Kusehlobo lilanga lishisa kakhulu lihlatsi nalo lomile.

Bese kungemalanga lamanyenti iNtfutfwane ingesawati emanti.

"Ngidzinga nje kuphela litfonsi lemanti, noma ngabe liphuma ecembeni," kukhala iNtfutfwane lencane.

Akusekho ngisho nematolo lawa.

"Nangabe angiwatfoli emanti nyalo, ngitakufa," kukhala iNtfutfwane lencane.

"Kumele ngiye kulomfula lengike ngeva bakhuluma ngawo."

"Umfula ugcwele futsi unemandla. Ubobona emanti angahambi nawe," kwecwayisa singwe lesihlakaniphile.

INtfutfwane lencane yome kakhulu. "Ngitakufa nakube angiwatfoli emanti."

Yesuka yaya emfuleni iyobuka emanti.

Yahamba yencamula etjanini lobomile nasemagaleni lowomile.

Yahamba kwate kwevakala kuhaza kwemanti.

Bekungemanti emfula! Kwevakala nekugobhota kwemanti.

INtfutfwane yanele kubona emanti yatsatsa yatsi ngibonwa yini yawanatsa.

Injabulo labenayo intfwane ayibonanga nekucamuka kwemagagasi.

INtfutfwane yetama kubambelela eticintsini tetjani. Kodvwa loko akuzange kumsite ngobe emanti emuka nayo.

"Ngisiteni bo! Maye! Ngicela ningisitebo!" Yamemeta.

Ngasoleso sikhatsi kwefika liTuba libambe ligala ngemlomo.

Latsi, "Sheshisa ugibele lapha."

"Ngitawuhlala lapha kute ngibonge kahle kuTuba. Ngitawulindza ate abuye," kusho iNtfutfwane.

"Ngitamlindza ate abuye futsi nakate atonatsa emanti."

Kwatsi ngalelinye lilanga asalindzile emfuleni, kwachamuka bafana lababili baphetse tilingi tabo.

"Kunelituba lelikhulu lelimhlophe lelinatsa kulomfula," kusholo munye webafana.

"Namuhla litawuba kudla kwetfu kwakusihlwa," kusho umfana.

"Angete nje ngivumele labafana babulale Tuba," kusho iNtfutfwane.

"Hheyi! Kodvwa nami ngimncane, yini nje lengingayenta?"

Ngasoleso sikhatsi, Tuba wehlela emantini.

Wasuka esihlahleni ngobe afuna kunatsa.

INtfutfwane beseyi nelisu.

Wazuba wayohlala enyaweni lalomunye umfana. Wacala kumncinta.

Umfana wazuba. "Ekhu! Uyangilimata!" kukhala umfana.

Tuba wetfuka wandizela etulu. Kwaba kuphepha kwayo iNtfutfwane.

Lena ngiyo indlela iNtfutfwane labonga ngayo kuTuba ngekumsindzisa.