Busika bengcile, ummango wabo Nkhanyeti ulindzele kungena kweNtfwasahlobo madvutane nje, takha muti tilungiselela kugubha umkhosi wekungena kwesikhatsi semnyaka lesisha, lokuyintfwasahlobo. Nkhanyeti, njengalomunye wetakhamuti, naye bekawulangatelela lomkhosi. Bekutawuba lusuku lolwehlukile kunatotonkhe letinye tinsuku.

Kwatsi ekuseni ngalelinye lilanga kufutfumele, Nkhanyeti atihlalele nje, weva bantfu labadzala lababili baticocela ngalo mkhosi. "Bantfu balapha esigodzini saseMkhwakhweni abase nawo umdlandla wekugubha umkhosi wekutfwasa kwelihlobo," kuphawula lomunye wabo.

"Singawugubha njani umkhosi wekwetfwasa kwelihlobo, endzaweni lapho bantfu sebakhohlwa nekutsi ugujwa njani?" kubuta lomunye.

Yamkhatsata Nkhanyeti lenkhulumo yebantfu labadzala. Kusasenjalo, wevakala sekatibuta, atiphendvula. "Singasikhutsata njani sive lesiphelelwe ngumdlandla wekugubha umkhosi weNtfwasahlobo?"

Emva kwekucabanga ngalesimo, wavele watsatsa sincumo, watsi, "Kufanele ngitfole kutsi ngabe silahleke kuphi njengesive, kufanele ngiphume ngiyotfola loko lokwasilahlekela tsine sive saseMkhwakhweni, ngibuye nelisu lekubuyisa umdlandla emmangweni wakitsi."

Labadzala baseMkhwakhweni bamnika tonkhe tibusiso Nkhanyeti ngeluhambo lakatalutsatsa. Bamnika nesikhwama lakatawufaka kuso loko lakatakutfola kulusito.

Bekangesabi, futsi akholwa kutsi luhambo lwakhe lutawuba yimphumelelo.

Nembala lwacala luhambo lwakhe. Wahamba lusuku lonkhe. Bekakhuphuka ehla imimango.

Wawela umfula lomkhulu, acanca abuye ehle emadvwaleni layingoti. Wahamba njalo wendlula ematsafa wate wayofika ngaphasi kwetintsaba letibovu.

Kwatsi kuhlwa nje, Nkhanyeti abefika kulesinye setigodzi lesakhelene naseBhubesini. Imiti yakhona beyihlotjisiwe ngemibala langakate wayibona ngaphambilini. Wachazela labadzala bendzawo ngeluhambo lwakhe.

Lomunye walabasikati wakulesosigodzi wanika Nkhanyeti sipho, watsi kuye, "Sikunika lepeni ngelutsnadvo kute ubuyise kukhanya nekubukeka emphakatsini wakini." Nkhanyeti wasitsatsa lesipho wabonga, wasifaka esikhwameni sakhe. Ekuseni ngakusasa, wachubeka neluhambo lwakhe, ajabulile.

Kwasa lokungali, wachubeka neluhambo lwakhe, ahamba atfubeleta emahlatsini. Kwacala kuhlwa futsi, akazange asabona kahle ngenca yebumnyama.

Noma nje angasaboni, kodvwa tindlebe takhe betiva yonkhe imisindvo. Weva umsindvo wekukhala kwesigubhu. "Maye! Kwate kwabamnandzi loku lengikuvako, asihambe masinyane."

Wahamba watibona sekafike esigodzini saseBhubesini, lapho bantfu bakhona bebahleli batugelete umlilo, bebashaya tigubhu, bacula. Bekangakate eve umculo lomnandzi ngaleyandlela.

Nakhona wafika wayibeka indzaba yakhe ebantfwini labadzala bendzawo, wabatjela ngenhloso yeluhambo lwakhe yekutsi ufuna kubuyisa umdlandla wekugubha imikhosi yendalo emmangweni wakubo.

Ekuseni, indvuna yaseBhubesini yambita Nkhanyeti. Yase itsi kuye, "Mntfwanami, nasi sigubhu lesihle kakhulu lesikupha sona. Lesigubhu lesisha sikunika liculo lelisha nawusishaya."

Nkhanyeti wabonga kakhulu. Wasitsatsa wasifaka esikhwameni sakhe. Wachubeka neluhambo lwakhe ajabulele sipho sakhe lesikhipha umculo bantfu badanse.

Ngelusuku lwesitsatfu eluhambeni lwakhe, weva liphunga lelimnandzi lenyama lelamenta avute ematse. Lamdvonsa leliphunga laye lamfikisa lapho liphunga lenyama lichamuka ngakhona.

"Kuyabuswa lapha, bantfu beme edvute nabogalaza bemabhodvo, inyama iyaphuphuma, liphunga litsi mphimbo gwinya."

Ngakusasa bapheki bendzawo bamnika inhlanganisela yabo yetitsako letiyimfihlo. Bamnika batsi kuye, "Uyabona ndvodzakati, ngaletitsako, bayodla basutse, baneliseke bakini. Ngalesipho, uyopheka kudla lokumnandzi." Nkhanyeti wabonga kakhulu, watsatsa sipho sakhe, wasifaka esikhwameni sakhe.

Manje bese kucaca kutsi sewukutfolile konkhe loko bekakudzinga. Besatfole emandla nemfutfo wekuphindzela ekhaya, esiveni sakubo saseMkhwakhweni.

Watsi nakefika ekhaya, takhamuti tabutsana, tamtungeletela tifuna kuva ngeluhambo lwakhe. Wacala wavula sikhwama sakhe, wabakhombisa tipho labephiwe tona nguletinye tive. Ummango waseMkhwakhweni watijabulela tonkhe letipho. Tipho labephiwe tona nguletinye tive kanye nesibindzi sakhe Nkhanyeti, kwaletsa ingucuko esiveni saseMkhwakhweni.

Sive sabona ngalamanye emehlo, sabuyelwa ngumdlandla, sacula sajabula. Ngaleyondlela umdlandla wekugubha umkhosi wabuya esigodzini saseMkhwakhweni.