Ngaphakathi kwelwandle elikhulu nelimhlophe, amanzi akhanya, ilanga lidlula phezulu kwamanzi, likhanya njengenkanyezi eziphuphile phansi kolwandle. U-Albos, namhlanje uhambela phansi nezingane zakhe, elindele ukuhlola izilwanyana ezinhle zalolu hlobo oluhlaza. Nokho, umqondo ka-Albos uhlale uflywa kulolu phiko olukhathazayo. Ingabe ungubani ohlola ukukhanya okuphilayo, abeka izinkanyezi zendaba, kodwa kumtshela kamuva ukuzizwa kahle.
U-Albos akakaze akhohlwe intombazane, igama layo linguLiya, ubuso bayo bukhazimulayo, kodwa njalo ibonakala endaweni engabonakali. Njengoba izinsiza zokuhamba phansi zilungisiwe, umqondo ka-Albos yachitha futhi yaphambanisa, ekubeka aici okukhuluma ngalolu suku, futhi akakwazi ukuphuma ekucabangeni ngendaba kaLiya. Ukubuka phakathi kolwandle, izinyoni zishaya, akakwazi ukuyeka ukukhumbula izinkanyezi zothando, eziyinsiza kulindwe impilo.
U-Albos wathatha isicaba, wathanda umcabango wakhe, walala phansi ngamanzi. Umhlaba osedlule uvula umoya omusha, izinyoni zikhula phakathi kwemifula ye-coral okukhanya njengemithwalo. Ngesikhathi sokuqhuba, umoya ka-Albos wathola ngendlela eyinkinga, wabhalela zonke izinkinga empilweni, kodwa kuye kwavela umoya ohlukeneyo.
Lapho efuna izimanga zesikhumbuzo, abangane bahlala bejabulisa, kodwa u-Albos uthola khona kahle izinkanyezi ezinhle, ebukeka ezithombeni nakwi-catfish. Akazi, lapho ehamba phansi, isithombe esithokozisayo sithola ukuphuma kwelanga.
Lokhu kubonakala kumama omkhulu ophaphathekile phansi, elele ngamanzi, imihlathi ye-coral iziphuphuza, inhliziyo yakhe ibonakala imnandi, ibonisa wonke ubuso lolwandle. Lapho amehlo akhe ahlangana no-Albos, ukukhanya kwegagasi lokuhamba wehliswa kakhulu. Ibhasi lemva, izinkanyezi zika-Albos zisondeza, zonke zibhalisa, izinkanyezi zihamba phambili.
Ngesikhathi uhamba phansi, umama ubala, izwi lakhe lithi "Kungani usuku lwakho lunzima, hamba okuncane, mhlangano?"
U-Albos uphaphama, uzwa edlula phambi. Ukuhamba, uphendula "Ngiy… ngizama ukuyeka uthando, ngibona izinksuku zikaLiya, engibona njalo."
Umama uyesekela, uvuma, aveza umuntu wokwenza. "Uthando luhambisana nolwandle, lunokudlula kodwa kuphela ezemvelo." Umoya ukuncoma, "kodwa, uthando olufuna, olwenziwayo?"
U-Albos uhamba ngezinyawo, uthando lungavula okusheshayo. Ukukhumbula uLiya, ubonisa izinsuku zomshado. Izinkumbulo zalo ziqonda, zishiwo, uLiya, ukuphila kuyakhanya nomoya omzise.
Umama ubonisa, "Uthando lwesikhumbuzo lufuna inhliziyo, inhliziyo inoveli." Yibo, besazi emoyeni, "phakathi kokulinda, kunezindlela ezintsha ozilindele."
U-Albos ubonisa umama, ubona umoya ophilayo, uMoya omningi ngokusuka. Uthando alukwazi ukuba buhlukhulu, ubona hvmbaba phansi.
Umama ushaye izandla, uAlbos uphakathi kohlanga. "Kuyafuneka ukuba wenze." U-Albos uqhubeka phansi, eqhamuka ubufakazi bezikali ezibukekayo. Amanzi ezithombe uqhuba, akakhumbuli okukhuluma, ugcwele ubuncane.
U-Albos wethula uhlu lwezeluleko zesithathu, lapho ezwa ukuthi uzonikezela esikhaleni. Uthola izinkanyezi zabahehli sephukile, fuuphufuny – ubonise ubumnandi, izinyoni ezithombeni.
Ngemva kokuphila, umama ungumakhalekhukhwini, “U-Albos umusi ubukisa ukuthi udo uluhlu.” Ukukhanya ku-zithylomani, uthola: “Ngasota unikeza uyoju, uzokwenza odwa – uthando olunzima lubukisa ubuhlungu."
U-Albos uphumula ekuzamenyeni, uqalwa phansi. Uthando lwakhe luvele, ukufana nebhali. Lokho akubhalile ngempela, uthando olukhombisa amalungiselelo abasha, akahlukane izinkanyezi zabo.
U-Albos uthule, hamba unganya ngezintokazi. Sekukhona, ubona uLiya, ubonisa ukuchitheka phansi, akikhathali. U-Albos udlulisela umoya uvulelekile, uthando loqobo, uhambe phansi.
U-Albos uhambe wahlela, uthola izinyoni empilweni, uhamba noLiya, uzoba umdanso omusha. Ufantse, usuku lwakhe lungamahele oluluzezi, ujabule, akakhohliwe ngenxa yokusebenza okukhulu ukuba asebenze izizakhamuzi ezimnandi.