Bekungumshado wekucala emndenini waka-Tenane, futsi Refiloe bekangakaze ajabule kangaka ekuphileni kwakhe. "Ngitoba sitolomisi saPalesa, ngigcoke ingubo lensha neticatfulo!" watjela tinkhukhu takhe.

Refiloe watjela tinkhukhu takhe konkhe. Babe wakhe bekamuphe letinkhukhu njengesipho selusuku lwakhe lwekutalwa, futsi bekatitsandza kakhulu.

"Tsatsa letinkhukhu letingcolile utikhiphe lapha Refiloe!" Kumemeta make wakhe, "Angitifuni tisondzele edvute nelithende lemshado."

Refiloe wacosha tinkhukhu takhe ethendeni. Watsi: "Balekani, nine tilwane letilibele. Angifuni kutsi nidliwe emshadweni wa-Palesa!"

"Make utsi lona kutoba ngumshado lomuhle kuyendlula yonkhe leyake yabakhona e-Malealea," Refiloe utjela tinkhukhu takhe, "futsi utsi ngingasita onkhe emantfombantane lamadzala ekuphekeni."

Tinkhukhu atizange timnake.

"Refiloe!" kumemeta make wakhe angekhatsi, "Ngisacela uhlukane naletinkhukhu takho ute lapha utongisita ngemabhodo!"

Make wa-Refiloe bekatigcabha kakhulu ngendlu yakhe, futsi bekafuna ibeyinhle kakhulu ngemshado. Wakilina, wawasha, wahwaya, wahlikihla futsi wapholisha yonkhe intfo lebeyibonakala.

Nasekacedzile, besekungekho naloluncane lutfuli. Tinkhukhu tahlola emnyango longaphambili. "Phumani!" kwamemeta Make wa-Refiloe, "phumani nine tintfo letimbi ngetinyawo nemilomo letingcolile!"

Refiloe walandzela tinkhukhu takhe waya nato ebaleni. "Make ucinisile, nine nilihlazo," watitsetsisa.

Ngako-ke, Refiloe wacabangisisa. Ngekushesha nje, wavele wamamatseka wabese utsi: "Nginemcondvo lomuhle". Waya esiyalwini wayogcwalisa libhakede ngemanti.

Kwaba ndzima kutsi Refiloe abambe tinkhukhu takhe. betingacabangi kutsi kuyogeza kuyintfo lenhle.

Refiloe utsatsa inkhukhu yekucala uyifaka ebhakedeni lelinemanti. Yamemeta ngelivi layo lonkhe, yashaya emaphiko ayo ngatsi luhlanya. "Mani wena nkhukhu lelibele," kumemeta Refiloe, "sitocedza manje!"

Ngalesikhatsi Refiloe esula imphumulo nemehlo alenkhukhu, yavele yaphela emandla futsi yawela eceleni kwelibhakede.

"Lesi akusiso sikhatsi sekulala," kusho Refiloe. Wayitsintsitsa kahle afuna kususa onkhe emanti. Watsi, "Nawungafuni kuvuka manje, kutofuneka ngikubeke kulenye indzawo kuze wome kahle."

Wabeka lenkhukhu ngaphandle etjanini kuze yome. Lenkhukhu yalala yanganyakati.

Refiloe watigeza ngayinye ngayinye tinkhukhu takhe. Ngayinye yaphelelwa mandla futsi yawa angakacedzi kuyigeza. Watsatsa letinkhukhu letisiphohlongo watibeka ngemugca etjanini kuze tome. Kute nayinye kuto leyanyakata.

"Ngitotishiya titsi kulala kancane," kwacabanga Refiloe, wase uyahamba uyobuka umbhidvo.

Make Ngwe naMake Pedi bekubo-anti ba-Refiloe. Bebangatsandzani nakancane.

Besekutinyanga labo-anti balungiselela umshado wa-Palesa, kepha bebangeke baze bakucabange kuhamba ndzawonye ngetekisi yinye.

Make Ngwe wabona tinkhukhu ta-Refiloe tilele ngaphandle atomisa. "Naku kudla lokumnandzi lengingakutsatsa ngiye nako ekhaya!" wacabanga.

Wakhumula liduku lakhe wagoca tonkhe letinkhukhu ngekunakisisa. Kute nayinye inkhukhu leyanyakata.

