URUTE 3

₁UNawomi unosokanakhe wathi kuye: “Ndodakazami, kungaba njani nange ngingakufunela ikhaya lapha uzakuhlala khona ngokuzigedla na? ₂Nje-ke uBhowazi obugade usebenza neencekukazi zakhe lo, kazi usihlobo sethu. Ntambama uzabe ayela ibhali eselelweni. ₃Qopha, uzithela ngamakha weqele ngezambatho zakho zakanokutjho bese wehlela ngeselelweni. Kodwana kungabi nokubonako abe aqede ukudla nokusela. ₄Kuthi lokha nakayokulala uqalisise bona ulelephi. Ufike wembule iinyawo zakhe ungene ulale. Uzakutjela-ke yena bonyana wenzeni.” ₅URute wamphendula wathi: “Ngizakwenza koke okutjhoko.”

₆Mbala wehlela ngeselelweni wafese wenza njengombana unosokanakhe amtjelile. ₇Kuthe uBhowazi sele aqedile ukudla nokusela, sele athokozile wayokulala eqadi komidi. URute wananabela kuye, wafika wembula iinyawo zakhe wangena walala.

₈Phakathi kobusuku indoda le yarurhuluka yahlala. Madekhethu, nangumfazi alele eenyaweni zayo! ₉Yabuza yathi: “Ungubani?” URute wathi: “Ngimi incekukazakho, uRute. Yewungembulele amabhayi ngombana wena umhlengi.” ₁₀UBhowazi wathi: “Ubusisiwe kuSomnini wena ndodakazami, ukwethembeka okubonakalisileko nje kudlula kwaphambili. Azange ugijime ngemuva kwamasokana anjingileko nanyana adududu. ₁₁Yeke ungesabi, ndodakazami; ngizokwenzela koke okubawako. Zoke iinhlobo zami emzinapha ziyazi bonyana umfazi ovuthiweko. ₁₂Iye, kuliqiniso bona ngimhlengi, kodwana kukhona nokho umhlengi oseduze kunami. ₁₃Hlala nami kilobubusuku, nange afuna ukukungena kusasa kulungile angakungena. Kodwana nange angaphumeleli ngiyafunga phambi kwakaSomnini mina ngizakuhlenga. Lala la bekuse.”

₁₄Walala-ke eenyaweni zakhe bekwaba setathakusa. Wavuka ngesamarimarima ngombana uBhowazi wathi: “Kungakhe kungazeka bonyana bekunomfazi eselelwena.” ₁₅UBhowazi wathi kuye: “Letha itjali oyimbetheko leyo bese uyayikhongozela.” Wakhongozela-ke uRute, uBhowazi wathela iinlinganiso zebhali ezingaphezu kopumpana; wamthwesa. Wabuyela emzini.

₁₆URute nakafikako, unosokanakhe uNawomi wambuza wathi: “Ukhambe njani, ndodakazami?”

Wamdembela koke uBhowazi amenzele khona. ₁₇Wangezelela ngokuthi: “Ungiphe neenlinganiso zebhali ezingaphezu kopumpana wathi, ‘Ungabuyeli kunosokanakho umkhono ze.’ ” ₁₈UNawomi wathi: “Akhe ujame ndodakazami, uqalelele bonyana kuzokwenzekani ngombana indoda le angeze yazigedla kungakadluli indaba le namhlanjesi.”