Sesisondzele sikhatsi selikhefu esikolweni semabanga laphasi iSiyafunda. Banikati betitolo letimbili batilungiselela kutsengisela bantfwana labalambile.

Esitolo sakaMotaung, sesisikiwe sinkhwa silungele kutsi kwentiwe ngaso emakota. Ngekunakekela, babe Motaung ukhipha kahle lencenye yangekhatsi letsambile yesinkhwa kuleyo naleyo kota. Utsi angacedza bese ufaka ipaloni, emashibusi emazambane ngekhatsi. Aphindze afake netipunu letimbili te-atja leyentiwe ngumkakhe ekhaya kuleyo naleyo kota yesinkhwa. Ngitsandza kusho kutsi emakota akhe ane-atja ngekhatsi nangetulu.

Kantsi esitolo sakaMkhize, emashibusi emazambane sekalungisiwe, kodvwa usasikelela tinkhwa tibe ngemakota. Ukhatsatekile ngobe tintfo atihambi kahle esitolo sakhe, “Kwacala kahle,” kucabanga Mkhize. “Kodvwa nyalo emakhasimende aya ngekuya ayancipha. Kuncono ngobe ngiyatehlisa tindleko ngekutsi ngisike emakota lasihlanu elofini yesinkhwa.”

BoJabu naZodwa batsenga kudla kwabo labatakudla ngesikhatsi selikhefu. Zodwa utsenga esitolo sakaMkhize. Jabu utsenga kaMotaung. Utsi nakacatsanisa, ikota yakaMotaung inemashibusi ne-atja lenyenti kwengca yakaMkhize.

Esitolo sakaMotaung kuhlala kunemugca lomudze walabo labatewutsenga. Zodwa ulindzela Jabu ngalesikhatsi atsenga. Batsi bangacedza kuntsenga boZodwa naJabu bese bahlala ngaphasi kwemtfunti badle emakota abo.

Zodwa kukhona lakubonako lokumenta aswace. “Hawu! Yini loyibonako?” Kubuta Jabu. “Ikota yakho! Ibukeka iyinkhulu kunaleyami,” kusho Zodwa.

Bobabili babukisisa emakota abo. Impela, ikota yaJabu yinkhulu. "Kukhona lokusolisako lapha, kusho Zodwa. Ngabe ngiko loku lokwenta sitolo sakaMkhize singasagcwali ngebatsengi?" Kucabanga Jabu wase aphendvula atsi, "Mine ngive labanye bantfwana batsi babe Mkhize usika sinkhwa sakhe sibe ngemakota lasihlanu."

Ngalesikhatsi basakhuluma boJabu naZodwa, kwengce Lomusa alangatelela kuva loko lebacocisana ngako. Uyababuta, “Nitsi kwentenjani ngekusikwa kwemakota lasihlanu? Bamphendvule boZodwa naJabu batsi, “Ikota iyikota yelofu yesinkhwa!” adideke Lomusa, bese Zodwa uyamchazela, “Nayisikwe kahle ilofu iba tincenye letine letilinganako. Nangabe ayikasikwa kanjalo kusho kutsi ayibi ngemakota.

Lomusa avele atfukutsele nakeva loko ngobe naye utsenga kaMkhize. “Lokusho kutsi usentela butsotsi!” Usho ngelivi leliphakeme. Zodwa wabona kuncono kutsi aye kaMkhize ayokhonona. Wavele wasuka wacondza khona, abambe ikota yakhe. Lomusa wamlandzela naye. Jabu wadvonsa umoya kakhulu naye walandzela bangani bakhe.

Babe Mkhize utse nakababona kutsi abasibo batsengi labasha waba nekukhatsateka. “Sanibonani futsi bantfwabami,” uyababingelela. “Nginganisita ngani?” “Babe Mkhize ngitse ngicela ungitsengisele ikota ngabuye ngakubhadala imali yekota. Kodvwa loku lengikuphetse akusiyo ikota, kusho Zodwa akhombe ikota yakhe.“Ngifuna lelenye incenye yekota yami nobe unginike imali yami,” usho ngekutfukutsela.

“Ngabe kuliciniso loku babe Mkhize? Ngabe sonkhe lesikhatsi bewusitsotsa?” kukhala Lomusa. Bakhuluma nje kantsi nalabanye bantfwana bebabalandzela ngalesikhatsi bangena esitolo sakaMkhize. Balalele nabo nakakhulunyiswa babe Mkhize. Babe Mkhize wavele waphakamisa tandla. “Nitsi mine ngisigebengu? Angisingiko loku lenikushoko! Phumani lapha esitolo sami!” kumemeta babe Mkhize.

Zodwa wakhulumela phasi watsi, “Sitabatjela bonkhe ngaloku lokwentako. Sikolo sonkhe sitawube sesati ngawe kutsi ungutsotsi. Utawugcina usivalile lesitolo sakho. Angeke kuseta muntfu atewutsenga lapha kuwe!” Babe Mkhize ubuka labantfwana labeme embi kwakhe. Khona lapho ubona sekunesicuku sebantfu labeme ngaphandle kwesitolo sakhe.

“Kulungike-ke,” kukhuluma babe Mkhize. “Ngitaninika imali yenu lenitsenge ngayo.” Yebo siyakuva, phindza usitsembise kutsi utawusika ilofu ibe ngemakota lamane,” kusho Jabu. Babe Mkhize wabatsembisa kutsi utawenta njalo. Wakhwehlela asusa sikhwehleli lesasisemphinjeni wase ukhuluma ngelivi leliphakeme kute bonkhe beve kahle, “Futsi ngiyanetsembisa kutsi ngitawengeta i-atja nemashibusi emazambane emakoteni ami.

Nembala babe Mkhize wangeta emashibusi emazambane ne-atja emakoteni akhe. Kwacala manje kwagcwala esitolo sakaMkhize, libhizinisi lakhe lacala kuhamba kahle. Kwaze kwaba nesidzingo sekutsi acashe lotamelekelela esitolo sakhe ngobe besekuhlala kugcwele.

Kwacala kwaba nekuncintisana lokuhle emkhatsini wababe Mkhize nababe Motaung, bonkhe bantfu baba nekujabula.