UManqoba uyaphuthuma ashintshe izingubo azigqokile. Uzizwa ezulelwa ikhanda ngesikhathi ephuma egumbini lakhe. Kuthi edlula etafuleni lapho wonke umuntu ehlezi khona ezwe ukuthi umphimbo uyavaleka manje. Udonsa isihlalo, ahlale. Uzama ukuphefumula kodwa akuphefumuleki. Bonke abantu abanakile ngoba basaduduza uMaHlongwane. Kuthi kungazelele kuzwakale into ethi zi phansi – uManqoba uwile nesihlalo phansi.
Bonke bayagijima basondele kuManqoba. Bamufica edlikiza, ekhihliza amagwebu. Emuva kwalokho uhlanza engaphezi. Kuthi besashaqwe ilokhu, avele aquleke.
“Manqoba! Manqoba! Vuka!” kuhayiza uMaNdlovu noMbali kanye kanye.
UMbali ubona uManqoba ethule, avele naye aquleke. Kuphuma izimoto ezimbili ebukhosini ziqonde esibhedlela – eyodwa ithwele uMbali, enye ithwele uManqoba. Uthi efika esibhedlela uManqoba odokotela basho ukuthi useshonile. INkosi noMaNdlovu bayahayiza uma bezwa odokotela bethi uManqoba ushonile. Ngoba phela uManqoba uyindodana yeNkosi odokotela bacwaninga ngokushesha ukuthi yini embulele. Wonke umndeni wasebukhosini usendlunkulu ngesikhathi udokotela eshaya ucingo.
“INkosana uManqoba udle ukudla obekunophoyizeni obizwa nge-Cyanide, Nkosi yami,” kusho udokotela.
Ucingo luyaqathaka esandleni seNkosi. Iguqa ngamadolo ihayize. Umluleki weNkosi ucosha ucingo akhulume nodokotela.
“I- Cyanide isebenza ngokushesha. Inani elisegazini le Nkosana uManqoba likhombisa ukuthi uyigwinye emzuzwini embalwa ngaphambi kokuba aquleke,” kuqhuba udokotela.
Kuthatha imizuzu emingi ngaphambi kokuba iyeke ukukhala iNkosi. Ichazelwa konke mayelana noshevu i-cyanide.
“Udleni ekuseni uManqoba?” kubuza iNkosi.
“Akadlanga, Baba, ngoba ukudla kade sekubanda,” kusho uMaNdlovu.
“Pho uma engadlanga uwuthole kuphi ushevu?”
Bayacabanga bonke imizuzwana embalwa.
“Uphuze ujuzi! Ushevu ubusengilazini yojuzi! Ubani oyithelile? Siphi isisebenzi esiyithelile?”
Kuthi uma ehlanganisa konke lokhu avele ezwe inhliziyo yakhe ishona phansi uMaNdlovu. “Bekupheka uMbali namhlanje. Uyena othele ujuzi.”
“Kusho ukuthi uyena othelele uManqoba ushevu. Uyena obulale umfana wami!” kusho iNkosi ngelinomunyu.
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Isimo sikaMbali asiguqukile esibhedlela. Ulaliswe embhedeni sekusele kancane atete. Odokotela balokhu bembhekisisa ngoba uphelelwa ngamandla.
“Lomuntu angeke akwazi ukuzitetela kungcono ahlinzwe ukuze sisindise ingane,” kusho udokotela.
UMbali untekenteke, uzwa sengathi bakhulumela kude odokotela kanye nabahlengikazi.
“Manqoba, Manqoba. Ukuphi uManqoba?” ukhala sakuhleba ngaphambi kokuba umjovo umlalise.
Uvuka ekuseni uMbali. Uyazizwa izinsalela zomjovo egazini. Umhlengikazi umulethela isibutubutu sengane yomfana. Uvele akhale uma egona uLwandle.
Kungena iNkosi ihamba noMaNdlovu.
“Ma, Baba, ukuphi uManqoba? Usenjani manje?”
“Uyazi unesibindi wena ntombazane! Ungibuza kanjani umbuzo onjena emuva kwento oyenzile?” kuhayiza uMaNdlovu.
UMbali unikina ikhanda uma ebona iNkosi noMaNdlovu behaqwa umunyu, behlengezela izinyembezi. Akafuni ukukholwa ukuthi lomunyu awubona ebusweni babo uchaza ukuthini.
“Hhayi! Hhayi! Ngithi ukuphi umnyeni wami, Ma? Ukuphi umyeni wami, Baba?”
INkosi isondela kuMbali. Ifika imhlwithe uLwandle, imdlulisele kuMaNdlovu. Idinwe iyaveva njengoba isondele ebusweni bukaMbali.
“Angithi umdlise ushevu uManqoba, sikhohlakali sentombazane,” kusho iNkosi. “Angazi kwayena uManqoba wayeboneni esidwedweni esinjena sentombazane. Ingane sizoqale siyihlole igazi sibone ukuthi eyakhe ngempela ngaphambi kokuba siyithathe. Uma kungeyakhe uManqoba ngifuna wazi ukuthi angeke uphinde uyibone. Unenhlanhla ngoba angiyena umuntu othanda ukuziphathela umthetho ngesandla ngoba bengizokuklinya khona manje ngiqede ngawe. Kodwa awufanele ukuthi ufe ngokushesha. Kufanele ufe kancane kancane uvalelwe ejele.”
“Angimbulalanga uManqoba. Lengane ekaManqoba. Umzukulu wakho. Ngiyacela bandla ningayithathi ingane yami.”
Amaphoyisa amabili esifazane angena phakathi kukaMbali neNkosi.
“Mbali Sthole uboshelwa ukubulala uManqoba. Konke okushoyo…”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ikuphi okungenziwa uMbali manje njengoba ekulesi simo abhekene naso?