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Umkhaphi wezinja

UMakazi wam ngumkhaphi wezinja! Ndiyazi ukuba oko kungavakala njengento engaqhelekanga, kodwa ngumsebenzi wakhe aziphilisa ngawo lowo! Ukhapha izinja
zabanye abantu! Maxa wambi, xa ndibuye kwangoko esikolweni, uMama
uyandivumela ukuba ndincedise uMakazi uVanessa. Zintlanu izinja azikhapha qho emva kwemini. UPrincess, luhlobo lwenja yesiFrentshi, umhlophe.

Mkhulu kakhulu kwaye uhamba eyithe nkqo emoyeni impumlo yakhe, kwaye
unekhola yedayimani. Umnini wakhe,
uZiyanda, lelona nenekazi liphucukileyo ndilaziyo. UPepper yinjana encinane,
emnyama, enobunjalane. Ngamanye
amaxesha uluma izithende zam ukuba
andimlumkelanga. ULucky yinja
yokuhlangula kwaye unamaqhinga
kakhulu. Umnini wakhe wamfumana
emzini olikhusi lezilwanyana.

Akukho mntu waziyo ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba uloluphi uhlobo lwenja, kodwa
unobubele kwaye ngoyena ndimthanda kakhulu. UDash noLady yinja nodadewayo. Bazizinja ezinkulu ezinoboya obuntsundu obukhanyayo. Baphithizela ngenene kuba bayakuthanda ukuleqa iibhola –
noonomatse. Ngamanye amaxesha xa
ndihamba noMakazi uVanessa sisihla
ngesitrato nazo zontlanu izinja, abantu bayema basijonge. “Ninezinja eziliqela!” bakhe batsho abanye. Ndibaphendula ngoncumo ndithi, “Ningakhathazeki –
azizozethu!” Ngenye imini ndandincedisa uMakazi uVanessa. Ndandibambe iintambo zokuxhaya zikaPrincess noLucky.
UMakazi uVanessa wayetsaliswa nzima nguDash noLady bengalawuleki ngelixa
enqanda uPepper ekulumeni. Endleleni
yethu eya epakini, kwathi tshe ikati
ikhawulezile bayisukela uDash noLady, bekhonkothela ukuqhawuka iintloko.
UPepper, noPrincess noLucky nabo
balandela zaphithana iintambo
zokuzixhaya ngelo xesha mna ndawa bhaxa
epevementini. Shu-u! “Awenzakalanga?” wabuza uMakazi uVanessa.

Ndaphakama. “Idolo lam libuhlungu, kodwa andenzakalanga,” ndatsho,
ndizivuthulula. Sazicombulula iintambo zokuxhaya kanti ngelo xesha uMakazi uVanessa uza kuba nento ayiqaphelayo.

“Ikhola kaPrincess ilahlekile!” watsho. Sobabini noMakazi wam sakhangela ikhola yedayimani phantsi naphezulu kodwa
asayifumana naphi. “Yhu! Uza kuthini umnini kaPrincess?” wambombozela uMakazi wam. “UZiyanda uthanda
ukubona inja yakhe ibukeka intle maxa onke!” Izinja zasuka zaphelelwa ngumonde, zatsala iintambo zazo.
Sayikhangela sancama ikhola elahlekileyo sahamba saya epakini. UMakazi uVanessa waphosela uDash noLady ibhola. Bagqotsa bebaleka kuyo yonke ipaka, besilwa bodwa ukuze babone ukuba ngubani oza
kuyifumana kuqala. UPepper wathi thaca ituwa eninzi waze uMakazi wam wathi mandiyisuse ngoluthi ndiyifake
eplastikhini. Kwekhu! ULucky wafumana umhlobo baze bachitha imva kwemini yonke beleqana bejojana. Kodwa uPrincess wayengafuni kudlala nabo. Iindlebe zakhe zazithe woxo engqengqe phantsi komthi. Ndandisazi ukuba ulusizi kuba wayelahlekelwe yikhola yakhe yohlobo olulodwa.

Ngentsimbi yesihlanu, lalifikile ixesha lokugoduka. Sazigodusa izinja nganye nganye – saqala ngoPepper, owazama
ukundiluma xa sivula isango lakhe, seza ngoDash noLady. UMakazi uVanessa
yayingamkhathazi into yokubagodusa.
Sashiyeka noLucky noPrincess. UMakazi uVanessa wayenexhala lokuxelela
uZiyanda ukuba siyilahlile ikhola yexabiso eliphezulu. Kanye ngaloo mzuzu uLucky waqalisa ukukhonkotha kwaye engavumi ukuqhubeka ahambe. Waxhuma-xhuma
epalini yombane. UMakazi uVanessa
wamqumbela. “Yeka loo nto uyenzayo, Lucky!” wamngxolisa.

Ndajonga phezulu. Kwakukho into
eyayibotshelelwe epalini yombane kwaye yayimenyezela. “Ikhola kaPrincess!” Ndakhwaza ndiyalatha. “Inokuba ukhona umntu oyicholeyo wayixhoma phezulu phaya.” Ngokukhawuleza, ndayothula ndayibuyisela entanyeni kaPrincess.

Ngethuba sivula isango lakuloPrincess, inja yayikhangeleka intle futhi kwaye
yonwabe ngaphezu kunakuqala. UMakazi uVanessa waxelela uZiyanda lonke ibali ngendlela esiyifumene ngayo ikhola
ebilahlekile. “Owu, laa nto!” wahleka
uZiyanda. “Asizodayimani zenene ezo! Ngamatye eplastikhi akhazimlayo nje!” watsho.

Wahleka noMakazi uVanessa. Laphela ixhala. Sabulisa ngezandla sahamba
sigodusa uLucky. “Uyinja elungileyo,” ndatsho kuLucky ndiphulula intloko
yakhe. Wayejingisa ulwimi lwakhe
phandle, nto leyo eyenza ngathi uyancuma.
Wayetshikiza umsila kuyo yonke indlela egodukayo. Zange aqonde ukuba kutheni umakazi emnika imiqhathane emibini
yezinja ukufika kwethu emnyango
ongaphambili wekhaya lakhe ngaloo mini! V Translator: Kholisa Podile

This story was provided courtesy of
the Nal’ibali national
reading-for-enjoyment campaign which works with schools, partners, and
community members to nurture a love for reading among children in the
Western Cape and across the country.

To read the story in another South
African language, or for literacy
activities, reading tips and more stories to enjoy with your children, visit www.nalibali.org or nalibali.mobi. You can also find Nal’ibali on Facebook and Twitter: @nalibaliSA.

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