Abahambi Abamangalisayo

Kwake kwaba khona indoda eyayinomqondo obukhali njengokuzikhandla kwayo emsebenzini. Ngesikhathi izwe licela usizo, yashiya konke emuva ukuze iyokhonza iNkosi njengesosha. Iminyaka eminingi, yayiyiqhawe emgqeni wangaphambili wempi, kodwa ngesikhathi isivumelwano sokuthula sigcina sisayiniwe, iNkosi ayizange ikhombise ukubonga. Yaxoshwa inabopheni abathathu kuphela egameni layo.
“Lokhu akulungile,” lahleba isosha, libuka lezi zinhlamvu zemali ezingatheni. “Uma ngingathola iqembu elinamakhono afanele, ngizoqinisekisa ukuthi iNkosi ikhokha izikweletu zayo ngokugcwele.”

Ngesikhathi eqala uhambo lwakhe, wangena ehlathini elijiyile lapho athola khona indoda isiphula izihlahla eziyisithupha ezinkulu ze-oak sengathi ziwukhula nje.
“Unamandla amangalisayo,” kusho isosha. “Kungani ungajoyini iqembu lami ubone umhlaba?”
Indoda yavuma, kodwa kuqala, yabopha izihlahla eziyisithupha yazibeka ehlombe layo njengenqwaba yamagatsha ukuze iyoshiyela unina izinkuni. Ibuya ngokushesha, yatshela isosha yathi,
“Ngobuhlakani bakho namandla ami, ngicabanga ukuthi sizokwenza kahle kakhulu.”

Babengakayi kude lapho bebona uMzingeli eguqe esikhotheni, ekhomba isibhamu sakhe emkhathini.
“Ithini inhloso?” kubuza isosha. “Hhawu,” kuphendula uMzingeli ngomoya ophansi, “kukhona impukane ehlezi egatsheni lom-oki eqhele ngamamayela amabili ukusuka lapha. Sengizoyinquma iphiko layo lesinxele.”
Isosha lamoyizela.
“Woza nathi,” lisho. “Umuntu odubula ngokunemba njengawe yikho kanye esikudingayo ukuze sizenzele indlela kulo mhlaba.”

Umzingeli wajoyina iqembu, kanti kungekudala bobathathu bafika esigodini lapho kunezigayo zomoya eziyisikhombisa ezaziphenduka ngesivinini esikhulu.
"Kuyamangaza," kuphawula isosha, "awukho umoya owanele wokunyakazisa ngisho neqabunga elilodwa phansi."
Amamayela amabili phambili endleleni, bathola imbangela: indoda ehlezi esihlahleni, ivale imbobo eyodwa yekhala ibe ivuthela umoya onamandla kwenye.
"Ngenza nje ukuthi izigayo ziqhubeke nokuphenduka," kuchaza indoda. Isosha lamema ukuthi ahambe nabo, lazi ukuthi amadoda amane anamakhono angaka angenza izimangaliso.

UBlower wehla wajoyina uhambo. Kungakabiphi, bahlangana nendoda imi ngomlenze owodwa, omunye umlenze wayo uqaqiwe ulele etshanini eceleni kwayo.
“Ngingumgijimi wemvelo,” kuchaza indoda. “Uma ngifaka yomibili imilenze, ngihamba ngokushesha njengenyoni endizayo, futhi ngingafika lapho ngiya khona ngingakaqali nokusuka! Kumele ngikhumule owodwa ukuze nje ngihambe ngejubane lomuntu.”
Isosha lamangala.
“Buyisela umlenze wakho usijoyine,” lasho. “Thina sobahlanu ngeke sivinjwe muntu.”

Iqembu laphinde lasuka, futhi kungekudala lahlangana nesihambi esifake isigqoko saso sitshekele kakhulu endlebeni eyodwa. Isosha lasho ngesizotha ukuthi isigqoko saso sasibonakala sishelela, kodwa indoda yanikina ikhanda.
“Kumele ngisifake kanje,” kuxwayisa indoda. “Ngomzuzu engimisa ngawo isigqoko sami siqonde, kwehla isithwathwa esibanda kakhulu kangangokuthi ngisho nezinyoni ziyaba yiqhwa ziwe esibhakabhakeni.”
Isosha lahleka ngenjabulo.
“Wena uyingxenye yokugcina yendida! Uma siyisithupha, akukho esingakwenza.”

