Ezweni elibizwa ngeGabon, kwakukhona umuzi owawakhiwe ekugcineni kwehlathi.

Phakathi naleli hlathi, emagatsheni aphezulu esihlahleni esikhulu, kwakuhlala inyoni yekhethelo – eyayikwazi ukunisa imvula.

Kusukela kudala, abantu babegcina le nyoni ithokozile. Babegcina isinkwa esisele, izithelo nobisi olusha lukakhukhunathi.

Njalo ngemuva kwesonto noma kwamasonto amabili, ithimba labantu lalihambisa lezi zidlo ezimnandi ehlathini. Uma sebezibeke phansi komuthi, omunye wabo wayedlala isitolotolo esidlalwa ngezithupha.

Ngemuva kwesikhashana nje inyoni yayindiza yehlele phansi ukuze idle, iphuze. Uma isiqedile yayiqala icule iculo elimnandi kakhulu.

Yenza lokho nje iphakamise amaphiko ayo anombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka akhazimulayo. Emva kwesikhashana, yayiqala ukuna imvula.

Lokhu kwaqhubeka nokwenzeka iminyaka eminingi. Ngenxa yokuthi imvula yayina njalo, izitshalo zazikhula kakhulu, futhi kunokudla okuningi. Kodwa izinto zaqala ukushintsha kancane kancane.

Kwenzeka-ke ukuthi abantu bahlale bexakekile ngokuthile baqala ukungayinaki inyoni enisa imvula. "Lizona vele," kusho bona. "Sekuyisikhathi sokuthi siyeke ukutotosa lesi siwula senyoni endala!"

Kodwa abantu babenza iphutha. Ngesikhathi beyeka ukunakekela inyoni, nemvula nayo yayeka ukuna.

Izitshalo zaqala ukusha zase zifa, nezilwane zazaca futhi zaba buthakathaka. Noma kunjalo, akekho umuntu owaya ehlathini ukuyopha inyoni eyayinisa imvula ukudla. Manje base bematasatasa bonke bezama ukuthola imali yokuthenga ukudla edolobhaneni eliseduze.

Ngelinye ilanga elalishisa kakhulu, intombazanyana ebizwa ngoKhethi yanquma ukuya ehlathini ngemuva kokuphuma kwesikole. "Okungenani kuzobe kupholile laphaya phakathi," ezicabangela. Wahamba waze wafika esihlahleni eside okwakuhlala kuso inyoni enisa imvula. Wabuka phezulu esihlahleni.

Ngokuphazima kweso wakhumbula ukuthi ugogo wakhe wayaye ahambe kanjani naye beze ehlathini bezopha inyoni ukudla ngesikhathi esemncane kakhulu.

UKhethi wavula isikhwama sakhe sesikole wakhipha ucezu lwesinkwa olwalusele esidlweni sakhe sasemini. Walubeka phansi ngokucophelela. Njengoba wayengaphathanga isitolotolo, wacula iculo elidala ayelazi impilo yakhe yonke.

Kwezwakala umsindo omkhulu, inyoni yehla emagatsheni angaphezu kwekhanda likaKhethi. Yaqala ukudla isinkwa. Lapho seyiqedile ukudla, yavula umlomo wayo yase icula amanothi ayingcwenga ambalwa, amanothi aphezulu. Yaphakamisa amaphiko ayo akhazimulayo, kusenjalo uKhethi wezwa ukuduma kwezulu. Ngesikhathi efika ekhaya, imvula yase iqalile ukuna. Amathonsi amakhulu emvula ayepholisa isibomvu esishisa kakhulu.

UKhethi wayejabule kakhulu, waze watshela abazali bakhe ukuthi kwenzekeni. "Ungazobheda la!" kuthetha unina. "Akusekho umuntu okholelwa ekutheni leya nyoni iphathelene nokuna kwemvula!" "Uqinisile umama wakho," kusho ubaba kaKhethi. "Sesinqamukile manje isomiso, izinto sezizohamba kahle. Ungamoshi isinkwa upha leya nyoni endala enomhobholo ukudla futhi!"

