UThandeka wayeyintombazane enhle, futhi ugogo wakhe enomusa.

Ugogo wakhe wayechitha isikhathi sakhe enzela uThandeka izigege ezinhle.

UThandeka wayethanda ukugqoka izigege zakhe.

Amanye amantombazane endaweni ayenomona ngesigege sikaThandeka.

Babezibuza ukuthi bangamkhumula kanjani isigege sakhe. Kodwa kwakungelula ukukhumula izingubo zakhe uma ezigqokile.

Ngolunye usuku, amantombazane ammema ukuthi bahambe bayobhukuda emfuleni oseduze.

Osebeni lomfula bonke bakhumula izigege zabo ukuze zingabimanzi. Bagxumela emanzini babhukuda isikhashana.

Uma sebeqedile ukubhukuda, enye yamantombazane eyayinomona kakhulu yathatha isigege sikaThandeka yasiphonsa emanzini, eduze nendawo ehlala inyoka enkulu.

Emva kwaloko wonke amantombazane ahamba amshiya lapho ekhala uThandeka.

Inyoka enkulu yezwa okhalayo, yashibilika yaphuma emanzini yabona intombazane enhle, yayigwinya kanye nesigege sayo.

Ngenhlanhla inyoka ayikuthandanga ukunambitheka kwesigege sakhe. Yasiphimisela ngaphandle kanye naye uThandeka.

Bawela ngaphandle osebeni lomfula, bemanziswe amathe enyoka anuka kabi abaphume nawo esiswini senyoka.

UThandeka onukayo wagqoka isigege sakhe esinukayo, wagijima waya ekhaya kubazali bakhe wayecula ethi:

"Mama, ngivulele yimina, ngiyanuka; Mama, ngivulele yimina, ngiyanuka; Nginuka kabi kakhulu."

Umama wakhe walizwa iculo likaThandeka, wagijima waphumela phandle, naye wacula wathi: "Hamba la uyanuka. Hamba la uyanuka, Hamba la unuka kabi."

UThandeka waphoxeka kakhulu. Wagijima waya endlini kamalumekazi nomalume wakhe, bamuzwa ecula:

"Ngivuleleni umnyango, ngiyanuka. Ngivuleleni umnyango, ngiyanuka, Nginuka kabi kakhulu."

Baphumela ngaphandle kwendlu bacula njengoba umama wakhe eculile: "Hamba la uyanuka, Hamba la uyanuka, Hamba la unuka kabi."

UThandeka wayesesalelwe indlu kagogo wakhe kuphela. Inhliziyo yakhe yayibuhlungu.

Wacabanga ukuthi akukho muntu omthandayo ngenxa kwephunga elibi ayesenalo.

Kodwa ugogo wakhe akazange amxoshe wamgeza, kanye nesigege sakhe, wenza konke kwanuka kamnandi.

UThandeka wahlala nogogo wakhe iminyaka eminingi.

Ngelinye ilanga indodana yenkosi eyisicebi yacela ukumshada.

Abazali baka Thandeka bezwa ngomshado, bese bamcela ukuthi abuyele ekhaya.

UThandeka wazikhumbula ukuthi wayenuka kabi kanjani, wakhumbula ukuthi bamphatha kabi kanjani.

Wabatshela ukuthi angeke abuyele ekhaya. "Abazali kufanele babathande abantwana babo," kusho yena, "noma benuka kabi."

UThandeka wacela ugogo wakhe ukuthi azohlala nabo emzini wendodana yenkosi eyisicebi.

Ukhulu wakhe wayejabule kakhulu, ephatheke kahle futhi ezizwa ebalulekile.