Ekadeni, kwakukhona ikosi ebizwa ngokuthiwa nguSogada. Beyihlala nendlovukazi nendodakazi yabo uLomcebo.

ULomcebo bekamntazana omuhle khulu, woke amadoda bekafuna ukutjhada naye. Kodwana ikosi uSogada bekafuna imali enengi khulu ngomntazana wakhe lo.

Eduze nesigodlo sakaSogada bekuhlala ikosana uMfungelwa ophakamileko. Bekabizwa "ophakamileko" ngombana boke abantu abasekuhlaleni bebamhlonipha. (Bekanenturhu kunanyana ngubani ongamhloniphiko).

Ukosikazi wekosana uMfungelwa bekaqeda ukuhlongakala abulawa bulwele bakamalaleveva, ikosana beyifuna omunye ukosikazi.

Ngalokho ikosana edala enonileko yaya ekosini uSogada ukuyokubawa ukulobola ikosazana.

Lokha amadoda amabili lawa asakhulumisana ngemali, isisebenzi sekosini uFikile wezwa ukucocisana kwabo. Isisebenzi uFikile bekatjhidelene khulu nekosazana uLomcebo.

Ikosana uMfungelwa wavuma ukunikela ikosi uSogada ingcenye yengcebo yakhe, okufaka hlangana inalidi, obekungenye ingcenye yemali kamakoti.

Amalungiselelo womtjhado phakathi kwekosi uMfungelwa nekosazana uLomcebo bewenziwa buntumba. Ikosi beyisazi bona ikosazana ingeze yasithabela isiqunto leso.

Iveke ngaphambili komtjhado webukhosini, isisebenzi uFikile waya kuLomcebo.

Wathi, "Kosazana yami, ubaba wakho ulungiselele umtjhado wakho nekosana uMfungelwa, umtjhado uzokuba ngemuva kweveke eyodwa."

Ikosazana uLomcebo beyimangele begodu beyingazi bona yenze ini.

Yase iyacabanga, "Angeze ngatjhada nekosana uMfungelwa, indoda leya enonileko begodu elupheleko. Angekhe! Kufanele ngirhabe ngiye kuDumi ngibone bona angenza ini ngaphambi kobana ngithjiywe sikhathi."

UDumi bekulisokana lekosazana uLomcebo.

Ngobusuku lobo uLomcebo wabaleka esigodlweni. Nange uyise angalemuka bonyana uya kuphi bekazokusilingeka khulu.

Wagijima phakathi kwehlathi elinzima, phezulu kwamatje nemitjhana, waze wayokufika kuDumi. Lokha nakafika endlini kaDumi bekadiniwe, alambile begodu omele namanzi.

"Sthandwa sami, kubayini ugijime indlela ede kangaka uwedwa ebusuku kangaka?" kwabuza uDumi. Wayokuthatha amanzi bewalinda aphumule.

UDumi akazange akwazi ukuhlala phasi lokha nakasalinde bona uLomcebo akhulume.

"Kosazana yami ethandekako, yini ikinga?" kubuza uDumi.

ULomcebo wadosa umoya kabuhlungu waphendula ngokudana wathi, "Ubaba ufuna ukungitjhadisa nekosana uMfungelwa ophakamileko. Kodwana angikwazi ukutjhada nendoda embi leya. Dumi, ngifuna ukutjhada nawe nanyana unganalitho nje. Ngizimisele ukuhlupheka. Ngiyakuthanda."

"Kodwana kosazana yami, anginalitho lokukukhuphela njengelobolo, uyangazi ngilisokana elizihluphekelako," kulila uDumi.

ULomcebo uyaphendula,"Iye, ngiyazi, kodwana nguwe wedwa engingatjhada naye." Wacabanga isikhatjhana wabese uthi,"Asiye kuMadzela indoda yesikepe asise ngaphetjheya komlambo. Ngeleyo indlela singabalekela ubaba begodu angekhe aphinde asithole."

Emuva esigodlweni, ikosi uSogada ukubonile ukunyamalala kwekosazana uLomcebo, yalayela amabutho wayo kobana amfune yoke indawo. Abonogada, amasotja nawo woke umuntu bafuna, kodwana azange bayithole ikosazana uLomcebo.

Babuyela emuva bayokutjela ikosi bonyana uLomcebo akatholakali ndawo. "Nangabe kunjalo, khambani niyokuzuma nemahlathini," balayelwa yikosi uSogada. Bekasilingeke khulu.

Lokha ikosazana uLomcebo noDumi basarhabele edongeni lomlambo, amafu anzima athoma ukuvala isibhakabhaka. Bekusiza amawuruwuru amakhulu.

Lokha iinthandani lezi zitjhidela eduze uMadzela besele agwedla isikepe sakhe. UDumi wabawa uMadzela bonyana abayamise umlambo.

UMadzela wabhala ukwamkela isibawo, wabahlathululela bona amawuruwuru eza ngamandla amakhulu begodu kungabanga ingozi ekulu.

UDumi waphikelela bewalinga ukuhlathululela uMadzela bona kungebanga lani kufanele bawele umlambo. Wabese ufaka isandla sakhe ngesikhwameni wakhupha iqephe walinikela uMadzela.

Lokha uMadzela ezwa indaba yabo abona neqephe elihle, wabarhawukela. Wavuma ukubayamisa umlambo nanyana ubujamo bezulu bebungasibuhle.

UMadzela watjhideza isikepe eduze kweligu wabatjela bona bakhwele. Wathatha amaphini wakhe wathoma wagwedla.

Lokha ikosi uSogada nekosana uMfungelwa bafika eligwini, babona abantu abathathu bakhwele esikepeni. Babona bona iinthandni ezimbili sezibalekile. Ummoya omkhulu waphephula isikepe uMadzela azange asakwazi ukusilawula.

Ikosi uSogada yarhuwelela, "Lomcebo, ngiyakubawa buya! Ngikulibalele begodu angisoze ngijezise wena nofana uDumi." Kodwana besele kungemuva kwesikhathi. Isikepe saphekghuka abantu abathathu baphoseka ngemlanjeni. Baminza boke.

Ukusukela ngelanga lelo, woke umuntu ebukhosini bekosi uSogada wavunyelwa bona atjhade nanyana ngubani afuna ukutjhada naye, onjingileko nofana oqhakileko.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: Amana Yunus Author - Amana Yunus
Translation - Phephelaphi Mnguni and Sponono Mahlangu
Illustration - Natalie Propa
Language - isiNdebele
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org