“Nguwe wedwa umzukulwana wakhe?”

“Hayi, ayindim ndedwa, bakhona abazala bam abane, kodwa bona azange bahlale kakhulu nomakhulu njengam. Kwaye bona base ngabantwana besikolo,” watsho uVuyo echazela umncedisi wasevenkileni emveni kokuba emqhayisele ngetheko likamakhulu wakhe.

“Uhlala naye?” wabuza umncedisi wasevenkileni.

UVuyo wanikina intloko. “Hayi, okwalo mzuzu, kodwa ndiyamtyelela rhoqo.”

“Kudala ndimxelela ke uVuyo ukuba amfunele umntu wokuhlala,” watsho uAnathi ejonge kumncedisi wasevenkileni. “Sele ekufutshane kuma-80 eminyaka! Akukhuselekanga ukuba umama omdala njengaye ahlale yedwa.”

“Yhuuu! U-Anathi akamazi umakhulu wam,” wahleka uVuyo. “Xa ndizama ukuyithetha into yokuba ndiza kumfunela umntu, wasuka wandihleka wathi kungcono ndimfunele izinja ezimbini kwakunye nomnxeba wesandla. Akathembi mntu ngaphandle kweza zinja ndamthengela zona.”

“UVuyo ngumzukulwana olungileyo,” watsho uAnathi ebamba isandla sakhe. “Uyamtyelela rhoqo umakhulu wakhe, ukwilali ekufutshane.”

UAnathi wayakuthula isithsaba sentloko esipinki ngombala. “Ndiza kumthengela le nto umakhulu ukuze ayinxibe ngala mini yetheko,” watsho egigitheka yintsini eyifake entloko kuye waza wamana ezibuka buka esipilini. UVuyo nomncedisi wasevenkileni basuka bamhleka.

“Yho! Ingantle kakhulu loo nto kumakhulu!”

“Kodwa kungafuneka kuqala aphungule eza qhiya zakhe zinkulu azithwalayo,” watsho uVuyo.

“Akacingi! Ndiqinisekile angazama ukuyithi ngcu ngaphezu kwala miqulu yeza qhiya zakhe,” watsho naye uAnathi sele ehleka.

UVuyo waya lweliya cala le mpahla yokulala, wabe no Anathi elandela emva kwakhe kwekhe. Wathatha ilokhwe yokulala entle elayilayi ehonjiswe ngeleyisi entle kwakunye negawuni efana nayo.

“Injani le?” watsho sele ezothula kumanqwanqwa okuxhoma ebonisa isithandwa sakhe.

“Mm! Hayi yiyeke leyo okanye ke thatha omnye umbala. Awunakuthengela uKhulu loo mbala, uyakhanya kwaye awufudumelanga kuyaphi. Mhlawumbi omnye umbala ungaba ngcono,” wacebisa uAnathi.

UVuyo wayibuyisela ilokhwe yokulala epinki waza wakhangela enye.

“Lena?” Wabuza eyiphakamisa.

“Wowu! Leyo ingamfanela kakhulu. Yeyona emlungeleyo nqo. Kumele sifumane igawuni ehambelana nayo,” watsho enqwala ejonge kuVuyo.

“Heke, siyangcambaza noko. Ngoku masikhangele izihlangu zokuvuka ezintofo ntofo,” watsho uVuyo esiya kwelinye icala lamanqwanqwa empahla. Wabona izihlangu zibekwe ngobunono. U-Anathi wathi nqaku iikawusi ezishushu zambini kwelinye icala leshelifu. “Ndiya kukhe kubande kakhulu kula lali yakho.”

“Ewe, kwaye umakhulu ungafika ezula phandle esipha iinkukhu ukutya, okanye ephosela iibhokhwe zakhe umbona okanye ahlale nje abukele iinkomo zakhe zisitya apha enkundleni. Aba bantu ndibaqeshileyo abenzi nto tu, ngaphandle kokugcakamela ilanga.”

“Okusalayo ke unabantu bokuncokola iimini ezi, nokuba ke akafuni kuhlala namntu. UMaTshezi usenamandla kakhulu kuneminyaka yakhe. Andiqondi nokuba uyazazi ukuba ulixhegwazana, ucinga ukuba usenama-25 eminyaka. Hahaahah!”

“Andisengxame ukubona uncumo lwakhe ebusweni. Umakhulu wonwatyiswa nayinto encinci endimenzela yona,”

“Niyavana kakhulu nina, ndayibona loo nto ndiqala ukumtyelela. Naye ukuthanda kakhulu,” watsho uAnathi.

“Uthi wena ungaba ngumakoti omhle olungileyo,” watsho uVuyo ecimelisa iliso ejonge kuAnathi ngoncumo olugezayo.

“Okusalayo wakhe wathi akafuni kufa engakhange abambe nokuba mnye umntwana wakho,”

“Ndiyayikhumbula loo nto. Oko kuthetha ukuba useza kuphila eminye iminyaka elishumi kuba abantwana abakabikho kwiiplani zam,”

Wemaa uAnathi ethe nxa nemilonyana le. “Iminyaka elishumi Vuyo?”

“Hahahhaha! Ndikufumene!” watsho uVuyo emgona njengokuba besiya kubhatala ethilini zonke ezo zinto babezithengile.

“UMakhulu Tshezi uyakuthanda kakhulu. Wakuthanda eqala ukukubona,”

“Ndiyayazi kwaye iyandivuyisa loo nto. Ndimthanda kakhulu nam, uyazi azange ndibe nathuba lakubona obam oomakhulu bobabini. Ndathi ndizalwa nje babesele bengasekho. Njengomama wakho, owasweleka emncinci kangakaya.”

“Ndineenkumbulo eziluzizi ngaye, kodwa umakhulu ubengoyena mama wenene kum. Ndiyambulela uThixo ngaye.”

UAnathi wamphulula uVuyo egxalabeni lo gama esondela emphuza kancinci esidleleni.

Emva kokubhatala baphuma evenkileni nezo bhegi zizele mfo.

***

Khawusixelele: Ucinga ntoni ngale ndlela uVuyo wakhuliswa ngayo nguMakhulu wakhe?