Kwathi ke kaloku ngantsomi.
Kwakukho ihobe elalinamantshontsho, lakhele indlwane yalo emthini. Laliwakhulisa kakuhle la mantshontsho kwaye liwathanda kakhuuulu. Ngaminazan’ ithile kwafika uDyakalashe wakhwaza ihobe esithi, “Hobe, hobeee! Bangaphi abantwana bakho?”
“Bathathu,” liphendule latsho ihobe. “Khawuphose apha abemnye khe ndimbone,” utshilo uDyaki. “Andicingi, uza kumtya,” liphendule ngelo ihobe. “Ndokhwela, ndokhwela nditye kunye nawe,” ugrogrise watsho umaqhingana ongudyakalashe. Loyika ihobe, laqonda ukuba malizincame limphose umntwana walo elimthandayo, kunokuba limyeke udyakalashe akhwele aze abagqibe bonke. Laliphosa ke intshontsho, waliganga uDyaki. Wabangathi uyalibuka, suka walithi, ‘nqwam, nqwam, nqwam’, waliginya, wabe sel’ ehamba.
Lakhathazeka ihobe yintlungu engaka eliyenziwa ngudyakalashe. Kwasa ngengomso, waphinda wafika udyakalashe, wathi, “Hobe, hobeee! Bangaphi abantwana bakho?’’ “Babini,” liphendule selikhwina ihobe kuba lisazi ukuba uzakuqhubeka athini udyakalashe. “Khawundiphosel’ apha abemnye khe ndimbone,” utshilo uDyaki. “Ndiyakwazi uza kumtya, andicingi ndimphose,” latsho ihobe selinyembezana. “Ndokhwela, ndokhwela nditye kunye nawe,” utshilo uDyaki. Lamphosa nalowo umntwana ihobe. Yaba kwasesokuqala kudyakalashe. Wambuka, wasuka naye wamnqwamza wahamba.
Lasitsho esofelweyo ihobe, ligixa lisazi ukuba ngengomso uzakuphinda abuye udyakalashe atye lo wokugqibela umntwana. Mhlawumbi angaphumela nakuye. Kuthe lisakhala njalo ihobe kwafika umvolufu wathi, “Ulilela ntoni na hobe, ukhala kabuhlungu ngathi ukhathazekile?” Liphendule lifixiza ihobe lisithi, “Ngudyakalashe.” “Uyawa wenzeni ngoku loo maqhingana?” Kubuza umvolufu. “ Utye abantwana bam,” litshilo ihobe. “Utye abantwana bakho! Bebefuna ntoni kudyakalashe abantwana bakho selede abatye nje?” Kubuza umvolufu.
Lachaza ihobe ukuba ebemana efika athi mandimphosele abemnye ambone, ukuba ndithe andavuma uzakukhwela emthini atye nam. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaa!” Uhleke waqikileka umvolufu. “Wakhe wambona phi wena udyakalashe ekhwela emthini?” “Yini ukuhlekisa ngentlungu yam, ndisithi ndizaneka kuwe mvolufu?” Litsho kalusizi ihobe.
“Ngxesi mhlob’ am, ngxesi. Andihleki wena, kwaye ndingahleki nentlungu yakho. Nto nje ndimangaliswa bobu buvuvu buthethwa ngudyakalashe, nawe wabukholelwa. Wakhe wakwazi nini udyakalashe ukukhwela emthini?” Utshilo umvolufu. “Akakwazi!” Litsho ngomothuko ihobe. “Ungakhe ulinge uphinde unikize ngomntwana wakho ekukuphela kwakhe. Mxelele ukuba makakhwele ubone. Ungoyiki, akazukwazi ukukhwela. Kulungile ke mhlob’ am, masahlukane,” utshilo umvolufu. “Kulungile mhlob’ am. Akusikuko nokuba undincedile. Ndiswele amazwi okubulela,” litshilo ihobe.
Bohlukana ke, ihobe lizivuyela iindaba ezimnandi kangakanana ezize nomvolufu. Akubanga kudala ihobe lahlukene nomvolufu, wafika uDyaki. “Hobe, hobeeee! Bangaphi abantwana bakho?” Ubuze njengesiqhelo udyakalashe. “Mnye,” liphendule ihobe. “Khawundiphosele khe ndimbone,” uyalele watsho uDyaki. “Andicingi, uzakumtya,” liphendule kwakhona ihobe. “Ndokhwela, ndokhwela nditye kunye nawe,” ugrogrise njengoko eqhele ukwenza. “Khawukhwele khe sibone,” litsho ngelizwi eliqavileyo ihobe.
Wasondela ngasesikhondweni somthi udyakalashe, wanga angakhwela kodwa wafane wanyusa imikhono akakwazi ukunyukela phezulwana. “Khwela kaloku sibone. Ubungathi uyakhwela,” litsho ngelizwi lokuzithemba ihobe. “Ngubani lo ukuxelel’ ukuba andikwazi ukukhwela emthini? Nokuba akundixelelanga, ndiyamazi ngumvolufu. Siza kuqubisana nalowo,” utsho sel’ esithi gwiji esiya kutshona enkalweni.
Lasinda ihobe nentshontsho lalo, baphila ubomi obude.
Phela, phela ngantsomi.
Imfundiso: Ubulumnko buyafumaneka nakumntu odelekileyo nowaziwa njengosoloko esenza izinto zobudenge. Qiniseka ngeenjongo ezifihlakeleyo zomntu oza ngobulumnko bokuncedisana nawe. Zazi izakhono onazo ezahlukileyo kwezabanye abantu abangenako ukwenza oko unobuchule bako.