UMBHALI wenkulungwane ye-19 uHenry David Thoreau waligxeka kabuhlungu ixhama esithi: “Ixhama sesona silwanyana sakha sasibi emhlabeni. Kutheni linemikhono emide kangaka? Kutheni inde kangaka nje intloko yalo?” Asinguye kuphela umntu ocinga ukuba sibi esi silwanyana. Inkangeleko kunye nokunqaba kwesi silwanyana kwenza abantu bacinge ukuba ixhama alikwazi kuhamba kakuhle kwaye lisisidenge. Ngaba yinyaniso leyo? Abaphandi bakuMntla Merika nakwamanye amazwe aphesheya baye bafunda lukhulu ngesi silwanyana singaqhelekanga.

Wonke umntu uyavuma ukuba ixhama likhulu. Nangona lo “kumkani wasehlathini” enemilenze emide emenza abonakale ngathi akukho yakhe, ngaloo milenze yakhe mide uyakwazi ukuqwakanisa umhlambi weengcuka. Ixhama lifunda ukudada kungekudala nje emva kokuba lizelwe yaye amanye akhe abonwa edada iikhilomitha eziliqela okanye entywila kangangeemitha ezintandathu ukuze atye izityalo ezikhula phantsi kwamanzi!

Ixhama liyakwazi ukujonga into engasemva lingakhe lijike intloko. Nempumlo yalo iluncedo. Abaphandi bathi ekubeni amathatha exhama echaselene, linobuchule obungaqhelekanga bokujoja izinto lize liqonde eyona ndawo zikuyo. Neendlebe  zesi silwanyana zisebenza ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Ziva izandi ezivela macala onke yaye ixhama liyakwazi ukuva izandi ezenziwa ngamanye amaxhama nkqu naxa ekumgama weekhilomitha ezintathu ukusuka kulo!

Amatakane exhama ayathandeka yaye wofika edloba. Amaxhamakazi ayawakhusela amatakane awo kwiingcuka, iibhere nabantu. Xa itakane linonyaka lizelwe, unina uyalilumla aze aligxothe ukuze lizibonele.

Ekubeni okona kutya kwamaxhama izizityalo, atya ntoni ebusika? Azingxala ngokutya okuninzi ehlotyeni. Ixhama liyakwazi ukutya iikhilogram ezingama-23 ngosuku, enoba oko kutya likufumana kwimithi emide okanye phantsi kwamanzi. Okuninzi koku kutya likugcina kwisisu salo esahlulahlulwe kane, yaye kulinceda lifumane izakha-mzimba. Noko ke, zikho nezinye iingozi elichanabeka kuzo ixhama ebusika.

Ingqele eqhaqhazelisa amazinyo nekhephu zenza kube nzima kwixhama. Liyazifihla ebusika yaye liyakonqena ukuhamba imigama emide, yaye uboya balo buligcina lishushu. Kwakhona, kuba nzima kulo ukubaleka iingcuka kwikhephu, kodwa ke eyona nto ilibeka engozini nangakumbi ngabazingeli kunye nabaqhubi beemoto.

Amaxhama ayawathanda amagaqa etyuwa adla ngokubekwa koohola bendlela ukuze anyibilikise ikhephu. Noko ke, ekubeni amaxhama enoboya obumdaka yaye ethanda ukuwela iindlela emva kokutshona kwelanga, kuba nzima ngabaqhubi ukuwabona kwangoko ukuze bawaphephe. Abantu kunye namaxhama baye bafa kwiingozi ezibangelwa koku.

Amaxhama akhe abonwa edlala kumaza olwandle nakwimithombo enamanzi ashushu. Iinkunzi namathokazi ziphathana kakuhle xa kulixesha lokukhwelana yaye iyamangalisa indlela ithokazi elilithanda ngalo ithole lalo. Amatakane afuywe ngabantu aye abathande abaniniwo. UGqr. Valerius Geist uthi: “Esi silwanyana sibi sikrelekrele, sinothando yaye asimlahli umniniso.”

Noko ke, nasi isilumkiso: Ixhama sisilwanyana sasendle esinamandla. Ukuba udibana nalo endle, cezela kude, ingakumbi xa kukho namatakane. Sekunjalo, enoba ume qelele, qiniseka ukuba uya kumangaliswa kukubukela esi silwanyana sikhulu sasehlathini.