Umshado wenhlanzi nenkukhu

Kwakukhona inkukhu okuthiwa uCikizwa eyayiyintandane. Ngolunye usuku uCikizwa wayephumile eyobheka ukudla ngesikhathi ebona imvukuzane iphuma emgodini wayo. Waqala wakhuluma nemvukuzane, kodwa yona ayaze yamnaka.

Kwakuphuma izinyembezi zehla ebusweni bukaCikizwa ngenkathi ekhala kabuhlungu, ngakho imvukuzane yaxolisa kakhulu ngokuphatha kabi imizwa yakhe.

Emva kwalokho yabe isithenga iziphuzo namakhekhe. Badla base bephuza bendawonye, base bezizwa bejabujabule.

Ukusuka ngalelo langa imvukuzane noCikizwa baba ngabangani abakhulu. Abangani imvamisa bayawolana babambane kube yiziswambithi. Babezwana futhi benakekelana.

Ngokunye ukuhlwa, uCikizwa wavalelisa kumngani wakhe wayesehamba eya ekhaya. Ngalobo busuku uCikizwa waphupha. Wezwa izwi likanina libuza, “UCikizwa uzoshada nini?” “Hhayi, kungenzeka ukuthi bengiphupha,” kusho uCikizwa ngenkathi evuka. Manje-ke endaweni okwakuhlala khona uCikizwa, kwakukhona indlovu enonya.

UNdlovu lo wayevamise ukusho izinto ezingemnandi kuCikizwa ngenhloso yokuzama ukumenza angathokozi. Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni ngenkathi uCikizwa ebingelela uNdlovu, wamane wamziba nje, wayesethi, “Ha, ha, ha! Suka lapha, le ntandane le! Ufunani lapha kimi? Waze wonda bo. Sengathi awuwutholanga ummbila owanele ongawudla!” Yaba buhlungu inhliziyo kaCikizwa.

Esendleleni ebuyela ekhaya, wahlangana noMvu, uBhoqo. Wanele wayibona imvu ezilungeleyo, wakhiphela inhliziyo yakhe yonke kuyo. Wayitshela imvu nokushiwo yindlovu kuye. UMvu wayiduduza inkukhu futhi wakwazi nokuyenza imoyizele kancane. Emva kwalokho uMvu wamema uCikizwa ukuthi azodla isidlo sakusihlwa emzini wakhe. Badla isitampu esimnandi esiphekwe nobhontshisi njengesidlo sakusihlwa. Ngemuva kwalokho uCikizwa wadansa ngentokozo nomndeni wakwaMvu ngesikhathi sekudlala umculo. Wadansa kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi kwaphuquka izintuli waze wakhohlwa nayizo zonke izinkinga!

Ngosuku olulandelayo izulu layishaya imvula. Lana kakhulu ngendlela yokuthi iningi lezilwane lakhukhulwa wumfula oseduze. UCikizwa yena wayephephile esidlekeni sakhe ngoba uyise wayehlakaniphile, wakha umsele eduze kwaso ngakho asizange sikhukhuleke.

Kodwa uCikizwa wayelokhu ephatheke kabi ngokwenzekile kwabanye abangani bakhe. Kwathi uma imvula inqamuka, kwavela izimbali ezinye, ezinemibala egqamile futhi kwakukhona umoyana opholile. UCikizwa waphumela ngaphandle wathokozela ukukhanya kwelanga ngenkathi ebona uNdlovu eqhuga futhi ekhala empongoloza. UCikizwa olungileyo wabiza i-ambulensi ngokushesha.

Lapho i-ambulensi ifika, uNdlovu wathola usizo aludingayo. Umlenze wakhe waboshwa ngebhandishi wase uyajovwa ukusiza ukudambisa izinhlungu. Ngenkathi uNdlovu eqala ukuzizwa esengcono, wabonga uCikizwa ngomusa wakhe. Wayesethi, “Cikizwa, mntanami, ungaguquki kulokhu oyikho. Hlala uhlonipha futhi uthanda wonke umuntu.”

Ngemuva kwesikhathi esithile, uCikizwa wehla waqonda emfuleni wayozithokozisa khona. Kwase kuvele kukhona abantu abambalwa kanye nezilwane lapho. Abanye babedoba, bese bosa izinhlanzi abazibambile. Badla izinhlanzi kanye namakhekhe amnandi asanda kubhakwa. UCikizwa waqaphela inhlanzi enhle futhi wathola ukuthi igama layo kwakunguGumbi.

Gumbi noCikizwa baqala ukwazana, kanti ngokushesha babe sebengabangani. UCikizwa waze wanquma ngisho nokuthi ayeke ukudla inhlanzi ngoba ehlonipha uGumbi. Ezinye izilwane zabahleka zase zithi, “Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi inhlanzi nenkukhu kube ngabangani?”

Kodwa uGumbi noCikizwa abazange babe nandaba. Babe sebesondelana kakhulu. UGumbi wafundisa uCikizwa ukubhukuda nokuziphonsa emanzini, kanti uCikizwa wafundisa uGumbi ukuqhwanda emhlabathini ukuthola ukudla. Ekugcineni uGumbi wacela uCikizwa ukuthi amshade. UCikizwa wavumela phezulu. Bendawonye banquma ukuthi bazoba nomshado wabo ngoMgqibelo olandelayo endaweni abayithanda bobabili neseduze komfula.

Lwaze lwafika usuku lomshado. Ilanga lalishisa kabi. Kwakungeve kuwumshado oyisimangaliso! Iqembu lomculo lezilwane lacula kahle. Oxamu, imikhomo, izingwenya, izimvu zamanzi, oshaka, amadolfini, izinkomo, izinja, izinyamazane, onogwaja, izingungumbane, izinyoka zamanzi kanye nezinye izilwane zacula ndawonye: “Kumnandi lapha emshadweni wenhlanzi. Kumnandi lapha emshadweni wenkukhu!”