Kwathi ke kaloku ngantsomi.
Kwilali ekude abantu bakhona babehlutshwa sisilo esasisela amanzi omlambo walo lali. Esi silo sasifika ngobusuku ze kuse engekho amanzi ezizibeni zalo mlambo. Zaya ziphela ngokuphela iziziba ezinamanzi. Kuthe xa kusele iziziba ezimbalwa ezisenamanzi, amadoda elali ahlangana embizweni apho babezakubonisana khona ukuba kuthiweni na ngesi silo. Kwagqitywa kwelokuba abafana namadoda aqinileyo bayokusilalela ngakwezi ziziba singekafiki kuzo. Kufuneka bephethe zonke izikrweqe abanazo abacinga ukuba zingaluncedo ekuhlaseleni nasekubulaleni esi silo. Kuthe emva kwesidlo sangokuhlwa aqokelelana amadoda, enjenjeya ukuya emlanjeni ngokweziziba ezisenamanzi eziseleyo. Kwahlalwa kulindiwe kuncokolwwa, iyileyo indoda ichaza indlela ezakusihlasela ngayo esi silo ukhe sathi gqi.
Kwale ngothulanja, ezinzulwini zobusuku, kwavele kwavakala isandi esingaqhelekanga sisithi, ‘ndi, ndi, ndi, ndi’. Bekuthi xa kusithi ndi kuvele kunyikime nomhlaba apho kwakuhleli khona la madoda. Yavele yaphela kwangoko incoko, phofu nezinja ababehambe nazo zaqoshelisa imisila zikhwina, zavele zaphel’ emehlweni. Sithe sakuvela esi silo savele sayinto engaka ubukhulu, kwabe kuvuthuza nomoya omkhulu, kunyikima nomhlaba. Akukho ndoda ibuze kwenye ukuba makuthiweni na. Iyileyo ivele yangen’ endleleni, icela kwabanentsente, isindisa ubomi bayo. Amanye asindwa nazezo zikhali ayeziphethe, avele azishiy’ apho. Wawusel’ usiva ngencwina nesikhalwana kulowo uye wacinga ukuba sesimfumene isilo esi. Akwaziwa ke ukuba inokuba bafika banika yiphi ingxelo emakhayeni abo.
Kusuku olulandelayo kwasa kungekho nethontsi lamanzi emlanjeni, zitshe zonke iziziba. Aphinda adibana amadoda kwaze kwagqitywa kwelokuba makuyiwe eMbo, kuyokucelwa abaMbo bazokubulala esi silo. Abantwana bavalelwa endlwini eyayinamacango asixhenxe aze atshixwa. Banikezwa umyalelo ongqongqo wokuba bangakhe balinge bavulele kwamntu, kunye nantoni na efuna ukuvulelwa, nokuba kusemini, nokuba kusebusuku. Bona baza kuvulelwa ngabo, bazali, xa bebuyile.
Banduluka ke abantu abadala ukuya eMbo. Ezinzulwini zobusuku, kolu suku lokumka kwabazali, abantwana bothuswa lilizwi elikhulu, elindongondongo nelirhabaxa, likhwaza lisithi, “He bantwana! He bantwana! Abantu balo mzi bayengaphi na!” Kwathi cwaka, besoyika ukuphendula abantwana kuba beqonda ukuba sisilo esigqib’ amanz’ omlambo esi sikhwazayo. Siphinde sadanduluka silo, kwangathi sitsho kufutshane kangangokuba kwavele kwaqhaqhazela neefestile namacango. “He bantwana! He bantwana! Nithi abantu balo mzi baye ngaphi na!” Siphinde sadanduluka isilo. “Oomha! Oomha! Bay’ eMbo!” Kuchaze enye intwazana seyingcangcazelisa ilizwi.
“Emb’ apho! Emb’ apho! Bayokwenza ntoni na khona?” Kubuza isilo. “EMbo! EMbo! Bayokubiz’ abaMbo!” Kuphendula kwala ntwazana. “AbaMb’ aba! AbaMb’ aba! Bazakwenza ntoni na bona?” Kukwabuza isilo. ‘AbaMbo! AbaMbo! Baza kubulala wena Sityhimntyol’ ugqib’ amanz’ omlambo!” Iphendule intwazana inyanisekile.
