Kwasukasukela, kwakukhona unogwaja onejubane. Emandulo kwakukhona unogwaja owawugijima kunazo zonke ezinye izilwane epulazini. Wayeziqhenya kakhulu impela ngokuthi uyazehlula ezinye izilwane epulazini ngokugijima.
Wayengakwazi nokuzibamba elokhu exoxela ezinye izilwane ukuthi ungumgijimi ovelele yena. “Ngigijima ngishiye nesithunzi,” wayeqhoshela ngokuphindelela umngani wakhe, ugwinsi. Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni unogwaja nogwinsi bahlangana esangweni elingena ensimini yasepulazini. Akuthathanga isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuthi unogwaja aqale ukuchoma, “Ngingumgijimi ohamba phambili emhlabeni wonke. Ngigijima ngishiye isithunzi.” “Hhayi uma kukhona mina,” kusho ugwinsi ngokuzethemba. Waqhubeka wathi, “Nami ngingagijima ngikushiye.”
“Njengoba ushaya ngonyawo lonwabu nje?” Wahleka inhlinini. “Angiboni ukuthi ungagijima ungishiye.” Ugwinsi wathi ukucabanga isikhashana. Wase ekhulumela phansi, “Kulungile! Asibone ukuthi ubani ogijima ukudlula omunye. Singaqhudelana ngokugijima kusasa. Sizogijima sisuke kuleli sango siye ezansi nensimu siphinde sibuye futhi.” “Usho kozwayo,” kusho unogwaja. “Angeke ngizihluphe nokuthi ngijime ukuze ngikuhlule, shoti.” “Uzobona,” kusho ugwinsi. “Awunayo imilenze emide yokuwina umqhudelwano, uyazi. Sizohlangana kuleli sango kusasa, emva nje kokuphuma kwelanga. Ngizophumelela kumqhudelwano. Kumele ungithembise ukuthi uma sengiphumelele kumqhudelwano ngeke uphinde ungibize ngo shoti.” “Kulungile,” kuvuma unogwaja ngokukhulu ukuzethemba.
Ugwinsi waxoxela umfowabo omdala ngomqhudelwano, “O nkosi yami,” kusho umfowabo, “wenze iphutha elikhulu. Kazi yini ekwenze ukuthi uvume ukwenza into engasoze yenzeka? Unogwaja ugijima ashiye nesithunzi. Manje usezokwazi ukukubiza ngoshoti impilo yakho yonke.” “Ungakhathazeki,” kusho ugwinsi. “Nginecebo elihle kakhulu. Uma ungangisiza, singafundisa unogwaja isifundo. Kuzomele ayeke ukuziphakamisa futhi ngeke aphinde akwazi ukungibiza ngoshoti.”
Ngosuku olulandelayo ugwinsi wafika kuqala kunonogwaja esangweni. Njengenjwayelo, kwathatha ugwinsi isikhathi eside ukuba afike lapho, kodwa wayelinde ngokuzethemba. Unogwaja wafika egxumagxuma ngaphambi kokuba kuphume ilanga. “Sawubona shoti. Ingabe usafuna ukuqhudelana nami? Angithi uyazi ukuthi awunalo nethuba elincane lokuwina. Ngabe usukulungele ukwehlulwa? Khumbula ukuthi, ngigijima ngishiye nesithunzi,” kusho unogwaja.
UNogwaja wayeqinisekile ukuthi uzowina kangangokuthi wayeseqale nokucabanga ngamagama amasha azobiza ngawo ugwinsi ngemuva komqhudelwano. Ugwinsi wayengenavalo ngisho esemile emgqeni wokuqala komqhudelwano. “Asiqinisekise imithetho,” kusho yena. “Sizogijima siye ezansi nensimu, bese sibuyela kuleli sango, angithi?” “Yebo,” kuvuma unogwaja. Wase ememeza, “Zilingise! Phakama! Gijima!” Wasuka ngelikhulu ijubane. Wathi engafika ezansi nensimu, wayengakwazi nokuzibamba ukuhleka. “Kungenzeka ukuthi ugwinsi usazama ukusuka.” Unogwaja wayezibuza eziphendula, ejabulela ukuthi usewinile.
Ugwinsi wavele wathi qhamuthushu ezansi nensimu ethokozile wamemeza wathi, “Ngifike kuqala kunawe!” Unogwaja wama isikhashana. Wase ephenduka ebuyela emuva ngesivinini esikhulu kunaleso ebegijima ngaso ekuqaleni. Wayengavamisanga ukuhefuzela nokuba nephika, kodwa wayehefuzela ephethwe nayiphika futhi ejuluka ngesikhathi ethinta isango. Wajeqeza emuva kwamahlombe akhe. Wayengabonakali nangokhalo ugwinsi. Kuleli hlandla, wayeqinisekile ukuthi wayewinile. Kwase kuzwakala izwi lothokozile ngaphesheya kwesango. “Ngiphindile futhi, ngafika la kuqala kunawe!” Kwakuyinto eyayingeke yenzeke! Kodwa nango phela ugwinsi, emumamathekela kamnandi. Unogwaja akawakholwanga amehlo akhe. Ugwinsi wayemshiyile. Waphenduka kancane wase ehamba kancane ebuyela ekhaya egobise ikhanda.
Kodwa ugwinsi wayemshiye kanjani unogwaja? Eqinisweni ukuthi akazange agijime nhlobo. Ngesikhathi unogwaja egijima eya ezansi nensimu, ugwinsli ucashe eduze nesango. Umfowabo ubesecashe ezansi ensimini. Ngesikhathi unogwaja efika ezansi ensimini, umfowabo lo owathi thushu wathi, “Ngifike kuqala kunawe!”
UNogwaja wayemangele kangangokuthi akazange abone ukuthi kwakuyinhloli ehlukile. Ngesikhathi uNogwaja efika endaweni yokuphela komqhudelwano, ehefuzela ephethwe iphika futhi ejuluka, inye kuphela into okwamele ukuthi uNhloli ayenze kwakuwukuphuma ngokuthula lapho ayecashe khona bese ethi, “Ngiphindile futhi, ngafika kuqala kunawe!” UNogwaja azange aphinde aziqhenye futhi aqhoshe ngejubane lakhe. Waba ngumngani omkhulu kagwinsi futhi akaze aphinde ambize ngokuthi ushoti. Kuze kube manje akaze athole ukuthi ugwinsi wawuwina kanjani umqhudelwano.
Cosu cosu yaphela.