Baqhubeka bebambene u Lukhanyo notata wakhe. Nabo oobhuti bakhe bebambene kulento yabo yokuba ngoosithubeni. Lafika ke lona ixesha lokuba utata wabo anikezele ngezinto koonyana bakhe.
Wababiza oonyana bakhe.
“Niyabona, kukho ilizwi esibhalweni esingcwele elithi: uyabonakala, uyeza ngamafu, zonke izizwe ziyakumbona. Ngoko ke nam ndizakwenza into eyenziwe ngaphambili. Apha kuni, othe wenza kakuhle uzakufumana umzi wam kunye nemfuyo yonke yam. Abanye imoto nemali, baphume bayokuzakhela umzi wabo bazihlalele benze yonke into abayifunayo khona. Nantsi ke imbewu, hambani niyoyityala. Emva kweentsuku ezilishumi nibuye nayo, mna nizakundifumana apha ngasebuhlanti mhla nibuyayayo.”
Bahamba oonyana bakhe bobathathu bephethe iinkozo ezimbini mntu ngamnye, beyotyala. Bakugqiba bazipha amanzi, kwabe kukugqibela kwabo oko. Aba babini oonyana baphuma bemka, yena lo umncinci kubo waye waqhubeka engapheli mandla, kweye kungakhuli nto tu apho etyale khona. Kodwa wabe eqhubeka enkcenkceshela.
Utata wabo kuthe kwelisuku lethoba wabiza bonke abantu ahlobene nabo wabaxelela ukuba unomgidi omkhulu. Baxelelana ke bona nabanye abakwilali ezikufutshane, baziswa nabo ngalento ithethwa lelixego yalomgidi.
Waxelela oonyana bakhe ukuba phambi kokuba kuqale umsebenzi uzakucela kuqala bazise izithole ezi awayethe bazityale. Wabakhulula bahamba bayokujonga, bafika kungekho nto ikhulileyo apho babetyale khona imbewu yabo.
UZamile wathetha no Abongile esithi, “Yazi kabawo, mna ndinayo indlela yokubonisa elixhego ukuba mna nawe sihlakaniphe kangakanani, kuba usinike into enye ukuba siyityale, goku yena ufuna ni kabawo?” watsho encumile.
“He bhuti akukho sityalo apha kwaye emveni kosuku olunye kufuneka isityalo,” watsho u Abongile.
“Lento ilula ntwana yam, wena thula ubukele ubhuti wakho xa ekwenzela imilingo, wena ngesabatha uzakube unesityalo esandleni. Masibangene sihambe siyotya imali uTata usisebenzele, yeyethu ndoda,”
Bemka bayokutya imali, babuya sekwagqitywa nokuxhelwa iinkomo ezintathu. Bafika benxilile, bathatha inyama babuza ebantwini ukuba niyayiva ukuba imnandi kanjani xa ungayibhatalelanga.
Bathi ukugqiba kwabo bahamba bayokufuna iibhotile ezimbini zotywalwa baselela endlini ka Zamile apho balala khona. Bavuka ngeyeshumi, bahlamba baphuma ngelisemva kwendlu isango bayokuthenga izityalo. Bathenga iitumato babuya nazo bazifaka phantsi kwebhedi, bakugqiba bazinkcenkceshela ngamanzi, baphuma bayokuqabula. Bafika baxolisa ngento abayenze ngosuku oludlulileyo.
Kwakufika abantu ngabantu bephethe amabhaso azizipho zalowo ozakunikwa ikhaya kunye nemfuyo, nemali yokuba umzi ka Tata wabo ungapheli.
U Lukhanyo wahamba wayokwemba lembewu ebeyinikwe ngu Tata wakhe engakakhuliyo ezayibuyisela ku Tata wakhe. Wayenemibuzo azibuza yona.
“Emveni kwento engaka uTata wam endimenzele yona ngabe ebengandithandi? Lonke elixesha ndimphekela ndenza sure ukuba yonke into ilala ingendlela yayo yonke imihla, ndenza sure ukuba imfuyo iphelele. Kanti yena uzama ukundikhupha apha ekhaya, khona kutheni efuna ukuhlekisa nga phambi kwabantu njena?” Wazibuza imibuzo emininzi engenamntu ozakuyiphendula kuba wayeyedwa egadini.
Wayikhupha imbewu emnyama elila engena mthuthuzeli, waabuya wayozijula ebhedini yakhe wabe ke evalile nasemnyango.
UTata wabo waye wabiza wonke umntu wabaxelela ukuba lifikile ixesha lokuba uqale umsebenzi abaze ngawo, etsho ebhekise kumalungu azalana nawo.
Basuka bahamba baya endlini enkulu apho bezakwenela bonke, kunye nabantwana bobhuti bakhe. Waye wathi makuxelelwe oonyana bakhe beze, nezazinto ebethe baziphathe xa besiza endlini enkulu. Yena wayehleli esitulweni sakhe apho avelele kumntu wonke.
***
Sixelele: Ucinga ukuba yintoni ebangele imbewu kaLukhanyo ingakhuli kodwa ebeyihoyile?