Unina kaDimpho noSello wayenenkinga. “Izinyawo zami bezizwakala sengathi ziyizitina zeqhwa izolo ebusuku!” etshela izingane ngomunye uMsombuluko ekuseni. “Bezibanda ngale ndlela yokuthi angikwazanga ukulala. Manje sengikhathele kakhulu!” 

“Ngiyazi!” kwasho uSello. “Kungani ungagqoki amasokisi embhedeni namuhla ebusuku?” 

“Yisu elihle lelo!” kwasho uMama. “Izingane zami zihlakaniphe kabi!” 

Ngalobo busuku, wafaka amasokisi alugqinsi kakhulu nantofontofo. “U-Anti Thoko wangipha la masokisi ngoKhisimusi,” kusho yena. “Afudumele ngempela! Ngizolala kahle namuhla ebusuku!” 

 Kodwa-ke uMama wayenephutha. NgoLwesibili ekuseni, wayekhathele futhi. 

“Angilalanga nhlobo,” waphefumulela phezulu. “Uma nje ngingafudumeza lezi zilima zezinyawo zami ezibandayo!” 

“Mama,” kwasho uDimpho, “kungani ungafaki izinyawo zakho emanzini ashisayo isikhashana ngaphambi kokuthi uyolala namuhla ebusuku?” 

“Lokho kufanele kengikuzame!” kwasho uMama. “Ngiyabonga!” 

Ngemuva kwesidlo sakusihlwa ngalobo busuku, uMama wathela amanzi ashisayo endishini enkulu ebomvu. “Mmmm, kwaze kwamnandi lokhu!” kwasho yena, eyaluzisa izinyawo zakhe. “Ngikholwa ukuthi ngizolala kahle ebusuku namhlanje.” 

Kodwa-ke awuqagele ukuthini? NgoLwesithathu ekuseni, wayekhathele futhi. “Ekuqaleni bekukuhle kakhulu,” kwasho yena, “kodwa ngemuva kwamahora ambalwa, kwaba yiyona leyo ndaba endala efanayo … izinyawo ezibanda mo! Kuzofanele ngicabange okunye. Yidlani niqede, manje! Sekuyisikhathi sokuya esikoleni!” 

Kwathi lapho uMama efika ekhaya ebuya emsebenzini ebusuku bangalelo langa, uDimpho wabe enezindaba ezimnandi. “Uthisha wami uthi ukuphuza itiye likajinja kukwenza ufudumale yonke indawo,” kuchaza yena. “Itiye likajinja lizozifudumeza izinyawo zakho!” 

“Kulungile,” kwasho uMama. Wayengezwakali ejabule kangako nokho. Ngemuva kobusuku obuningi engalali ngokwanele, wayesezizwa enokudinwa kakhulu! 

Kodwa uMama akakhohlwanga ukuthi uDimpho wayekade etheni. NgoMgqibelo ekuseni, ngaphambi kokuthi ahambe aye emsebenzini, uMama wacela izingane ukuthi zihambe ziyothenga ujinja. “Akukho lutho olungisizile,” kwasho yena, ngenkathi elungela ukuya emsebenzini. “Mhlawumbe ujinja uzosiza nje!” 

Zahamba izingane. “Ubukani, Sello?” kwabuza uDimpho ngenkathi befika emgwaqeni omkhulu eduze kwasezitolo. USello akaphendulanga. Wayegqolozele into ethile eseduze. “Sello!” kwasho uDimpho futhi. “Bamba isandla sami. Kumele sinqamule umgwaqo manje.” 

 “Hhayi okwamanje!” kwasho uSello. “Bheka laphaya! Kumele silisize leliya kati!” Ngaphambi kokuthi uDimpho amvimbe, uSello wayesegijimile waqhela. 

Endaweni engenalutho, abafana ababili abalingana noSello ngokweminyaka babegcona ikati elimpunga. Bahleka. Ikati bandla lalizama ukuphunyula. 

