Kwabe kungumshado wokuqala emndenini wakwa Buthelezi, kanti uThandeka wayengakaze ajabule ngalendlela empilweni yakhe. "Ngizoba yimpelesi kaSibongile, ngizogqoka ingubo nezicathulo ezintsha!" ekhuluma nezinkukhu zakhe. Ubaba wakhe wayemthengele izinkukhu ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa. Wayezithanda kakhulu.

"Susa lezinkukhu zakho ezingcolile lapha Thandeka!" kumemeza umama wakhe. "Angifuni nokuzibona eduze kwetende lomshado."

UThandeka wazisusa izinkukhu zakhe eduze kwethende. "Sukani lapha ziphukuphuku. Angifuni nidliwe emshadweni kaSibongile."

"Uma uthe lona kuzoba yindumezulu engakaze yabonwa kwaButhelezi yomshado," kusho uThandeka etshela izinkukhu zakhe. "Futhi uthe ngizosiza amantombazane asekhulile ngokupheka." Izinkukhu azizange zibe nandaba nayekusho. "Thandeka!" ebizwa ngumama wakhe ngaphakathi endlini. "Shiya lezonkukhu zakho uze uzongisiza la emabhodweni!"

Umama kaThandeka wayeziqhenya kakhulu ngendlu yakhe futhi wayefuna yonke into ihambe ngohlelo ngomshado. Wahlanza umuzi wakhe ewukhuculula, epholisha yonke into. Eseqedile kwabe kungekho ngisho ukungcola okuncane yonke indawo. Izinkukhu zalunguza emnyango wangaphambili. "Phumani," kuthetha umama kaThandeka. "Phumani la nezinyawo nemilomo engcolile!"

UThandeka walandela izinkukhu zakhe. "Umama uqinisile niyaphoxa," exwayisa izinkukhu zakhe. UThandeka wathi ukuthula isikhashana ecabanga. Maduzane wamamatheka wase ethi, "Nginombono omuhle." Wahamba wayothatha ibhakede walifaka amanzi. UThandeka wathwala kanzima ezama ukubamba izinkukhu zazingacabangi ukuthi ukugezwa kungaba isu elihle.

UThandeka wabamba inkukhu yokuqala wayifaka ebhakedeni. Yakhala inkukhu ishaya amaphiko. "Yima sphukuphuku ndini ngeke kuthathe isikhathi," kusho uThandeka. Ngesikhathi uThandeka eseyesula ikhala namehlo yagobisa ikhanda ebhakedeni.

"Asikho isikhathi sokulala la," kusho uThandeka. Wayinyakazisa eyivuthulula ukuze kuphume amanzi. "Uma ungavuki manje ngizokufaka entweni ezokomisa kahle", esho eyibeka otshanini ukuze itholwe yilanga yome kahle. Inkukhu yalala yanganyakaza.

UThandeka wazigeza zonke izinkukhu zakhe. Ngayinye igobise ikhanda ngaphambi kokuba aqede ukuyigeza. Wazilalisa ngokulandela otshanini ukuze zome. Akukho neyodwa eyake yanyakaza ngisho usiba nje. "Ngizoziyeka zithi ukulalaIa kancane," kucabanga uThandeka wasuka wayobheka ukudla.

Umama Ngwenya kanye nomama Mtshali kwakungo mamncane baThandeka. Babengazwani. Kwase kuphele isikhathi esingangenyanga belungiselela umshado kaSibongile, kodwa babengacabangi ngisho ukugibela itekisi eyodwa.

UmaNgwenya wazibona izinkukhu zikaThandeka zinekiwe ukuze zome. "Ngazitholela into engizoyidla kwami," ekhuluma yedwa. Wathatha itshali lakhe wazisonga zonke izinkukhu, akukho neyodwa eyake yanyakaza. "Ya", esho emamatheka. "Ngizozibeka la umaMtshali ngeke azibone khona." Wabe esezishutheke ekhoneni eduze kwamathanga.

Umama umaMtshali wacabanga ukuziphekela ithanga. Wathatha indishi enkulu waqonda engadini. Esengengadini wabona umaNgwenya eshutheka okuthile eduze kwamathanga. Waqonda khona waphenya kwaphuma izinkukhu eziyisishangalombili. "Hhayi bo!" ekhala egxumagxuma ukwethuka." "Oh, nihlanzekile futhi nibahle! Senilungele ukungena bhodweni. Konje ngizonifihlaphi nje zithandwa zami?" kuzibuza umaMtshali. "Kumele ngithole indawo elungile esho ezula zula endlini. Ngiyazi ngizonibeka phezu kwendlu." UmaMtshali wagibela odongweni lasengadini wazibeka phezu kwendlu ngokulandelana."

Ngosuku olulandelayo kwabe sekuwusuku lomshado. UThandeka waba owokuqala kwabavukayo eyobheka izinkukhu zakhe. Wabona ukuthi akukho nkukhu esalele otshanini. "Kufanele ukuba zome kahle manje, ngiyathemba zisayofuna isidlo sasekuseni."

Umshado kaSibongile wawumuhle kakhulu. Izinkukhu azizange zize ukuzoba nomakoti ngezikhathi edansa ebaleni. Akubanga khona ngisho eyodwa ecasulile ngesikhathi ikhwaya icula ngamazwi amnandi. Izinkukhu bezisazilalele phezu kwendlu ngesikhathi umfundisi eshumayela. Azizange zivuthulule ngisho izinsiba ngesikhathi izingulube nomkhulu kaThandeka behona kakhulu umfundisi eshumayela. Akubanga khona ngisho unyawo lwenkukhu ngesikhathi kulunguza izimvu ethendeni, zicishe zigingqa ikhekhe lomshado.

Kwabe sekuphakathi nenkulumo kababa kamakoti, izinto zaqala ukushintsha phezu kwendlu.

Inkukhu yokuqala yandizela phezu kuka umamNgwenya. UmaMsthali wagigitheka eduze kwakhe. Enye inkukhu yandizela phezu kweduku elisha lika mamNgwenya. Abantu ababehlezi etafuleni eliseduzane bazama ukuzibamba ukuhleka. Amantombazane ayeseduze kuka umamNgwenya abhekisa amakhanda phansi etafuleni. "Ai, aai, aaaaii, he, he, heeeeeeee!" aphela insini. Zonke izinkukhu zakhetha ukulandela lezi ezimbili. Wawungeke usamkhomba umamNgwenya embozwe izinkukhu!

Izivakashi zazimemeza ziphelile uhleko. Amadoda ayesebambe izisu efa insini. Abesifazane babegingqika nezitulo behleka. Abafana namantombazane babeze babambane bephelile uhleko. Ogogo base behluleka ukuphefumula ngenxa yokuhleka. Amakhehla ayeze ashaye izinduku zokudondolozela phansi ehleka.

Labo mamncane ababili babukana emehlweni bansinsitheka. UThandeka akazange akholwe! Izivakashi zavumelana ngokuthi lona kwabe kungumshado oyedlula yonke eyake yaba khona eMalealea. "Nina ninenhlanhla!" kusho uThandeka ekhuluma nezinkukhu zakhe ngesikhathi ezidushela esilugwini sazo kusihlwa. "Umama uthe ngeke esanenza isidlo sakusihlwa." "Kodwa bhekani nje senigcole kanjani futhi. Ngicabanga ukuthi kuzomele ngiphinde nginigeze kusasa!"