Kwasuka sukela… Kwakukhona intombazane, igama layo kwakungu Bathulile. Lentombazane yayingenabo abazali, bashona ngokuminza edamini. UBathulile wasala yedwa futhi engenabani angathembela kuye, wayehamba engena imizi akhelene nayo ecela ukudla. Abanye babemupha namagama aziswane kanti abanye bemxoshe bengamuphi lutho. Njalo uma efuna ukukhala nokuthandaza wayehamba aye entabeni, acele izinhlanhla.
Kwaphela iminyaka uBathulile ehlupheka, kwathi ngelinye ilanga kwenzeka isimanga, kwafika inyoni esathandaza uBathulile. Isimanga senyoni, inyoni ekhulumayo ifike imnike imbali ithi, “Ntombazane, ngithunyiwe ngicela wenze njengoba ngizokuyalela: thatha nansi imbali izoba umduduzi, ibe impendulo empilweni yakho. Le mbali izokunika konke okufunayo – okwakho nje ukuthi uyitshele ukuthi ufunani.” Athule uBathulile kuhle kwegama lakhe usamangazwe ukuthi imikhuleko iphendulwa ngenyoni ekhulumayo. Iqhubeke inyoni, “Ntombazane ukuqinisekise ukuthi le mbali ayiwi phansi ngoba kuyoba yize ukuba nayo.” Ihambe inyoni, ibonge intombazane. Impilo yentombazane yase imnandi konke ekufunayo ikunikwa imbali.
Kwaphela indlala yase idla ekuthandayo ngaphandle kokuyocela kubantu. Umphakathi wabona intombazane isiphila kamnandi okwedlula wonke umuntu endaweni. Banquma umhlangano wokuphakamisa intombazane ukuba ibe indlovukazi yendawo. Wonke umuntu wayedlela etendeni kaBathulile. Kwahamba isikhathi imbali yaqala yaswaba, yakhombisa ukufuna ukuwohloka, kwazise yayisiphakela abantu abaningi. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga intombazane ihleli, ijule ngemicabango ngendaba yokuswaba kwembali yezwa izwi eliqhamuka emkhathini, “Ngakunika imana ngoba uhlupheka abantu bengakusizi, wena wayithatha wayipha umphakathi wonke. Konke kuzoshabalala njengamazolo.”
Yethuke intombazane ukuthi kanti iyona uma isiza umphakathi. Njalo uma imbali ikhiqizela umphakathi izinto abanye bayakubeka ngoba banomcabango wokuthi ngelinye ilanga iyophela le mana. Akuphelanga nsuku zingaki imbali yabuna, yawohloka. Imbali ayibange isakhiqiza lutho, umphakathi wathwala izijumbana wayishiya kanjalo indlovukazi. Intombazane yabuyela ekuhluphekeni, ihlala njalo ikhala.
Cosu cosu yaphela.