Kudala kwaye kuhlala ixhegokazi leBhulu elaye likhuthele kunene. Ngangendlela elalithanda ngayo ukusebenza, lalide licinge okokuba wonke umntu kufuneka asebenze nzima njengalo. Indlu yalo yayisoloko ibetha umoya kukucoceka. Imini le yonke lalisoloko lixakekile lipheka okanye licoca imigangatho le yendlu. Lalimcaphukela yaye limthiyile umntu osoloko ethe vuxaxa phantsi engenzi nto.
Endlwini yalo lalinabancedisi ababini elalibaqeshile. Indlela aba baqeshwa babedangele ngayo! Yayingathi baqhokrwe izandla. Oku kwenza okokuba ixhegokazi eli lizisole okokuba lalibaqeshela ntoni na. Lalingazi okokuba lingenza njani ukubenza baxakeke njengalo. Bona aba baqeshwa babekruquke yaye bedikwe yeyokosa kukusoloko bevuswa rhoqo ngentseni leli xhegokazi.
Wawusithi ukhonya umqhagi ekuseni libe ixhegokazi leBhulu sele lime bhunxe phezu kwabo libavusa. Lalisoloko lifika bekobude ubuthongo. Lalibavusa kakubi de libatsalele neengubo lize lithi, “Khanivuke manqenerhandini. Nibole bhutyu nina. Aniyazi okokuba lixesha lokusebenza eli.” Hayi ke iintombi ezi zazivuka zimbombozela. Zazisuke zolule iingalo zingade ziphakame. Zazingenakuthini. Zazinyanzelekile ziphakame ziqalise ukusebenza lingekade liphume ilanga.
Zaziwucaphukela naloo mqhagi walapho kuba nguwo owawusoloko ukhonya ekuseni. Zazinqwenela okokuba ukhe uyeke ukukhonya lingekaphumi ilanga. Wawungayekanga ke wona umqhagi ukukhonya. Wathi gqolo ukubavusa ekuseni. Yayisele ingathi uva ukukhalima kwabo. Babewucaphukela umqhagi wabantu!
Bazala yintiyo nengqumbo. Babesithi bakuwubona nje bawugibisele ngamatye. Babewugqutya kuba wawusuke uphephe wona umqhagi wakugqiba ume phaya kude ukhonye. Basoloko bewugqutya ke. Wawusuke naloo mqhagi usuke ube ngathi uyabahleka.
Enye into eyayibenza bajwaqeke ngumsindo kukuba wawusithi nje ukuba uthi ntla ngabo usuke ume ngeenzwane wakugqiba unyuse intloko utsho ngengxolokazi enkulu ukhonya. Ekugqibeleni bacinga icebo. Bacinga okokuba bawunqakule bakugqiba bawunyuse amafu.
Baqonda okokuba abasayi kulinda xesha lide kuba utshaba lwabo olu lungumqhagi lwalungayekanga ukubavusa nokumana lubaphepha xa belugibisela. Ngethamsanqa labo ixhegokazi leBhulu lakhe lathi tsi gxada ukuya kutyelela omnye umhlobokazi walo. Zaqonda ke ezi ntwazana okokuba eli lelona xesha lokuwusa kwantsonga nyawana. Eli cebo labo laliza kuba yinjece yabantu ababini. Kakade kuthiwa inqweme lenkawu lidliwa babini, owesithathu mgumnqakathi.
Lathi nje ukuba lihambe ixhegokazi bawuleqa umqhagi. Indlela owawubasokolisa ngayo! Babesithi besemva kwawo suke umqhagi ungene kanye apha phakathi
kwemilenze. Wabanxaphisa kanene. Ekugqibeleni bawuthi nqaku baze bawubulala. Bagrumba umngxumakazi onzulu baze bawugqumelela apho. Yho! Kwakuxhelw’eXhukwana kubo kuba bewubulele umqhagi owawusoloko ubavusa ngentseni.
Lakuba lifikile ixhegokazi lavuya ukubona abaqeshwa balo bemanxada-nxada kangaka. Laliqala ngqa ukukhe libabone bewonwabele umsebenzi. Laqaphela okokuba umqhagi awusabonakali ngoku yaye kwakungasavakali noko kukhonya kwawo. Labhuqa liwukhangela yonke indawo lade lancama. Lasuke lacuntsula kule yabantwana.
Ekugqibeleni lazithethela kucaca okokuba liyazixolisa, “Makube uqwengwe ngoodyakalashe umqhagi wam.” Indlela ezazigigitheka ngayo iintombi ezi kukumbona esentlungwini umakhulu lo. Zazimana zizithi gquzu ngentsini kucaca okokuba zonwabile umqhagi ungasekho nje. Zazisazi kaloku ukuba akukho mqhagi uya kuphinda ukhonye ekuseni. Oko kwakuthetha ukuthi zakusoloko zivuka emini.
Zalala ke zipholile. Zathi kanye xa ubuthongo busiza suka lafika ixhegokazi leBhulu liphethe isibane libavusa kakubi lisithi, “Khanivuke manqenerhandini abolileyo. Anisaboni nina okokuba sekusile. Umqhagi owawunivusa awusekho kaloku yaye asokuze siphinde siwuve ukhonya kwakhona. Vukani, vukani lingekade liphume ilanga.”
Ukususela ngaloo ntsasa basoloko bevuswa ekuseni kakhulu. Babesele bewucinga umqhagi. Kaloku wona wawungade ubavuse ekuseni kangaka. Wawuphi ke umqhagi? Kaloku ngulo baqonda okokuba bawunyuse amafu.