Zange aphinde abenomdla wakubuza eminye imibuzo uSityhimtyolo, waba nomsindo ongummangaliso wavele wagrenya ucango efun’ ukungena aqwenge abo bantwana. Sagqiba ukugrenya olo cango lokuqala xa kuthi qheke ukusa. Wahamba waya esikhundleni sakhe apho angazukubonwa mntu khona. Kubusuku besibini safika isilo esikhulu. Siphinde sabuza ukuba abantu balapha baye ngaphi na. Waphinda waphendula umntwana ukuba baye eMbo, kwaye bayokubiza abaMbo abazakubulala yena Styhimntyolo ugqib’ amanz’ omlambo. Walugrenya nolwesibini ucango uSityhimntyolo. Nalo ulugqibe ngentathakusa, wabe sel’ ehamba. Wenjenjalo nakwelesithathu, ukuya kutsho kwelesithandathu ucango. Kwakhula ukoyika ngoku ebantwaneni ngoba kwakusele ucango lokugqibela bengade bafike abazali ukuza nabaMbo.
Zabethabethana iingcinga zabo, bambi sebecinga ukuba ingabi kanti abazali bahlangana noSityhimntyolo lo owasuka wabaginya okanye wababulala. Abanye babecinga ukuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba badibana namanye amagongqongqo ababulala. Ezo ngcinga zazingabancedi nganto kuba ilanga lalisiya lisiya kunina, kwaye inokuba USityhimntyolo ulungiselela ukubuya. Babengayicingi nokuyicinga eyokuvele bavule olo cango luseleyo, bemke babaleke baye apho bacinga ukuba bangasinda kuSityhimtyolo. Into eyayinkenteza ezindlebeni nasezingqondweni zabo yeyokuba kwakuthiwe bangaphumi kwaye bangavuleli mntu nantoni na ngaphandle kwabo abazali.
Babiwa bubuthongo besekwezo ngcinga. Bothuswa sisandi sokugingqiza kukaSityhimntyolo. Uthe efika wabe sel’ ekhwaza esithi, “He bantwana! He bantwana! Nide nathi abantu balapha baye ngaphi na?” “Oomha! Oomha! Bay’ eMbo,” uphendule enyembezana, ngelizwi elingcangcazelayo umntwana. “EMb’ apha! EMb’ apha, nide nathi bayokwenza ntoni na khona?” Sibuze ngokwesiqhelo isilo. “EMbo! EMbo! Bayokubiz’ abaMbo!” Uphendule njengoko eqhel’ ukwenza. “AbaMb’ aba! AbaMb’ aba! Bazakwenza ntoni na bona?” Kubuza uStyhimntyolo. “AbaMbo! AbaMbo! Bazakubulala wena Styhimntyol’ ugqib’ amanz’ omlambo.” Watsho sel’ ekhwina ngakumbi umntwana esazi oko kuzakulandela. Uthe angayifumana loo mpendulo uSityhimntyolo waqalisa waligrenya ucango.
Yayisisijwili esenziwa ngabantwana kuba besazi ukuba ukugqiba kwakhe olo cango lokugqibela uSityhimntyolo, uzakube sel‘ efika kubo. Wagrenya, wagrenya, wagrenya, uSityhimntyolo esemsindweni omkhulu. Kwala xa athi uyaligqibezela, bagaleleka abaMbo. Bamhlasela ngemikhonto uStyhimntyolo wade woyisakala wakhahleleka phantsi sel’ ekhala esithi, “Heshuuuu, baMbo! Heshuuuu, baMbo!” Wakhala njalo wade wafa. AbaMbo bagqabhuza isisu sikaSityhimntyolo ngemikhonto.
Aphuma empompoza amanzi, azalisa umlambo, iziziba zabuya zathi ntli ngamanzi.
Phela, phela ngantsomi.
Imfundiso: Kulungile ukuphulaphula iziyalo zabazali nabantu abadala abacebisa okulungileyo nokukhuselayo, nokuba kubonakala ngathi kunzima ukulandela ezo ziyalo. Ubuchule bokwenza izinto mabuyekelwe kwabo baziingcali zokwenza oko.