Minazana ithile, ekunabeni kwamathunzi, kwifama ethile yenkomo. Iimazi ezithile kumhlambi weenkomo zazisele zinamathole. UWabizwa wayengowenani kwezo zinamathole, esisaqhaga phakathi kwee ntsengwanekazi. Igama lethole lakhe inguBonita. UBonita ke yena uhlobo awayezenza mdala ngalo wachitha imini namathole anonyaka ubudala kuye, ezitshomanisa nawo. U-Orphan wayelelinye lamathole akhethekileyo kuBonita, nowathi wazakhela ubuhlobo naye. Koko kunaba kwamathunzi wathi gqi! UMalusi neenkomo zakhe esuka nazo emadlelweni. Ezonkomo zazikhokhelwe ziindlezana zingxamile kwaye amabele ebhonxile lubisi. UWabizwa wayekhokhele kologqatso lwee mazi, esitsho ngamabele angathembisiyo tuu ngobisi. Wakhala esitsho Mhooooooooo! Zatsho zalandelisa nezinye iimazi ngesikhalo esatsho kwatshekula amathole ayevalelelwe ebiyelwe ngocingo kwidlelo elilinyiweyo, atyhudisana ukuya kusango ledlelo. UBonita zange abe ngowenani kulawo ayetshekula ebona oonina, ababesele bemi ngaphandle kosango ledlelo. “Awuvuyi na wena?” watsho u-Orphan ehesha izinambuzane ngaloo msilana wakhe. “Ndivuyelani” waphendula ngelo uBonita esithi, “Thelekisa amabele wabanye ooMama nakaMama wam”. “Ndiyabona akohlisanga” – “Ndivuyelani ke?” wabuyisa ngaloo mbuzo uBonita. “Xa engohlisanga akuthethi ukuba abanalo ubisi” eziphendulela u-Orphan. “Kodwa akandonelisi tuu!” watsho uBonita ezonywaya amagxa la, edakumbile. “Ulindele ubisi lodwa na kuMama wakho?” – “Ukuba bekungenjalo ngendingasaphili” wamangaliseka u-Orphan yile mpendulo kaBonita. “Uyaphila nje!” – “Ngoku?” waphendula esithi u-Orphan, “Akubisi lodwa oludingayo ukuze uphile. UMama wakho uyakunika uthando. Uyakukhusela kwizinja ezifuna ukutya. Uyakukhusela nakumaxhalanga afuna ukutya uphila. (wancuma u-Orphan) Khawuzijonge ukuba unjani – udlaka dlaka, uboya bakho buhlabe umkhozi. Udinga yena akukhothe ngolwalwimi lunemimangaliso, lukubethe ubengezele” “Kodwa kunjalo akandonelisi wethu” – “Mamela Bonita. Umama wakho akanako usoloko ezanelisa zonke iimfuno zakho. Uthi ezama ukwandisa apha, kunciphe phayaa, yonke lento yenza isangqa. Ayihambeli ndawo” wamcebise ngelo u-Orphan umhlobo wakhe. “Uthini ngabanye aba bahlutha qho! Bancanca ubisi de babhukuxe?” – “UnguBonita wena. Awungabongo abanye. Mbulele uMama wakho ngoko akwaziyo ukwenzela kona, ezinye izinto zingaphaya komlinganiselo wamandla wakhe”. Kweli ilixa u-Orphan wayekhotha uBonita emane ukuhesha izimpukane nezinye izinambuzane. Ezidlidla intloko kubhakuzele ezo ndlebe zinkulu, kutsho kuphume nezo bezingaphakathi kwezo ndlebe. “Yima ke ndikuxelele ngobam ubom. Abantu besithi, ‘ithole linyathela apho anyathele khona unina’ nje, andazi ukuba loo ntetho indibeka ndawuni mna” – “Andikuva ke ngoku” watsho ngomdla uBonita. “UMama andinaye. Wandishiya egqiba kundizala, wandikhotha nje waphuma umphefumlo. Ndikhule ngobisi, ndiluncanciswa ngetiti. Nditye ingca