Baqhubeka njalo baze bafika edolobheni. Lapho kwakuhlala inkosi leyo isotsha elaliyisebenzela. Eceleni kwedolobha kwakunenkundla enkulu yomjaho, futhi lapha indodakazi yenkosi yayiza nsuku zonke izogijima.
Uyise wayethe uma noma iyiphi indoda ingamhlula ngokugijima, kufanele imthathe abe ngumkayo. Kodwa uma ehlulwa emjahweni, wayezolahlekelwa yikhanda lakhe futhi. Amadoda amaningi ayezame, futhi njalo inkosazana enezinyawo ezisheshayo yayinqoba.
Isotsha laya phambi kwenkosi lathi,
“Oh, nkosi, ngingathanda ukuzama lo mjaho, uma enye yezinceku zami ingangigijimela.”
“Kulungile kakhulu,” kusho inkosi, “kodwa uma ehluleka, nobabili kufanele nilahlekelwe amakhanda enu.”

Isosha latshela uMgijimi ukuthi abophe umlenze wakhe wesibili futhi enze konke okusemandleni akhe. Umjaho wawungumgijimo webanga elide okuya emthonjeni oqhelile ukuyokha inkomishi yamanzi. Ekukhishweni kophawu, iNkosazana noMgijimi basuka ngesivinini, kodwa emagxathini amabili nje, uMgijimi wafiphala waba yisivunguvungu somoya wabe esenyamalala ngale komkhathizwe, eshiya iNkosazana kude emuva ngokuphazima kweso.

URunner wafika emthonjeni, wagcwalisa inkomishi yakhe, wase eqala uhambo lokubuya. Nokho, maphakathi nendlela ebuya, wezwa ukushisa kwasemini wase enquma ukulala isikhashana. Ukuze aqinisekise ukuthi akalali isikhathi eside kakhulu, wathatha isigodo sokhuni esiqinile ukuba asisebenzise njengomcamelo, ecabanga ukuthi,
“Lokhu kuqine kakhulu kangangokuthi ngeke ngilale isikhathi eside kakhulu.”

Ngesikhathi elele, uPrincess—naye owayeshesha ngendlela emangalisayo—wafika emthonjeni wase ebuyela emuva. Wabona uRunner ehona eceleni komgwaqo wase emamatheka.
“Ah, ha! Senginamandla phezu kwakhe manje.”
Wathulula amanzi enkomishini yakhe ngokuthula wase egijima ngesivinini ebheke entanjeni. Konke kwakuzolahleka ukube uHunter wayengabukile esemadongeni esigodlo ngamehlo akhe abona kude kakhulu.

“Inkosazana akumele iwine lo mjaho,” kukhonona uMzingeli. Waphakamisa isibhamu sakhe wadubula inhlamvu eyodwa eyachoboza ibhulokhi lokhuni elalingaphansi kwekhanda loMgijimi. Umgijimi wavuka wathi mpo, wabona ukuthi inkomishi yakhe yayingenalutho nokuthi iNkosazana yayisondela entanjeni, kodwa akazange ethuke. Ekubanekweni kokukhanya, waphindela emthonjeni ngokushesha, wagcwalisa inkomishi yakhe, wabe esedlula iNkosazana ngesivinini ukuze anqobe umjaho ngemizuzu eyishumi ephelele.

Inkosazana yaphoxeka, kanti iNkosi yayithukuthele nakakhulu.
“Yini! Indodakazi yami izoshada nesosha elijwayelekile?” yasho.
Esikhundleni sokugcina izwi layo, yabiza abeluleki bayo ukuze bathole indlela yokuqeda ngalaba bantu abayisithupha abangabaziwa unomphela.
“Ungakhathazeki, ndodakazi yami. Ngicabange icebo.”
iNkosi yatshela indodakazi yayo.

INkosi yamema abangani abayisithupha edilini lasebukhosini. Yabahola yabangenisa ehholo lokudlela elihle kakhulu, kodwa bathi bengahlala phansi nje, yaphuma yavala yagongqa iminyango esindayo. Igumbi laliwugibe: izindonga, iphansi, neminyango konke kwakwenziwe ngensimbi eqinile.
“Basa umlilo ngaphansi kwegumbi uwugcine uvutha kuze kube insimbi ishisa ibe bomvu,”
iNkosi yayala umpheki.

Njengoba imililo yayiduma ngaphansi, amadoda aqala ukuzwa ukushisa kukhuphuka. Ekuqaleni, ayecabanga ukuthi kwakuwumusi nje wokudla okushisayo, kodwa njengoba iphansi lensimbi laqala ukushiriza, abona ukuthi iminyango yayikhiyiwe. Abona ukuthi kwakuyisu elibi leNkosi lokubabulala.

