Kwasukasukela!
Cosu…
Kwakukhona unkosikazi nendoda, babenomntwana oyedwa womfana, igama lakhe kwakunguMadinqi. Babefisa ukuba nomunye umntwana wentombazane kodwa babengamtholi. Umfana wayenesizungu edlala yedwa. Kuthe ngelinye ilanga ubaba wakhe wakhuluma nomama womfana ukuthi kungcono bamthengele inja azodlala nayo. Wavuma umama, yathengwa inja eyithanda futhi eyinakekela umfana.
UMadinqi wayesekhulile eseneminyaka eyishumi nanye, abazali bakhe babona kungcono ukuthi baye enyangeni ukuze bathole omunye umntwana. Nangempela baya enyangeni bayichazela inkinga yabo. Inyanga yabe isithi ababothuma uMadinqi azolanda umuthi ngoba isazoya kowumba ewuhlathini. Ngosuku olulandelayo bamthuma uMadinqi abazali bakhe ukulanda umuthi bamuyala ukuthi angawuvuli aze afike ekhaya. Nenyanga yafike yamdonsa ngendlebe umfana ukuthi angawuvuli umuthi endleleni.
UMadinqi wawuthatha umuthi wabe eseyahamba. Endleleni wawuvula umuthi wawuphuza wawuzwa umnandi, wawuphuza kwaze kwasala omncane, wathi uma efika ekhaya wawunikeza umama wakhe. UMama kaMadinqi wawuphuza umuthi, zahamba izinsuku nezinyanga kwangenzeka lutho kodwa uMadinqi yena wayekhukhumalelwa yisisu. Kwathi langa limbe uMadinqi eyocupha izinyoni wezwa elunywa isisu, wathi ezikhulula kwaphuma ingane enhle yentombazane, wayithatha wayisonga ngejezi wabe eseyifihla ehlathini.
Njalo ekuseni wayethi uma esehamba eya kocupha athathe ubisi aluthele esitsheni afike ehlathini ayincelise. Kwahamba kwahamba, wasola umama wakhe ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi ngoba wayengajwayele ukuya njalo ukocupha izinyoni. Kwathi ngosuku olulandelayo wamlandela, uMadinqi engamboni umama wakhe waze wayofika ehlathini. UMadinqi wenza njengenjwayelo, wathi uma eseqedile wabe esebuyela ekhaya. UMama wakhe wasala wayithatha ingane wabuyela nayo ekhaya wafike wayifihla.
UMadinqi wathi usephindela wafica ingane ingasekho, wabuyela ekhaya edumele. Wafike wahlala eduze kweziko wakhala. Wambuza umama wakhe ukuthi ukhalelani wathi uxhoshwa intuthu. Wahamba umama kaMadinqa wayolanda ingane wabuya nayo wayinika uMadinqi, wajabula kakhulu uMadinqi eseyibona isithengelwe nezingubo ezinhle nobaba kaMadinqa wajabula esenezingane ezimbili.
Cosu cosu iyaphela!
English Summary
There was a man living with his wife and his only son Madinqi. They wanted to have more children but the wife was not conceiving. Madinqi was growing up and with no one to play with until his parents decided to buy him a puppy. Their dilemma of not being able to have more children was still hanging over their heads.
One day, Madinqi’s father decided that they should seek help from a traditional healer. They went to see the traditional healer, and he told them that he was going to collect mixtures in the forest for their traditional medicine and they should send Madinqi the following day to collect the medicine.
They agreed and went back home. The following day, Madinqi woke up in the morning and went to collect his mother’s traditional medicine at the healer’s house. Before Madinqi left home his parents told him to be careful and not to open the medicine, and he went. The traditional healer gave Madinqi the medicine and also told him not to open it until he arrived home. But Madinqi did not listen to the instructions, on his way back home he opened the medicine and drank it. When he realised that it was sweet, he almost finished it.
After realising what he almost did, Madinqi ran back home and gave his mother what was left of it. His mother drank it with the hope of falling pregnant. Days and moths passed nothing happened to Madinqi’s mother but Madinqi’s stomach was getting bigger and bigger.
One day, when Madinqi went on his regular bird trapping games, he had stomach cramps and he gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Madinqi wrapped the baby with his clothes and left it in the forest. The following day, he stole milk from his home and went to feed his child. He did this everyday and his mother started to wonder why he changed his habits and all of a sudden went everyday.
One day, Madinqi’s mother decided to follow him without his knowledge and saw what he was doing. After Madinqi had left the baby, his mother took it with her and hid it from Madinqi and his father. As usual Madinqi went in the morning to feed his baby – only to find out that it was no longer where he left it. He went back home and sat next to the fireplace and cried. When his mother asked him what was wrong, he said was crying because of the smoke, and that is when his mother showed Madinqi and his father the baby. They were very happy. The end!
By: Zanele Shange