

Sinohambo
esizoluthatha. Ngibuza uMama
ukuthi ngipakishe ini.
“Izinto ezibaluleke kakhulu,”
kusho yena.

Sima ku-windmill lapho esidle khona
isidlo sasekuseni.
Kunendawo yokudlala okumnandi
kakhulu ukudlala kuyona.

Ngikhohlwe ithoyizi lami

Ngiphatheke kabi emotweni,
kodwa uTando ujabulile.
‘Halala! Manje usuzokwazi ukudlala
nami!’ kusho yena.

Sima epulazini ukuze sibone izilwane. UTando
ulokhu eqalaze njalo ufuna ukubona insephe.

Inkawu isibaleke nama-headphone akhe.

Usephatheke kabi
emotweni, kodwa mina ngijabulile.
‘Halala! Manje usuzokwazi ukucula
nami!’ usho mina.

Sima ngasempophomeni. Sithakase
kakhulu, siyadonsa siyadudula.

UBaba uwele emanzini nebalazwe lakhe.

Usephatheke kabi
emotweni, kodwa uMama ujabulile.
‘Halala! Manje sengizokusiza uthole
indlela yethu!’ kusho yena.

Sima eduze komuntu odayisa emgwaqeni
ukuze sithenge ummbila.

UMama uyagoba ukhetha ummbila omuhle
kakhulu, kwavele kwawa izibuko zakhe zaphuka.

UMama usephatheke kabi
emotweni, kodwa uBaba ujabulile.
‘Halala! Manje sesizothola indlela yethu sonke!’ kusho uBaba.

Sima egqumeni lasemandulo ukuze sibone
kahle esigodini. UBaba wenza ihlaya ukuze
simamatheke njengoba sithatha isithombe.

Kodwa ...

uma sesibuyela
emotweni, ayisadumi.
Wonke umuntu usevele
wayeka ukuhleka.
‘Ningakhathazeki ...’ kusho
uMama. ‘Singaqhubeka
nokuba nesikhathi esimnandi.
thina siyizo lezinto
ezibaluleke kakhulu.’

Futhi ngempela saba
nesikhathi esimnandi.
Sadlala futhi sacula futhi
sizicingela indlela
yethu sindawonye,
sidla nommbila omnandi.

The Things That Really Matter_Zulu
Izinto Ezibaluleke Kakhulu
Illustrator: Subi Bosa
Author: Refiloe Moahloli
Designer: Natalie Pierre-Eugene
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Website: https://bookdash.org/
Translator: Nonkululeko Nhlapo
Editor: Louis Greenberg