UMnumzane uNtshe wayenomusa futhi emnene futhi wayemthanda kakhulu uNkosikazi uNtshe. Wayehlala emsiza ngalezo zinto okwakumele azenze.

Ngelinye ilanga, uNkosikazi uNtshe wazalela amaqanda ayisikhombisa esidlekeni sakhe esasisemgodini ongenalutho. Washaya amaphiko ache wase ehlala kuwo ukuze awagcine efudumele. Wahlala izinsuku eziningi egade amaqanda.

“Nkosikazi uNtshe othandekayo,” kusho umyeni wakhe ngelinye ilanga ebusuku, “sewufukamele amaqanda ethu izinsuku eziningi. Izimpaphe zami ezimnyama sezimnyama njengobusuku. Angeke ngibonakale ebusuku, ngakho ngizogada amaqanda ethu ebusuku. Ngizokugcinela wona efudumele. Manje usuzokwazi ukuba nesikhathi sakho. Ungazithokozisa kuze kuphume ilanga ekuseni.”

UNkosikazi uNtshe wayethokoze kakhulu. Wayefuna ukulula imilenze yakhe. Wasukuma kwase kuhlala uMnumzane uNtshe ngobukhulu ubudlabha ukuze amboze amaqanda. UNkosikazi uNtshe washaya amaphiko ache ukuze akhombise ukuthi wayethokoze kangakanani. Wase ehamba eyodansa emasimini ayeseduze nesidleke sabo.

UMnumzane noNkosikazi uNtshe babekhethe indawo yesidleke sabo ngokukhulu ukucophelela. Babazi ukuthi kule ndawo kuzoba nzima ukubona uNkosikazi uNtshe ngesikhathi ehleli esidlekeni emini. Phela ngalezo zinsuku izintshe zazinemiqala emifishane efana neyempangele. Ngakho, uma ukude, lapho ikhanda lakhe liphansi, umama wentshe wayebukeka njengegqunyana eliphansi. Babekhethe le nsimu eyayinotshani obufushane, ngoba kudala babefunde ukuthi esikhotheni esinotshani obude babengahlaselwa ngaphambi

kokuba bazi ukuthi kukhona ingozi ekhona. Ngoba babekhethe kahle, babekwazi ukubona yonke into.

UMnumzane noNkosikazi uNtshe babekwazi futhi nokugcina amaqanda abo ephephile emililweni eyayishisa inkundla ngesinye isikhathi. Babekhiphe ngokucophelela utshani ukuze kube nesiyingi esikhulu somhlabathi onobhuqu ozungeze isidleke sabo. UMnumzane noNkosikazi uNtshe babethokoze kakhulu ngesidleke sabo esihle, esiphephile kanye namaqanda ayisikhombisa.

Kodwa njengoba uMnumzane uNtshe wayefukamele ebusuku, kwakukhona enye into eyayimenza akhathazeke. Unkosikazi wakhe wayethokoza kakhulu ensimini laphaya. Wayedansa, amaphiko akhe endizela phezulu, futhi kwakungabukeki sengathi uyedwa.

“Wenzani?” kucabanga uMnumzane uNtshe. Akumele ukuba adanse azungeze kanjeyana. Usengumama manje futhi kumele agade amaqanda. Kodwa njengobaba omuhle kumele anyakazise umzimba wakhe phansi ukuze amboze amaqanda futhi awagcine efudumele. Wase ehlala phansi esemlindelweni omude wobusuku ngesikhathi unkosikazi wakhe edlala emasimini.

Ngobunye ubusuku, inyanga esasiliva yenza amathunzi axakile ensimini. Izithunzi zazibukeka sengathi ziyadansa. UMnumzane uNtshe wayesozela kakhulu. Amehlo akhe ayeseqala ukuvaleka lapho ezwa ukuhleka komkakhe. Kwaphela nobuthongo lapho ezwa lokho. Wabheka phezulu.

Ekuqaleni akabonanga lutho. Walula umqala wakhe omfushane waya phezulu ngendlela ayengase akwazi ukuthi enze ngayo, wase embona. UNkosikazi uNtshe wayedansa otshanini, phakathi kwezihlahla edlala umacashelana negeza lentshe esencane. Lapho esecashe ngesihlahla, welula intamo yakhe yaya phezulu ngendlela ayengakwazi ukuthi enze ngayo ukuze aqinisekise ukuthi umyeni wakhe wayesahleli phezu kwamaqanda abo.

UMnumzane uNtshe wayethukuthele. Wasukuma esidlekeni wayobheka ukuthi kwakwenzekani, kodwa waphinde wahlala phansi futhi. Wayengakwazi ukushiya amaqanda. Kwakuzokwenzekani uma amaqanda egodola ngesikhathi esahambile? Ngakho welula amaphiko akhe phezu kwamaqanda wase elula intamo yakhe yaya phezulu kakhulu ezama ukubona lokho okwenziwa unkosikazi wakhe.

Njalo emva kwesikhathi esithile wayezwa unkosikazi wakhe egigitheka. Njalo emva kwesikhashana wayebona izithunzi zidansa ensimini kunyezi. Njalo uma ebona isithunzi, wayelula intamo yakhe iye phezulu ngendlela ayengenza ngayo. Kodwa yilokho kuphela eyekwazi ukukwenza ngenxa yokuthi kwakumele agcine amaqanda efudumele.

Ekugcineni, ubusuku obude kakhulu baze baphela lapho sekuphuma ilanga. Ngesikhathi kwenzeka lokho, uMnumzane uNtshe wayembona unkosikazi wakhe lapho esebuya ezohlala phezu kwamaqanda imini yonke. UMnumzana wazama ukusukuma, kodwa wazizwa engakwazi ukusukuma. Zazibuhlungu izicubu zentamo yakhe.

Ekugcineni wakwazi ukusukuma. Wayesathi uzotshela umkakhe ukuthi uthukuthele kanjani, lapho ebheka izinyawo zakhe ezansi. Zazibukeka zikude le nekhanda lakhe. Ekugcineni wazi ukuthi kwenzekeni – ngalobu busuku obude wayelule intamo yakhe yaya phezulu, yaphinde yaya phezulu, yaphinde yaya phezulu futhi.

Wanikina ikhanda lakhe. Wagxoba phansi ngezinyawo zakhe, kodwa noma wayezama ukwenzani intamo yahlala inde. Ayikho into ayeyenza eyayingashintsha lokhu. Unkosikazi wakhe yena? Naye futhi wayenentamo ende! Naye wazama ukunikina ikhanda lakhe kanye nokugxoba phansi ngezinyawo zakhe, kodwa akuzange kusize lokhu. Wayelule waphinde welula intamo yakhe ukuze abone ukuthi umyeni wakhe wayesahlezi yini phezu kwamaqanda abo!

Kwenzeka kanjalo-ke ukuthi uMnumzane noNkosikazi uNtshe babe nezintamo ezinde! Futhi yingakho kusukela ngalobo busuku ubona yonke intshe inentamo ende futhi.