"Kodwa ngeke aphumelele,"
yamemeza indoda enesigqoko.
"Ngizobanga isithwathwa esingaka ukuze sicime lo mlilo."
Yasilungisa kahle isigqoko sayo ekhanda layo, futhi ngaso leso sikhathi, ukushisa kwanyamalala. Isithwathwa esinamandla kakhulu saphephetha ekamelweni kangangokuthi umlilo ongezansi waphelelwa amandla nokudla okusetafuleni kwaba yiqhwa eliqinile. Ngemva kwamahora amabili, iNkosi yavula umnyango, futhi amadoda ayisithupha athi angajabula ukuzifudumeza, ngoba kwakubanda kakhulu ekamelweni kangangokuthi ukudla kwawo kwakuyiqhwa.

INkosi yehla ngolaka yaya emakhishini ukuyothethisa umpheki.
“Kungani ungayilalelanga imiyalelo yami wabasa umlilo ngaphansi kwegumbi lensimbi?”
yamemeza. Umpheki wakhomba emaziko wathi,
“Yini enye ebengingayenza?”
Kwakunezinqwaba zamalahle nezinkuni, kodwa lonke ilahle elivuthayo lalisibekelwe ungqimba lwesithwathwa esijiyile.
“Ngiyabona ukuthi lawa madoda angakwazi ukumelana nomlilo,”
kwasho iNkosi.

Ezama elinye iqhinga, iNkosi yaya esosheni yase ithembisa ukukhokha ukuze iphume emshadweni.
“Uzoyithatha yini imali bese uyeka ilungelo lakho endodakazini yami? Uma kunjalo, uzothola engangaleyo oyifisayo.”
Isosha laphendula,
“Ngikulungele kakhulu ukwenza lokho. Inkosazana ayilifanele isosha ukuba yinkosikazi yalo njengoba nalo lingayifanele ukuba ngumyeni wayo. Nginike igolide elingangaleyo engathwalwa ngenye yezinceku zami. Ukhululekile ukugcina indodakazi yakho.”
INkosi yakhululeka yase ivuma ngokushesha.

"Ngizohamba manje. Ezinsukwini eziyishumi nane, ngizobuya ngizolanda igolide," kusho isosha.
Wachitha lawo masonto amabili eqasha wonke umthungi kuleli lizwe ukuba bathunge isaka elilodwa elikhulu kakhulu. Ngesikhathi seliqediwe, isosha labiza uStrongman.
"Thatha leli saka ulibeke ehlombe lakho. Thina sobathandathu sizoya kanye kanye enkosini."

Bafika ngesikhathi somdanso wasebukhosini.
“Nansi inceku yami. Nasi isikhwama asilethile ukuzofaka igolide.”
kusho isosha. INkosi yakhamisa lapho ibona indoda inesaka elikhulukazi.
“Hhawu, leya ndoda ingathwala umthwalo wenqola wegolide,”
kucabanga iNkosi.

INkosi yayala amadoda ayishumi nesithupha ukuba akhiphe lonke igolide ayengalithwala. UStrongman waliphonsa phakathi ngesandla esisodwa wabe esebuza,
“Kungani ningalethi eliningi ngesikhathi esisodwa? Leli alimbozi ngisho naphansi esikhwameni sami.”
Aletha amakhulu emithwalo.
“Lethani elinye, lethani elinye! Kungani ninensa kangaka?”
kumemeza uStrongman. Ekugcineni, wafaka imithwalo yezinqola engamakhulu ayisikhombisa esikhwameni.
“Isikhwama sami asikagcwali, kodwa angikwazi ukuchitha isikhathi esengeziwe ngalolu daba. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma isaka lingagcwele kakhulu, ngingalibopha kalula.”

Ebona ingcebo yakhe ithwalwa imuka, iNkosi yayalela ibutho layo ukuba libambe la madoda.
“Sinikeni le ndoda enegolide,”
kwamemeza amasosha.
“Uma ningakwenzi lokho, sizonithatha nonke nibe yiziboshwa.”
U-Blower wasondela phambili.
“Nithini? Nizosenza iziboshwa? Yenzani njalo-ke. Kodwa kuqala nizodansa emoyeni.”
Waphephetha isiphepho esinamandla esenza amasosha andiza. Washiya isosha elilodwa elingumakadebona limi wathi,
“Ngizokuyeka, qabane elidala. Hamba uyotshela inkosi ukuthi ingathumela wonke amasosha asemhlabeni asilandele kodwa ngeke enze kangcono kunalawa.”

Ngesikhathi inkosi izwa lokhu, yathi,
“Hhayi-ke, akukho okunye esingakwenza ngaphandle kokuyeka laba bafana bahambe.”
Abangane abayisithupha babuyela ekhaya, babelana ngegolide ngokulinganayo, futhi baphila bejabule benelisekile zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwabo.