Kusendaweni yaseLuphepheni lapho sithola khona uMaMtshali ongumntshingubethwangubani. Njengoba ehlala yedwa vo nje lapha endlini yakhe esigodini saseNhlangwini kuyezwakala ngandlebenye ukuthi usuka kaNhlalwane lapho ayeganele khona. Ngokusho kwabamaziyo waba isaliwakazi emzini ngoba eyinyumba. Kanti kwathi lapho ehluleka ukubekezelela izinhlamba zabanakwabo bemphethe ngesankahlu wabaleka emzini. Umyeni wakhe akayigqizanga qakala eyokuthutha kwakhe wavele waqonda kwaSwayimane ekhweni lakhe wayolanda izinkomo zamabheka.

Langa limbe uMaMtshali waya ehlathini maduze nomfula uMzimkhulu eyotheza njengenhlalayenza. Njengoba abafazi kulendawo babemkhipha inyumbazana wahamba yedwa qwaba. Kwathi engazelele wethuswa umsindo wekati phakathi ehlathini waqalaqalaza kodwa akabonanga lutho. Waziba naye waqhubeka nokutheza wathi angaqeda wathatha inyanda yakhe waba yindlela. Wathi esuka washo futhi umsindo kulokhu wabona ukuthi umzwangedwa udlala ngaye waqhubeka wahamba ebhekise amabombo ekhaya. Kwathi lapho usho kakhulu lo msindo sengathi uyamlandela wezwa ukuthi cha noma kuthiwani usana lolu olukhalayo. Wawisa inyanda phansi waqonda ehlathini elalicinene lapho umsindo owawuvela ngakhona. Kwakungangeneki futhi kunameva ngakho wadonsa ucelemba wakhe wabopha iphinifa lakhe njengoba lalimphazamisa ngenkathi ezama ukuvula indlela. Akawakholwanga amehlo akhe lapho ebona oluhle usana lulahliwe.

Waluthatha usana walusa eNkosini yabe isimnika imvume yokuba aluthathe lube ngolakhe. Kwaba ukuphuma kwelanga empilweni yakhe uMaMtshali wayegubhazela uthotholwane. Wayetha uSiphosenkosi ingane yakhe. Impela ukukhula kwengane ubala phela uSipho lo waphendula uswalakahla lensizwa ngomzuzwana nje. Ngaphezu kokuhlonipha nokuba ibhungu uSipho lo wayephuma nesikhuni sivutha emanzini. Wayeke amamatheke uMaMtshali lapho indodana yakhe imtshela ngesithabathaba somuzi eyomakhela sona mhla yaphumelela.

Ngokuzimisela uSipho waphasa umatikuletsheni wakhe ngamalengiso. Inkosi yabe isimkomelisa ngomhlambi wezinkomo. uMaMtshali wabanesu lokuba bazidayise lezinkomo ukuze phela uSipho ezoya kofundela ezobudokotekela njengesifiso sakhe. Nempela bakwenza lokho wahamba waya kofunda uSipho waphumelela waba udokotela eXobho. USipho wabe esecela unina uMaMtshali ukuba ameme abantu ngoba wayefuna ukumenzela idili likamkhipheni ambonge ngokumfundisa. UMaMtshali wathi ngibonwa yini wamema ngisho nabanakwabo efuna babone phela ukuthi ukujabula kuyashintshana. Wabe esehamba ke uSipho eya edolobheni eyothenga izibiliboco nesipho ayezosinika uMaMtshali. Bafika abantu bengangezimpethu zendlovu bezofinya ngendololwane. Badla idombolo nenyama eyayihlatshiwe bashaya esentwala base belinda-ke ukubona isipho uSipho ayezosinika uMaMtshali. Balinda balinda kwaze kwahwalala layozilahla kunina kodwa lutho ukufika uSipho nesipho. UMaMtshali waba yinhlekisa ezweni babodwa ababethi uqalekisiwe nabanye besho okwabo.

Njengoba eseqala ukukhahlela ekhanda unkabi lo akasezwa kahle emadlebeni. Ingakho-ke uMaMtshali ebiza umakhelwane wakhe uma kufika indoda ehloniphekile endlini yakhe. UMaMzobe asondele ezibuza naye emqondweni wakhe ukuthi kazi umuntu ohlonipheke kangaka uzokwenzani emzini wesichaka esiqalekisiwe. Ngaphambi kokuba ikhulume indoda le iqale ikhiphe isithombe sikaSipho ibuze ukuthi ingabe bayamazi yini bavume. Iqhube ichaze ukuthi washona engozini yemoto emva kokuthenga umuzi eXobho ithi isipho sikanina.