuza emangele. Ngaphambi kokuba uLulu aphendule, uNkawu waphunyuka futhi wawa esihlahleni. Wawela phezu kwamaxoxo, nawo athuka agxuma asakazeka yonke indawo ebaleka. Iminyovu yazungeza ezinye izinambuzane ukuze izivikele ukuba zingadliwa. Yabe isixosha wonke amaxoxo.

                                                                                                                                                               

 

Ngenxa yesiphithiphithi, bonke babecabanga ukuthi uLulu nguye owayenqobe umgxumo waphezulu, kodwa uLulu wazikhulumela, “Cha, angigxumanga. UNkawu wayebangele ukuba ngindize ngeqe intambo. UZara nguye onqobile kulo mgxumo waphezulu.”
INkosazana uNyosikazi wayinika uZara indebe. “Siyakuhalalisela, Zara, siyaziqhenya ngawe,” esho. Wabe esephendukela kuLulu. “Siyaziqhenya nangawe, Lulu. Uthembekile futhi uye waqiniseka ukuthi uZara uyayithola indebe. Kanti futhi usenze savikeleka kula maxoxo amabi!

 

Ngicabanga ukuthi nawe ufanelekela ukuthola indebe.” Wabe esenika uLulu indebe ngokuba ngothembekile nonesibindi. Bonke bashaya ihlombe, futhi uZara wahaga uLulu isikhathi eside. Ekupheleni kosuku, zonke izinambuzane zavuma ukuthi lolo suku lwezemidlalo lwalube nezigigaba ngempela kunazo zonke kwabake baba khona kuzo!