Kwakulusuku olushisa kakhulu, likhiphe umkhovu etsheni. UKhosi wayehla enyuka engayazi into angayenza, kwazise wayesele yedwa ekhaya.Umama wakhe wayevuke waphuthuma emasimini, washiya uKhosi ekhaya.“Ngingasichitha ngani isizungu esingaka, njengoba nelanga lishisa kangaka?” kucabanga uKhosi.

Masinyane uKhosi wafikelwa umcabango.“Umfula! Ngizoyobhukuda emfuleni. Pho ngizohamba nobani njengoba umama ethe ngingalokothi ngihambe ngedwa?” kucabanga uKhosi.Kulowo mzuzwana kwadlula umama u-Sophie ethwele izimpahla eya emfuleni.

“Ehene! Ngizolandela umama u-Sophie, ngiye naye emfuleni,” kusho uKhosi ekhuluma yedwa.Washo ngejubane emva kukamama u-Sophie, “Ngicela ukuya nawe emfuleni,” kuncenga uKhosi. Umama u-Sophie wanqekuzisa ikhanda emoyizela.Kwathi besahamba babona uNozipho ebalandela. UNozipho wayengakuthandi ukubhukuda kodwa wayethanda ukubukela abangani bakhe bebhukuda.

“Namhlanje ngizobhukuda esizibeni esijulile, habe! Angiseyona ingane mina, ngifuna ukubamangalisa bonke,” kusho uKhosi.Wagxumela esizibeni ngokushesha, watshuza waya phansi, waya phezulu. Waphinde washona phansi ezabalaza ukukhipha ikhanda ngaphezu kwamanzi.Kwenzeka konke lokhu uNozipho ubhekile umi osebeni lomfula.

Kwabonakala sengathi wonke umuntu osesizibeni uyakuthokozela ukubhukuda, kwazise lalibalele nasebukhweni bezinja.Kwakunomsindo omkhulu esizibeni engekho olalele omunye.Babememezana bethokozile impela.

Esame lapho uNozipho ebukela wabona ukubhukuda angakwejwayele.Wabona uKhosi esekude nezinye izingane ezansi nomfula.Wasondela ebhekisisa lesi simanga. Wethuka, wagijima waya kwabesifazane ababehlanza izingubo emfuleni.“Sizani! Yelekelelani bo!” Nangu uNozipho eminza!

Ngokuphazima kweso umama u-Sophie waziphonsa esizibeni.Wagwinja, wavumbuka, waphinda wagwinja waze wayofinyelela kuKhosi.Wafika wamuthi thasi! Ngengalo wambeka emhlane.Waphuma naye esembelethe.

Wahamba eshesha wedlula iqembu lezingane nabesifazane ababekhala isililo bekhalela uKhosi. Wahamba njalo waze wayofika emtholampilo.UNozipho wayelokhu emlandele njalo umama u-Sophie owayebelethe umngani wakhe

Emthalampilo bahlangatshezwa ngumhlengikazi UNoxolo owabaphuthuma ngosizo.Abanye abahlengikazi baphuthuma besizana nomhlengikazi uNoxolo ekuhlengeni impilo kaKhosi.“Uphephile, sinenhlanhla ngoba akazange abe semanzini isikhathi eside.”

Umama u-Sophie wadonsa umoya kakhulu a njengomuntu obekade ethuke kakhulu kodwa osenethemba.Bonke abebekhona emtholampilo bamncoma ngesibindi sakhe.“Ngiyabonga ukuthola ithuba lokuba ngisindise impilo,” esho ngokuzithoba.

Indaba yafika masinyane enkundleni yesigodi. Induna yathumela ukuthi kubizwe umama u-Sophie.Induna yalalela ngesineke umama u-Sophie eyilandisa ngokufunda kwakhe ukuhlamba waze waba yinhlambi evelele.“Ngisenyintomazanyana umngani wami wayehlala ngaphesheya komfula. Umfula lo wawuyingxenye yempilo yethu. Sasihlangana khona sikhe amanzi, sihlanze izimpahla futhi sibhukude,” umama u-Sophie utshela induna.

Induna yakhipha isinqumo sokuklomelisa umama u-Sophie ngesenzo sakhe sobuqhawe.Abesifazana balilizela, abesilisa bashaya amakhwela, izingane nazo zamemeza ngentokozo.Kusukela ngalolo suku izingane zazithanda ukulandela umama u-Sophie lapho eya khona.Wawuzwa zicula, “Angesabi lutho, uma nginomama u-Sophie, iqhawekazi lethu!”