UFlossie, impuku yedobo, wabaleka engceni ngokukhawuleza kangangoko imilenzana yakhe yayinokumthwala. “Yho! Yho!” wakhefuzela, “Andisayi kufika kwangethuba ekhaya!”

Ilanga laliselitshona. Amathunzi obumnyama ayemngqongile. “Yho! Kamsinya kuza kuba sebusuku. Yabe irhamncwa lenyanga ebusilivere liza kuba lindikhangela!”

UFlossie wayeloyika irhamncwa lenyanga. Wayesoloko ephupha kakubi ngalo. Kodwa ngoku wayengasenakuqhubeka abaleke. Imilenze yakhe yayibuhlungu, isifuba sakhe sitshisa. Wayediniwe nje kakhulu. Wema kufutshane nomthi omdala waza warhubuluza wangena phakathi kweengcambu zawo. Ingaba wayeza kukhuseleka apha?

“Molo!” latsho ilizwi elingqokolayo livela ngasentla kwakhe.

UFlossie wajonga phezulu waza wakhala esoyika. Amehlo angqukuva amabini ayemjongele ezantsi. Amehlo amakhulu kakhulu akhazimlayo! Intliziyo kaFlossie yabetha ngamandla yangongoza esifubeni sakhe. Nasiphi na isidalwa esinamehlo amakhulu kangako sinokuba ngokuqinisekileyo sikhulu, kakhulu!

“Ungubani?” wabuza uFlossie ngelizwi elingcangcazelayo. “Ingaba ulirhamncwa lenyanga?”

Ilizwi elingqokolayo lahleka intsini yobulwanyana “Hayi andililo irhamncwa. Ndilivivingane nje. Ungandibiza ngoMaxwell.”

Ivivingane!? UFlossie zange akholelwe! Luhlobo luni lwevivingane olunamehlo amakhulu kangako? “Ingaba ulivivingane elikhulu?” wabuza.

UMaxwell wahleka kwakhona intsini yakhe yobulwanyana. “Hayi bo! Asingomehlo am lawo,” watsho. “Ezo zangqa zikhazimlayo ziipateni nje ezisemaphikweni am. Jonga apha!” Waza uMaxwell waqhwaba amaphiko akhe ukuze uFlossie abone indlela iipateni ezikhazimlayo ezazishukuma ngayo: phezulu nasezantsi, phezulu nasezantsi.

UMaxwell wehla ecaleni ngesikhondo somthi, kufutshane nempuku yedobo. Kwakumnandi ukuba nomntu wokuncokola. Zazingezininzanga izidalwa ezazihambahamba ebusuku.

“Khawutsho,” watsho. “Ubungxamele ntoni kangaka? Ndikubonile ubaleka engceni ngokukhawuleza kangangoko imilenzana yakho ibinokuhamba.”

“Bendizama ukuyokufika ekhaya phambi kokuba kuhlwe,” watsho uFlossie. “Kodwa akusancedi nto ngoku. Ubusuku sebufikile, yaye ikhaya lam lisekude kakhulu.” Waqalisa ukulila iinyembezi zempukwana yedobo.

UMaxwell zange aqonde. “Kodwa kutheni ufuna ukuba sekhaya?” wabuza. “Kutheni ufuna ukuba ngaphakathi ngoku? Hayi bo! Ubusuku lelona xesha lihle ngaphezu kwawo onke. Ungabukela inyanga iphuma ngaphezu kweenduli. Ungabona ingca ijika isiba busilivere. Ungeva umoya usebeza emagqabini.”

UFlossie wanikina intloko. “Hayi, hayi! Ubusuku lixesha eloyikekayo. Ubusuku kuxa irhamncwa lenyanga elibusilivere liphuma liyokuzingela.”

“Irhamncwa lenyanga elibusilivere? Zange ndive ngalo!” watsho uMaxwell.

Ngoko ke uFlossie wacacisa: irhamncwa lenyanga elibusilivere lalibhabha ngamaphiko abusilivere liwatweze abe makhulu ngaphezu komthi. Lalibhabha lisuka ekukhanyeni kwenyanga, isithunzi salo esimnyama sirhuqa emhlabeni. Lalibhabha ngokuzola okoyikekayo; likhangela, likhangela iimpuku ezincinane. Lize lizixhakamfule ngeenzipho zalo ezibukhali lize lizithwale limke nazo liyokutshona ebumnyameni – ngonaphakade!

UMaxwell wanikina intloko waza watsho ngesiqhazolo sentsini yakhe, engqokolayo yobulwanyana. “Hayi bo! Asilorhamncwa elo! Sisikhova nje. Asikho busilivere kwaphela; singumbala nje omdaka ombatshileyo. Ngubani owoyika isikhova esidala esidikayo?”

“Hayi bo! Sukuthetha loo nto!” wakhala uFlossie othukile. “Mhlawumbi irhamncwa lenyanga elibusilivere lizingelana namavivingane ngokunjalo!”

“Heee!” watsho uMaxwell ngokuzithemba. “Ndingathanda ukulibona lilinga!”

Kanye ngelo xesha, kwabakho into eyashukuma ngaphezu kwabo. UFlossie wajonga phezulu wabona imilo enkulu ebusilivere ibhabha isihla ivela ekukhanyeni kwenyanga. Amaphiko amakhulu abusilivere atwezeka kakhulu, eshiya isithunzi esimnyama kwiingcambu zomthi.

UFlossie wayesoyika kakhulu ukuba angashukuma. Wawavala amehlwana akhe wawaqinisa njengoko isandi esinengxolokazi sasisondela ... ngokusondela. Wayeyazi into eyayiza kulandela. Onke amaphupha akhe oyikisayo ayeza kuzalisekiseka.

Ngesaquphe kwabakho isandi esihlabayo esikhulu, esibi, kwalandela ukubhabha kwamaphiko amakhulu. Kwaza kwathi cwaka.

“Ungawavula amehlo akho ngoku,” watsho uMaxwell.

UFlossie wavula amehlo akhe waze wabona isikhova sitshonela ngaphaya kwemithi.

“Kwenzeke ntoni?” wabuza emangalisiwe. “Kutheni irhamncwa lenyanga libhabhe lemka?”

UMaxwell wayeziva ekholiseke kakhulu. Ziipateni emaphikweni am. Isikhova sicinge ukuba ngamehlo – kanye njengohlobo ubucinga ngalo nawe. Yaye ngokufana nawe, ucinge ukuba nabani na onamehlo amakhulu kangaka umelwe kukuba usisidalwa esikhulu. Woyike kakhulu, ndiyakuxelela! Umvile esitsho ngesandi esihlabayo?”

“Okungaka ukuhlakanipha!” watsho uFlossie.

“Ewe, ndinjalo, akunjalo?” wavuma uMaxwell. “Ngoku lala nje apha ecaleni kwam. Uza kukhuseleka kude kuphume ilanga.”

Ngoko ke uFlossie waziqhusheka phakathi kweengcambu zomthi. Ngokukhawuleza wayesele elele cum. Yaye zange aphuphe ngarhamncwa lenyanga elibusilivere. Nakanye.

* Sebenzisa amaqokobhe ephepha langasese, iphepha, iglu, imicinga yokuvungula, nepeyinti okanye iikhrayoni ukwenza ivivingane. Sika imilo yamaphiko evivingane, wafakele imibala uze, xa sele omile, uwancamathisele kwiqokobhe lephepha langasese. Peyinta imicinga yokuvungula ibe mnyama uze uyincamathisele kwivivingane ukwenza iimpondo.