Kwesukasukela, kwakukhona indvodza nenkhosikati yayo lebabehlupheka kakhulu. Bebanemntfwana munye vo, Nozizwe. Bebamtsandza kakhulu. Kwatsi nasakhululile batali bakhe bamhambisa wayohlala namalume wakhe lobekanjingile, Tsembalabo.

Make wakheNozizwe wamtfungela timphahla letinhle kakhulu, lenye yato beyihlotjiswe ngemaribhoni nangemakinobho lacwebetelako. Wayentela nemgeco lomuhle. Wahanjiswa khona kamalume wakhe.

Watsi asahamba Nozizwe, wefika emfuleni. Wahlangana nentfombatana leyayigcoke emanikiniki. Uyaphi? "kubuta intfombatana. "Ngivakashela malume wami, Tsembalabo," kusho Nozizwe. Yaphendvula intfombatana, "Hawu! Nami ngivakashela malume wami, naye ligama lakhe nguTsembalabo."

Bahambisana-ke. Bangakahambi libanga lelidze, intfombatana yatsi kuNozizwe, "Late labalihle liloko lakho nemgeco wakho. Asewungiboleke nami ngililinganise."

Nembala walikhumula Nozizwe liloko lakhe walinika lentfombatana. Ngalesikhatsi ikhumula emanikiniki ayo, Nozizwe wayibona kutsi inemsila! Nozizwe wacala kwesaba. Kwamkhanye lakutsi lentfombatana bekuyimbulu.

Nobe besekukhona kwesaba kodvwa bachubeka bahambisana. Nozizwe wase utsi, "Ngicela ungibuyisele liloko lami nemgeco wami."

Imbulu yamphendvula yatsi, "Ngivumele ngiligcoke size sifike kulesiya sihlahla." Isho ikhomba sihlahla lesisegcumeni. Nasebafikile esihlahleni, Nozizwe watsi kuyo, "Ngicela ungibuyisele lilokolami."

Ngivumele ngigcoke size sifike kuleya nsimu," kusho imbulu ikhomba insimu lengasegcumeni. Nozizwe bekesaba ngakho-ke wavuma.

Ekugcineni befika ensimini. Waphindza Nozizwe wacela imbulu, "Ngicela ungibuyisele liloko lami kanye nebuhlalu bami." "Ngivumele ngiligcoke size sifike kuloyamuti lapho kuhleli khona lamakhosikati," kusho imbulu, ikhomba umuti lokhashane kanabo.

Bachubeka bahamba. Kwatsi sebatawufika ngakulowomuti, imbulu yachilitela Nozizwe ngemuva kwayo, yasho ngelitubane, ishiya Nozizwe ngemuva.

Yefika yatsi kulamakhosikati, "Asenibuke lentfombatana legcoke emanikiniki, iloku ingilandzelela lusuku lonkhe. Ngicela niyicoshe lapha." Emakhosikati aphendvuka abuka ngakuNozizwe. Ngalendlela abetfuke ngayo, wabaleka wayobhaca esibayeni salomuti.

Nayiya imbulu icondza endlini kamalume Tsembalabo. Yefika yakhuluma ngelivi lelihle yatsi, "Ngingumshana wakho uNozizwe. Batali bami bangitfumele kutsi ngitewuhlala nani."

Tsembalabo nemndeni wakhe bajabula kakhulu bayemukela intfombatana. Bayiphatsa kahle, beyingawi phasi. Nozizwe sibili nanguya ulala esibayeni. Emini bekabhaca emasimini acule atsi,

"Awu mine wekuhlupheka. Ngatfunyelwa ngubabe namake kutsi ngitewuhlala namalume Tsembalabo. Endleleni ngahlangana nembulu yangitsatsela timphahla tami. Awu mine wekuhlupheka."

Ngalelinye lilanga, indvodzana lendzala yaTsembalabo yatsi itihambela emasimini yeva livi lelicula ngelusizi. Yefika ekhaya yacocela uyise ngeliculo leyilivile.

Tsembalabo wanike lakhona emasimini. Wativela naye leliculo. Wamfuna wate wamtfola Nozizwe.

Nozizwe wacocela malume wakhe ngalendzaba nangakho konkhe lokwentekile. Malume wahamba naye Nozizwe. Wefika ekhaya waciniseka kutsi uyamfihla endlini letsite. Besekati kahle kutsi utakwentani kute akwati kubamba imbulu.

Tsembalabo besekavile kutsi umsila wembulu utsandza lubisi nekutsi awendluli ebisini ungakalunatsi. Watfuma emadvodza kutsi agubhe umgodzi awugcwalise emasi.

Tsembalabo wabita onkhe emantfombatana endzawo kutsi atewuncintisana ngekuzuba umgodzi. Imbulu beyikhatsatekile kakhulu ngaloko. Yayingafuni kweca umgodzi. Imbulu beyati kahle kutsi umsila wayo utawomela emasi ngalesikhatsi izuba umgodzi.

Yangena endlini yabophela umsila wayo emtimbeni wayo, yawucinisa kakhulu. Nayo yabe seyingenela umncintiswano wekuzuba umgodzi nalamanye emantfombatana.

Acala-ke emantfombatana azuba umgodzi lobewugcwele emasi. Lafika litfuba lembulu.

Yazuba kakhulu, kodvwa umsila wayo wasombuluka wayidvonsela phasi emgodzini lonemasi. Yangena yashona emgodzini ingena emasini.

Kwatsi kusenjalo, imbulu yatabalata kuphuma emgodzini, emadvodza agcwalisa umgodzi ngemhlabatsi agcibetela imbulu. Kwaba kufa kwayo imbulu.

Nozizwe wahlala kamnandzi kamalume wakhe ajabulile.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: Alan Kenyon and Viv Kenyon Author - Alan Kenyon and Viv Kenyon
Translation - Fakazile Armooh
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - Siswati
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2014
Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org