Kusekuseni ngovivi lapho ziyavuka izinsizwa ziya esibayeni sezinkomo ukuyobophela izinkabi bese ziya emasimini kolima. Phela lana kwaShabalala umnumzane wakhona uNqabayembube uganwe amakhosikazi emathathu umaXulu, maMchunu, kanye nomncane umaSibisi. Laphake umaXulu unezinsizwa ezimbili esezingamabhobhodleyana okungu Mandlempi noThandizwe owabe esevala ngothumbu okuyintshikazane, uBuselaphi, umaMchunu yena unezingane ezine uPhungalenja, Ntozini,Qaphelani noSambulo. Kuthi lomakoti wokugcina oyintandokazi kuNqabayembube yena unezingane ezimbili zamantombazane uThandiwe noSamukelisiwe.
Ngoba kuboshelwa nje kiyolinwa zonke izinsizwa sezivukile kwazise uyise uNqabayembube wayengazwani nomfana owunyube nowumnqolo ogombetsheni ochoba izintwala zikanina. Ziqede ukubophela izinsizwa ezihole uSambulo zibheke emasini beze befike emasimini. ” Namuhla ngeke sihlale kakhulu lana emasimini malibumbana nje ihora lesishiyagalombili siyazikhulula izinkabi, ilanga alizibekile phansi kanti nami ngifuna ukuyobona abafowethu KwaMthwadlana.” Kuqhuba uyise wabafana uNqabayembube.
Zilime ziqede izinkabi bese bayazikhulula, besendleleni beya ekhaya Ehlalakahle ” Baba kukhona udaba engifuna ukuluthamunda nawe” kusho uThandizwe. ”Akunankinga ndodana masiqeda ukukhumula izinkabi sizoxoxa” kusho uyise kaThandizwe. Bazikhulule izinkabi emajokeni bezidedele bese beqoqa kahle izitrobho namajoka. Lapho vese uNqabayembube usezupholele phansi komthunzi woMsasane kwazise nelanga likhipha umkhovu etsheni ukushisa. Nebala esahleli kanjalo ethunzini kuphuthume umaSibisi namahewu ” Ewu baba safa izihlonono ezikhaliswa ilelilanga elivutha amalangabi, awukhiphe ilanga Donga lukamavuso nganawa amahewu” kusho umaSibisi elethela umyeni wabo amahewu phansi komthunzi welanga. Esondele noThandizwe afike eqoshame eduze kukayise ” Mshengu angazi noma sesingaxoxa yin manje?” kubuza uThandizwe ngesikhulu isizotha lesi esikhombisa enkulu inhlonipho kundodana ehlonipha uyise. ” Cha ndodana ungaxoxa uma udaba lwakho lungilude ngoba nami ngisakhokha amandla lana emthunzini ngizahlalelwe indlela eya ekhaya elikhulu kubafowethu kwaMthadlana” kuqhuba uShabalala. ”Cha Shabalala akukuningi ukuthi ngibona sengathi sengikulungele ukuyosebenza eGoli manje ngoba ngilana njengamanje ngizocela kubaba ukuba angiphe isibusiso sokuba nami nginyuke ngiyozama njengezinye izinsizwa” kuchaza uthandizwe Ithule indoda endala ibheke phansi eside iskhathi lesi ungaze ufunge ukuthi akezwanga ukuthi indodana yakhe iceleni, kuthi ngesikade evuse ikhanda embuke ” Ngiyakuzwa ndodana noma lamazwi bengiwalindele kumnewenu omdala, kodwa ngoba suphefumule kuqala kulungile uzohamba, kodwa ngisazokhuluma nonyoko bevubele ukhanjana nje ukuze ngizokwenzela itiye lokucela indlela enhle nenezibusiso ezihamba nempumelelo koShabalala” kusho uMshengu. Noma wayebukeka enokudideka ngoba yena ngokwakhe wayelindele ukuthi indodana endala iyona okumele icele kuqala ukuya kofuna umsebenzi eGoli. ”Ngiyabonga baba ngizoke ngilungisele indlela nami” kusho uThandizwe.
