Kwilizwe laseGabon, kwakukh' ilali encinane eyayimi kwinyele lehlathi.

Esizikithini seli hlathi, kwawona masebe aphezulu omthi omkhulu kunene, kwakuhlala eyona ntaka
ikhethekileyo – intaka eyenza imvula.

Kuko konke okwakudala okusakhunjulwayo
ngabahlali bale lali, babethe gqolo bezinika ithuba lokugcina le ntaka yonwabile maxesha onke.

Babegcina ingququ yesonka, amaqhekeza eziqhamo kunye nobisi olutsha lwekhokhonathi, kwaye rhoqo ngeveki okanye ngeeveki ezimbini, iqela labahlali bale lali bebethatha ezi zimuncumuncu bazise ehlathini.

Bayakuthi ke emva kokuba bezandlele phantsi kwalo mthi, aze omnye adlale ngonyana ithile ngepiyano edlalwa ngeminwe.

Kuya kuthi ethubeni, ubone loo ntaka ibhabha isiza ezantsi ukuza kutya ize isele kananjalo. Iya kuthi yakugqiba, uyive iqalisa ukucula eyona ngoma imyoli.

Icula njalo, uyakuyibona inyusa amaphiko ayo aluhlaza amenyezelayo, kungekudala emva koko, imvula iqalise ukuna.

Oku kwaqhubeka iminyaka emininzi. Nanjengoko imvula yayisina rhoqo, izityalo zakhula ngokwaneleyo kangangokuba kwakho ukutya okuninzi kuloo lali.

Kodwa ke kungekudala, izinto zaqala ukutshintsha. Abahlali baloo lali basuka bathanda ukuxakeka zezinye izinto, kwaze oku kwabangela ukuba balibale ngentaka yemvula. "Kuza kunetha nokuba kutheni," babesitsho. "Liphelile ixesha lokufekethisa laa ntakana ngoku!"

Kodwa ke ngelishwa, abantu babewuphosile umhlola. Bathe bakuyeka ukuyikhathalela intaka, imvula yayeka ukuna.

Izityalo zaqala ukoma nokubuna, nezilwanyana zayimidyubha ebuthisayo. Nangona kunjalo, kwakungekho mntu kuloo lali waphumayo ukuya ehlathini ukuze ondle intaka eyayibazisela imvula.

Eyona nto babexakeke yiyo ngoku kukwenza imali ukuze baye kuthenga ukutya kwiidolophu abamelene nazo.

Ngaminazala ithile eyayitshisa, intombazana encinci egama linguKetti, yagqiba ekubeni iye ehlathini emva kwesikolo. "Noko kuza kuphola phaya," ezicingela. Emva kwethutyana, wafika kumthi omde eyayihlala kuwo intaka yemvula. Uqwalasele phezulu emthini.

Wakhumbula ngelaa xesha umakhulu wakhe wayehamba naye ukuya apho ehlathini ukuze bondle intaka. Kwangoko uvule itasi yakhe yesikolo wakhupha intsalela yesonka kweso ebesiphethe ukuya esikolweni. Ngenkathalo nangobunono, usibeke phantsi kwaloo mthi. Nanjengoko ebengaphethanga piyano edlalwa ngeminwe, uye wacula ingoma endala awayeyazi kakhulu.

Ngesandi esidandulukayo esikhulu, intakana eluhlaza entle yathi gqi emasebeni phezu kwentloko kaKetti yaze yaqalisa ukutya isonka.

Ithe yakugqiba ukutya le ntaka, yavula umlonyana wayo yaze yacula iinowuthi eziphezulu zengoma ngokucwengileyo. Kwangoko yanyusa amaphiko ayo akhazimlayo, kwangoko uKetti weva ukundila kwezulu.

Uthe efika kowabo, kwabe sele kusiwa amachaphaza amakhulu emvula, epholisa loo mhlaba ubomvu utshisayo.

UKetti wayevuye kakhulu. Wadana emva kokuba exelele abazali bakhe into eyenzekileyo. "Ungasigezeli!" wamngxolisa umama wakhe. "Akusekho mntu ukholelwayo ukuba laa ntaka inento yokwenza nemvula!" "Unyanisile umama wakho," utshilo utata kaKetti. "Imbalela iphelile ngoku, izinto ziza kulunga. Musa ukudyiwaza ngesonka esidingekayo usondla laa ntaka indala irhalayo!"

Nangona uKetti angazange aphikisane nabazali bakhe, wayeqinisekile ukuba bayaphazama. "Akwaba umakhulu ebesaphila," ecinga, "yena ebeza kundikholelwa." Kwakusele iyiminyaka eliqelana eswelekile umakhulu wakhe. Inye kuphela into awayesayigcinile uKetti kwezo zikamakhulu, yayiyipiyano yeminwe.

