UFlossie likhondlwana lommango, nanguya urabhula etjanini ngemilenzanakhe emincani le urhabile. “Eish! Eish! Atjho aphefumulela phezulu, “Maye, angekhe ngifike ekhaya kusakhanya.”

Ukhamba nje, ilanga liyatjhinga, naku selathoma kubhodwa ziinthunzi. “Eish! Ubusuku sebufikile. Nje, irhorho yenyanga ephazimako izokuthoma ukungizuma-ke kwanjesi!”

UFlossie bekayisaba ngehliziywakhe yoke irhorho le. Kesinye isikhathi ayibhudange nokuyibhudanga. Wabathe uyagijima kwabhala. Iinyawo zibuhlungu, ngapha isifuna siyatjhisa. Udinwe ufile. Uthe angajama eduze komuthi omdala, wabona kuncono azifihle emirajinawo. Ugala bekazitjela bona uphephile.

Kuthe asazifihle njalo, wezwa ngelizwi elirhorozako ngehla kwakhe lithi “Lotjha!”

UFlossie uthe nakaqala ngehla kwakhe warhidlwa livalo. Nakathi mehlo suka nasi into imrhudulele amehlo amabili arondo. Amehlo amabili amakhulu naphazimulako. Ihliziywakhe yathoma ukurarha isifuba. Into le kuyatjho bona yikulu ngombana naku namehlwayo makhulu.

“Ungubani wena?” Kubuza uFlossie ngelizwi elihlengezelako. “Uyirhorho yenyanga ephazimako?”

Ilizwi elirhorozakwela lahleka. “Awa, angisiyo irhorho mina. Ngiyiviyaviyani. Ibizo lami nginguMaxwell.”

“Iviyaviyani?” uFlossie khenge awakholwe amehlwakhe. Liviyaviyani elinjani elinamehlo amakhulu kangaka? “Uliviyaviyani elikhulu na?” kubuza yena uFlossie.

UMaxwell wahleka godu ngelizwi elirhorozako. Wathi, “Hawu! Lawa awasiwo amehlwami. Marondo aphazimulako asemaphikwenami. Qala!” UMaxwell wawanyakazisa amaphikwakhe la khona uFlossie azokubona amarondo la nakanyakazako, aya phasi aye phezulu, aya phasi aye phezulu.

UMaxwell ehlele phasi hlanu komuthi, atjhidele hlanu kwekhondlwana. Bekumnandi kuMaxwell ukuba nesilwana angacoca naso ngombana azisizinengi iinlwana ezikhambakhamba ebusuku.

”Akhungitjele la” kubuza uMaxwell, “Kanti kubayini bewurhabe kangaka? Ngikubonile urabhula etjanini ngemilenzanyanakho le urhabile tle.”

“Bengirhabele ukufika ekhaya kusakhanya,” kuphendula uFlossie. “Kodwana akusasizi nje. Ubusuku sebufikile, nekhaya kukude.” Latjho likhihliza isililo ikhondlwana belatshega iinyembezana.

Kwamrara lokho uMaxwell. “Kanti kuba yini ufuna ukuba sekhaya?” kubuza yena. “Kubayini ufuna ukuba ngendlini ngalesisikhathi? Hawu! Kumnandi ebusuku. Ungabukela inyanga ikhuphuka ngehla kwemibundu. Ubone utjani buphazima. Bewuzwe nommoya uphephetha amakari wemithi.”

UFlossie anikine ihloko. “Awa, awa! Kumbi khulu ebusuku. Phela irhorho yenyanga ephazimako iphuma ebusuku nayiyokuzuma.”

“Irhorho yenyanga ephazimako? Ngithoma ukuyizwa ngawe leyo.” Kutjho uMaxwell.

Kwakhani ahlathulula uFlossie: Bona irhorho yenyanga ephazimako le iphapha ngamaphiko amakhulu aphazimako adlula umuthi. Iphapha ebusuku inyanga nayikhanyileko, bese iba nesithunzi esinzima esikhamba phasi ehlabathini. Iphapha nje ithule ithe du, iyazuma, izumana namakhondlwana. Iwadzwebula ngeenzipho zayo ezibukhali, iwathathe iwase emnyameni, ayele futhi angasabuyi.

UMaxwell wanikina ihloko, waya ngesihleko esirhorozako. “Hawu! Akusiyirhorho leyo. Sikhova nje. Ayiphazimi, ibhrawunu. Ngubani ongasaba isikhova esidala nesibhorako?

“Eish ungatjho njalo wena!” Kubabaza uFlossie ararekile. “Kungenzeka irhorho yenyanga ephazimako iyawazuma namaviyaviyani!”

“Ha!” kutjho uMaxwell ngokuzithemba. “Angeze yathoma!”

Kusesenjalo, kwaba nento ephapha emmoyeni ngehla kwabo. UFlossie uthe nakaqala phezulu wahlangana nento ekulu ephazimako iphapha ivale umkhanyo wenyanga. Yavula amaphiko la aba makhulu, isithunzi sayo sembesa imirabho yomuthi.

UFlossie wathukwa wasaba nokunyakaza. Wawavala khulu amehlo njengombana into le isolo itjhidela. Bekazi kuhle okuzokwenzeka ngokulandelako. Yoke into ebekayibhudanga kumbi besele izokwenzeka.

Kwathi kusesenjalo kwazwakala isililo esimbi esikhulu, nokubhabhazela kwamaphiko. Ngemva kwalokho kwathula du.

“Ungavula amehlo-ke nje,” kutjho uMaxwell.

UFlossie uthe nakavula amehlo isikhova sabe sesiphaphe besayokusithela eenthlorini zemithi.

“Kwenzekeni?” kubuza uFlossie ararekile. “Kubayini irhorho leya ibalekile?”

uMaxwell bekazikhakhazisa kwamambala. “Marondo la asemaphikwenami. Isikhova sicabange ukuthi mamehlo – njengawe. Naso sicabangile bona into nayinamehlo amakhulu, kutjho khona bona yikulu. Sithukwe ukuthukwa ngiyakutjela wena! Usizwile bona silile njani?”

 “Uhlakaniphile kwamambala!” kutjho uFlossie.

“Vele ngihlakaniphile” kuvuma yena uMaxwell. Wena lala la hlanu kwami. Uzokuphepha bekuphume ilanga.”

UFlossie wafese wangena ngemirajini yomuthi, wabe sele ayile ngobuthongo. Khenge asabhudanga ngerhorho yenyanga ephazimako, nakanye.