Emva kweyure ezintathu, neenkukhu besele zilila okwesine ngoku nto leyo echaza ukuba kwakusele kusile ngenene.
Abantu abaninzi babesele bebuyele ezindlwini zabo bedakumbile. Babengayikholelwa le nto basandula ukuyibona. Abanye babethethela phantsi besithi akanakuba usindile uMaTshezi kula mlilo. Babesithi inokuba ukhutshwe sele ebhubhile.
“Mna ndiyibonile intloko ivutha amalangatye,” watsho omnye exoka rhu!
“Kazi yintoni isizeka bani salo mlilo?”
Kwaphinda kwathetha omnye esebeza ngakumbi.
“Ikhona into endiyivileyo,”
“Yintoni?”
Phambi kokuba athethe waqala wabheka bheka.
“Unukiwe ngumnyangi. Ningaxeleli mntu ukuba nive ngam,”
“Intoni? Unukiwe kwathiwa uyathakatha? Nyhani?”
“Ewe! Kuthiwa nguye lo uthakathe la mfana ebesandula ukubhubha. La mfana kuthiwa nguMandindi.”
“Uwowu! Kazi siza kuhlala phina thina maxhegokazi! La nkwenkwe ihlatywe isiba imoto yomntu man. Inantoni yakwenza nomaTshezi loo nto?” wabuza omnye umfazi ecaphuka
“Asazi ke mfazi, nathi sive ngolo hlobo.
“Ngubani khona obeye egqirheni? Kwaye ingubani elo gqirha khona?” Wabuza omnye umfazi lo gama behamba bebheka phaya.
“UMandindi? Ela sela leemoto! Yinile! Ebethakathiwe ngokuya ebesiba iimoto zabantu? Wonke umntu kule lali uyazi ukuba uMandindi lelona sela lakha labonwa kule lali.”
“Ewe, abantu bakubo, phofu abantakwabo bathathe iintonga baya kuva egqirheni kuba bebengafuni ukuyamkela eyokuba ufe ngenene, bakrokrele ukuba lukho unyawo lwemfene kule nto,” Wazama ukuchaza omnye umfazi. Phofu asinto intsha kule lali ukuba kuyiwe egqirheni kuye kuviwa ukuba kukufa kwangenene na okanye yinto eyenziwe ngumntu.
“Yhooo!” wakhuza uMagaba eqhwaba izandla ngelokuncama. “Lilonke thina maxhewukazi siphila ubomi bentshontsho kwezi ntsuku? Andisoyiki. Kazi siza kuhlala phina bethuna?”
“Uligqwirha wena? Ukuba awulogqwirha, akukho nto uza kuyoyika.”
“Ke ngoku nawe uyakrokra ukuba ebeligqwirha uMaTshezi? Ingaba nawe utsho, Rosy? Hayi ingaba ukhohlakele mfazi!”
“Eneneni andinakuthi akalilo okanye ulilo, kodwa ikhona nje into engaqondakaliyo ngala mama. Niyabona nje ukulunga kwezi nto zakhe zonke nje esithubeni? Iinkukhu zakhe azange zife ngexesha ezethu bezisifa ngumbathalala? Waqhubeka ekhiqiza imali ethengisa amaqanda thina sibukele? Haa? Uyenza njani loo nto yena yedwa?” wabuza uRosy akugqiba wabashiya apho aba mama bemile bejongene emehlweni, bexakiwe.
“Ndiyathandaza angabhubhi torho. Msindise Thixo.”
Ayekhathazekile la manina kodwa exakiwe njengokuba egoduka ebuyela emakhayeni awo.
Umlilo wawude wacimeka waphela. Lo rontabile kamakhulu Tshezi owawuhonjiswe ngobunono wawujike waba ziingxondorha.
Iindonga zazigqunywe luthuthu nomsizi omnyama. Lonke uphahla lwendlu lwaluwe bhuma ngaphakathi. Ibhedi yakhe entsha, amalaphu eefestile zakhe ezinamafrili zazitshe zaba yimicu encangathi emnyama. Nditsho netyesi yakhe ayixabise kunene yayitshe yaba luthuthu kuquka naloo mali wayeyifihle kuyo, esalinde uVuyo ukuba amthume ayise ebhankini. Iimbiza zakhe, izitya neekomityi yonke nje into kuloo ndlu yakhe yayigqunywe ngumsizi omnyama nothuthu. Ivumba lomlilo nokutsha lalivakala kuyo yonke indawo.
USkhwehle wayezimisele ukubafuna ade abafumane abenzi bobubi. Onke amarhe omkhondo ayekhombe kubanakwabo mfana osandula ukubhubha, uMandindi. Amapolisa kunye namadoda elali ayelele emkhondweni wabo.
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Khawusixelele: Kutheni ucinga ukuba ukusasaza ulwimi kungaba nobungozi?