USello wayenezwi elikhulu elizwakalayo ekubeni engumfana omncane. “YEKELANI LEYO NTO!” kwamemeza yena. “Yekelani lelo kati!” 

 “Yebo, liyekeleni!” kwasho uDimpho. 

 Abafana baphakamisa amakhanda babheka. “Siliyekeleni?” kwasho omunye wabo ngokunengwa, kodwa omunye umfana walidedela ikati elalethukile. “Nihlushwe yini vele? Yisilima nje lesi sekati elingenakhaya! Woza, Jabu, masihambe!” 

Ngenkathi umama kaDimpho noSello ebuya ntambama ngalelo langa, akazange awakholwe amehlo akhe. Izingane zakhe zaziphulula ikati elimpunga elinoboya obuntofontofo. Ikati lalikhalakhala, lizikhotha. UMama wabona ukuthi babekade belifunza inyama eyayikade isele. 

“Kwenzekani ngempela la?” wabuza ngokuthukuthela. “Nisiletheleni leso silwane lapha ekhaya? Sisuseni lapha njengamanje!” 

“Kodwa Mama, liyana phandle,” kwasho uSello. “UKhithi uzoba manzi! Siyacela ukuthi simgcine, okwanamuhla ebusuku nje! SIYACELA!”  

UMama wabuka phandle efasiteleni. Impela kwabe kuyiqiniso. Ngenkathi ephuma etekisini, kwakukhona amafu ampunga esibhakabhakeni. Manje lase liyithela. “Kulungile,” washo eqinisa izindebe zomlomo, “kodwa kusasa, ikati liyahamba.” 

 “Siyabonga, Mama!” kusho izingane zombili. 

“Hhuuu,” kwasho uMama. Wahlala phansi, wakhumula izicathulo zakhe, wayesehlikihla izinyawo zakhe. “Uphi lowaya jinja eningithengele wona?” kwabuza yena. “Sekuyisikhathi senkomishi yami yokuqala yetiye likajinja!” 

Izingane zabukana ngamehlo amakhulu, ayizindilinga. Zazikhohliwe ukuthenga ujinja! UMama wacasuka kakhulu. Wayelokhu ecasukile ubusuku bonke. Kwathi kungacoceka kahle ekhishini, waqonda ngqo embhedeni.  

NgeSonto ekuseni, ngenkathi uDimpho noSello bevuka, unina wayengabonwa nangalukhalo. Bamangele nje – phela njalo nje wayesheshe avuke. Nekati futhi abazange balibone. 

“Ake sibheke ukuthi kuhamba kahle yini kuMama,” kwasho uDimpho. Ngokucophelela bavula umnyango wekamelo lakhe, base belunguza. Ucabanga ukuthi babona ini? UMama wayelele embhedeni, ebukeka evilapha nje. Ikati lalizisonge ezinyaweni zakhe, likhala ngokuzwakalayo. 

“Sanibonani,” kwasho uMama. “Baze babuhle ubusuku! Ekugcineni zafudumala izinyawo!” Wabuka ikati. “Ngicabanga ukuthi kuzofanele sikugcine!” washo elitshela. “Masikubize ngoJinja!” Ikati elimpunga elinoboya obuntofontofo, lathi mnyawu kakhudlwana. 

Izingane zahleka, zashaya izandla, zagxumagxuma. Emva kwalokho uSello wama. Wayehlinile. “Kodwa, kungani silibiza ngoJinja?” kubuza yena. 

“Kulungile,” kwasho uMama, “phela nina nobabili nihambile naya esitolo niyothenga ujinja, kodwa esikhundleni sawo nibuye naleli kati. Ligcine izinyawo zami zifudumele njengoba noDimpho ubekade ethe itiye likajinja lizokwenza njalo, ngakho igama lalo nguJinja!” 

Nebala balibiza kanjalo-ke.