Kwahlala kwahlala kwayintsomi.
Kwakukho amantombazana amane awayeyakutheza ethafeni elithe qelele kowawo. Kwakusemva kwemini ukunduluka kwawo, babe besazi ukuba bazakubuya ngelemivundla. Kuthe xa sebesendleleni, bethe tyishi elalini, babona udade wabo omncinci ebalandela. Bamyalela ukuba abuyele ekhayeni, kodwa akazange avume. Nabo babengenakwazi ukumgodusa ze baphinde babuye ngoba babezakulibaziseka ngakumbi. Bagqiba ukuba bahambe naye, nakubeni babengayithandi loo nto. Into yokubakho kwakhe yabenza bacotha kuba babengakwazi kukukhawuleza, belungiselela yena.
Bahamba naye ke, batheza bagqiba. Bagqibe sekurhatyele kakhulu, kwakhawuleza kwamnyama, ababisayibona indlela egodukayo. Bathi besahamba njalo babona ilitha baya kulo. Bafike apho iyindlu apho bankqonkqoze bangaphendulwa mntu. Babona ukuba mabazame ukungena, kanti ke ngenene akutsixwanga. Bangena bafika kungekho mntu. Bathi kuba babediniwe kwaye kusebusuku, babiwa bubuthongo balala. Ezinzulwini zobusuku intombazanana encinci ive lizwi likhwaza lisithi, “Whena silwanyana kagumbeee! Kunzim’ emzin’ am, ndaphala, ndaphala!” Liye lisondela eli lizwi kwada kwabonakala ukuba liza apha kule ndlu bakuyo. Ubavuse wabancama odadewabo, babe belele obentlombe, bengeva kuvuswa, bengeva nelo lizwi likhwazayo.
Lasuka latsho emnyango ngoku ilizwi lisithi, “Whena silwanyana kagumbeee! Kunzim’ emzin’ am, ndaphala, ndaphala!” Woyika ngoku umntwana omncinci. Waqonda ukuba makazilalise. Sithe sakungena sathi, “Ngobani aba bangene emzin’ am ndingekho, batya ukutya kwam, balala emandlalweni wam?” Yakroba kancinci intombazana encinci yabona ingxilimbela yesixhipothi sendoda ende, eneenyawo ezinde, iingalo ezinde nezandla ezizibhaxu. Waqiniseka ukuba sisigebenga eso. Wathi esothuswe ngulo mbono, weva esi sigebenga sisithi, “Ndiza kuqala ngalo, ndize ngalo, ndize ngalo, ndize ngalo, ndigqibele ngalowa unenyawana zibomvana.” Sitsho sibakhomba nganye nganye. Lo unenyawana zibomvana yayinguye kanye lo mncinci.
Sithe sakukhov’ ukutsho saphinda saphuma phandle sakhwaza sathi, “Whena silwanyana kagumbee! Kunzim’ emzin’ am, ndaphala, ndaphala!” Sithe tyishi aph’ emnyango kodwa kuvakala ukuba asikho kude kuyaphi. Ngalo lonke eli xesha sikhwaza la mazwi aziwa siso sodwa ukuba athetha ukuthini na. Kwahle kwacaca ukuba le yindlela esibiza ngayo owakubo, kuba kwamane kuvakala eminye imikhwazo engathi iphendula lo wenziwa sesi sigebenga. Besisithi xa sikhwaza, kuphendule eminye imikhwazo isithi, “Asegumbe beeethu.” Waphinda uNyawanazibomvana wavusa oodadewabo, ebadlikidla kakhulu. Ngelingeni bavuka, basiva isigebenga sikhwaza, boyika kakhulu. UNyawanazibomvana wacebisa ukuba mabahambe, kungenjalo bakuba lilifa lezigebenga. Oodadewabo bathi bayoyika hleze sibabhaqe ze sibabulale. UNyawanazibomvana wathi yena uyabashiya xa bexolele ukubulawa zizigebenga. Watsho echwechwa ephuma, wanyamalala ebumnyameni bobusuku. Wabe ubashiyile njalo odade wabo. Wabalekela ukuzophula esingise kwindlela eya kowabo.
Iintombi ezindala zaqonda ukuba akusekude ukuba zibe ngamaxhoba ezigebenga. Kwasekuvakala ngoku ukuba zikhwaza u-asegumbe bethu, zininzi, kwaye intsholo iye isondela kule ndlu bakuyo. Nabo bakhetha ukuchwechwa baphume. Zithe zakuba ziphandle ezi ntombi zazombela izinqe endleleni eya kowazo. Zithe zakufika kungekho bantu endlwini yazo izigebenga, zajoja ivumba ze zeva umkhondo wendlela ezinyathele kuyo iintombi. Zalanda ekhondweni izigebenga zisitsho ngengoma yazo ethi, “Wheeena silwanyana kagumbe! Kunzim’ emzin’ am, ndaphala, ndaphala!” Amadoda, oomama, abafana neentombi ayephendula esithi, “Asegumbebethu!”. Amaxhego namaxhegwazana ayesithi, “Asegumbe, bethu!”. Nabantwana bezigebenga babesitsho ngamazwi amancinci besithi, “Asegumbebethu!”
Zazibekekile izigebenga ezithendeni zeentombi. Nazo iintombi zisithi, “Qhawuka mlenze”. Kwaqala kwayokufika uNyawanazibomvana ekhaya. Wachaza ingxaki, nokuba oodade wabo ubashiye kuloo ndlu yesigebenga. Akhawuleza aqokelela izinja amadoda elali, aqubula iminqayi yawo, alanda ekhondweni. Athe engekaphumi elalini abona nalo uthuli lusiza ngaselalini. Yayiluthuli lwezigebenga zileqa iintombi. Zafunzwa ngezinja izigebenga. Zaphethuka seyizizo ngoku ezithi, “Yaphuka thambo,” zabe izinja zigabadula ukuzisukela.
Phela, phela ngantsomi.
Imfundiso: Izinto zakho zicwangcise kwangethuba ukuze ungaqabuki sewungakwazanga ukwenza oko ubucebe ukuba uzakwenza. Kulumkele ukufuna ukwenza izinto ezingaphezulu kwesigaba sokukhula kwakho.