Kudaladala, kwakunenkosi ogama layo kwakunguNdabenhle. Inkosi le yayihlala esigodlweni nendlovukazi kanye nendodakazi yayo, inkosazana ogama layo kwakunguNaledi. UNaledi wayeyinkosazana enhle. Cishe zonke izinsizwa zendawo zazifisa ukuba ziganwe yile nkosazana. Okwakunzima, inkosi uNdabenhle, okunguyise, yayifuna ilobolo elimangazayo ngenkosazana yayo.

Eduze nesigodlo kwakuhlala induna, uMtungwa omkhulu. Wayebizwa ngo Mtungwa "omkhulu" ngoba wayehlonishwa yisigodi sonkana. Wayebonisa ulaka kulowo muntu owayengamhloniphi. Inkosikazi yenduna uMtungwa yayisanda kushona, ithathwa yisifo soqhuqho. Manje induna yayisifuna ukuthatha enye inkosikazi.

UMtungwa omkhulu waya enkosini uNdabenhle eyozibika ukuthi yena angakhipha ilobolo elingakanani ngenkosazana yenkosi. Babhunga indaba yelobolo lenkosazana nje, umsizi wasesigodlweni, uNelisiwe, uyezwa ukuthi bathini. UNelisiwe wayemkhonzile unkosazana uNaledi.

UMtungwa omkhulu wathi yena angathatha uhhafu wengcebo yakhe ayinike inkosi njengelobolobo. Ngasese, kwenziwa amalungiselelo omshado phakathi kwenduna uMtungwa omkhulu nonkosazana uNaledi. Inkosi uNdabenhle wayazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi indodakazi yakhe ngeke isijabulele lesi sinqumo.

Sekusele isonto ngaphambi kosuku lomshado, umsizi uNelisiwe waqonda kunkosazana Naledi. "Nkosazana yami ethandekayo, ubaba wakho uhlela ukukuganisela induna uMtungwa omkhulu. Loku kuzokwenzeka maduze, evikini elizayo." Kuchaza uNelisiwe.

Inkosazana yathuka umhlola, yangazi ukuthi ithini futhi yenzeni. Emva kwesikhashana seyithi, "Mina, ngeke ngiganele induna uMtungwa omkhulu, indoda endala ekhuluphele kanje. Angeke bakubone loko. Kuzomele ngigijimele kuThando abone ukuthi angenzenjani." Phela uThando kwakuyisoka lika Naledi.

Ngalobo busuku, uNaledi wanyonyoba weqa esigodlweni. Uma uyise wayengezwa ngaloko wayezothukuthela ngokweqile. Wagijima edlula ihlathi elimnyama, eqa amadwala, imihosha nemihoshana, waze wafika esithandweni sakhe uThando. Wafika ekhathele, elambile, onyiwe.

"Hhayi-bo gugu lami, kwenzenjani? Ungathini ukuhamba ibanga elide kangaka wedwa, ebusuku lobu?" kubuza uThando. Wabe esemlandela amanzi okuphuza, wamdedela ukuba ake aphumule. UThando, wayengakwazi ukubeka isinqe phansi ngenkathi esalinde uNaledi ukuba alande indaba.

"Ngitshele, sthandwa sami," kusho uThando. UNaledi waphefumulela phezulu, wezwakala esethi, "Ubaba ufuna ukungiganisela induna uMtungwa omkhulu. Angikwazi ukugana leya ndoda embi kanjeya. Thando, noma ngabe umpofu kangakanani, mina ngifuna ukugana wena. Ngikulungele ukuhlupheka. Ngithanda wena qha!"

"Kodwa manje nkosazana, mina anginalutho, ukukhokhela ilobolo lakho. Wazi kahle, ngimpofu," kuzikhalela uThando. UNaledi wamphendula wathi, "Ngiyakwazi loko, kodwa nguwe kuphela engingakugana." Wake wathula isikhashana, wabe esethi, "Nginecebo, masigijimele ku Kwanda, indoda le yesikebhe asiweze sibalekele ngale komfula. Ngaleyo ndlela singeqa, ubaba angasitholi."

Emuva esigodlweni, inkosi uNdabenhle usetholile ukuthi uNkosazana Naledi usenyamalele. Usetshele izinhloli, nabantu bayo ukuba baphume bayoyifuna inkosazana. Abaqaphi benkosi, amabutho, wonke umuntu wagcwala isiganga kufunwa inkosazana yenkosi, kodwa do! Abazange bayithole inkosazana yenkosi. Babuyela emuva enkosini beyoyitshela ukuthi uNaledi akatholakali. Inkosi yabaphendula ngokucasuka, "Hambani niyocinga ehlathini."

Ngesikhathi uThando noNaledi begijimela osebeni lomfula, izulu laqala lashintsha, kwaguqubala, kwaba namafu amnyama. Kwakuza isiphepho esikhulu.

UKwanda, indoda yesikebhe wayesabophela isikebhe sakhe ngesikhathi izithandani zifika. UThando wancenga uKwanda ukuba agwedle isikebhe sakhe, abaweze. UKwanda wenqaba, wabachazela ukuthi isiphepho esinamandla sesifikile, kuzoba yingozi ukubaweza.

UThando waphikelela echazela uKwanda ukuthi kungani kumele bewelele ngaphesheya. Wafaka isandla sakhe ephaketheni wakhipha igobolondo wanika uKwanda. UKwanda, ezwa indaba yabo, esebona negobolondo elibiza kangaka, wabazwela. Wavuma wagwedla isikebhe wabaweza, yize isimo sezulu sasisibi.

Ngokushesha, uKwanda wadonsa isikebhe, bagibela. Wathatha izigwedlo, waqala umsebenzi wagwedla. Kwathi inkosi nenduna befika ngasosebeni lomfula, babona nabaya abantu abathathu esikebheni. Kwabakhanyela ukuthi izithandani zeqile, yizo leziya. Umoya omkhulu waxukuzisa isikebhe, kwaba uKwanda uyehluleka ukusilawula asiqondise isikebhe manje. Kwezwakala inkosi isimemeza, "Ndodakazi yami Naledi, ngicela ubuye! Ngiyakuxolela, ngeke nginijezise, wena no Thando."

Inkosi yasho sekonakele. Isikebhe saketuka, bobathatu baphonseka emanzini ayenamandla. Bonke baminza. Emva kwalesi sehlakalo, wonke umuntu embusweni wenkosi uNdabenhle wakhululeka ukugana noma ukuganwa yilowo amthandayo, ocebile noma ompofu, inqobo uma bethandana.