URUTE 3

₁UNawomi wathi kumolokazana wakhe: “Kufuneka ndikufunele owakho umzi, mntwan' am, apho uya konwaba khona. ₂Laa mfo uBhowazi, lowa ubuthe nca kubasebenzi bakhe ukhwahlaza, sisizalwane esisondeleyo kuthi, esijonge kuye njengomkhululi. Ngokuhlwanje uza kubhula ele irhasi esandeni sakhe. ₃Wena ke uze uhlambe, uziqhole, wambathe kakuhle, wandule ke ukuya esandeni sakhe. Kodwa ke uze ungazivezi kuye de agqibe isidlo sakhe. ₄Xa eya kulala uze uqaphele apho aya kulala khona, uye kutyhila ingubo, ungqengqe ngasezinyaweni zakhe. Yena ke wokuxelela ukuba makuthiweni na.”

₅URute wathi ku ninazala: “Ndokwenza konke ondixeleleyo.”

₆Wahamba ke uRute, waya esandeni, wafika wenza njengoko uninazala wayemyalele. ₇Emva kwesidlo sakhe, kunye nezinto zokusithoba zakhona, uBhowazi waziva echulumacha. Wahamba waya kulala emazantsi esitha. Walandela uRute, echwechwa, wafika watyhila ingubo ngasezinyaweni zikaBhowazi, wangqengqa. ₈Ezinzulwini zobusuku uBhowazi wothuka, weva ngesandla ukuba kukho umntu obhinqileyo ongqengqe ngasezinyaweni zakhe. ₉Wambuza wathi: “Ungubani?”

Waphendula yena wathi: “Ndim, mhlekazi, uRute isicakakazi sakho. Ndikhusele phantsi kwamaphiko akho. Kaloku wena usisizalwane esijonge kuso njengomkhululi.”

₁₀“*UNdikhoyo makakuthamsanqelise, ntombi yam,” watsho uBhowazi. “Ubonakalisa intembeko engaphezulu kuleya yangaphambili. Akuzifunelanga umyeni osemtsha – nokuba ngosisityebi, nokuba ngongesiso. ₁₁Thoba uvalo ke, ntombi yam. Yonke into oyifunayo ndoyenza, kuba kaloku nkqu nomzi uphela uyazi ukuba ungumfazi onesidima. ₁₂Yinyaniso ukuba ndisisizalwana esisondeleyo, kodwa ke kukho esinye isizalwane esingumkhululi esisondeleyo kuwe ngaphezu kwam. ₁₃Lala apha obu busuku. Kusasa ngomso siya kuva kuye ukuba uya kuncedwa nguye na okanye hayi. Ukuba ùza kukhululwa nguye, koba kulungile; kanti ke xa kungenjalo, ndifunga uNdikhoyo ongasoze afe, ndim oya kukukhulula. Lala ke, ntombi yam, kude kube kusasa.”

₁₄Wangqengqa apho ke uRute ngasezinyaweni zikaBhowazi. Uvuke kunye neenkuku, bengekabi namanakani abantu, kuba kaloku uBhowazi wayethe: “Mayingaziwa bani into yokuba umntu obhinqileyo ukhe walala esandeni.”

₁₅UBhowazi wathi kuRute: “Yiza nengubo oyambetheyo, ukhongozele,” waza wagalela kuyo ingqolowa eninzi (malunga namashumi amabini eekhilogram) wamthwalisa wabuyela edolophini.

₁₆Akufika ekhaya uRute, uninazala uNawomi umbuze wathi: “Kwehla ntoni ke, mntwan' am?”

URute wabalisa konke okwenziwe nguBhowazi. ₁₇Watsho nokuthi: “Undiphe nale ngqolowa ingaka, esithi: ‘Mawungabuyeli kunyoko-zala ulambatha.’ ”

₁₈UNawomi wathi: “Linda, mntan' am, kude kucace okuza kwenzeka; indoda leyo ayiyi kuphumla lo mcimbi ungafikanga esiphelweni sawo.”