Ngaphakathi kwelizwe lamaNkulunkulongaphakade elikhanyisiwe, impilo yamaNkulunkulongaphakade igcwele amaphupho, kanti intombazane eyodwa, uNgiMong, iyinkanyezi ekhanyayo kulolu hlanga. Leli zwe linezulu elimnyama, izinkanyezi ezimhlophe ezifana nohlanga oluphuma emlilweni, izimbali eziningi ziqhathanisa, nezihlahla eziphakeme zifika ezulwini, kuhle kakhulu, kuphume umoya omuhle, uphikisana nobunandi bezimbali. Enhliziyweni yale ntombazane, umoya wokuhamba kanye nomusa wothando kudlula emifuleni yephupho elihlukile.
UNgiMong uvuka njalo ekuseni ngenkathi ilanga likhanya, ehamba emgwaqweni oya ezitsheni eziluhlaza. Lapha kuyindawo eyimfihlo yokuzilolonga, kuphela yena nabangane bakhe abambalwa abakubona. Umfanekiso wakhe ufana nezinyoni eziqhamukayo, kukhona ukwehla nobuhle. Ngesikhathi sokuqala kwakhe, inhliziyo yakhe igcwele isifiso sokuphumelela amathuba, njengokuthi angakhuluma phezu kweqembu. Uletha ithemba lokuthi ngekhulu elizayo uzoba ngumgibeli owaziwa kakhulu, athole ukujoyina wonke umhlaba weNkulunkulong.
“Ngimakholwa, uNgiMong, ubukeka uphumelele kakhulu namuhla!” Umngane wakhe, uFengHui, ufika eduze kwakhe, ebonga ngesiqinisekiso. Unemibala emihle, iso elinokukhanya kokujabula. Ungumgibeli wakhe othembekile, njalo ngesikhathi sokuzilolonga, uzinika amandla kakhudlwana.
“Ngiyabonga, uFengHui!” uNgiMong uphendula, esho umoya omuhle. “Ngifuna ukuzilolonga okuhle, ngithuthukise ubuchwepheshe bami, ngifuna ukunqoba emijahweni yonyaka ozayo!”
uFengHui uvuma, elungisa ikhanda. “Ubuhlakani bakho bungathokozisa wonke umuntu, ukuhamba nawe kwangijabulisa kakhulu. Kodwa ungakhohlwa nokuphumula, ngoba umjaho nothando kudinga ukufana.”
uNgiMong uyavuma, umoya wakhe uphazamiseka, bese emamatheka. “Ngizokunaka! Kodwa uma kukhuluma ngothando, kungani ungatholi intombi? Ngizwe ukuthi kunamanye amantombazane aphokophele kuwe!” Ubatimisa uFengHui, enza umoya ophoqelelayo.
Ubuso bukaFengHui bujabulisa amamaki, exoshiswa. “Ngikucela, angifuni ukwenza lokho, ngikhathazekile ngokukusiza!” Uthanda ukuqonda.
Njalo lapho kuzilolonga sekuphelile, bobabili behlala phansi ngaphansi kwesihlahla, bejabulela umoya opholile, bexoxa ngempilo nezinkanyezi. UNgiMong ngezinye izikhathi ukhuluma ngokulindela emjahweni, ngamehlo owabukele kusemukele nezinkanyezi ezizoshayeka. UFengHui ukhuluma ngemicimbi eyahlukene esikoleni, noma izindaba ezihlekisayo zabanye abafundi, ezimjabulisayo.
Ngesinye isikhathi, uNgiMong uyabamba, eqeda umjaho, uzizwa ehlulekile, futhi uphakamisa. Uhlala emitsheni, ebuka izulu oluhlaza, engazi ukuthi kulungele. Umjaho uyamjabulisa, kodwa uzwa ukunganyamalala.
Ngaleso sikhathi, uFengHui uzama ukuza eduze, ebona ukukhathala, uyaphakama, “Kwenzenjani, uNgiMong? Udinga usizo?”
uNgiMong uthembekile, “Ngokwangempela, ngibona ukuthi ngikhathele, mhlawumbe ngizame ukuphana. Kodwa ngikhumbula ukuba ngifuna izinhlelo ezizayo.” Ukhulumisa ukungathandi.
uFengHui uvuma, “Ungazi into, ngiyaphokophelele abesilisa, ugcacisa absiswe ngaphandle. Ngabe uyazi ukuthi ungumuntu ongenankuthanda?”
Le misho ibonisa uNgiMong ukuthi kukhona uFengHui uzwakalayo, umzwelo wokwamukelwa, “Ngicela unginike ikakhulukazi.”
Ukubona uFengHui kungenzeka ngempela, “Ngithokozisa ukuthi ngifuna ibanga, ukuze abantu bazi kahle. Kodwa uma kunakekela ngale kwezithokozisayo, kuyajabulisa kakhulu.” Uthando lwakhe lukhanya.
“Uthando lwamaphupho lukhona empilweni,” uFengHui uvuma. “Ngitholile isiqondiso, futhi umthombo ophuma ngokuzenzakalelayo.”
uNgiMong ubonisa izithuthuthu, “Ngithokozisa uma ngihamba phambili.”
Ngemva kwalokho, umjaho wigcwala ubukhazikhazi nezigameko ezicacile, uNgiMong zikhanya uFengHui futhi ugqugquzela ngochungechunge ezithokozisayo. Uthando lwezinto ezinhle, kubehlusi besibopho, ungumnikazi wakho.