UTimi nomama wakhe babehlala kwiDolophu iMozala. Kukho into eyayingaqhelekanga kakhulu ngoTimi – iinwele zakhe! Zazikhula ngokukhawuleza okukhulu. Zazikhula ngokukhawuleza kangangokuba umama wakhe wayemsa kumchebi weenwele qho ngoMgqibelo ukuze achebe iinwele zakhe. Kanti ukuba kwakukho into awayengayithandi ngenene uTimi, yayikukucheba iinwele zakhe! Ixesha lokucheba iinwele yayilixesha lokukhathazeka kuMama kuba uTimi wayesuka akhale. “Andifuni mna zichetywe iinwele zam!” wayesoloko esitsho.
UMama wayemanga phambi kokuba baye kwindlu yomchebi weenwele, kodwa babesithi xa bengena kuyo, iinyembezi zimpompoze emehlweni kaTimi. Emva koko uMama wayesenza konke anokukwenza ukuze uTimi ahlale ngokuzola xa kuchetywa iinwele zakhe. Maxa wambi wayemnika iibhisikithi. UTimi wayezithanda iibhisikithi, kodwa wayesuka aziphange aphinde aqalise ukukhala. Maxa wambi uMama waye adanise. Wayedanisa aye ngasekhohlo. Adanise aye ngasekunene. Wayetyityimbisa umzimba wakhe, kodwa uTimi wayekhala angayeki. Kwangoko emva kokuba uJango, umchebi weenwele, elungele ukucheba iinwele zikaTimi, uTimi wayezilungiselela ukuba akhale kakhulu! Kuqala, wayebefixiza, emva koko abibitheke, asuke asitsho isikhalo sivakale, “Hihoo, hihoo, hihoo!” “Kukucheba iinwele nje kuphela, Timi. Akubuhlungwanga,” wayesitsho njalo uJango, ezama ukudambisa uTimi kodwa oko kwakumenza akhalele phezulu ngakumbi uTimi.
Maxa wambi uJango wayecula ngelinge lokuthuthuzela uTimi, kodwa uTimi aqhube ngokukhala. Ngenye imini, uTimi wakhalela phezulu kangangokuba bade bakroba endlwini yokucheba iinwele abantu ababedlula befuna ukuqonda ukuba ingaba yintoni eyenza ukuba inkwenkwe ibhonge kangaka! “Owu, nkosi yam! Yinkwenkwana echetywa iinwele nje kuphela,” batsho. UTimi wayengakhathali naxa abantu besiza kumkroba. Wayekhala, akhale ade agqibe uJango ukucheba iinwele zakhe. Ngenye imini, wakhalela phezulu kangangokuba uMakhulu uBinite weza ejingxela ehamba ngomsimelelo wakhe. Wayehlala ecaleni kwendlu yokucheba iinwele, kodwa wayevuswe yingxolo yesikhalo sikaTimi esathe ngqwa ngaloo mva kwemini.
“Owu, zinkosi!” watsho uMakhulu uBinite. “Bendicinga ukuba kukho into embi eyenzekayo!” Waphinda wajingxela ukubuyela endlwini yakhe ukuya kulandela uTimi intwana yentlanzi enencasa awayeyosile. “Ndiqinisekile oku kuya kwenza ukuba ayeke ukukhala,” wacinga ngolo hlobo. Kodwa emva kokuba enike uTimi intlanzi, wayiphosa emlonyeni wakhe, wahlafuna waze waginya … emva koko waqhuba ngokukhala! Emva kokuba uTimi ehambile nomama wakhe ngaloo mini, uJango wahlala phantsi ephunga iti waza wacinga waqhuba ngokucinga. Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakufanele ukuba kubekho indlela yokunqumamisa uTimi ekukhaleni xa kuchetywa iinwele zakhe! Kwafika xa kulapho uluvo oluhle engqondweni kaJango! “Yheke! Ndisifumene isisombululo sengxaki,” wakhwaza ngemincili.
Wathi xa esiya kwakhona uTimi, msinyane akuba ethathe isikere uJango, waqalisa ngokubalisela uTimi ibali. “Kwakukho inkwenkwana eyayingathandi ukuchetywa iinwele zayo, yaza yaziyeka zakhula, zakhula,” watsho uJango. “Zakhula yade intloko yayo yagqunywa yimicu yeenwele enamaqhina. Kwangoko imicu enamaqhina yaphothana kunye.” “Kwaza kwenzeka ntoni emva koko?” wabuza uTimi, owayeseyekile ukulila. “Iimpukane nezinye izinambuzane zakhela izindlu zazo ezinweleni zayo,” waqhuba watsho uJango. “Ke, kwenzeka ntoni kuye?” wabuza uTimi, ekhangeleka ekhathazekile. “Le nkwenkwana yaqala yamana ukutsala iinwele zayo nokuzonwaya kuba izinambuzane zazirhoqo-rhoqoza kwintloko yakhe ziyenza irhawuzele kakhulu, kanobom. Yayizitsala izonwaya, iphinde izitsale izonwaye imini yonke. Kungekudala, intloko yayo kunye nezandla zayo zaqala zaba buhlungu ngenxa yokusoloko itsala futhi isonwaya,” watsho uJango. “Yho, imbi loo nto! Kwalandela ntoni?” wabuza uTimi, enosizi ngale nkwenkwe.
“Yadumba intloko yayo nezandla zayo ngokunjalo,” waqhuba uJango. “Ngenye imini, umama wayo wayizisa apha kule yam indlu yokucheba iinwele. Msinyane bakuba befikile, yatsibela esitulweni ukuze zichetywe iinwele zayo. Yahlala ngokuzola ukuze ndiyichebe kakuhle kakhulu.”
“Nyhani?”wabuza uTimi. “Ewe, kunjalo!” watsho uJango. “Ndathi ndakugqiba ukucheba iinwele zaloo nkwenkwe – njengokuba sendigqibe ngezakho ngoku – inkwenkwe yandanga kakhulu.”UTimi wabuka intloko yakhe. Zazigqityiwe ukuchetywa iinwele zakhe! Wayonwabele eli bali kakhulu kangangokuba zange aqaphele ukuba uJango uyaqhuba ngokucheba iinwele zakhe. Waxhumela ngaphaya kwesitulo waze wamanga kakhulu uJango. Uyazi? UTimi zange aphinde akhale kwakhona endlwini yokucheba iinwele kuba uJango wayenebali elitsha ambalisela lona ngotyelelo ngalunye lwakhe! Umama kaTimi wayonwabe kakhulu kuba amabali kaJango aba sisiphelo seenkathazo zokuchetywa kweenwele ayedla ngokuba nazo ngeveki nganye.
