Lokwa emandvulo kwakunenkhosi leyayatiwa ngekutsi nguCebekhulu. Lenkhosi yayihlala esigodlweni nendlovukati kanyenendvodzakati yayo egama layo linguNandi. Nandi bekayinkhosatana yenkhosi lenhle kakhulu. Cishe onkhe emajaha endzawo bekafisa kutsi aganwe ngulenkhosatana. Lokwakumatima yikutsi inkhosi Cebekhulu, lokwakunguyise, yayifuna linani leliphakeme kakhulu lemalobolo.

Edvute nesigodlo senkhosi Cebekhulu, kwakuhlala indvuna uMntungwa lomkhulu. Bantfu bendzawo bebambita ngekutsi nguMntungwa lomkhulu ngobe bebamhlonipha. Bekanelulaka kabi kulabo bebangamhloniphi! Umfati wendvuna uMntungwa wayesandza kushona ebulewe sifo samalaleveva. Indvuna nayoke beyifuna lomunye umfati.

UMntungwa lo wayemkhulu ngemtimba, waya enkhosini Cebekhulu wayotibika kuyo kwekutsi angakhipha emalobolo langakanani ngenkhosatana yayo.Inkhosi nendvuna bacocisana ngalendzaba yemalobolo, Nelisiwe sisebenti wayiva yonkhe lenkhulumo yenkhosi nendvuna, phela wayesondzelene kakhulu nenkhosatana lenguNandi.

UMntungwa wakhulumisana nenkhosi Cebekhulu wayitsembisa ingcenye yemcebo wakhe ukutsi utoyilobolela, lokufaka ekhatsi inyalitsi lokwakuyincenye yetipho lokwakumele tinikwe inkhosatane. Kwentiwa emalungiselelo emshado ngasese, phakatsi kwendvuna uMntungwa nenkhosatana Nandi. Inkhosi Cebekhulu beyati kutsi indvodzakati yayo ngete isijabulele lesincumo.

Kwatsi sekusele lisontfo ngembi kwelusuku lwemshado, umsiti wenkhosatana Nandi, uNelisiwe waya kuNandi watsi, "Nkhosatana yami lengiyitsandzako, babe wakho uhlela kukwendzisa endvuneni uMntungwa. Loku kutakwenteka masinyane nje evikini lelitako," kuchaza Nelisiwe.

Inkhosatana yetfuka yabuye yangati kutsi itakwentanjani. Yase icabanga, "Angete nje ngite ngishade nendvuna uMntungwa, indvodza lenemtimba longaka. Angete nje mine! Kumele ngigijimele kuThando abone kutsi wenta njani ngalendzaba." Phela Thando bekasingani saNandi.

Ngalobobusuku, Nandi wanyonyoba weca esigodlweni. Nangabe uyise angeva ngaloko bekatawutfukutsela ngalokwecile. Wagijima ekhatsi kwelihlatsi lelimnyama, weca emadvwala, imihosha nemihoshana, wate wayofika esitsandvweni sakhe lesinguThando. Wefika akhatsele, alambile futsi omile.

"Hhayibo! Sitsandvwa sami, kwentenjani? Kungani uhambe libanga lelidze kangaka wedvwa ebusuku lobunje?" kubuta Thando. Ngaso lesosikhatsi wasukuma wamlandzela emanti ekunatsa, wamnika sikhasti sekutsi aphumule kancane. Thando akamange akhone nekuhlala phasi ngalesikhatsi asalindze Nandi kutsi amcocele kutsi kwentenjani ngaye.

"Asewungitjele sitsandvwa sami, ngabe yini ikinga yakho?" kubutaThando. Nandi waphefumulela etulu wase uyamphendvula, "Babe wami ufuna kungendzisa kulenye indvuna lekutsiwa nguMntungwa. Kodvwa mine angete ngikwati kugana indvodza lembi kangaka. Thando, mine ngifuna kushada nawe noma ngabe uhlupheka kangakanani, mine ngifuna wena kuphela. Ngikulungele kuhlupheka. Ngitsandza wena kuphela."

"Kodvwa manje nkhosatana, mine anginalutfo, anginakho kokukhokhela lilobolo lakho. Ungati kahle kutsi ngitiphuyele." kukhala Thando. Nandi waphendvula watsi, "Ngiyakwati loko kodvwa nguwe kuphela lengingamngana." Watsi kubindza sikhashana, wasuka watsi, "Mine nginelisu, asigijime lekuKwandza, indvodza yesikebhe isiwete sibalekele ngale kwemfula. Ngaleyondlela singabaleka, babe angekwati kusitfola."

Emuva le esigodlweni, inkhosi Cebekhulu beseyitfolile kutsi inkhosatana Nandi seyinyamalele. Kwatjelwa tinhloli, nabobonkhe ebantfu kutsi baphume bayoyifuna. Bonogadza benkhosi, emabutfo bagcwala tiganga kufunwa inkhosatana yenkhosi, kodvwa dvo! Abamange bayitfole inkhosatana yenkhosi. Babuyela emuva enkhosini bayoyitjela kwekutsi Nandi akatfolakali. Inkhosi yabaphendvula ngekucansuka, "Hambani niyomfuna ehlatsini."

Ngalesikhatsi boThando nenkhosatana bagijimela elusentjeni lwemfula, litulu lacala lantjintja, lagucubala, kwaba nemafu lamnyama. Kweta sivunguvungu lesikhulu.

Kwandza, indvodza yesikebhebe yisabophela sikebhe sayo ngesikhatsi titsandzani tifika. Thando wancenga Kwandza kutsi agwedle sikebhe sakhe, abawelise. Kwandza wala, wabachazela kutsi sivunguvungu lesinemandla sesifikile, kutabayingoti kubawelisa.

Thando waphikelela achazela Kwandza kutsi kungani kumele bawelele ngesheya. Wafaka sandla sakhe esikhwameni wakhipha lugobolondvo walunika Kwandza. Kwandza, watsi nakeva indzaba yabo, wabuye wabona nelugobolondvo lolubita nakangaka, wabavela. Wavuma wagwedla sikebhe wabaweta, ngisho noma ngabe simo selitulu besisibi.

Ngekushesha, Kwandza wadvonsa sikebhe, bagibela. Watsatsa sigwedlo sakhe, wacala umsebenti wekugwedla. Kwatsi ngalesikhatsi inkhosi nendvuna befika elusebeni lwemfula, babona bantfu labatsatfu basesikebheni. Kwabakhanyela kutsi titsandzani setibalekile. Ngitoletiya.

Umoya lomkhulu wazamazamisa sikebhe, kwabonakala kutsi Kwandza uyehluleka kusilawula nyalo. Kwevakala inkhosi seyimemeta, "Nandi ndvodzakati yami, ngicela ubuye! Ngiyakucolela, angete nginijezise wena naThando."

Inkhosi yasho sekonakele. Sikebhe sancwila sabuka etulu. Bobatsatfu baphonseka emantini labenemandla. Bonkhe bancwila.

Emva kwaleso sehlakalo, wonkhe umuntfu wakhululeka kugana nobe ngubani, lonjingile nobe lophuyi.