USnhanhbosele

Kwathi ke kaloku ngantsomi. Kwisithile esithile kwakukho umfazi owaswelekelwa ngumyeni wakhe. Umzi walo mfazi wawakhiwe ecaleni kwendlela, lo mama wayenemveku esancancayo kunye nentwana eneminyaka emithathu. Ubesithi ke akuvuka ngentseni abalungiselele aba bantwana abaphekele, abatyise, abavalele endlwini, aze ke aye emasimini. Ubesithi aze kubakroba emini maqanda' aze abuye ngokuhlwa. Kuthe ngaminazana ithile esemasimini lo mama, kwafika igongqongqo kulo mzi. Lagqobha zonke izindlu likhangela abantu, lafika kwindlu yokugqibela sele lincama, lifike kukho abantwana, omncinci elele kambi omdala esazidlalela. Limthe nqaku lamgibisela emlonyeni, lamthi bimbilili. Labathatha lo wesibini lamthi nkwa emlonyeni lamthi bimbilili. "Kwekh! aba mnandi la maqumqumana." Latsho lishixiza lisimka.

Umfazi emasimini uqondile ukuba ngale mini makangabuyi ngemini emaqanda, aselebuya ngemini enkulu ukwenzela ukuba aselegqibezela umhlathana owawusele. Ufikile ke ekhaya, wathi kriphu umbilini engekangeni ezindlini ngokubona iingcango zonke zithe genge. Unyathele phezulu engxamele kuleyo inabantwana, wakroba, wafika kungekho bambi. Owu! watsho esofelelweyo umfazi. Ungene ngaphakathi wavuthulula iingubo, wakhangela emva kocango, ngapha kwamakhuko. Kwakusele nje ukuba aqhwaye iziko abakhangele phaya eluthuthwini. Uthe akuncama wahlala phantsi ebaleni wacinga icebo, uthe esacinga wabona iinyawo apha ebaleni zalo mntu ubelapha. Zibonakalise ngokucace gca ukuba ibilizim eli belilapha. " Ooh! lizim, liza kundazi ke namhlanje, asihlangananga yimbali." Uqubule upotyi wakhe wambophelela esinqeni, wathabatha iintsasa zokuphemba zomnga nezomeleleyo iinkuni zomthathi. Uthabathe isitshetshe sakhe awilola salubengu.

Uziphathele umphako namaqebengwana esonka sombona omtsha, walanda ekhondweni, wahamba, wahamba wahamba lo mfazi, kwathi phiphiphi wahlangana namadoda, wahlabela ngelizwi elibukhali: "Khanindiboniseleni, ndiboniseleni ngendzung'ende-ndala, edl'abantwana, bantwana bakaSnhanha, uSnhanhabosele. Unina we-e, ukumvisa ubuhlungu kangak. Hi-i-i hi-i wandenza wandenza." "Gqithela ngaphambili Snanhabosele nokhendleni, nokhambi nokhathsalala," yatsho imphendulo yamadoda. Uphinde wahamba ke umfazi, uthe phiphiphi wadibana namakhosikazi ehlakula emasimini. Uthe nje ukuba abe kufutshane wahlabela ingoma yakhe: "Khanindiboniseleni, ndiboniseleni ngendzung'ende-ndala, edl'abantwana, bantwana bakaSnhanha, uSnhanhabosele, unina we-e ukumhlungisa kangaka hi-i-i hi-i wandenza wandenza." "Sondela kufutshane Snhanhabosele, nokhendleleni nokhambi nokhathsalala."

Uthe akusondela kakhulu waphawula ukuba apha phambi kwezindlu kukho indunduma enkulu, uthe akuqwalasela tyhini! yinto ephilayo le, ithe gungqululu, dudlu apha phambi komzi. Usondele umfazi weza ngqo kuso esi silo, uthe akuba kufutshane watsho kwakhona: " Ndiboniseleni, ndiboniseleni ngendzung'end'endala, edl'abantwana, bantwana bakaSnhanha, uSnhanhabosele, unina we-e ukumhlungisa kangaka hi-i-i hi-i wandenza wandenza." Uthe kanti engaqondi nje usondele kakhulu, isuke le ndunduma yento yamthi nqaku yamthi bimbilili. Ufike ngaphakathi kuyinyambalala yabantu, kusisilwanyana, kuntaka, yonke into ephilayo enamanqina amane namabini. Ukhangele iintsana zakhe wazifumana, wancancisa omncinane, wapha iqebengwane lo mdala, kuthe kanti isilo esikhulu siwuphosile umhlala ngokumginya. Uthe bakuhlutha abantwana bakhe wakhupha umthathi wakhe, uphembe umlilo, wavutha umlilo wandula ke ukubeka imbiza eziko. Wathabatha isistshetshe wasika inyama apha esiswini segongqongqo wafaka embizeni, waphinga wasika yada yagcwala imbiza wapheka. Yophulwe leyo yatyiwa ngabantu ngaphakathi, waphinda wasika kwakhona wapheka. Ivakele ibhonga ngoku indunduma: " Mh-m-m, khanindipheni amanzi, ndinasiswana sam sithi shwele shwele shwele." Kucace ukuba akukho mntu uphulaphulayo, yaphinda yazibika:" Mh-mh-mh, ho-oo-ho-, Owu! Khanindipheni amanzi bethu, ndinasiswana sam sithi sithi shwele shwele shwele."

Akubangakho ncedo luvelayo, uthe obukeleyo: " Ubuginya uSnhanhabosele owawumbonephi wena? Ingathi ufike kowokugqibela." Wabe uSnhanhabosele ezigqibile izibilini ngaphakathi, waqangqulula ngoku ngesitshetshe ke oko. Uqangulule uSnhanhabosele waphumela ngaphandle, kuphume wonke umntu olapho nenyambalala yemfuyo, impahla emfutshane nephakamileyo. Uninzi lwabo lwaphungu-phunguza lixakwe nokuba malithini na kuba alwazi nokuba akuliphi icala amakhaya. Abo bantu bagqiba ekubeni lo mfazi unobulumko nokukhalipha kangaka abe yinkosi yabo, waba ke lo mfazi uzuza ubukhosi nobutyebi. Phela phela ngantsomi.