Kwavakala umkhulungwane ongxolayo ehlathini njengoko uMvolofu wayevuka emva kokulala ubuthongo obumnandi ngezolo.

“Enjani ukuba ntle yona imini,” watsho uMvolofu. “Molweni, nonke bahlobo bam abancinci nani nonke bahlobo bam abakhulu,” watsho ebulisa ezinye izilwanyana. “Nilonwabele eli langa lithe qhakra kamnandi namhlanje. Sezelani umoya omyoli. Nikhangele kuyo yonke indawo de nifumane okona kutya kunencasa,” watsho ngelizwi elinobuhlobo obubaxiweyo.

Kaloku, uMvolofu wayeza kutya esinye sezo zilwanyana njengesopholo ngobo busuku! Wagqiba ekubeni angatyi nto imini yonke. Wayeza kuthi ke, phaya emva kwemini, alambe kakhulu aze aphume aye kuzingela eyona nyama inencasa. Ekugqibeleni, wakhwaza, “Nibe nemini emnandi, bahlobo! Sakuphinda sibonane.” Wathi qhuzu ehleka yedwa njengoko wayehamba.

UMvolofu wayedumzela eziculela ingoma yovuyo njengoko wayenkcunkca esiya kwidama ezisela amanzi kulo izilwanyana. Amanzi ayecwengile kwaye epholile. Wasela kangangoko anako. Emva koko wakhangela indawo aza kulala kuyo kwingca efukufuku ephantsi kwethunzi lomthi omkhulu oluhlaza.

UMvolofu waphupha kamnandi eza kutya ukutya okuluncuthu ngalo mini. Ngokuqinisekileyo yayiza kuba liqatha lenyama egcadiweyo elilingana nelikaKumkani uNgonyama ngobukhulu! UMvolofu wancuma yedwa esebuthongweni.

Lithe ilanga xa litshona  uMvolofu wavuka ebuthongweni bakhe. Wazolula ezolulile egxotha ubuthongo kulo mzimba wakhe ulambileyo. Emva koko wakhamisa waza waphinda wawuvala umlomo wakhe kaliqela ukuze alolonge umhlathi wakhe ukuze akwazi ukuluma ixhoba lakhe kwindawo efanelekileyo.

“Hay’ ke, lixesha lokuba ndiyokhangela isopholo yam,” watsho uMvolofu. “Ndilambe ngathi ndinguMvolofu, he-he-he,” wahleka de umzimba wakhe wadlikidleka.

Kangangomzuzwana, uMvolofu wazibuza ukuba uza kuya kweliphi icala. Athini aye ekhohlo okanye ekunene xa efika kula mithi mide? Wabona ilitye elisicaba kwingca ethambileyo. Elinye icala lalingwevu, elinye limnyama. “Hekeee!” wakhwaza. “Ndiza kuphosa eli litye emoyeni, xa liwe ngombala ongwevu ndiya ekhohlo ibe xa liwe ngomnyama ndiya ekunene.” Ilitye lawa ngomnyama. Ngoko, ngaphandle kokulibazisa, uMvolofu wajika waya ekunene xa efika kwimithi emide. Wayetsibatsiba ngalo milenze yakhe njengoko wayenkcunkca etyhubela kuloo mithi.

Kungekudala emva koko, uMvolofu wabona isilwanyana sokuqala esasinokuba lixhoba lakhe – impuku encinci engwevu yasendle.

“Hayi, incinci,” wacinga watsho uMvolofu. “Ayinakwanela nokuba sisiqalo

sesidlo sam.”

UMvolofu wankcunkca edlula, waza wabona ivukuthu. Eli vukuthu lalihleli phambi komthi omkhulu, linqola umhlaba othambileyo likhangela imibungu.

“Mmmm, hayi soze,” wacinga ngelitshoyo uMvolofu. “Lincinci kakhulu, ndilambe nyhani! Ndiza kuba nomonde. Masibone ukuba ndiza kufumana ntoni phaya edamini ezisela kulo izilwanyana.”

Njengoko uMvolofu wayesondela kwidama ezisela kulo izilwanyana wenza umkhulungwane ovakalisa uvuyo. Waphantse wangxola kakhulu! Kanye apho, phambi kwamehlo akhe, wabona umbono owawungakholeleki. Zonke iindidi zezilwanyana ezingalinganiyo ngobukhulu zazisela amanzi.

“Ngoku,” wacinga watsho uMvolofu, “kuza kufuneka ndisebenzise amaqhinga.”

Wachwechwa esondela waza walinda. Emva koko wasondela nangakumbi erhubuluza ngesisu. Kwakufuneka alumke kuba izilwanyana zineempumlo ezibukhali ibe wayengafuni kubhaqwa nasesinye. UMvolofu warhubuluza edlula kwisiqwenga sokugqibela sengca ende. Wayengakwazi nokuphefumla yimincili kuba kanye apho phambi kwakhe, kwakukho ithole lebhadi elalisela amanzi lizolile.

“Heke,” uMvolofu wasebeza esitsho. “Ngoku lela litye litsolo emanzini amenyezelayo kuphela phakathi kwam nesidlo sam.”

Uthe xa uMvolofu elitsibela, wacimela, wakhamisa waza waluma ngamandla. Kodwa kanye ngelo xesha, watyiwa yinyosi encamini yempumlo.

“Aaaawhu!” uMvolofu wenza umkhulungwane esiva iintlungu. Loo nyosi yayimtye kakhulu! Kodwa eyona ndawo yayibuhlungu ngumqala wakhe. “Kwenzeka ntoni kanti? Inyosi ayindityanga emqaleni nje!”

Emva koko uMvolofu wabona ukuba ela litye litsolo lalixinge emqaleni wakhe. Wayeliphosile elo bhadi waza waginya ilitye elitsolo endaweni yalo!

“Akwaba bendingacimelanga!” wagcuma watsho enomsindo njengoko wayenkcunkca esimka egwencele umsila.

Kwelinye icala ledama, zonke izilo zazihleli zenze umkrozo njengababukeli ababhatele ukubukela umboniso othile. Zayithanda yonke into eyayehlele uMvolofu. Zamthi waaa ngentsini zimhleka. Ezinye ezincinci zaziziqikaqika phantsi zonwabe nyhani.

“Isopholo yelitye!” wagquma watsho uKumkani uNgonyama, ephelile yintsini. “Namhlanje, into kaMvolofu ifunde kabuhlungu!”

Emva koko laduma lonke ihlathi njengoko zonke izilwanyana zazigigitheka yintsini. Zahleka de kwashukuma umhlaba. Umhlaba washukuma kakhulu phantsi komzimba kaMvolofu kangangokuba ilitye laphuncuka laza lapoqa emlonyeni wakhe. Izilwanyana ezikwidama ekuselwa kulo zeva umkhulungwane otsholo phantsi mgama. Zonke zancumelana, laza ihlathi lathi cwaka kwaye kwaphinda kwakhona uxolo.

Yenza ibali linike umdla!

• Uziva njani ngento eyenzeka kuMvolofu? Ngaba uyamsizela okanye awumsizeli? Ngaba bekuya kuba bhetele kuwe ukuba uMvolofu ebelibambile ithole lebhadi?
• UKumkani uNgonyama uthi uMvolofu ufunde isifundo. Ucinga ukuba sesiphi isifundo asifundileyo uMvolofu?
• Ngaba kwakha kwafuneka ufunde kabuhlungu nawe? Waziva njani xa ufunda eso sifundo?