Wavuka uDyakalashe ngentsasa ethile elambile. Amathumbu akhe ayegquma okwenkunzi yengonyama kucaca ukuba uphethwe mpela liphango. Waphakama wangena endleni ekhangela ukutya.

Wajikeleza ehlathini ekhangela ukutya ehamba esezela umoya efuna ukuva ivumba lokutya. Ilanga lalitshisa kakhulu. Kwakunzima nokubona kakuhle kuDyakalashe ngendlela awayelambe ngayo. Wayecinga ngephango kuphela.

"Aaawwuuuu!" Watsho ngesikhalo esikhulu umfo omkhulu. Wawa kwisiziba esasiphambi kwakhe. Wayelambe kakhulu esezela umoya intamo ithe qhiwu intloko ijonge phezulu ejoja ivumba lokutya. Akazange ajonge apho ahamba khona.

"Owu Nkosi yam!" wacinga watsho. "Kufuneka ndiphume kwesi siziba okanye ndakufela apha liphango."

Usomaqhinga onguDyakalashe wakhala ekhwaza: "Ncedani! Ncedani." UDonki wayesitya ingca kufutshane neso siziba. Weva isikhalo sikaDyakalashe wabaleka esondela.

"Yintoni ingxaki?" Wabuza uDonki exhalabile. "Hayi wena mhlobo wam andikhaliswa yingxaki koko ndinesithukuthezi. La manzi amnandi kakhulu kwaye ayawupholisa umzimba kweli langa litshisa kangaka. Ndifuna umhlobo endinokuqubha naye andichithise isithukuthezi. Ungangena uqubhe kunye nam?"

"Inene liyatshisa eli langa," watsho uDonki. Kodwa angekhe ndikwazi ukuphuma xa ndingangena kwesi siziba." Wayethandabuza uDonki. "Ngena mfondini! Ndizakunceda uphume xa udiniwe kukuqubha," wathembisa uDyakalashe."

Dyumpu! Watsiba wangena esizibeni uDonki. Ayemnanadi ngenene la manzi. Wawuva umzimba wakhe uphola kamnandi. Weva ngoDyakalashe etsibela emhlana kuye. Wayecinga ukuba uDyakalashe uyadlala nje. Nanko uDyakalashe ephuma esizibeni ebaleka ehleka. UDonki washeka yedwa kweso soziba exakene nendlela yokuphuma. Waqalisa naye ukukhwaza: "Ncedani! Ncedani!"