UVusi wayeyithanda inja yakhe uDomino. Wayemhlophe uDomino enamabala amathathu amnyama emhlane wakhe. Udadewabo kaVusi omncane, uSinazo, wayethanda ikati lakhe uFluffy. Wayemnyama uFluffy enamabala amathathu amhlophe esiswini sakhe.

“Inja yami ingcono kunekati lakho,” kusho uVusi ekuseni ngolunye usuku lwangeSonto ngesikhathi izingane zidla isidlo sasekuseni. “UDomino akangiklwebhi. UDomino akaluphuzi ubisi lwami, futhi akahambi phezu kwezincwadi zami ngezidladla ezinodaka.”

“UDomino ugange kakhulu,” kusho ugogo wabo. “Akayenzi nhlobo into ayitshelwayo. Uma uthi akahlale, uyagxumagxuma. Uma uthi akagxume, uhlala phansi, bese uthi uma uhlala phansi, agxume akukhothe ubuso!”

“Ikati lami lingcono kunenja yakho,” kusho uSinazo. “UFluffy akangikhothi ubuso futhi akawuntshontshi u-ayisikhilimu wami. UFluffy akangcolisi egcekeni futhi akakhonkothi.”

“We zingane, ake niqede isidlo senu sasekuseni,” kusho uGogo. “Kumele ngiyochelela imifino yami. Ummbila wami usuzolungela ukudliwa. Uzoba mkhulu futhi ube mnandi kulo nyaka.”

Ugogo wayesezoqeda ukuchelela ingadi yemifino. “Hamba uyobeka uDomino phandle,” ememeza uVusi. “Bese ugeza ubuso bakho, uxubhe amazinyo, ukame izinwele zakho bese ugqoka izingubo zasesontweni.”

“Hamba uyobeka uFluffy phandle,” ememeza uSinazo. “Bese ugeza ubuso bakho, uxubhe amazinyo, ukame izinwele zakho bese ugqoka izingubo eziphambili.”

UVusi wakhiphela inja yakhe phandle. “Hlala la,” esho kuDomino. “Yiba inja eziphethe kahle uhlale la uthule ngesikhathi siya esontweni.” UVusi wagijima wabuyela endlini kodwa wakhohlwa ukuvala umnyango wasekhishini. Isigangi esiwuDomino samlandela sabuyela endlini. Sakhasa sangena ngaphansi kombhede kaVusi sacasha khona.

USinazo wakhiphela ikati lakhe phandle. “Hlala la,” esho kuFluffy, embeka esihlahleni. “Yiba yikati eliziphethe kahle ngesikhathi siya esontweni.” Wagijima wabuyela endlini eyogqoka, kodwa wakhohlwa ukuvala ifasitela lekamelo lokulala. Isigangi esinguFluffy sabuyela endlini. Sagxumela phezu kwewodilobhu salala.

USinazo noVusi benza njengoba babetshelwe ugogo wabo. Baya egumbini lokugezela. Bageza ubuso babo. Baxubha amazinyo. Bakama izinwele zabo. Base beya emakameleni abo ukuze bagqoke izingubo zabo eziphambili.

“Vusi,” kumemeza uGogo, “ngicela usize uSinazo agqoke.” USinazo wayecokeme ezama ukufinyelela engutsheni yakhe ephambili ekuwodilobhu.

“Hhu, hhu, kwaze kwamnandi lokhu,” kukhonkotha uDomino, egxuma ephuma ngaphansi kombhede. Wagxumela ngakuwodilobhu, wase ekhotha uSinazo ngolimi lwakhe olubomvu olude.

“Suka, Domino!” kumemeza yena.

Kwamthukuthelisa kakhulu uFluffy ukuvuswa. Wabheka ekupheleni kwewodilobhu wabona uDomino egxumela kuSinazo. “Ssssss! Awukwazi ukwenza lokho,” esho ekhisila. “Suka kuye, uma ungenzi njalo ngizokuklwebha.”

UDomino wagxumela kuwodilobhu njengohlanya. “Hhu, hhu, hhu,” ekhonkotha ikati. “Wozodlala. Siyazithokozisa.”

