Kwabe kuwusuku oluhle oluvilaphisayo nje uma ugudla osebeni lomfula. Yonke into yayithule ithe cwaka. Uwodwa umsindo owawuzwakala okwakungokaNyonencane owayetshiloza kancane ngesikhathi ehlanza amazinyo amakhulu ayisicaba kaMvubu.

UMvubu wayekuthokozela ukuhlanzwa amazinyo akhe. Wayelele ekhiphele ikhanda lakhe ngaphandle kwamanzi, umlomo wakhe ewukhamise uvuleke nge. Ilanga lalimfudumeza kwathi engazelele nje wayesezunywe ubuthongo. Waphupha ngesiqephu esikhulu sotshani obuconsisa amathe obabuntanta eduze nje kwakhe, kanti khona ephusheni lakhe, wabuluma utshani wabugwinya.

“Udle uNyonencane wena!” Izwi lavusa uMvubu ngokumethusa. Kwakungenye yezinyoni, okuthiwa ngomakholwase. Yayibukeka ithukuthele kakhulu! Ubuso bayo obuphinki base buphenduka buba bomvu!

“Udle uNyonencane,” imemeza futhi, ikhomba ngephiko layo kuMvubu.

“Angisoze!” kwasho uMvubu ezivikela. “Ngidla utshani, hhayi izinyoni ezincane! Ngaphandle kwalokho nje, uNyonencane wumngani wami! Angeke nje ngamudla!”

“Ngikubonile! Ubehlanza amazinyo akho, wena wase umgwinya!”

UMvubu walikhumbula iphupho lakhe. Manje wayeseshaywa wuvalo! Ingabe wayegwinye umngani wakhe ngephutha? Emva kwalokho, ngesikhathi etabuluka ephuma emfuleni, wezwa umsindo wokutshiloza ojwayelekile. Lowo kwabe kunguNyonencane!

UMvubu waqalaza yonke indawo ebheka ukuthi uNyonencane wayengakuphi. Ekugcineni, wezwa ukuthi lowo msindo wawuvela ngaphakathi esiswini sakhe. Wabe egwinye umngani wakhe!

“Uyabona-ke? Ngikutshelile!” kwasho uMkholwase. “Udle uNyonencane!”

“Be- ... bengingaqondile uku- ...” kwasho uMvubu ekhala, “Sidinga ukumkhipha otakwini. Kumele simkhiphe esiswini sami!”

Manje zonke izilwane ezihlala ngasosebeni lomfula zase zisondele ukuze zizothola ukuthi kwabe kwenzekani. Zaqala ukuza namasu athile.

“Masithumele izinhlanzi ezincane phakathi esiswini sakho. Zingahola uNyonencane ukuba abhukude aphume,” kwasho uNkawu. Kodwa zathi zingezwa lokhu, zonke izinhlanzi ezincane zavele zabhukuda zabaleka.

“Singasebenzisa elinye lamazinyo ami ukusika sivule isisu sakho bese siphephisa uNyonencane,” kwakuphakamisa uBhubesi. UMvubu wakubona kungelona isu elihle lokho!

“Sizokwenzenjani? UNyonencane akakwazi ukuhlala esiswini sami ingunaphakade!” kwasho uMvubu. Kodwa wayengakwazi ukuqhamuka namasu angcono. Mhlawumbe kwakufanele avumele ukuthi uBhubesi asike avule isisu sakhe bese ekhipha uNyonencane. Wayesezolivuma leli su ngesikhathi uSikhova ohlakaniphile emsindisa.

“Yehlisani umoya nonke,” kwasho uSikhova. Zonke izilwane zalalela. “Ngitholeleni uphaphe olukhulu,” kulawula yena.

Ngokushesha, enye yezinyoni yandiza yehla yaya lapho kume khona uMakholwase maqede yabuya nalokho okwakucelwe nguSikhova.

“Kuhle-ke!” kwasho uSikhova ngesikhathi endiza ehlela phansi phambi kukaMvubu. “Manje vula umlomo kakhulu ngangokusemandleni akho, mina ngizongena ngaphakathi!” kwasho yena.

“Ungakwenzi lokho! Uzokudla nawe!” kuxwayisa uNkawu.

“Hhayi, thulani!” kwasho uSikhova. Kodwa wayesehleba ebhekise kuMvubu, “Kungangcono ungakwenzi lokho! Noma ngabe yini ongayenza, ungalinge uvale umlomo wakho ngesikhathi ngisephakathi!”

USikhova wangena phakathi kwemihlathi emikhulu neyesabekayo kaMvubu! Wayeseqala ukukitaza kancane umphimbo kaMvubu ngophaphe. Ekuqaleni lwenza ukuthi uMvubu agigitheke, kodwa ngemuva kwalokho ngokushesha...

“Oho...oho...hoooo!” kukhwehlela uMvubu, khona manjalo uSikhova noNyonencane baphuma bendiza emlonyeni kaMvubu! Bobabili babemanzi begcwele amathe emvubu. UNyonencane wawola uSikhova emuva kwalokho wayowola noMvubu.

“Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu!” kwasho uMvubu.

“Ungaphatheki kabi,” kwasho uNyonencane. “Bekufanele ngikuvuse ngesikhathi ufikelwa wubuthongo. Ngiyazi ukuthi ubungaqondile. Bekuyiphutha nje, futhi ngaphandle kwalokho, ngiphile saka.”

UMvubu kanye noNyonencane baphenduka babheka uSikhova owayematasa egeza izimpiko zakhe emfuleni. “Ngiyabonga, Sikhova. Ave ulwenze lwaluhle usuku!” kwasho bona.

“Kubonga mina!” kwasho uSikhova, egeza izinsalela zokugcina zamathe ezabe zisezimpapheni zakhe. “Manje-ke, uma nonke ningake nithule du, ngingabuyela ekuzilaleleni.”

USikhova wandiza wabuyela engoxweni yesihlahla esikhulu okwakuyikhaya lakhe. Zonke ezinye izilwane zabuyela emisebenzini yazo. Ubuso bukaMkholwase babuyela embaleni wabo ojwayelekile ophinki, kodwa wayelokhu elinikine njalo ikhanda.

“Isithutha senyoni lesi! Uyakudla kodwa nisaqhubeka nibe ngabangani,” kungundaza yena. Emuva kwalokho wabuyela endaweni yakhe, wama ngomlenze owodwa maqede wazunywa wubuthongo.

“Ngiyaxolisa ngempela,” kwasho uMvubu kuNyonencane futhi. “Ngingaqonda uma ungasafuni ukuphinda uhlanze amazinyo ami futhi.”

“Kodwa manje amazinyo akho azonkenketha!” kwaphendula uNyonencane. “Sizokwenza nje isiqiniseko sokuthi awulali ngesikhathi ngenza lokho. Manje-ke ake sihambe sikutholele utshani obuconsisa amathe ozobudla. Ngikholwa ukuthi usulambile manje.”

Basuka lapho bahamba.

* Wake walenza iphutha elikhulu? Kwenzakalani, futhi wazizwa kanjani ngalokho?

* Yini eyenzekayo eyakwenza wazizwa ungcono ngemuva kwalokho?

* UNyonencane kanye noMvubu babesengabangani nakuba uMvubu wayecishe wadla uNyonencane. Ucabanga ukuthi kubalulekile ukuxolela abanye uma benze iphutha? Kungani usho kanjalo?