Inyamazane neNgwe 

Indaba yaseBrazil

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Inyamazane yahamba eduze komfula omkhulu yangena ehlathini yathi: ‘hawu, kodwa iyiphi impilo enginayo? Anginalo ikhaya. Mhlawumbe ngizozakhela indlu nansi indawo enhle njengazo zonke.’ 

Yaqhubeka ke inyamazane.

Kwalandela ingwe eduze komfula omkhulu ihamba kancane ingena ehlathini. Yafika endaweni efanayo yathi: ‘hawu, kuyini ukuphila kwami? Mhlawumbe ngelinye ilanga ngizozinza ngizenzele ikhaya. Lapha bekungaba indawo enhle njengazo zonke.’

Yaqhubeka nokuhamba ingwe.

Inyamazane yabuya, yasusa ihlathi ngezimpondo zayo ezinhle nezinkulu. Yagawula izihlahla yakha isisekelo sokwakha umuzi wayo, yase isiqhubeka yangena ehlathini.

Kwabe sekufika ingwe: ‘ Yilena indawo ebengizokwakha kuyo indlu yami, kodwa umhlabathi usuvele wahlanzwa walungiswa. Kucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu uTupan ukubusisile lokhu. Lapha ngizokwakha indlu yami.’ Ngogqozi olukhulu Ingwe yabe isilungisa umhlabathi, yawenza wacaba, yakha iphansi eliqinile nelikhazimulayo ise benzisa amazinyo ayo, yabe isiqhubeka ingena ehlathini.

Inyamazane yabuya: ‘Kukhona uphansi olwakhiwe luyakhazimula futhi luqinile. Kucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu uTupan uyangisiza.’ Inyamazane yabe isiqala ngomdlandla omusha ukwakha izindonga zendlu. Maseyiqedile yaqhubeka yangena ehlathini. 

Kwabe sekuza Ingwe: yathi ‘uNkulunkulu uTupan usezakhile izindonga zendlu yami manje ngizokwakha uphahla.’ Ingwe enamandla yakha uphahla, yathi isiqedile yaqhubeka yangena ehlathini.

Inyamazane yabona ukuthi uphahla selwakhiwe: yathi ‘uTupan ungibusisile ngempela.’Ngaphakathi endlini, inyamazane yakha amagumbi amabili: elilodwa elayo, nelinye likaTupan. Yangena kwelinye igumbi yaphumula yalala njengoba kwase kuhlwa.

Manje kwase sekubuya Ingwe, yabona ukuthi sekunama gumbi amabili endlini. ‘UTupan uzakhele igumbi lakhe ukuze ahlale nami kulendlu. Wangena kwelinye igumbi walala.

Inyamazane neNgwe zalala ubusuku bonke endlini eyodwa. Ekuseni, bobabili bavuka. 

Inyamazane yabona Ingwe. Ingwe yabheka Inyamazane yathi: ‘ingabe usizile ukwakha indlu yami’?

‘Ngisizile. Ingabe nawe usizile ukwakha indlu yami?’

‘Ngisizile.’

Yaba njalo-ke ukuthi Ingwe neNyamazane zihlale ndawonye kulendlu ngokuthula… isikhashana kuphela.

Ingwe yayilambile yathi ‘Yenza umlilo. Ubeke ibhodwe ukuze libile. Ngiyahamba ngiyozingela.’ Ingwe yaphuma endlini, bese Inyamazane yalungisa umlilo nebhodwe lamanzi abilayo.

Ingwe yathola yabamba futhi yabulala Inyamazane. Yayithwala yabuyela nayo endlini. Yaqala ukupheka le nyamazane. Ngenkathi Inyamazane ibona okwakuphekwa yingwe, yadumala.

Ingwe yaqala ukudla. Inyamazane yayisaba, ngakho ayidlanga. Yaya egumbini layo yazama ukulala.

Ingwe yaya egumbini layo.

Ubusuku bonke, Inyamazane yagcina amehlo ayo evulekile, inovalo ukuthi ingwe ingase ize izoyidla.

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Ekuseni, inyamazane yathi kungwe: ‘Yenza umlilo, ubeke ibhodwe. Ubilise amanzi. Ngiyahamba ngiyozingela. Inyamazane yangena ehlathini. Khona lapho kwakukhona enye Ingwe eyayizilola amazipho emva kwesihlahla.

Inyamazane yaqhubeka nokuhamba yaze yafika kuTamandua, isilwane esidla izimpethu.

‘Ingwe leya ikhulume kabi ngawe.’

UTamandua wathukuthela. Wahamba wayohlasela Ingwe ngamazipho ayo anamandla futhi abukhali. Ngenkathi Ingwe isibulewe, UTamandua wahamba. Inyamazane yathwala Ingwe efile yayibusela endlini.

Ingwe ithe lapho ibona ukuthi Inyamazane ipheka ini, yesaba. Yahluleka ukubuka Inyamazane idla, ngakho yaya egumbini layo. Kodwa empeleni, njengoba wazi, izinyamazane aziyidli inyama yengwe.

Inyamazane yaya egumbini layo. Ayikwazanga ukulala. Yayisaba ukuthi Ingwe ingabuya ebusuku izoyidla.

Ingwe nayo ayikwazanga ukulala. Yayisaba ukuthi ebusuku Inyamazane ingabuya izoyidla. 

Ekugcineni yavala amehlo yazama ukulala. 

Ekugcineni Inyamazane nayo yaqala ukukhathala. Yavala amehlo yazama ukulala. Kodwa njengoba ikhanda layo linqina, izimpondo zayo zashayisa odongeni zenza umsindo omkhulu. Ingwe yavuka ithukiwe icabanga ukuthi iyeza ukuzoyihlasela. Yamemeza yayenza umsindo omkhulu.

Inyamazane yakholelwa ukuthi ingwe iyeza ukuzoyibulala.

Inyamazane yabaleka endlini! Ingwe nayo yabaleka endlini! Zombili zabaleka ngezindlela eziphambene. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ingwe nenyamazane azisahlali ndawonye.