Noma uKhethi engazange aphikisane nabazali bakhe, wazitshela ukuthi benza iphutha. "Ukuba uGogo ubesaphila," ekhuluma yedwa, "ubezongikholwa!" Ugogo kaKhethi wayeshone eminyakeni embalwa eyedlule. Into eyodwa uKhethi ayesele nayo isitolotolo esidala sikagogo wakhe.

Kwadlula amasonto amabili kungasekho mvula. Zaqala ukusha futhi izitshalo, zaqala nokuvela kakhulu ngaphandle nezimbambo zezilwane ezilambile. Ilanga lashisa kakhulu.

"Anginandaba nokuthi bathini!" kucabanga uKhethi. "Sidinga imvula. Ngizopha inyoni ukudla futhi kusasa!"

Ekuseni kakhulu ngosuku olulandelayo, ngemuva kokuthatha ucezu lwesinkwa kanye nenkeshezana yamajikijolo ekhishini, uKhethi waphuma endlini engabonwa muntu. Waqala uhambo lwakhe oluya phakathi nehlathi.

Akazanga ukuthi noyise wayesevukile. Ngesikhathi ebona lokho okwakwenziwa indodakazi yakhe, wabona ukuthi yayiyopha inyoni enisa imvula ukudla futhi. "Ngizofundisa le ngane engezwa isifundo!" ekhuluma yedwa ngokuthukuthela. Wahlwitha umnsalo nomcibisholo wakhe walandela uKhethi kancane kancane ehlathini.

Ngesikhathi inyoni indizela phansi ukuze idle ukudla uKhethi ayeyibekele khona, uyise waphakamisa umnsalo wakhe wase ededela umcibisholo wakhe. Umcibisholo wandiza waqonda ngqo enhliziyweni yenyoni. Inyoni yakliwula ukukliwula okuvala izindlebe.

Ethukile, uKhethi waphenduka – wabona uyise ewela phansi, eseshonile. UKhethi wadazuluka wase ephenduka – wabona umcibisholo uwa emzimbeni wenyoni ungayilimazanga. Inyoni, eyayingalimele, yase indizela phezulu egatsheni eliphezulu kunawo wonke esihlahleni.

UKhethi wagijima waphuma ehlathini eshaqeke kakhulu. Zonke izilwane nabo bonke abantu ayebabona babelele phansi beshonile. Inhliziyo yakhe ishaya ngamandla, wagijima waze wafika ekhaya.

Ngokushesha wathola isitolotolo sikagogo wakhe. "Leli ukuphela kwethemba enginalo!" ecabanga. "Idiniwe inyoni enisa imvula. Kumele ngiyijabulise futhi! KUMELE NGIKWENZE lokhu!"

Ngemuva kwesigamu sehora, uKhethi wayesebuyile phansi kwesihlahla esikhulu. Umzimba wakhe wawumfoma umjuluko futhi wayenephika. Ebangeni elingengakanani ukusukela kuyena kwakulele umzimba kayise oshonile.

UKhethi waphenduka ngokushesha, izandla zakhe zivevezela, waqala ukudlala isitolotolo. Wadlala, wadlala, kwaze kwaba buhlungu iminwe yakhe.

Ekugcineni, lokho ayekufuna kwenzeka. Yehlela phansi inyoni sengathi akuzange kwenzeke lutho. Inyoni yadla amanye amajikijolo ayesephansi yase icula amanothi ambalwa.

Kwathi ngesikhathi uKhethi eqhubeka nokudlala, inyoni yaphakamisa amaphiko ayo. UKhethi wezwa kukhona okuhwashazayo ngemuva kwakhe.

Kwakunguyise owayesevukile!

"Ngiyaxolisa!" washo ephindelela enyonini enkulu. Welulela isandla indodakazi yakhe base behamba kancane bebuyela ekhaya.

Kwase kuvuke bonke abantu nezilwane kulo muzi.

Izakhamuzi zasendaweni zaba nomhlangano ngalobo busuku. Zonke zavumelana ukuthi zifunde isifundo esibaluleke kakhulu.

Kusukela ngalolo suku, akudlulanga nesonto elilodwa kungazange kube khona uhambo olukhethekile lokuyopha ukudla inyoni eyayinisa imvula.