UCassidy Ann nodadewabo omdala uTrixie, babehleli belinde emotweni. UTamkhulu wayengene evenkileni ethengisa izityalo, kodwa engazukuhlala xesha lide. Kwindawo ekwakumiswa kuyo iimoto kwakungekho moto ngaphandle kwetrakhi enkulu qha, eyayibekwe kwelinye icala lomthombo onkcenkcezayo. Le traki yayigcwele qhu zizityalo, kukho namadoda othulela kwiitroli ezo zityalo zasevenkileni.

UCassidy Ann wayembona ngaphaya kocingo uTamkhulu, ehamba-hamba phakathi kolo krozo lwezityalo. Wayekhetha ukuba uza kuthenga eyiphi na imithi yeentyatyambo.

Ngesiquphe kwawa ikhaphetshu, isuka phezulu etrakhini. Yaqakathela phantsi, yaqengqeleka idlula ngasemthonjeni onkcenkcezayo.

“Uyibonile le nto ndiyibonileyo, Trixie?” kwabuza uCassidy Ann. “Laa khaphetshu iwe etrakhini.”

UTrixie waphakamisa amehlo akhe, ewasusa encwadini ebeyifunda. “Ke ngoku?” waphendula ebudikwa. “Yikhaphetshu nje kuphela.”

UCassidy Ann wahlala eyijongile, efuna ukubona ukuba kukho umntu oza kuyichola ikhaphetshu kusini na. Kodwa la madoda ayexakeke kakhulu, kangangokuba zange abone nokuba kukho ikhaphetshu ewileyo. Yaqengqeleka yona ikhaphetshu, isihla ngendlela isiya ngasezimotweni. Yafika yema kanye ngasemotweni ababekhwele kuyo. UCassidy Ann wavula ucango wayichola.

“Wenza ntoni?” wambuza kabukhali uTrixie, etyhila iphepha lencwadi. “UTamkhulu uthe ze singaphumi emotweni.”

UCassidy Ann waluvala ucango. Wahlala apho emotweni, enxutyiswe yile nto yale khaphetshu. Wawabona amadoda ebuya, ekhwela ngasemva etrakhini ngoku. “Ndiza kubuya kwangoku,” watsho evula ucango lwemoto kwakhona. “Ndifuna nje ukuphindisela le khaphetshu kulaa madoda asetrakhini.”

Amadoda ayesele elungele ukuhamba. Ayembakraza iingcango kwaye nomqhubi wayesele edumisa injini yetrakhi.

“Kulungile,” watsho uTrixie ebudikwa, “kodwa wazi ukuba uTamkhulu ubuye ungekho, asilotyala lam elo.”

Waphuma ebaleka uCassidy Ann apho emotweni, ephethe ikhaphetshu, eleqa itrakhi.

Kodwa wayesuke kade. Umqhubi wayengambonanga. Waqhuba wahamba eshiya uCassidy Ann emi bhuxe kuloo ndawo ibimi kuyo itrakhi, ematshekile, esindwa nayiloo khaphetshu inkulu kunene.

“Ndiza kuthini ke ngoku?” wazicingela ngaphakathi. “Asiyoyam kaloku le khaphetshu, kodwa andikwazi kuyibuyisela kumniniyo. Ndiyishiye apha bethu? Okanye ndihambe nayo ndiyiphathele uMakhulu ukuze ayipheke?”

Ngesiquphe ikhaphetshu yasuka yangcangcazela! Yangcangcazela kakhulu kangangokuba yabuphucuka ezandleni zikaCassidy Ann. Yaqakatha ngoku ngamandla ezingalweni zakhe. Yasuka yee Phutshuuu, gqam! Zwiiiiiii! Yantingela emoyeni noCassidy Ann lowo imbala wenyuka nayo.

Yantingela phezulu kakhulu, yayakutsho enkcochoyini yomthi omde kakhulu weponyoponyo. Yaphinda yabuyela ezantsi, uCassidy Ann eyinkomongele, yaze ye ZWIIIIIII! yayakuthi gqam endleleni yaphinda yantinga kwakhona, yayakufika kuphahla lwevenkile yezityalo kwesi sihlandlo.

Kwakumnandi phezulu. UCassidy Ann ebona yonke into – abantu abathenga izityalo kwivenkile yezityalo, inenekazi elihamba, liwaka nenja yalo ngasemlanjeni, iinyibiba ngasemthonjeni, noTrixie efunda incwadi yakhe emotweni. Kwakumnandi kakhulu.