Behlukane kanjalo noNqabayembube ethathe indlela yakhe eyobheka abafowabo kwaMthwadlana. Lithi seliyozilahla kunina ilanga izelamani zikamaXulu zehle ziye emfuleli umzinene ziyobhava zikhiphe ukushisa ngoba phela bekufiwa ukushisa. Abuze uMandlempi kumnewabo ” Bafo yini le obuthi ufuna ukuyikhuluma nobaba sibuya emasimini ngoba nginibonile futhi senikhuluma ngesikhathi ubaba ephumule phansi komthunzi?” Ehleke kancane uThandizwe ebheke umfowabo “Cha akuyilitho olutheni mnewethu ukuthi nje bengicela kubaba ukuthi angidedele ngiyosebenza eGoli njengazo zonke ezinye izinsizwa ukuze nami ngizokwazi ukufeza wokhe amaphupho ami njengendoda” kusho uThandizwe. Ethule uMandlempi isikhathi eside ebheke umfowabo kuthi ngesikade bese eyaphawula ” Mnewethu ubona kuphusile ukuthi kuhambe wena kuqala mina ngingakayi kosebenza ngibe ngimdala kunawe?” kubuza uMandlempi odiniwe nokho ukufuhlile kumnewabo ukuthi udiniwe ilesenzo akasenzayo. ”Mina bhuti angiyiboni nencane inkinga lapha ngoba sikhulile sonke manje futhi ngeke ngikwazi mina uma usathanda ukuzihlalela ekhaya ulime amasimu akoShabalala, mina kodwa sengilungele ukusebenza umlungu manje” kuchaza uThandizwe. Bageza nje emfuleni akasemuhle kahle emoyeni ubhuti omdala nokho uyazama ukufihla. Kuyimanje udla amathambo enqondo uyazibuza uyaziphendula. Nokwathi uma befika ekhaya waqonda ngqo elawini likayise ngenhlanhla wabe esebuyile kubafowabo nalapho owayezilalele esikhumbeni emise amanhlakomuzi eziphumuzela iqolo kwazise usuku belulude kanti kapha bekushisa futhi, benjalo bavuke ngovivi babophela bayolima.
”Mshengu Shabalala” kusho uMandlempi sakukhuleka emi eceleni komnyango wendlu kayise. ”Ngena ndodana wangihlasela ngomnyama nje kwenzenjani ndoda yamadoda?” kubuza uMshengu. ”Cha baba akukho lutho olutheni wena Sdwaba esiluthuli akonakele lutho, ukuthi nje bengifisa ukubeka libe linye uMshengu esezolala” kuqguba uMandlempi. ”Khululeka ndodana khuluma noma yini ngilalele ” kuphendula uMshengu. ”Ngize lana ngesicelo esincane nje baba wami, bengicela kubaba angikhulule ngiye eKhimbali kubabomncane lo osebenza eDayimani nami ngiyobheka umsebenzi” kucela uMandlempi. ” Awu kanti senihamba nonke kanye kanyendodana? Ngoba ekuseni sibuya kolima emasimini uThandizwe naye ungicele ukuya eGoli eyozama umsebenzi manje sekuwuwe kwase kuphuthuma kangaka kuwe ndodana kwenzenjani?” kubuza uShabalala. ”Akonakele lutho bengilokhu ngithi ngizocela ngilibala kodwa manje sengithe angingasali” kusho uMandlempi. Ephefumulele phezulu uMshengu avuke ehlale ngezinqa bese ezifundela kwezakhe umuntu omdala ukuthi insizwa ayifuni ukushiwa umnewabo omncane. ” khululeka ndodana ngizonicelela nobabili indlela kanye kanye.” kulanda uShabalala. Nebala ebacelele indlela bese bayavuka bayahamba, bagibela bobabili ibhasi lika7 elibheke kwaNongoma nalapho abafika bahlukana khona ngezindlela lapho omunye ebamba ebheke eGoli omunye ebamba ebheke eKhimbali noma ingekho eqondile eya khona kodwa indlela babe sebemyalelile. Bavalelisane bengene ezimotweni behlukane kanjalo