Ulokhu emamatheka yedwa uMbali ngoba ujabulela ushintsho oluzokwenzeka empilweni yakhe. Konke sengathi kuyiphupho. Ithemba libuya kancane licothoza. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa uzoshada noManqoba, indodana yeNkosi uBhungane. Uthando luphuphuma luchitheke enhliziyweni kaMbali. Ekugcineni usezoba nenkululeko. Kodwa into engamphethe kahle ukuthi uzoshiya udadewabo omncane, uQhamkile.
Bobabili bashiywa ngunina besebancane. Bakhuliswa ngugogo wabo naye owagcina edlulile emhlabeni. Bagcina sebehlala nezihlobo bakhuliswa ngumalume kanye nomalumekazi endaweni yaseBhamshela. Naye umalumekazi lona ungumuntu ongenayo inhliziyo yokukhulisa izingane. Nakhona lapho kwamalume babehlezi lubhojozi ngoba umalume wayehlala eGoli ngoba esebenza ezimayini, ebuya kanye ezinyangeni ezimbili.
“Umamatheka wedwa ntombi uchoba izinzipho! Nasebukhosini uzofike wenze nje? Ungalinge usiphoxe wena vila ndini,” kubhavumula umalumekazi wakhe uMaKheswa efica uMbali ehlezi phezu kombhede elele ngesisu.
“Ngiyaxolisa malumekazi, bengisacambalele kancane ngikhathazwe ukuya emfuleni. Angizizwa kahle, ngiyasola ngizongenwa umkhuhlane,” kusho uMbali eshalaza.
“Usumithi njalo? Cha uyashesha ntombi! Nasi isibopho hamba uye ehlathini, uzosheshe ufe njengonyoko uma unganakile!” usho emphosela isibopho maqede aphume ahambe.
Zehla ngokushesha izinyembezi kuMbali. Kumphatha kabi ukuzwa abantu bekhuluma kabi ngomama wakhe, bekhuluma ngaye sengathi akayilutho. Yena umazi njengomuntu owayenothando oluyisimangaliso unina. Usula izinyembezi, athathe izibopho kanye nenkathelo. Uhamba nje akanake lutho.
Unyathela sakutshikiza uma ehamba uMbali. Yinhle bandla ingane yabantu. Isho ngomzimba osulekile. Isisu yilamba lidlile uqobo lwalo. Umzimba wakhe muncanyanyana kodwa uyamfanela. Izinwele ziyaphuphuzela sengathi uyinhlotshana. Usho ngehwanqa elide elicishe lifike ngasesilevini. Namuhla ubhince ubuhlalo obunemibala enhlobonhlobo. Kuthi engalindele kuvele kuthi thushu uManqoba.
“Waze ngani ukuthi ngilapha?” kubuza uMbali emamatheka.
“Bengikade ngicuthile ngakini nebutho lami. Ngakulandela ngaze ngakufica. Bengikukhumbule kakhulu, sthandwa sami. Kumele ngikukhusele, angeke uhambe wedwa ehlathini,” kusho uManqoba emphulula uboya obugcwele emzimbeni.
“Ngiyabonga ngokuba khona kwakho empilweni yami. Ngiyakuthanda Manqoba, sengijahile ukuba sishade.”
“Kujahe mina sthandwa sami. Sengiyabona nje sekugijima odado bethu,abancane. Ngiyakuthembisa ngizokuthanda kuze kuyovalwa, MaSthole wami.”
“Ufuna izingane ezingaki?”
“Ngifuna izingane eziyishumi sthandwa sami,” kusho uManqoba encokola.
“Musa ukudlala ngami. Zizalwe ngubani lezo zingane?”
“Kungaphinde kube ngubani ngaphandle kwakho, sthandwa.”
“Mina ngiyabusaba ubuhlungu. Angeke ngikwazi ukuzala izingane eziningi kanjena.”
“Phela uzobe wenzela mina sthandwa sami.”
“Sthandwa kuzomele ngicoshe izinkuni. Angeke ngikwazi ukufika ekhaya ngingaphethe lutho.”
“Bekusamnandi ukuhlala nawe.”
“Uyasazi nawe isimo sasekhaya. Kuzomele ngisheshe ngibuye ngingaze ngithethiswe.”
“Kulungile ngizokucoshisa mina.”
“Uyakwazi yini?” kubuza uMbali ensinsitheka.
“Ngizozama,” kuphendula uManqoba ngamehlo agcwele uthando.
Nangempela batheze izinkuni. UManqoba kuyasho ukuthi ukhulele ebukhosini. Ukhule ekhomba ngophakathi. Yonke into uyayenzelwa. Imisebenzi yamadoda efana nokuhlinza kanye nokulusa uyizwa ngendaba. Akaconsi phansi kubazali bakhe. Bamthanda ukufa kwazise unguzinyobulala wabo.
Indlovukazi yabe isililahlile ithawula ngokuthola abantwana ngesikhathi ithola uManqoba. Inkosi yayisho amashushu ukulobola umfazi wesibili ozomzalela indlalifa. Indlovukazi uMaNdlovu wabe eseyithambisile inhliziyo. Ayikho into angayizamanga. Wayezame izinyanga kanye nezangoma. Waphinde wazama nodokotela baphesheya. Wayesezame ngisho abathandazi. Kodwa lutho ukukhulelwa.
Inkosi nebala yagcagcelwa ngunkosikazi wesibili, uMaHlongwane. Ukufika kukaMaHlongwane akubanga kubi kakhulu ngoba inkosi yayimthanda undlunkulu. UMaHlongwane wazala ingane yashona. Inkosi yaqala manje yaphatheka kabi. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga kwafika ugogo owayengcolile esigodlweni. Wafika wacela ukubona uNdlunkulu. Onogada benkosi babesho ukumxosha logogo ngenkathi kuqhamuka uNdlunkulu. Kodwa uNdlunkulu wafika wamemukela lomuntu wokuhamba. Wamenzela okudliwayo kanye nento yokuphuza.
“Muntu wokuhamba ubekwa yini lapha esigodlweni?” kwabuza uMaNdlovu ngesizotha.
“Ngithunywe izinyanya zakini,” kwasho isalukazi.
“Izinyanya zakithi?”
“Yebo.”
“Bathini abantu abadala?”
“Bathi iya endaweni engasempophomeni. Ufike ubheke amadwala amabili abhekene, phakathi kwawo kunesihlahla esincanyana. Ufike ukhe amaqabunga aso, ugqume ngawo. Uzokhulewa ngokushesha.”
Nebala wenza njalo uMaNdlovu. Sahlala ngempela isisu. Sakhula, wateta, yaphila ingane. Bametha ngokuthi uManqoba izitha. Ngoba wanqoba yonke imimoya emibi waphila.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ububona bunjani ubudlelwano bukaMbali neNkosana uManqoba?