Kodwa ikhaphetshu yasuka yaqakatha kwakhona. Yayizidlikidla ngoku, iphatha kungcangcazela iphinde ishukume ngamandla isihla inyuka ngoku, kwaza kwafuneka ukuba uCassidy Ann abambelele nkqi ukwenzela ukuba angaphuncuki kuyo, awe.

“Siyaphi ke ngoku?” watswina watsho ngelixa ikhaphetshu iqakatha ityeli lokuqala, elesibini nelesithathu … zwiiiiii emoyeni, yakugqiba yabuyela gqammmm emhlabeni. Dyumpuuu! yawela emthonjeni, amanzi agcwala yonke indawo. Yaphinda yantinga kwakhona eli xa uCassidy Ann abambelele kuyo ehleka, yabuyela gqammmm emthonjeni kwakhona. Kweli ityeli amanzi akratyazela ngaphandle emthonjeni, akhwiva inenekazi elaliphethe ibhantshi yeentyatyambo, lacaphuka.

Yantinga kwakhona, isiya phezulu, phezulu, phezulu kakhulu ngoku de uCassidy Ann weva enukiselwa ngamafu, nto leyo eyenza ukuba nempahla yakhe yonke awayeyinxibile ibe bufuma ngenxa yamafu. Indawo yokumisa iimoto yayibonakala ikude kakhulu, nkqu nemoto kaTamkhulu yayibonakala ngathi yimotwana nje yabantwana yokudlala. UCassidy Ann wambona uTamkhulu ephuma evenkileni yezityalo etyhala itroli enemithi ehlabayo yeentyatyambo, ngaphakathi. Ikhaphetshu yangcangcazela, yazidlikidla yaze emva koko yehla ukuya ezantsi, ezantsi, ezantsi. UCassidy Ann waqonda kwangoko ukuba uza kuwela ngqo kwimithana enameva ahlabayo yeentyatyambo eyayithengwe nguTamkhulu, wakhwaza kwangoko, “Tamkhulu, Tamkhulu, lumka!”

UTamkhulu wajonga phezulu wathi, “Cassidy Ann wenza ntoni apho, ubhabha nge …” Uthe xa eza kuwela kwimithana enameva yeentyatyambo, uTamkhulu wavula iingalo zakhe wamganga uCassidy Ann. Watyibilika, baya kuwela emthonjeni bobabini. Ngethamsanqa amanzi ayengemaninzanga emthonjeni, yaba lisele elothukayo kakhulu latsiba likhala. Wachopha apho emthonjeni uTamkhulu, amagqabi enyibiba emogqume intloko, eli xa ilokhwe kaCassidy Ann yayiluhlaza inyhukunyhuku, ingcoliswe bubulembu nengca yasemthonjeni lowo.

UTrixie weza ebaleka, wancedisa uTamkhulu ukuphakama. “Kwenzeke ntoni?” wabuza. “Niwiswe yintoni nobabini emthonjeni?”

“UCassidy Ann undityhilizile,” watsho uTamkhulu. “Ndicinga ukuba kwenzeke oko! Andisakhumbuli kakuhle tu.”

“Yikhaphetshu engummangaliso eqakathayo intingele phezulu,” wacacisa uCassidy Ann. “Indintingisele emthini, naseluphahleni lwendlu, nasemthonjeni, kanti ide yafika nasemafini. Yaphinda yandibuyisela emhlabeni, ndaphantsa ukuwela kwimithana yeentyatyambo kaTamkhulu.”

“Mnxim,” watsho Trixie. “Ugeza ngale nto yokuqamba ubalise amabali angekhoyo ngokungathi ayinyani, wena Cassidy Ann! Kwixa elizayo uzifundise ukumamela wenze njengoko uxelelwa, uhlale emotweni.”

UCassidy Ann wayefuna ukubabonisa ukuba asiyontsomi le ayithethayo, walaqaza, ekhangela ikhaphetshu. Yayingabonakali nangotshengele. Wajonga phezulu – nantso esibhakabhakeni phezulu, ikhangeleka okwentaka ebhabhayo. Yayingathi yintaka enkulu netyebileyo, eluhlaza, eqakathayo phezulu emafini.

“Nantsiya,” watsho ekhomba esibhakabhakeni. “Phezulu phaya.”

Kodwa babengamkholelwa nangoku. UTamkhulu wayengenamsindo. Wathi gquzu wahleka, baza bagquzuka bonke bahleka kuloo ndlela igodukayo.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Buza abantwana ukuba bacinga ukuba ikhaphetshu eqakathayo inokuba ikhwele njani etrakhini yezityalo ekuqaleni kwebali. Emva koko ke bacebise ukuba babhale iimpendulo zabo ephepheni ukuze zifakelelwe kweli bali njengendlela eliqala ngayo ibali.