Ngaso leso sikhathi kwangena uGogo ehla ngephasishi. Wayeselungele ukuya esontweni. Wayegqoke ingubo yakhe ephambili, izicathulo zakhe ezinhle nesigqoko sakhe asithandayo. “Kwenzenjani la?” wabuza ngolaka, ngesikhathi evula umnyango. “Sekuzoshaya isikhathi sokuhamba.”

UFluffy wakhetha ukugxuma ehle kuwodilobhu ngaso leso sikhathi. Wagxuma sakundiza wawela – ekhanda likaGogo. Kanti ngaso leso sikhathi uDomino wakhetha ukuzama ukugxumela phezu kwewodilobhu. Wagxuma sakundiza, kodwa wavele wawela phezu kukaGogo, wamwisa. Ngenhlanhla, uVusi wafika kahle wambamba.

UGogo wahlala esitulweni. Wayeveva yintukuthelo. “Zingane ndini ezigangile,” kusho yena. “Ngeke nisithole isixebeledu sikashokoledi namhlanje uma sekuphume isonto. Khiphelani inja nekati phandle njengamanje. Kumele siye esontweni.”

Izingane zavalela izilwane phandle zaya esontweni. UDomino wayolala elangeni, kodwa uFluffy wagibela ophahleni lwendlu. Wayekwazi lapho ukubona kude nasendaweni ebanzi. Wabona izingane zihamba nogogo wazo zingena esontweni. Wase ezwa becula esontweni. Wase ezwa nokunye okuthile. Kwakusholo phansi, umsindo wakho unsegeza, okungathi kukhona umuntu ozama ukuvula isango lengadi kaGogo yemifino.

Wabheka onqenqemeni lophahla. Kwakukhona isela laphaya phambi kwengadi. Sasimi esivandeni semifino, sintshontsha ummbila kaGogo.

“Thatha lokhuuuuuuuuuu!” UFluffy wagxuma, esuka phezu kophahla wawela phezu kwekhanda lesela.

“Suka, suka!” kukhala isela, lizama ukususa uFluffy ekhanda lalo.

UDomino wavuswa umsindo. Waqhamuka ekhoneni ngesivinini ephuma emva kwendlu. “Hhu! Hhu! Hhu! Phuma, phuma, phuma!” esho ekhonkotha.

“Chaaaaaa, suka kimi!” kumemeza isela. Lalahla phansi ubhasikidi lagxuma leqa uthango. UDomino wayelinde lapho. Washesha njengonyazi, wabamba wadonsa ibhulukwe lesela. Walidonsa, walidonsa, wavungama, wavungama, wanikiza, wanikiza, kanti isela lase lethuke kabi.

“Ngiyeke, ngiyeke!” lamemeza, lizama ukususa uDomino ebhulukweni lalo. Kwase kuthi KLEBHUUUUUUU, kudabuka ibhulukwe lesela. Labaleka ligijima ngokushesha ngendlela elalingakwazi ukwenza ngayo, lakhuphuka umqansa, ledlula isonto laze layofika ekhaya.

Kwakuphuma bani esontweni ngaleso sikhathi, kungeyena uVusi, uGogo noSinazo? Bahleka, bahleka ngesikhathi bebona indoda igijima ingagqoke bhulukwe. Kanti, emva kwayo, babona uDomino, egijima ngesivinini esikhulu ehudula ibhulukwe lendoda elibambe ngamazinyo akhe.

“Nobabili niyizilwane ezinhle kakhulu,” kusho uGogo ngesikhathi befika ekhaya. Yonke imifino yakhe yayiphephile. “Nisindise imifino yami eseleni.”

“Ngabe lokho kusho ukuthi ekugcineni sizothola ushokoledi?” kubuza uVusi.

“Yebo,” kusho uGogo. Waya nabo esitolo wathengela ngamunye kubo isixebeledu esikhulu sikasholedi wephephamente. Wase ethengela uDomino ithambo eliconsisa amathe noFluffy ithini lenhlanzi emnandi. Kanti babethokoze bonke, ngaphandle kwesela. Lalinamahloni kakhulu ngoba wonke umuntu wayelibone lingagqoke bhulukwe kangangokuthi labaleka laya edolobheni elikude, aliphindanga labonwa futhi.