Kwasukasukela…
Kwakukhona indlulamithi kanye nempungushe. Zombili lezi zilwane zazithandana, zingabangani futhi zichitha isikhathi esiningi ndawonye njengoba zazingabangani. Ngolunye usuku impungushe yezwa inkemane. “Woza sambe mngani wami,” esho kumngani wakhe indlulamithi. “Mngani wami asihambe, asiye lapha ngaphesheya emasimini siyofuna okuya ngasethunjini.” “Umbono omuhle lowo, asinikele khona mngani wami”, kusho indlulamithi iconsa amathe. Indlulamithi yabe isicabanga nje ukudla okumnandi ezokudla. Bobabili laba bangani akukho okwakusemqondweni yabo ngaphandle kokudla abaya kukho, futhi base bexoxa ngakho kuphela. Ngesikhathi indlulamithi nempungushe bewela umfula, impungushe yakotela entanyeni yendlulamithi, phela impungushe yona yayingakwazi ukubhukuda.
Bathi bengafika ngaphesheya komfula, kwadingeka omunye nomunye asebenzise ubuhlakani ukuze bathole ukudla. Impungushe ubuhlakani bayo kwaba ukuvula imbobo ocingweni obubiyele amasimu ngamazinyo ayo abukhali. Ngemva kwalokho impungushe kanye nendlulamithi bachusha ngalowo potsho abawenzile, bangena ensimini enokudla, bempintsha ngokuthula ocingweni. Impungushe yantshontsha amaqanda amahlanu esidlekeni sesikhukhukazi, kanti indlulamithi yona yayizithathele iklabishi.
Indlulamithi yaqhubeka nokuzidlela, yathi isadla ibhece, impungushe yaphakamisa ikhanda, yabuka umngani wayo kwazise phela yayiyinde kakhulu indlulamithi. Indlulamithi yayalela impungushe ukuthi ithule ngoba isezocula, ibonge ukudla. “Usho ukuthini uma uthi usuzoshaya umzwilili, angithule?”, kubuza impungushe inokudideka. “Ngiyacula njalo uma sengiqedile ukudla, yindlela yami yokubonga.” “Cula phela ubanjwe yini!”, kusho impungushe ngezwi elikhahlayo. Phela impungushe yayazi kahle ukuthi umnikazi wamasimu uma engabafica lapha kungaba yinkinga enkulu. “Yehlisa ulaka ngizocula khona manje mngani wami,” kusho indlulamithi, isahlafuna ukudla okusemlonyeni. “Sizoba senkingeni uma kungafika umnikazi wamasimu silapha.”
Kusho impungushe: “Kahle ukuba netwatwa mngani, akekho umnikazi walapha, indawo yethu le.” Ngemuva nje kokusho kanjalo yabe isiyacula indlulamithi. Phela indlulamithi yayicula kuzwakale nakude ngoba yinde, izwi lifika nasekudeni. “Ngiyabonga ngisuthiiiiiiii!”, kucula indlulamithi. Impungushe nayo yazishayela owayo umkhulungwane, yayingafuni ukuthi umngani wayo acule yedwa. Umnikazi wensimu wezwa impungushe ishaya umkhulungwane. Kwavele kwamcacela nge ukuthi izodla izitshalo zakhe. Wadonsa induku yakhe enkulu wanikela ngalapho ezwa ngakhona umkhulungwane. Impungushe ungafunga ukuthi yayimhogela yambona esebuqamama. Impungushe yavele yangamalala khona lapho, yathi tshope ngopotsho ebingene ngawo, ayibhekanga nasemuva ukubona ukuthi umngani wayo uyaphuma yini.
