Kwi ngeniso ethokozisayo yesixeko somhlaba ongaphantsi, ilanga limi ngokucacile ngaphezulu kwamanzi anjengemigodi egcweleyo, njengeentsinga zegolide ezigqunywe emhlabeni othambileyo. Umhlaba wonke lo unamanzi ugcwele ubomi, kwaye iindawo zebhasi ezinemibala ithe nabha, ibebenza phakathi kwezityalo zeebhasi, njengemibala eyahlukeneyo yeemfuno ezihamba emoyeni oyilekayo. Kule ndawo ilungileyo yolwandle, kukho intombazana egama linguSofia kunye noMilo, umhlobo wakhe osenyangeni.
USofia ungumntwana onobuchule, njalo ngethuba efuna ukuhamba kwiindawo ezingaziwayo zolwandle. UMilo, i-dolphin esimnandi, ubambelela kuye, unokubona okukhulu kunye nesibindi esingathethekanga. Ngethuba ilanga lishoweka, uSofia noMilo bahlala phantsi kolwandle, beqala uhambo lwabo lokuhlola. Kukhona usuku, bakhangela imeko yokwenjenhloko, behlola emaphepheni ahlukeneyo, babona imeko ye-ancient treasure map, ibonisa indawo efihliweyo yematye. Lokhu kwemisela ulwelo lobomi kuSofia.
“Milo, jonga le ndawo!” uSofia ubeka umnxeba kwenye yeempawu ze-map, ebhalela ngovuyo, “Le ndawo ibonakala ikwi-iphepha yeebhasi, masiyise!”
“Yilobo umthetho, kodwa unokwazi ukuba siza kufika khona ngokuphephileyo?” uMilo ugubungela uSofia, emangaliswe.
“Ndiyalungiselela, sizakukhokela emakhosini onke!” uSofia uphendula ngempumelelo, emehlweni akhe kuvelile ukukhanya okuqinileyo.
Kananjalo, baqala umphandle wokungena. Ohamba, uSofia noMilo badlula kwiindidi ezahlukeneyo zepoes, ezithakazelisayo njengemibukiso yeendaba. Kwiindawo ezikufuphi, abaninzi bejolisa kumjikelo ophumeza, imilo yeempempe ezinjengeencomas ezihamba phandliza, bahlala besondela nabasele bahlala bebonisa. USofia uyavuma, efumana ukuphila kwezona mplakat yamanzi.
Kodwa, njengoko bejolisa kwi-bush yeebhasi, umngcipheko ongenakuveza ubunzima buhlala bujajja. UCal, umphakathi omncinci, ungumngcipheko ogcwele ukunyanzeliswa, ubonakala phambili. UCal unamehlo a blue njenge-sapphire kunye neenwele ezimnandi ezinjengezikhumbuzo, umoya wakhe uphuhlisayo ubonisa umphunga: “Intombazana encinane kunye ne-dolphin, niyavuma ukufuna umphakathi? Le hayi iincedisi ezinokwakhiwa!”
U-Sofia uneliletile ngenxa yeengxaki, kodwa uyayazi ukuba akufuneki umva. Amatshinga amncinci amkhokele oko, ubukele uCal ngovuyo, “Asimfaneli! Olu lwandle lulawulwa nguSofia, sizakukhokela imizamo nobuchule!”
UMilo usondela eduze noSofia, engayizuzi; ubonakala efana nomfila oza kuphuthuma. UCal ubona isikhumbuzo sabahlobo, uyavuma ukweza umnqweno.
“Ngoko ke, masiqhube umjaho!” umoya wombhiyo ubonisa uCal, ubenza ngaphakathi kwamanzi, ubhala uhlo kunye nolwazi.
Kule ndawo, uSofia noMilo bavula umnqweno osemva po, bonke balungile ukuhamba ndegeka. Iimpahla ngaphansi kwamanzi ziqithi emnxebeni, amandla obuhlobo awaphilanga. Bahlala bejolisa, ubukhali bemvume noThando, besandula ubhuke ngokuphambuka phambili.
Iingoma zezikhumbuzo ziphume, zibahlakulela umoya ophilayo. USofia ujolisa, efuna ukuba akhangele kumphakeli kaCal, kunye nezibhamu ezikubangela ubuhlungu, uMilo ukhulisa umphakeli, aphephe imbono kaCal. Ngexesha, uSofia uyakucinga kwi-mabali ayifundileyo, uminika into eyaziwa njenge “iNgxelo ye-Magistrate,” okufumanisa ubushushu obenzima beyimfudumalo.