Make Pedi wabona kuncono apheke litsanga lakhe lelitsandvwa kakhulu. Watsatsa indishi lenkhulu waya engadzeni yetibhidvo.

Nakafika engadzeni yetibhidvo wabona umtfwalo waMake Ngwe ngaphansi kwetintsanga. Wavula lomtfwalo. Kwadzilika tinkhukhu letisiphohlongo.

"Hawu!" wamemeta wagcuma wabuyela emuva amangele. "Hhoo, leti tinkhukhu letihlobe futsi letinhle kutendlula tonkhe! Tikulungele kungena ebhodweni lami," waculela phasi. "Manje, ngitanifihlaphi titsandvwa tami?" Make Pedi wahleka, "kutofuneka kutsi ngitfole indzawo lekahle," washo ahambahamba ekhatsi endlini.

Watsi, "Ngiyati, ngitanibeka etulu eluphahleni!"

Make Pedi wacanca lubondza lwasengadzeni futsi wabeka tinkhukhu ngemugca eluphahleni lolwentiwe ngetjani.

Ngelilanga lelilandzelako, lilanga laphuma ngesikhatsi lesikahle semshado.

Refiloe waba wekucala kuvuka futsi wahamba wayobuka tinkhukhu takhe. Wabona kutsi besetingekho etjanini.

Watsi, "kufanele kutsi setomile manje. Ngiyaciniseka kutsi setihambile tayotifunela kudla kwasekuseni."

Umshado waPalesa bewumuhle kakhulu. Letinkhukhu atizange tisukume eluphahleni kuze tijoyine emantfombatane latitolomisi ladansa ebaleni.

Akukho nayinye inkhukhu leyatsintseka ngesikhatsi licembu lasesontfweni lelihlabelako lihlabela ngemavi lamnandzi. Letinkhukhu betisolo tilele eluphahleni ngesikhatsi umphristi ashumayela.

Atizange tinyakate ngesikhatsi tingulube kanye namkhulu wa-Refiloe bahona kakhulu nasikhatsi senshumayelo.

Akukho nalunye lunyawo lwetinkhukhu lolwacishe lwagileka ngesikhatsi timvu tingena ethendeni, ticishe tiwisa likhekhe lemshado.

Kwaze kwaba ngulapho babe wemkhwenyane sekatocedza inkhulumo yakhe lapho tintfo tacala kushintja khona eluphahleni.

Inkhukhu yekucala yelula timphiko tayo yandizela esifubeni saMake Ngwe. Make Pedi lobekahleti eceleni kwakhe wacala kuhleka.

Lenye inkhukhu yandiza yaya edukwini laMake Ngwe lelisha. Bantfu lebebahleti etafuleni leliseceleni bazama kungahleki.

Sisi lobekahleti eceleni kwaMake Ngwe wabeka inhloko yakhe phansi etafuleni, wahleka watsi, "Ai, aai, aaaaii, he, he, heeeeeeee!"

Naleletinye tinkhukhu tancuma kujoyina leti letimbili tekucala.

Besewungeke usakhona kumbona Make Ngwe asitfwe ngito tonkhe letinkhukhu.

Timenywa tahleka kakhulu. Emadvodza bekufanele abambe tisu tawo. Bomake bebagicika etitulweni.

Bafana nemantfombatane bebambambelele kulomunye nalomunye. Bogogo bebahluleka nekuphefumula ngenca yeluhleko. Bomkhulu bebagidzisa tindvuku tabo.

Labo-anti lababili babukana futsi bacala kugigitseka.

Make Pedi wavula umlomo wakhe kakhulu ahleka.

Make Ngwe walalisa inhloko emuva futsi wahleka kwaze kwanyakata imihlatsi.

Refiloe akazange akukholwe loku!

Tonkhe timenywa tavuma kutsi lona bekungumshado lomuhle kuyendlula yonkhe leyake yabakhona e-Malealea.

Ngesikhatsi Refiloe abeka tinkhukhu takhe ehhokweni lato kute atilalise ebusuku, watsi, "Ninenhlanhla kakhulu! Make utsi angeke asanifaka ebhodweni lekupheka kudla kwasebusuku."

"Kepha bukani kutsi seniphindze nangcola kanjani," watitjela, "ngicabanga kutsi kutofuneka ngiphindze nginigeze kusasa!"