Kuthi enganakile uThembelihle ezwe intombazane iklewula, kuyacaca ukuthi isezinhlungwini. Ikhala kakhulu kunakuqala. Kuzwakala owesifazane okhulumayo lapha phakathi endlini.
“Musa ukungimoshela isikhathi wena! Kunabantu abangilindile lapha emnyango!”
“Kubuhlungu! Kubuhlungu!” kusho intombazane.
“Musa ukuzenza ingane encane lana wena! Vula amathanga!”
Zehla kakhulu izinyembezi kuThembelihle ngoba uyena ozolandela uma kuphuma laba abaphakathi.
“Thula mntanami ubuhlungu besikhashana nje,” kusho uMaNdlela emduduza.
Ihayize futhi intombazane ephakathi. Kuphenduka abantu abasesangweni lakuwona lomuzi uma bezwa ukuhayiza.
“Ngiyesaba, mama. Umzwile ukuthi ukhala kanjani lo ophakathi?”
“Hhayi suka Thembelihle! Igwala leli umbonile ukuthi kade ekhala engakenziwa lutho.”
“Mama, ngeke ngikwazi, ngiyasaba.”
“WeThembelihle usafuna ukushada noBhekani noma cha?”
“Ngiyafuna mama.”
“Manje pho uzoshada naye kanjani kukhona leyonto esiswini sakho?”
“Uphezu kwamaphi amaqhinga, mama?”
“Awukaze uzwe uma bethi awumbiwa ndawonye? Uyabona lomthakashana ongumaNgema siyohlangana esikhaleni kwaNtombela.”
Bathi besakhuluma kuphume lona wesilisa. Usephethe intombazane ngezandla, uyagijima. Intombazane isiphelelwe ngamandla, injalo nje iyagquma.
“Olandelayo!” Kumemeza umuntu ongaphakathi kulawondi.
UThembelehli noMaNdlela basukuma bangene. Lapho uThembelihle uyaqhaqhazela sekuthi umchamo mawehle ngezitho. Phambi kwabo kumi owesifazane ophethe isikele.
“Zingaki izinyanga?” kusho owesifazane ebuza uThembelihle.
“Zimbili,” kuphendula uThembelihle ngokwesaba.
“Kusakahle impela, angeke ube nenkinga. Phuza lana bese ugibela embhedeni,” esho emnika inkomishi egcwele uketshezi olumnyama.
UThembelihle uthi qhabu kulenkomishi, anyiphe.
“Wengane asidlali lana! Ngithe phuza maqede ugibele embhedeni!”
Aphuze uThembelihle, maqede agibele embhedeni. Kuthi kusenjalo abone amanzi ehla ngezitho. Asondele lona wesifazane. Akhale kakhulu uThembelihle.
“Umsindo wena!” kusho lona wesifazane ngenkathi emxilonga. “Wase opha kangaka kanti kwenzenjani?”
“Kwenzakalani kumntanami? Thembelihle!?” Kumemeza uMaNdlela.
UThembelihle uselele uthe ja, akanyakazi. Bazama ukumvusa kodwa kunhlanga zimuka nomoya. Usebanda qa uThembelihle. Uhayiza ampampe igceke lonke umaNdlela. Hhawu kodwa ngomntanakhe!
Baqinisile uma bethi akukhaya leli kulidokodo lomhambi! Baphinde bathi uNkulunkulu uyapha futhi aphinde athethe. Iqiniso elimsulwa lelo elingeke laphikiswa. Nakhu uNkulunkulu esemthathile uThembelihle.
Umunyu ubhalwe emehlweni enkosini ngoba namuhla uThembelihle bemubeka endaweni yakhe yokugcina. Kuzwela kakhulu kwisigijimi esinguMthandeni. Phela nguye ubaba womntwana. UMthandeni uzizwa sengathi uphendukelwe umhlaba ngokulahlekelwa isithandwa sakhe kanye nosana lwakhe obelungakazalwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho undingisiwe endaweni ngoba ungene esibayeni senkosi.
NoMaNdlela ngokunjalo inkosi iyamxosha emzini wayo iphinde imdingise emhlabeni wayo. Umngcwabo kaThembelihle uwubuka esemagqumeni ngoba esaba ukubulawa inkosi. Nebala umaNdlela uma egqumeni le phesheya lapho engabonwa muntu khona. Ubona kuphunywa kuyiwa emangcwabeni. Ukhala kuze kushe zona izinyembezi.
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Sitshele Umbono Wakho: Ubona kuyinto ekahle ukuthi uMaNdlela adingiswe?