Zigqithile iiveki ezimbini kungekho nethontsi lemvula. Ziphindile izityalo zantshwenca, zaze zanyakazela iimbambo ngakumbi izilwanyana ezilambileyo.

Ingqatsini yelanga yahlaba ngokungenalusini emhlabeni ukusuka kweso sibhakabhaka siluhlaza. "Andikhathali nokuba bathini!" ucinge watsho uKetti. "Siyayidinga imvula. Ndiza kuya kuyondla kwakhona intaka ngomso!"

Kwangentseni kusuku olulandelayo, emva kokuba ethathe isilayi sesonka nesandla esigcwele ngamaqunube abomvu kwikhitshi lakowabo, uKetti unyebeleze waphuma endlwini. Nanko esingise kumbindi wehlathi.

Akazange aqaphele kodwa ukuba utata wakhe wayehleli ethe qwa. Uthe akubona oko kwenziwa yintombi yakhe, waqonda ukuba iza kuya kondla intaka yemvula kwakhona.

"Ndiza kumfundisa isifundo kanene lo mntwana ungenambeko!" utshilo ezithethela ngomsindo. Uthe hlasi isaphetha sakhe neentolo zakhe waze wamlandela ngokuthe cwaka uKetti ukuya ehlathini apho.

Ithe kanye xa intaka isihla emthini isiza kudla ukutya ekubekelwe nguKetti, utata wakhe waphakamisa isaphetha sakhe waze wadubula ngetolo elibulalayo. Itolo laya kungena ngqo entliziyweni yentaka. Intaka yatsho ngesikrakra sona isikhalo.

Ngokoyika okukhulu, uKetti waguquka – waba sele ebona utata wakhe esiwa phantsi, wafa ngoko nangoko. UKetti ukhalile waze wajika – sele ebona itolo lisiwa lingayenzanga nomkrwelo lo wembala loo ntaka inomzimba omenyezelayo.

Nantso intaka, ingenawo nomncinci umenzakalo, indanda inyukela kwelona sebe liphezulu lomthi.

UKetti uphume egqotsile kwelo hlathi, wathi xa esiya ekhaya wafikela kumbono wentshabalalo engathethekiyo. Wonke umntu amaziyo nesilwanyana, babathe tywaa emhlabeni befile. Intliziyo yakhe iye yabetha ngamandla, wabaleka
ukuya kowabo.

Kwangoko ufumene laa piyano idlalwa ngeminwe kamakhulu wakhe. "Kuphela kwethemba endinalo ke eli!" ucinge watsho. "Intaka yemvula iqumbile. Kufuneka ndiyonwabise kwakhona! KUMELE ndenze njalo!"

Emva kwesiqingatha seyure, uKetti wayemi bhunxe phantsi komthi omkhulu. Umzimba wawubile xhopho kwaye ephefumlela phezulu.

Phaya qelele kancinci kuye, kwakudunduluze umzimba katata wakhe ofileyo. UKetti uye wajonga kude ngokukhawuleza, waqalisa ukudlala ipiyano yeminwe ngezandla ezingcangcazelayo. Udlalile, wadlala, yade yaqaqamba iminwe yakhe.

Ekugqibeleni, kwenzeka eyona nto wayefuna yenzeke ehlabathini.

Nantso intaka ibhabha isiza, loo nto kuyo kwakungathi akukho nento le ikhe yenzeka. Intaka iye yatya amanye amaqunube awayesathe saa apho emhlabeni yaze yacula iinowuthi ezimbalwa zengoma.

Uthe esadlala ingoma njalo uKetti, intaka yaphakamisa amaphiko ayo. UKetti weva ukurhashaza emva kwakhe.

Kwakusenziwa kukuvuka kukatata wakhe!

"Ndicela uxolo!" utshilo izihlandlo ngezihlandlo ebhekisa kwintaka enkulu eluhlaza. Emva koko wabamba intombi yakhe ngesandla bagoduka bethe chu ukuya elalini.

Nalapho elalini, wonke umntu wayevukile kwanezilwanyana ngokunjalo.

Ngobo busuku, abahlali belali baye babamba intlanganiso. Bonke baye bavumelana ngamxhelo mnye ukuba bafunde isifundo esibalulekileyo.

Ukusukela ngaloo mini, akuzange kuphinde kubekho nanye iveki egqithayo kungakhange kuyiwe ehlathini ukuze kondliwe intaka eyayibazisela imvula.