Kudala kwakukho intombazana encinane ebizwa ngokuba nguTselane. Emva kokuba utata wakhe eswelekile, uTselane washiyeka yedwa nomama wakhe. Ngenye imini, umama wakhe waxelela uTselane ukuba bafudukela kwilali ekufutshane ngenjongo zokuya kuqalisa ubomi obutsha.

UTselane wayengafuni ukumka kwilali yakhe, wakhala kakhulu. Umama wakhe wayesoyika ukumshiya yedwa kuba le lali yayisaziwa ngokuba nezigebenga ezininzi ezihlala kwimiqolomba ekufutshane. Kodwa uTselane wakhala kangangokuba umama wakhe wanikezela wavuma ukuba ashiyeke ngasemva.

Umama kaTselane wathi uza kumzisela ukutya yonke imihla. "Ndakuvuma ingoma uya kuyazi ukuba ndim. Ungavuleli nabani ucango, mntwana wam," watsho umama kaTselane. "Nantsi ingoma endiza kuyicula:"

"Tselane mntwan'am! Tselane mntwan'am! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho. Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho."

Ngentsasa elandelayo, umama kaTselane waza endlwini ezisele uTselane ukutya kwakhe. Waqalisa ukucula: "Tselane mntwan'am! Tselane mntwan'am! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho." UTselane waluvula ucango waza watya ukutya okumnandi kukamama wakhe.

Umama wakhe wamncamisa waphindela ekhayeni lakhe. UTselane wangena phakathi endlwini yakhe, walungisa ibhedi yakhe. Isigebenga sasizimele emva kwamatyholo, siqwalasele siphulaphule kuTselane nomama wakhe.

Wathi akucima isibane sakhe uTselane, weva ilizwi elingqokolayo licula ingoma kamama wakhe ngaphandle. "Tselane mntwan'am! Tselane mntwan'am! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho." "Hamba! Awungomama wam!" watsho uTselane. "Usisigebenga!" Isigebenga sahamba, sidanile saya kutshona emqolombeni.

Intsasa nganye nangokuhlwa ngakunye, umama kaTselane wazisa ukutya. Intsasa nganye nangokuhlwa ngakunye, isigebenga naso siyeza. Kodwa ngexesha ngalinye uTselane uyasigxotha. Wayelinakana ilizwi laso lingqokolayo njengoko lizama ukuvuma ingoma kamama wakhe.

Ngenye imini isigebenga seza necebo: "Ndingalitshintsha ilizwi lam lifane neliya likamama kaTselane!" Sabasa umlilo omkhulu, sagibisela ilitye elingqukuva eligudileyo emlilweni. Lathi xa ilitye lishushu kakhulu libomvu, salikhupha emlilweni saza saliginya! "Gulunda!" lehla ngomqala wesigebenga ilitye elishushu.

Isigebenga saqalisa ukuvuma ukuze sive ukuba ilizwi laso litshintshile na. "Tselane mntwan'am! Tselane mntwan'am! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho." Saxhuma luvuyo sakuva ilizwi laso livakala kamnandi njengeliya likamama kaTselane!

Kwakusasa kakhulu ngemini elandelayo, isigebenga saya kwindlu kaTselane. Sakufika emnyangweni wendlu, saqalisa ukucula: "Tselane mntwan'am! Tselane mntwan'am! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho! Yiza phandle uzokutya isidudu sakho."

UTselane wavuseleleka akuva into awacinga ukuba lilizwi elimnandi likamama wakhe. Wavula ucango, naso isigebenga! Wazama ukuluvala ucango kodwa isigebenga sakhawulezisa. Saxhakamfula uTselane, samjula engxoweni.

Isigebenga saphindela emqolombeni waso, sicula sonwabile. "Ukuba bendinotywala besithethe, bebuza kuhamba kakuhle nedinala yam ngobu busuku. Yimini entle kakhulu!" satsho sizithethela sodwa.

Emva kwexeshana kusasa, umama kaTselane wafika njengesiqhelo ezise ukutya kwentombazana yakhe. Wacula ingoma yakhe, kodwa uTselane akaphuma. Wacula ingoma yakhe kwakhona, kodwa uTselane akaphuma phandle. Emva kokuba ecule okwesithathu, walukhaba ucango lwavuleka. UTselane wayengafumaneki ndawo.

Wayazi into eyenzekileyo, ngokukhawuleza wacinga icebo. Wagalela utywala kwiselwa elikhulu, walibeka entloko, wahamba wehla ukuya emqolombeni, waza wankqonkqoza kumnyango wesigebenga. Isigebenga sajoja ivumba elimnandi lotywala besithethe, savula ucango ngokukhawuleza.

"Molo sigebenga!" watsho umama kaTselane. "Bendidlula nje ndaza ndakuva ucula kamnandi. Ndiya kwenye ilali kwitheko lemini yokuzalwa komntwana." Isigebenga sasingazukuyeka ithuba lokusela utywala besithethe lidlule njalo! Wamemelela umama kaTselane emqolombeni. "Mandikugalele utywala phambi kokuba ndiphindele endleleni," watsho umama kaTselane. Isigebenga sasonwabile kakhulu saza sasela utywala ithamo elinye.

Umama kaTselane wasipha ngaphezulu nangaphezulu laze lade alabinanto iselwa. Kodwa ngoku isigebenga sasinxile kakhulu kangangoba sade sasindwa bubuthongo salala phantsi.

Wathi umama kaTselane akuva ukurhona kwesigebenga, wavula ingxowa, waxhuma, waphuma uTselane. UTselane nomama wakhe babaleka kangangoko banako ukuya ekhaya. Ukususela ngoko, uTselana wahlala nomama wakhe kamnandi kakhulu kwilali entsha.