Lesedi bekatsandza tinkhanyeti. Ngalesikhatsi labanye bantfwana bangakhoni kulindza kusa, yena bekangakhoni kulindza sikhatsi sasebusuku. Bekangabesabi bumnyama nakancane. Bekatsandza kuphumela ngaphandle ngembikwekutsi ayolala ayobuka-nje etulu esibhakabhakeni sasebusuku.
Manje, cabanga tonkhe letinkhanyeti latibona. Emakhulu nemakhulu etinkhanyeti letikhanyako naletibhanyatako kanye nalenyanga lenkhulu, leyindingilizi, lemtfubi.
“Cishe sesikhatsi sekuyolala, Lesedi!” kumemeta make walentfombatana lencane.
“Ngiyeta make!” kwamemeta Lesedi aphendvula.
Kodvwa Lesedi abengakalungeli kubuyela ngekhatsi. Abefuna kubala letinkhanyeti. “Kunye, kubili, kutsatfu, kune …” Lesedi abesabale wefika ekhulwini nemashumi lamatsatfu nakutsatfu nakeva make wakhe amemeta futsi.
Asagucuka angena ngekhatsi, wabona kukhanya lokukhulu etulu esibhakabhakeni. Bekusondzela dvute kusondzela, kusondzela. Bekungukhumbi wasemkhatsini lomkhulu kakhulu! Lesedi akazange awesuse emehlo akhe kuwo futsi wawubuka futsi wawubuka nawuhlala khona lapho engadzeni yakubo yangaphambili.
Lesedi wahamba waya kulomkhumbi wasemkhatsini wawutsintsa. Bewubusheleleti futsi umanyatela futsi uvakala ufutfumele. Sivalo lesikhulu lesiseceleni savuleka masinyane kwase kwehla liladi lehlela phansi emhlabatsini.
“Mhlawumbe ngingashesha ngibuke ekhatsi,” kwacabanga Lesedi.
Wakhuphuka kuleliladi ahamba kancane. Bekunetibane letikhanyako netinkinobho letibovu naletiluhlata sasibhakabhaka yonkhe indzawo. Kodvwa, bekunguyinkinobho lenkhulu kakhulu leliwolintji lebeyingaphansi-nje kwalelinye lifasitelo layinakisisa.
“Kungentekani uma ngicindzetela lokwa?” kwasho yena aphumisela.
PIPU kwevakala lenkinobho ngesikhatsi ayicindzetela. Ngaleso sikhatsi sivalo savaleka ngemandla satsi ngci kwase kubanaBHOMU lomkhulu ngesikhatsi injini icala kudvuma. Lokulandzelako, weva livi kuletikhulisimsindvo litsi. “Umkhumbimkhatsi uyesuka ngemizuzwana le-3, 2, 1...”
Lesedi weva lomkhumbimkhatsi unyakata! Watamatama waya ngasencele nangasekusekudla; watamatama waya etulu naphansi, wabese uyaphakama ngekudvuma lokukhulu.
“Make utawutfukutsela kakhulu,” kwacabanga Lesedi, kodvwa bekanekumoyitela ebusweni bakhe. Ekugcineni bekaya emkhatsini! Ngalamafasitelo alomkhumbimkhatsi, wabona indlu yakubo incipha kancane kancane basandiza baya etulu.
Waphakamisa sandla wavalelisa watsi, “Sala kahle Make! Ngeke ngitsatse sikhatsi lesidze!”
Etulu, etulu, etulu, kwaya lomkhumbimkhatsi. Watfubeleta utungeleta letinkhanyeti. Wangena uphuma emkhatsini wemaplanethi wachubeka waya embili futsi emkhatsini wesibhakabhaka. “Mani ngite ngitjele Tsepo na-Amina ngaloku esikolweni,” wacabanga.
Lesedi bekasolo abuka ngaphandle efasitelweni ngesikhatsi abona intfo letsite etulu phambili. Ngabe yi …? Yebo, bekungiyo! futsi bekukhona indvodza lebeyime etukwayo. Beyibonakala sengatsi imvilitisela sandla.