ndisemncinci, ngenxa yaloo meko, kodwa kunjalo ndiyambulela uMama ngokundithanda” – “Wazi njani ukuba wayekuthanda?” wabuza uBonita. “Ukuba wayengandithandi wayendikhothelani? Wena uswele umbulelo kuMama wakho qha! UMama wakho uyakuthanda: Akakuhlabi ngempondo xa ufuna ukuncanca, Akakukhabi ngamanqina xa uncancayo, Akakhonkxwa xa kufuneka uncancile, Uyakukhusela kwizinja xa zikhonkotha zifuna ukudla ngaphezulu koko uyakukhusela kumaxhalanga afuna ukudla uphila. Uyakucoca – awunantongo, awunabuthuku, awanyembezi namifinya! Uthini ngabo bangathandwayo? Usithini ngabo bangenabo ooMama?”. Wacacisa ngelithi u-Orphan, “Ndizama ukuthi uMama wakho uyakuthanda. Ubengowokuqala nokuma kwelasango ledlelo. Lisebenzise elithutyana usaphila naye, kuba useza kumdinga” Weza ngomva u-Orphan waphinda waguquka ngesaqhuphe. “Tyhini uselapha! Bendiba ndawuthi ndiphethuka ube sele umi esangweni nje ngamanye amathole” – “Uxolo wethu. Khange ndazi ukuba awusenaye uMama” – “Uthi kutheni ndingenaso nje isichela oontanga bam benazo? Uthi kutheni ndingu Orphan? Andinaye uMama kwaye ndiyinkedama. U – Orphan lo uthetha ukuthi ‘Nkedama’. Ndikunika umsebenzi wokuba uzifune uzazi ke nawe. Ngapha koko unyuse loo msilana wakho ugqotse uye esangweni uxelise amanye amathole. Wamkele, uthande umhloniphe uMama wakho – ungamhlukumezi kuba xa sele esusiwe phambili kwamehlo ‘ akho uyakuzisola ubom bakho bonke”. Zadibanisa intloko zicwaya ukuxhawulana. Wanyusa loo msila ngokwenene uBonita, wagqotsa wenjenjeya ukuya kwisango ledlelo evuyela unina. Wathi uMalusi ewavulela amathole ewadibanisa noonina, wabe engowokuqala ukuphuma kwelo sango uBonita. Wafika wancanca, unina wamnukisa ezama ukukhangela ukuba yintwazana yakhe ngokwenene kusini na le. Walandelisa ngokumkhotha. Kumhla wonela uBonita lolobisi likanina belufudula luluncinci, saphela isingqala nokungoneliseki. Wamthanda wambulela unina. Emva kwexesha elide betsala – tsalana naloo mibele, kwafikelela ixesha lokuba akethwe kwakhona amathole khona ukuze uMalusi asenge ngentsasa yosuku olulandelayo. Athi xa ekhethwa wabe uBonita ewenzile umsebenzi obewunikwe ngu – Orphan. Yaba yincoko yokuqala kwiincoko zabo. “UMama wathi ndinguBonita. Isizathu sesokuba kwaBonita kuyasengwa kwaye iimazi zakhona ziintsengwanekazi. UMama undiphe eli gama ingumnqweno wakhe ukuba ze ndifuze ezo mazi zakwaBonita, ndikwazi ukwanelisa abazukulwane bakhe ngenye imini. Ndingafani naye” – “Uyabona ke ukuba iinjongo zakhe ngawe zinje ngobusi. Luthando lomzali olo, noxa engenako ukwanelisa kuzo zonke iimfuno zakho kodwa usoloko ekunqwenelela izinto ezinje ngobusi ebomini bakho” Wagqibezela ngelithi u – Orphan, “Mna zange ndithiywe nguMama. Ndathiywa nguMalusi, endithiya ngaphandle kweminqweno, koko ngento endiyiyo (yatsho yakhotha ezontupha zayo lanto) Uyabona ukuba uThixo wayemnikile ithuba uMama, ngendingengo – Orphan namhlanje”.