Lwafika usuku lapho uMolahlehi eseyibhungu. Wayazi ukuthi manje wayesenamandla futhi ekhule ngokwanele ukuthi angahamba ayozifunela ikhaya lakhe. Manje, ekugcineni, kwase kuyisikhathi sokuthi ashiye le ndawo ayozitholela ikhaya lakhe. Ukuphela komuntu akhuluma naye ngaphambi kokuba ahambe, kwaba owesifazane owayehlale emnika ukudla.
Wavalelisa waphinde wathi futhi, “Ngiyethembisa ukuthi ngelinye ilanga ngizothola indlela yokukukhokhela ngokungenzela kwakho umusa ongaka.”
UMolahlehi wapakisha konke okuncane ayenakho esikhwameni sakhe wase ethatha nomkhonto omude ayezenzele wona. Wayesehamba ngendledlana eyayomfaka ehlathini lase-Afrika.
Kwamthatha izinyanga eziningi ehamba uMolahlehi, ecinga indawo azoyibiza ngekhaya lakhe. Wahamba izinyanga eziningi kakhulu, kwaze kwafika usuku lapho ayecabanga khona ukuthi angeke aphinde ayithole indawo. Wayekhathele, elambile, kodwa wase ebona amadoda ayehleli emthunzini wesihlahla esikhulu. Amadoda ambingelela ngomoya wobungani. Umolahlehi wawabingelela wase emamatheka. Kwathi lapho esethi uyahamba nje, wamiswa ngenye yalawa madoda.
“Yima! Ungubani igama lakho?” kubuza yona.
“Angazi,” kuphendula yena. “Abantu bangibiza ngoMolahlehi, umuntu olahlekile.”
“Buyela nathi emuzini wakithi,” kusho indoda. “Ubukeka udinga ukudla okumnandi kanye nendawo yokuphumula.”
UMolahlehi wahamba namadoda, kanti wemukelwa kahle yiwo wonke umuntu emuzini. UMolahlehi wavele wazi ukuthi ekugcineni wayezothola ikhaya kanye nabangani kulo muzi. Wasebenza ngokuzikhandla. Wayesiza wonke umuntu owayedinga usizo. Wayenomusa, futhi wayehlale enento enhle angayisho. Wayethandwa umuntu wonke emuzini ngisho nayinkosi endala eyayingenamadodana. Lapho seyikhotheme inkosi endala, bonke abantu basemuzini bancenga uMolahlehi ukuthi abe yinkosi yabo. Kwaba nedili elikhulu, abantu basemuzini banikeza inkosi yabo igama elisha, elithi yiNkosi uLebohang, okuchaza ukuthi “bongani”.
Into yokuqala eyenziwa iNkosi uLebohang, kwaba ukuthumela ithimba lamadoda ukuthi liyofuna owesifazane owayenomusa kuye esengumfana. Lapho amadoda ebuya, abuya nesalukazi. Sasesaba, saze saguqa phambi kwenkosi siqhaqhazela. Inkosi yavele yasazi ukuthi singubani. Yasukuma yaya kuso. Inkosi uLebohang yaguqa iphethe indishi. Yayinika owesifazane.
Isalukazi sathatha indishi, sethuka uma sibona ukuthi yayigcwele igolide. Saphakamisela amehlo aso enkosini.
“Molahlehi,” kunyenyeza sona.
“Yebo,” kusho inkosi. “Ngakwethembisa ukuthi ngiyokukhokhela ngelinye ilanga. Wonke umuntu kumele akhumbule lokho akwethembisile, futhi wonke umuntu kumele abonge uma kukhona umuntu omenzele umusa.”
