Kudala-dala kwaye kukho ikumkani egama layo linguKayanja. Yayihlala ebhotwe kunye nekumkanikazi nentombi yabo, unkosazana, Apenyo. U-Apenyo wayeyinkosazana entle, kangangokuba onke amadoda ayefuna ukumtshata. Kodwa ukumkani uKayanja wayefuna ilobola exabisa kakhulu ngentombi yakhe.

Kufutshane nebhotwe lekumkani uKayanja kwakuhlala inkosi eyayisaziwa ngokuba ngu-Aludah Omkhulu. Kwakusithiwa, 'Omkhulu' ngoba bonke abantu belali babemhlonipha. Wayendlongondlongo kakhulu kubantu ababengamhloneli. Inkosikazi yeNkosi u-Aludah yayisandula kubhubha sisifo semalariya, ngoko u-Aludah wayefuna ukuthatha enye inkosikazi.

Ngoko inkosi endala etyebileyo yaya kukumkani uKayanja iyokunikezela ngelobola yayo enkulu kuze itshate inkosazana encinane. Athi xa amadoda amakhulu exovula umba welobola kwathi kanti uyaweva uKakembo, owayengumsebenzi ebhotwe. Umsebenzi uKakembo wayehlobene kakhulu nenkosazana u-Apenyo.

Inkosi yavuma ukunika ihafu yobutyebi bayo kukumkani uKayanja, obuquka inaliti eyayiyinxalenye yelobola. Kwenziwa amalungiselelo abucala omtshato phakathi kwenkosi u-Aludah kunye nenkosazana u-Apenyo. Ikumkani yayisazi ukuba intombi yayo ayisokuze isithande esi sigqibo.

Kuthe sele kusele iveki enye kuphela phambi kokuba ifike imini yomtshato, uKakembo waya kuthetha noApenyo, wathi, "Nkosazana yami ethandekayo, utata wakho ucwangcisa umtshato wakho nenkosi u-Aludah, kwaye uza kwenzeka kwiveki ezayo."

Inkosazana u-Apenyo yothuka kakhulu ingazi ukuba iza kwenza njani. Wacinga, wacinga, wacinga u-Apenyo, waze wathi, "Andisokuze mna nditshate nenkosi u-Aludah, ixhego elibi elityebileyo. Unotshe! Mandiye kuTrevor ndibone ukuba angenza ntoni, lisekhona ixesha." UTrevor wayelisoka likankosazana u-Apenyo.

Ngobo busuku u-Apenyo wanyonyoba waphuma ebhotwe. Ukuba utata wake wayenokwazi ukuba uyaphi wayeza kucaphuka kakhulu. Wabaleka wadlula ehlathini elimnyama thsu, elishinyeneyo. Watsiba amatye nezihlahla de wayokufika kuTrevor wakhe. Wafika kwaTrevor ediniwe, elambile, futhi enxaniwe.

"Sithandwa sam, kungani ukuba ubaleke umgama ongaka wedwa ezinzulwini zobusuku?" kwabuza uTrevor. Wamphathela amanzi okusela waze wamnika ithuba lokuphumla. UTrevor wayengasakwazi ukulinda ngelixa u-Apenyo asaziphumzayo.

"Nkosazana yam endiyithandayo, ingaba yintoni ingxaki?" wabuza uTrevor. U-Apenyo waphefumlela phezulu kalusizi waze wathi, "Utata ufuna ukunditshatisa nenkosi u-Aludah, omkhulu. Kodwa andisoze nditshate indoda ekhohlakele ngolwahlobo. Trevor, ndifuna ukutshata nawe nokuba awunanto. Ndikulungele ukuhlupheka. Ndiyakuthanda."

"Kodwa nkosazana, andinanto endinokukulobola ngayo, uyazi nawe ukuba ndiyindoda ehluphekayo," watsho uTrevor. U-Apenyo waphendula wathi, "Ndiyazi Trevor, kodwa ndifuna ukutshata wena kuphela." Wacinga ixeshana u-Apenyo waze wathi, "Masiye kuKategga indoda yesikhephe asiwelise siye ngaphesheya komlambo. Ngale ndlela, singesaba, utata angaze aphinde asifumane."

Emva ebhotwe, ikumkani uKayanja yayisele ibonile ukuba inkosazana u-Apenyo yayinyamalele. Wathumela abantu bakhe ukuba bayifune kuyo yonke indawo elalini. Amaphakathi eKumkani, amajoni kunye naye wonke umntu bacinga ngendawo awayenokuba uzifihle kuyo, kodwa abazange bamfumane u-Apenyo. Babuyela emva beyokuxelela ikumkani ukuba akafumaneki ndawo u-Apenyo. "Hambani niyokumfuna ehlathini," wabhavumla ukumkani uKayanja. Wayenomsindo ngeyona ndlela.

Ngelixa inkosazana u-Apenyo noTrevor bebaleka ukuya emlanjeni, kwaqalisa ukusibekela aze amafu amnyama asigquma isibhakabhaka. Kwakusiza isaqhwithi esikhulukazi.

UKategga umqhubi wesikhephe wayesabophelela isikhephe sakhe ngelixa aba bathandanayo befika kuye. UTrevor wacela uKategga ukuba abakhwelise kwisikhephe sakhe abawelise umlambo. UKategga akazange avume, wabachazela ukuba isaqhwithi sele sikufutshane, ngoko kwakuza kuba yingozi kakhulu ukuzama ukuwela.

UTrevor waqhubekeka wachazela uKategga isizathu sokufuna kwabo ukuwela umlambo. Wasuka wafaka isandla sakhe epokothweni wakhupha imali wayinika uKategga. Wathi akuyiva imeko yabo uKategga, ebona nemali ebengezelayo, wavelana nabo. Wavuma ukubawelisa umlambo nangona izulu lalizongoma.

UKategga watsalela isikhephe sakhe ngasenyeleni yomlambo waze wabaxelela ukuba bangene. Waqalisa ukubhexa. Bathe xa ukumkani uKanyanja nenkosi u-Aludah befika enyeleni yomlambo, bababona aba bathathu esikhepheni. Babona ukuba izithandani zesabile.

Umoya omkhulu owawuvuthuza wasisa ngapha nangapha isikhephe waze uKategga wasokola ukusilawula. IKumkani uKayanja yakhwaza: "Apenyo, ndicela ubuye! Ndikuxolele, kwaye andisokuze ndinohlwaye wena noTrevor." Kodwa kwakusele kusemva kwesithonga. Isikhephe saphequka baze abantu ababekuso baphoseka emanzini. Bobathathu barhaxwa ngamanzi. Ukususela loo mini yentlekele, wonke umntu kwisizwe sikaKumkani uKayanja wakhululeka ukuba atshate naye nabani na amfunayo, nokuba usisityebi okanye ulihlwempu.