“Milo, kufuneka sifumane ingaba ye-Magistrate, ukuze siqhubeke siphopeshe uCal!” uSofia ubhala ngokuqonda kolwelo, umphakelo ubukeka uqhubekela phambili.
“Ndiyakhumbula ukuba kukwi braw yabezi, kukuba kukho iindawo eziyimfihlo, mhlawumbi zihlala kubonisa ingaba ye-Magistrate!” uMilo uceba njengegqamga, umphakathi uphumeza, umehlo akhe evuma umoya.
Ngoko ke, babhuti kabini baphenduka emnyangeni omninzi. Kuqhawulwe, ubuzulu bukhomba beshiywe amajelo, nangaloo mzuzu, bayabhiya amandla olwandle. Olu lwandle lujolisa ukuba, baphumeze ukuchuma phakathi, ukuhlangabezana neendawo ezikufuphi.
Ngelixa bahlala kwinyuka eya kumhleli ophakanyisekileyo, izibane ezincinane ziqhube phi. Iimpempe eziphumeza into yokukhumbuza, uvuma ukuba ibhonjwe yi-mabula, kwaye kumaxesha aphakanyiswe, bahlala bejolisa indlela enobuhlanya. U-Sofia uqinisekisa ukungcadla, umphakeli uphelile, uziva efanele.
“USofia, ngoku yi-Magistrate! Ndiyazi ngempilo!” uMilo ubyazi ukuphuma, umfanekiso ubhala ngamava.
“Seguqukela uCal!” uSofia ukhalela, ibonisa uSholo, esenza izicwangciso, ephephise umhlaba.
Ngelixa befikile bezisiya eCal, uSofia ujolisa uMagistrate, umoya uphuhlisayo, “Ewe, uCal, namhlanje ndiza kuzisa lo mgangatho uphume!”.
Kwenzeka, kwaphezulu, i-Coastal Light ikhuliswa, ibhalwa phantsi kwezikhumbuzo. UCal uziva engacwangcisi, umnqweno ubonisa, akhumbula umoya.
“Ubonakala ungafuni!” uSofia hútone, ubhalisa omnye umoya, izinga alishwavume.
Ngoko ke, uSofia uqala ukuboleka ukuxhasa umoya, ikhuliswa kwibhorho, ngelikholisible leemilo, yonke imilo ibonisa uMgqibelo. UCal utshatile umoya, uqhubekela phambili, ulibazisa.
“Bangani! Uthe! Uthe!” uCal uphumeza umphakeli, imilo ibowile, eqhumeze imilo eyimnyama.
Ngelixa uCal ebuya, umphakeli we-elucity womeleza le mbolombolo, ukuncinda umoya.
“Masibone! Masibone!” uCal umkhumbulo walakhe, ubenguqukelwa, aphume.
Ngenxa yokwazisa, ubuhle bezolwandle buye bukhululeka ngakumbi, kuphela uSofia noMilo bejolisa kuwe. Kule nxalenye, i-everything ibonisa i-pride.
“Senziwa, uSofia!” uMilo uyalika, amanzi abhuquza, akhangela, ukona.
“Ewe, iyavuma, impilo yethu!” uSofia ucela, ufinyelela ngovuyo, ubangelwa ubomi.
Ukusuka ngale ndlela, umhlaba ophakathi ubuyela kwiindawo ezifanelekileyo. U-Sofia noMilo bajolisa ukulondolozwa kwezikhumbuzi, bejolisa, bazise indalo yeelwimi. Abanye abadlali beziqhosha, bakhumbula ukukhumbula, bahlala basondela nakuMlo iziphofu.
“Ukuzoba kwezothando kulomhlaba, simele sibe! U-Milo uyavuma, uphumeza ukugubungela, uhamba.
“Ewe, umhlobo wam, masikhumbule umphakeli omkhangelwayo!” USofia ulungisa umoya, ubhalisela kokubeke iso, ihlinary yexhala kahle. Kwi asinancini uloyiso, uSofia noMilo balindele amajelo, ibali labi mali umphakathi, bahlala babhalisa umkhumbuzo.