UFudu no Nogwaja

*

Kwasukasukela,  ensimini engekude kakhulu nani, kwakukhona uNogwaja onomdlandla nojabule kanye noFudu oluvilaphayo.

UNogwaja ohlezi ejabule wayebizwa ngo Noel kanti uFudu oluvilaphayo lwalubizwa ngo Archibald. U-Archibald ufudu wayethanda ukuhlala, adle ukudla kwakhe kancane kanti uNoel unogwaja wayedla ngokushesha ukudla kwakhe bese agijime azungeze,  azungeze u-Archibald aze abe nesiyezi.

Ngelinye ilanga babanokuphikisana.

'Ngiyisilwane esishesha kakhulu emhlabeni wonke,' kusho uNoel. 'Ngishesha ukudlula ingwe enonya, ikhangaru ekhahlelayo, nonogwaja oqhudelana nomjaho' kwazigabisa yena.

'Awu, thula nje,' kuphendula u-Archibald ephusha umphefumulo. 'Uzigabisa kakhulu! Uma ungaqapheli, kuzophela kabi.'

'Kukuphi lapho okuthiwa kuzophela kabi?' kubuza uNoel. 'Kukude yini uma silapha?'

U-Archibald waginqa amehlo akhe, waqhubeka ngokuhlafunya amaqabunga elethisi amunandi.

'Awu nina nobabili yekani ukuphikisana,' kwasho inyoni emnyama ngesikhathi indiza idlula.

'Cha, lokhu kubalulekile,' kusho uNoel unogwaja. 'Ngizoniqinisekisa nonke ukuthi ngiyisilwane esishesha kakhulu emhlabeni wonke!'

'Kulungile,' kusho u-Archibald ufudu. 'Ngizoqhudelana nawe ke!'

UNoel unogwaja wahleka kakhulu.

‘Linda nje ubone,’ kusho u-Archibald. ‘Ngizothola uWallace, isikhova esidala esihlakaniphile, ukuthi ahlele umjaho phakathi kwethu.’

UWallace, isikhova esidala esihlakaniphile, wahlela umjaho ngosuku olulandelayo. Zonke izilwane zasensimini zagqoka izingubo zazo ezinhle kakhulu, zalungisa uboya bazo, zathatha amafulegi ukuze ziwaphakamise ziqhwebe, futhi zazilungele ukuhalalisela uFudu noNogwaja.

‘Emaphawini!, Lungelelani! Hambani!’ kumemeza uWallace. Umjaho waqala!

Kancane kancane, u-Archibald ufudu waqala ukuhamba, kwathi masinyane nje, uNoel unogwaja wagijima wanyamalala emehlweni. Eqinisweni, wayesephambili kangangokuba lapho ebheka emuva, u-Archibald wayengabonakali nhlobo.

‘Hawu,’kwasho uNoel ecabanga. ‘Ngicishe ngayinqoba vele! Ake ngilale kancane ngaphansi kwalesi sihlahla, nelanga leli lishisa kakhulu!’ UNogwaja uNoel walala masinyane waze wafikelwa ubuthongo obujulile.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, u-Archibald ufudu waqhubeka nokuhamba kancane, ejabulela ilanga elishisa esikhunjeni sakhe. Wahamba njalo, wahamba, ehamba kancane ehamba, edla utshani lapha nalaphaya. Wadlula isihlahla sowaki, wadlula ibhuloho, wadlula ishedi lamankonyane, waze wadlula noNoel unogwaja owayesalele phansi kwalesi sihlahla esikhulu.

U-Archibald waqhubeka nokuhamba waze wafika emgqeni wokugcina, lapho uWallace isikhova esidala esihlakaniphile kanye nazo zonke izilwane zasensimini zazihlangene khona.

Zonke izilwane zazibuthene zizungeze u-Archibald, zihalalisa, futhi zimemeza zithi:

‘Wenze kahle! Wenze kahle! Ungumnqobi!’

Wonke lomsindi wavusa uNoel unogwaja ngokwesaba.

‘Hawu bo! Hawu bo! Kwenzekani? Owani umsindo onjena? Awu, kungcono ngiqede umjaho bese ngiyodla isidlo sami,’ wacabanga.

UNoel unogwaja wagijima esehlela entabeni ebheke emgqeni wokugcina. Kodwa lapho efika khona, ekusabeni kwakhe, wabona u-Archibald ufudu esenendondo yegolide yomnqobi entanyeni yakhe.

‘Lokhu akunakwenzeka, Kumele ikhona inkohliso ayenzile,’ kwamemeza uNoel unogwaja. ‘Wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi ngishesha ukwedlula yena!’

‘U-Archibald ufudu akazange akhohlise,’ kusho uWallace, isikhova esidala esihlakaniphile. ‘Unqobe ngokuthembeka’. Ngokuhamba kancane kodwa eqinisile, engazange ayeke, u-Archibald wafika kuqala emgqeni wokugcina.'

UNoel unogwaja wabukeka edabukile futhi engajabule. U-Archibald ufudu wamzwela futhi wazama ukumjabulisa.

‘Yeka ukudabuka Noel, bekungumjaho nje kuphela,’ kusho u-Archibald. ‘Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi uzowunqoba ozolandela. Futhi mina ngincamela ukuthi sihlale singabangani kunokuwina yonke imijaho emhlabeni.’

Kusukela ngalolo suku, baba abangane abakhulu, futhi uNoel unogwaja akazange aphinde azigabise.