Kudzala esigodzini, saseMlengeni, kwakukhona indvodza leyayinesilondza lesibi emlenteni. Lesilondza besinenkhani singafuni kuphola. Lendvodza yayingasakwati kuma nekuhamba ngenca yalesilondza. Yayihlala nemndeni wayo, inkhosikati kanye nebantfwana.

Lendvodza nemkayo beba nemadvodzana lamatsatfu nendvodzakati yinye. Ligama lendvodzakati yayo kwakunguNolwazi. Kwakungumsebenti wakhe kunakekela babe wakhe. Emadvodzana wona bekasebenta emasimini abuye eluse imfuyo.

Nolwazi abeyintfombatana lenhle kakhulu. Wonkhe umphakatsi bewumkhontile futsi umhlonipha. Batali baNolwazi bebamfisela kutsi ashade nemyeni locotfo notomnakekela. Batali bakhe Nolwazi bafuna kumkhetsela loyolo lowayetawuba ngumyeni wakhe. Loyolo bekatawubukana nelisu lelimatima, kute kubonakale kutsi angaba indvodza lecotfo yaNolwazi.

Leyondvodza letamtsatsa abeyinkhosikati yayo, kwakumele ihambe iyokhipha likhambi echibini lelalisedvute khona esigodzini. Kwakunenkholelo yekutsi lelikhambi lalitakwelapha silondza seyise waNolwazi. Inkinga ngelichibi, kutsiwa lalinemimoya lemibi futsi leyingoti.

Lamanye emadvodza lake etama kuyotsatsa lelikhambi abuyela emuva engasinalo likhambi, kanti lamanye abengabuyi kwasanhlobo.

Nolwazi yayimkhatsata kakhulu lendzaba. Banakabo bebangacabangi kutsi bangaya kulelichibi. Wagcine ancume kutsi utakuya yena ngekhwakhe echibi ayotsatsa likhambi. Make wakhe watsi kuye, "Mntfwana wami emadvodza lanemandla ehlulekile, wena bewungubani kuyolandza lelikhambi?" Nolwazi abesatitjelile kutsi yena uyolandza lelokhambi.

Ngalesikhatsi asendleleni leya echibini, Nolwazi wahlangana nesalukati sitfwele tinkhuni. Wabona kungcono kutsi asisite ngekusiftwalisa tinkhuni. Lesalukati sabonga, satsi kuye, "Lalela kahle. Ngitakutjela kutsi utawufi kanjani ekhambini nekutsi kumele wentenjani nasewufika lapho."

Watsi nakafika edvute nelichibi, Nolwazi, wabona lomndeni wemimoya levungutako udansa ubuye unatse nemanti echibini. Wema wayibukela. Emva kwesikhashana wababona ngamunye ngamunye balala.

Kutse naseyilele yonkhe imimoya, Nolwazi watiphonsa echibini. Walitfola likhambi wase ulifaka esikhwameni. Ngalesikhatsi aphuma emantini, emanti besekamanyenti ngakuye ngalapho bekumele aphumele khona.

Watsi nakaphumela ngaphandle, nayi imimoya seyivukile. Wafikelwa kwesaba, wasekhumbula kutsi salukati satsi akabocula liculo lesimfundzise lona, ayilolotelele mimoya. Liculo lelitsi:

"Mine ndodvodzakati yaseWekesa, ngivelalapha echibini nami. Ngitile ngobe emadvodza wonkhe ayesaba kuba kulendzawo, babe wami udzinga likhambi lokuphotisa silondza. Ngisite nibabusi bami."

Livila Nolwazi lalimnandzi ngendlela lemangalisako, imimoya yamcela kutsi aphindze acule futsi. Nembala waphindza. Kucula kwakhe kwayileletela imimoya, yalala. Ngekuphangisa Nolwazi wahlaba ngelitubane sekacondze ekhaya.

Wefika ekhaya sekalindziwe. Bonkhe bebamangele. Wangena endlini, wasebentisa likhambi, babe wakhe welapheka, wavuka wema ngetinyawo. Umphakatsi wonkhe wawujabulile uncoma sibindzisa Nolwazi.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: Violet Otieno Author - Violet Otieno
Translation - Fakazile Armooh
Illustration - Vusi Malindi
Language - Siswati
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org