“Ngulendvodza lesenyangeni!” kusho Lesedi amemeta ngenjabulo.
Lendvodza yachubeka yamvilitisela sandla waze wahlala enyangeni lomkhumbimkhatsi ngemdvumo lopholile. Yabe seyiyahamba iyonconcotsa efasitelweni laLesedi.
“Sawubona,” yasho khona lapho kulengilazi. “Angibinato tivakashi letinyenti. Ngubani ligama lakho?”
“NguLesedi,” washo ngekutigcabha. “Angikafanele kuba lapha. Lona akusiwo umkhumbimkhatsi wami. Wehlele engadzeni yakitsi, ngase ngingena ekhatsi wabese uyasuka!”
“Loko kungenca yekutsi wena ungumhlwayi wekutalwa,” kwasho lendvodza.
“Nginguye. Ngiyawutsandza umkhatsi ikakhulukati ngitsandza tinkhanyeti. Empeleni ligama lami nguLesedi, Lesedi usho kukhanya,” kwasho yena.
“Loko kuyamangalisa! Naku lokutsite lotawuhamba nako uye ekhaya.” Lesedi wavula lifasitelo wakhipha sandla sakhe. Lendvodza yamnika litje lelincane. “Litje lasenyangeni lelikhetsekile. Nyalo sewunentfo letsite letakusita ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi kukhumbula luhambo lwakho lwekwehlwaya.
“Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Ndvodza lesenyangeni!”
Noma Lesedi bekakujabulela lokwehlwaya kwakhe, bese acala kutiva adziniwe kancane. “Nkhosi yami! Make utawukhatsateka ngami!” wacabanga, atamula. Wabuka emaceleni. “Mhlawumbe uma ngingafacata lenkinobho leliwolintji futsi, lomkhumbimkhatsi ungangibuyisela emuva ekhaya.”
Ngako-ke wase uyayifacata. Masinyane, livi laphuma kulesikhulisimsindvo, litsi, “Luhambo lwekubuyela emuva luyacala ngemzuzwana-3, 2, 1…”
“Sala kahle Ndvodza lesenyangeni,” kwamemeta Lesedi ngekushesha.
“Hamba kahle, Lesedi. Ngiyetsemba ngitakubona futsi,” washo avalelisa Lesedi ngekuvilitisa sandla.
Lomkhumbimkhatsi waphakama usuka enyangeni wabese ujika kancane uyatungeleta. Lesedi abekhona kubona Iplanethi Umhlaba ingaphansi khashane kakhulu. Bewubukeka njengebhola leluhlata sasibhakabhaka legcumako futsi yena nebangani bakhe bebatsandza kudlala ngayo. Wabe sewuva lomkhumbimkhatsi uhusha ushona phansi, phansi, phansi wate wahlala engadzeni yakubo ugcuma. Sivalo savuleka, futsi kwehla liladi lehlela emhlabatsini.
“Ngibuyile ekhaya!” kwamemeta Lesedi.
Wagijima wehla ngaleliladi wabese ubuka lenyanga lenkhulu, leyindilinga, lemtfubi, futsi wacabanga kutsi ubone indvodza lencane imvilitisela sandla.
Ngesikhatsi make waLesedi aphumela ngaphandle amfuna, watfola indvodzakati yakhe ilele hhu etjanini.
“Awu ntfombatane yami lencane, ifanele kutsi idziniwe,” washo amphakamisa.
Wetfwala Lesedi wamngenisa ngekhatsi wefike wamfaka embhedzeni. Wase uva intfo letsite esandleni saLesedi. Bekulitje lelimphunga leliyindilinga.
“Intfombatanyana lehlekisako,” wamoyitela, acabuza Lesedi libunti.
Wabese ucima sibane wase uyaphuma kulelikamelo, angakanaki kutsi lelitje leliyindilinga lelimphunga liyakhanya ebumnyameni.
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