Indlulamithi yayingazi nokuthi lidumephi, ngemuva kokucula yaqhubeka nokuzidlela ibhece. Yaphaphama umnikazi wensimu eseseduze. Yathi izama ukubaleka imilenze yangavuma, kwazise isisuthi. Waze wafika kuyo umnikazi wensimu. “Nqi! Wabanjwa mpukane, kanti nguwe lo ontshontsha ukudla kwami.” Umlimi akapholisanga maseko wabe eseyishaya ngenduku. Indlulamithi kunzima nokuthi ibaleke iphume ngoba ingene kanzima lapha. Ekugcineni yaphunyuka indlulamithi, yaphunyuka isimidwayidwa umzimba wonke mivimbo yenduku. Yaqhugela emfuleni lapho impungushe yayihobe khona ngaphansi kwesihlahla. “Awumngani walutho wena!” kusho indlulamithi, ithukuthele igane unwabu. “Usibambisile ngomkhulungwane wakho, wabaleka wangishiya”, kuqhuba indlulamithi.
“Nguwe owenze ngicule, bengifuna ukuveza ikhono lami nami,” kwasho impungushe. “Mina bengingakhombisi ikhono kodwa bengenza umkhuba engijwayele ukuwenza njalo mangiqeda ukudla.” Kusho indlulamithi imangazwe ukuthi umngani wayo ube nesikhwele sekhono. Sekuyisikhathi sokubuyela emuva, bawela umfula. Impungushe yabambelela entanyeni yendlulamithi njengoba benzile ngenkathi bewela ekuqaleni. Indlulamithi yangena emfuleni sakubhukuda. Indlulamithi yathi lapho isifika engxenyeni yomfula eshona kakhulu phansi yathi, “Mngani wami ngisageza mina, ngidedele uzibhukudele. Ngifuna nokuthoba amanxeba okushaywa. Sengizogeza manje.”
“Lutho! Soze ukwenze lokho!” kusho impungushe izama ukuziqinisa isgcwele ukwesaba. “Uma ungishiya, ungena ngaphansi kwamanzi kuzoba ukuminza kwami lokho ngoba angikwazi ukubhukuda”, kuqhuba impungushe. “Mina angiwuweli umfula kabili ngingagezi, umkhuba wami engiwenzayo lowo,” kusho indlulamithi. Yathi ingawagwinya nje lawomagama indlulamithi yazithi tshuu!! ngaphansi kwamanzi. Impungushe yasala ibakaza yodwa umngani esetshuzile. “Sizani bo! Ngilekeleleni! Nakhu ngiminza bo!” kukhala impungushe. Indlulamithi yayicasukile ngokushaywa kwayo, kodwa yaphatheka kabi ukubona impungushe iminza emfuleni. Noma yayicasukule indlulamithi yakhumbula ukuthi impungushe ingumngani wayo. Indlulamithi yafaka ikhanda ngaphansi kwamanzi, yasebenzisa lona ukuqukula impungushe ukuze ibuyele entanyeni yayo. Impungushe yayikhwehlela futhi ihishwe amanzi, yabambelela entanyeni yendlulamithi ukuze iphephise impilo yayo.
Ngenkathi sezifika ngaphesheya komfula, impungushe yacabanga ngeyayikwenze kumngani wayo. “Ndlulamithi mngani wami othembekileyo”, impungushe ibiza umnani wayo. “Yebo Mpungushe,” kuphendula indlulamithi. “Ngiyaxolisa ngokuba nomona wekhono. Ngiyabona ukuthi ungiyeke ngacishe ngaminza ngenxa yendlela embi engikuphathe ngayo ngesikhathi sisensimini,” kusho impungushe. Impungushe yalinda impendulo kumngani wayo ngoba kwakucacile ukuthi lesi senzo kwakungesokuphindisela nje kuphela, hhayi ukuthi wayengamthandi njengomngani wakhe. Kwathuleka isikhashana yaphendula indlulamithi yathi, “Bengifuna uzwe ukuthi kunjani ukulahlwa umngani wakho futhi uzwe ubuhlungu njengoba nami ngibuzwile ngokushwaywa.” “Yobe mngani wami”, kusho impungushe. Kusukela lapho baxolelana besekana futhi bechushisa kukho konke. Baqhubeka bathandana, ubungani babo baqina kakhulu kunakuqala, kuze kube yimanje omunye akaconsi komunye.
Cosu cosu yaphela.