Dzuwa lomwe lidaswa mtengo tsikulo lidali lija lothawitsa buluzi pakhonde kukabisala pamthunzi. Kumwamba kudalibe ndi mtambo womwe ndipo mlengalenga malawi ankavinavina ngati kwapsa moto wolusa.
Ngakhale Katakwe ndi mkazi adakhala pakhonde, sizidathandize. Mphepo yomwe inkaomba siyinkasiyana ndi mpweya wochokera mng’anjo yamoto.
“Zondichititsa manyazi toto; nix,” mkulu wina adakalipa. Mokuwa. Mowopseza. “Anthu aziti mphwake wandani wosabereka?”
Mawuwa adamudzidzimutsa Katakwe ndi mkazi wake yemwe. Ngakhale mbalame zomwe zinkayimba tinyimbo m’mitengo yapafupi nazonso zinadabwa chifukwa zidakhala chete.
Pampando wa ndakhutagone pomwe adali, Katakwe adakhala tsonga. Naye mkazi wake adadzutsa mutu pamkeka womwe adagona pakhundu pake. Onse pokweza maso adawona kuti mwini mawuwo sadalinso wina koma a Topitopi.
Malume a Katakwewo adatulukira ali mu jekete lothina ndi buluku la fuleya. Mkati adavala malaya ofiyira ndi tayo yayitali yomwe idatulukira palisani ngati lilime la nanzikambe. Poyamba jeketelo lidali loyera, koma panopa, ngati kuti linkatsatira mano a malumewo omwe adali othimbirira n’kachasu, lidali mtundu wakatondo.
M’dzanja lawo lamanzere mudali velemoti yakachasu. Paphunzi lawo lamanja adakolekapo chikwama chomwe mudasuzumira mabotolo atatu.
“Malume, mukufuna pereseyu atiyalutse kapena kutipha?” Katakwe adaphiphiritsa nkhani.
“Phu!” a Topitopi adalavulira pansi. “Pa awirinu, vuto lili ndi ndani? Iweyo kapena mkazi wakoyu?”
“Tsibweni, tamalankhulani motsitsa; pano mpalayini,” adapempha Katakwe. “Anthu akamva aziti chiyani?”
“Ndikufuna muchite manyazi kumene!” a Topitopi adayankha kwinaku akupsontha bibida uja.
Katakwe adapuma mozama nakweza manja ake. “Malume, nkhani ngati iyi sitingakambire panja ngati pano; tiyeni m’nyumba.”
A Topitopi adamuyang’ana Katakwe ndi mkazi wake ngati akupenya zinyatsi. Adatsonya. “Chabwino, tiyeni m’nyumbamo.”
Iwo adamutsatira Katakwe ndi mkazi wake. Atalowa m’nyumbamo, mkazi wa Katakwe adawapempha kuti akhale pampando.
“Sindinabwerere kudzacheza,” a Topitopi adakana kukhala pansi. “Chomwe ndikufuna kudziwa n’chakuti kodi pakati pa awirinu gocho kapena chumba ndani?”
“Palibe wosabereka,” adayankha Katakwe.
“Palibe wosabereka!” adatsatira monyodora a Topitopi. “Nanga nsalu ya lekaleka ili kuti? Ana ali kuti? Anthu oti mwakhala chaka opanda mwana n’kumati ndife obereka? Zadothi!”
Katakwe adaseka kwinaku akugwedeza mutu. “Malume, ifeyo panopa tikulera. Tidzabereka tikatolera katundu pakhomo pano.”
“Zamkutu!” a Topitopi adatsutsa. “Munthu amalera alibiretu ndi mwana yemwe?”
“Tsibweni, tawonani mmene mulili m’nyumba muno; mulibe chilichonse. Ifeyo tikufuna tikonzekere bwinobwino tisanakhale ndi…”
“Chete!” adamudula malume akewo akutulutsa chibotolo n’kuchiyika patebulo. “Awa ndi mankhwala obereketsa. Muzikhutchumula, akachita thovu muzimwa. Katatu patsiku.”
“Malume…”
“Ndati chete!” adazaza a Topitopi akutulutsa chibotolo chachiwiri kuchokera m’chikwama muja. “Mtera uwu ndi nkhondo kubedi. Mayi, usiku uliwonse musadalowe kuchipinda kukagona, muziwonetsetsa kuti mwamwa.”
Sadadikire kuti ayankhidwe, iwo adatulutsanso chibotolo chomaliza, natembenukira kwa Katakwe. “Umu ndiye muli mutuwo; mthibulo. Mphwanga, macheza asadayambike, uziwonetsetsa kuti wamwa muti umenewu.”
“Malume…”
“Osandisokosera! Ikadutsa miyezu itatu mudzandiwonanso ndikutulukira,” a Topitopi adadukiza nakhuthulira kachasu yense pansi. “Ndikadzapeza zinthu zisanasinthe, mudzadziwiretu kuti banja lathera pomwepo.”
Popanda kutsanzika, iwo adatuluka momenyetsa chitseko.
