Kwasuka sukela, kwakukhona isalukazi nezimu. Isalukwazi besihlala nengane kanye nomkhwenyana wakwaso, bevuka beyohlakula ugogo asale ekhaya. Ngelinye ilanga uma bephuma beya emasimini ugogo asale ezibusisa ngamasi kamkhwenyana okhambeni. Afake nebheshu likamkhwenyana, ahlale esigqikini somkhwenyana .
Kuhambe isikhathi umkhwenyana asole kuthi khona odla amasi akhe. Abuze, “Ubani lona ozenza mina odla amasi ami?” Baphike nesalukwazi sithi asazi lutho. Kwavukwa kuyiwa emasimini, njengenhlala yenza, umkhwenyana wajika endleleni wacotha wasibona isalukwazi sizitika ngokudla kwakhe wathi, “Hawu! mkhwekazi, kanti nguwe lo odla amasi ami.” Wathi: “Wena salukwazi ngifuna uyongikhela amanzi lapho okungakhali xoxo futhi okungangeni nkalankala khona.” Sihambe isalukwazi sifike emthonjeni. “Baphi abalayikhaya?”, likhale ixoxo, isho nenkalankala, isalukwazi sedlule sibheke omunye umthombo.
Sithole omunye nakhona kuyafana, siqhubeke. Uma sithi sibona umfula omuhle saya sigijima sibuze, “Ngabe akukhali xoxo nankalankala la?” Kuthi nya. Sijabule, sisho futhi, kuthuleke bese siwakhe amanzi siqede siphumule ngaphansi kwezihlahla. Sathi singazelelwa, kwaqhamuka unogwaja wathi, “Ngakubamba! Ukha amanzi eNkosi, akukho muntu lapha salukwazi. Uwena ungofileyo.” Sethuka kakhulu isalukwazi.
Kwafika ujakalazi naye washo lokho wedlula. Zafika nezinye izilwane zathi asibaleke ngoba uyeza umnikazi wesiziba. Wathi uyasukuma ugogo, akusasukumeki. Wenza izigi kanti sekuwumnikazi wesiziba. Izimu lafika labuza ukuthi, “Ubani okha amanzi ami akhethekile?” Isalukazi salilandisa ukuthi sithunywe umkhwenyana wakwaso ukuthi sikhe amanzi la kungakhali xoxo nenkalankala. Lajabula izimu selizibonela inyama lona. Layalela izilwane kuthi libambile, akuyothezwa izinkuni basifasa isalukwazi. Kwahlwa, kwalalwa.
Usomaqhinga ongunogwaja besalele, wanyonyoba waya esalukwazini wathi, “Vuka! Vuka! Kusasa uzobulawa ngoba bekuyothezwa kuzobulawa wena.” Asithathe unogwaja benyonyobe bebaleke athi asihambe singabheki emuva isalukwazi. Saphunyuka kanjalo emlonyeni wezimu.
Abuye unogwaja egcwele amazolo, acabange ukuthi kuzobonakala ukuthi kade engekho. Wacabanga iqhinga lokususa kuye amazolo, azisule kujakalazi. Wabe usuyalala unogwaja samuntu ongakaze avuke. Kuvukwe ekuseni labuza izimu ukuthi siphi isalukwazi, ubani osiphunyulisile. Ngokucasuka izimu livuse izilwane, “Vukani nonke!” Lase lithi, “Engizomthola enamazolo ngizodla yena ngoba lokho kuzobe kusho ukuthi nguye ophunyulise inyama yami. Zabhekana izilwane, mazithi ziyabheka, mameshane! Ujakalazi ugcwele amazolo. Wadliwa kanjalo ke ujakalasi.
Cosu cosu yaphela.