Amakhaza webusika sewadlulile. Ithwasahlobo beyiza esigodini sakoNkanyezi. Kungasikade abantu bazokuhlangana bagidinge isikhathi esitjha.

UNkanyezi ulindele ukugidinga umnyanya wokuthwasa kwehlobo kunanyana ngiliphi elinye ilanga emnyakeni.

Ngelinye elinga lekuseni kutjhisa, uNkanyezi wezwa abantu abadala ababili bakhuluma ngomnyanya. "Abantu bakwaNdlovu sebalahlekelwe mummoya wokugidinga," kuphefumula omunye wabadala.

"Sizokuba njani nomnyanya wokugidinga ukungena kwehlobo emzini osewukhohlwe bona kugidingwa njani?" kwabuza omunye.

UNkanyezi bekatshwenyekile. "Ilanga lingabuye likhanye njani godu ngaphandle kobana sivume silivuse ekulaleni kwebusika?" UNkanyezi uyazibuza.

UNkanyezi wacabanga eside isikhathi. "Ngifanele ngithole bona siyilahle kuphi," uthatha isiqunto. "Ngifanele ngikhambe ngiyokufuna izinto ezizokubuyisa umoya wokugidinga ebantwini besigodi sekhethu."

Abantu abadala banikela uNkanyezi iimbusiso ezihle ngekhambo lakhe. Bamnikela isikhwama sokufaka izinto azozithola.

UNkanyezi bekasaba, kodwana wakholwa bona uzokuphumelela.

UNkanyezi wakhamba ilanga loke. Wakhuphuka imibundu, wehlela phasi emaweni. Bekawelela emilanjeni emikhulu, akhwele namatje ahlabako.

Ukhambe wadlula nalapho kuthabalele khona waze wayokufika esithunzini seentaba ezibovu.

Njengombana sekuthoma ukurhwalala, uNkanyezi wafika esigodini samaphetheni nemibala njengombana angazange ayibona ngaphambilini. Watjela abadala bendawo ngekhambo lakhe lokubuyisa umoya wokugidinga ebantwini bekhabo.

Umma wesitjhaba leso wapha uNkanyezi isipho. Watjela umntazana wathi, "Ngethando sikunikela ipende le ukubuyisela umbala wesigodini sekhenu esele sifiphele."

UNkanyezi wathokoza ebantwini abadala bewathatha ipende wayifaka ngesikhwameni sakhe. Ekuseni ngamasa ngelanga elilandelako waragela phambili nekhambo lakhe godu, athabile ngesipho sakhe sombala.

UNkanyezi wakhamba ilanga loke phakathi kwehlathi elinemithi emikhulu. Njengombana isibhakabhaka besele sithoma ukuba mnyama khulu nje angasakwazi nokubona, wezwa umdumo wokubetha iingubhu.

Warhabela ngapho kuneengubhu ngakhona, wazizwa anomoya wokugida eenyaweni zakhe ezidiniweko.

UNkanyezi wazibona sele asesigodini samabhubezi. Abantu bebazihlalele phasi bazombe umlilo, babetha iingubhu bavuma iingoma. Bekangakaze ezwe umvumo omnandi kangaka ngaphambilini.

Watjela abantu abadala besigodi lesi ngekhambo lakhe lokubuyisela umoya wokugidinga ebantwini bendawo yekhabo. Abantu beBhubezini bamumema bona aphumule ahlale nabo ebusuku lobo.

Ekuseni ikosana yabiza uNkanyezi, yathi, "Mntwana wami, nasi isigubhu esikhethekileko. Sivuma ingoma etja njalo nawusibethako."

UNkanyezi wathokoza abantu abadala wabese ufaka isigubhu sakhe ngesikhwameni. Waragela phambili nekhambo lakhe godu,athabele isipho sakhe somvumo nokugida.

Ngelanga lesithathu lekhambo lakhe, lokha nakadlula endaweni yeenkomo ezinonileko, iimpumulo zakhe zathoma ukunghwayeka. Iphunga elimnandi lavula amatjhuba wokunambitha nomlomo wakhe wathoma wazala amathe. Walandelela iphunga, bewafika esigodini wathola abantu bajame eempotweni zenyama ezibilako.

Isizwe lesi besaziwa ngokudla kwaso. UNkanyezi bekangazange ngaphambilini anambithe iinthako ezinje. Ngemuva kobana adle, watjela abadala bendawo ngekhambo lakhe lokubuyisa umoya wokugidinga ebantwini bendaweni yekhabo.

Ngelanga elilandelako, umphathi wabapheki wamupha isithako sakhe sokupheka esiyifihlo. Bathi, "Ndodakazi yethu, ngeenthako lezi, siqinisekisa izisu ezithabileko! Sikunikela isipho sokudla okumnandi."

UNkanyezi wathokoza abantu abadala wathatha isithako wasifaka ngesikhwameni sakhe. Besele asazi bonyana unazo zoke izinto ebekazitlhoga. Ngomdlandla omkhulu wathoma ngekhambo lakhe elide elibuyela emzini wakwaNdlovu.

Lokha nakafika ekhaya abantu babuthana bazokuzwa ngekhambo lakhe. Wabatjela iinolwana zalokho akubonileko, akuzwileko nakudlileko. Wabese uvula isikhwama sakhe wabatjengisa izipho anikelwe zona. Abantu besigodi lesi bathaba khulu ngezipho abazitholileko.

Ukuzimisela kwabanye nethemba lakaNkanyezi kwabuyisela umbala, ingoma negido ebantwini. Ngalokho-ke umoya wokugidinga wabuyiselwa ebantwini bakwaNdlovu.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: Mosa Mahlaba Author - Mosa Mahlaba
Translation - Phephelaphi Mnguni and Sponono Mahlangu
Illustration - Selina Masego Morulane
Language - isiNdebele
Level - Read aloud © Mosa Mahlaba, Selina Morulane, Sibusiso Mkhwanazi, Book Dash 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org
Original source www.bookdash.org