Ngaphakathi kwegesi ehlakazwayo, endaweni emnyama, uKai Xi noMeiya babambe izandla zabo ngokuqinile. Le yi ndawo engaqondakali, efihliwe ezinzulwini ezijulile zabantu, ehlanyisela ukukhanya kwesibani esibomvu, kubonakala sengathi kuqwashisa ngobungozi obubheke phambili. Le ndawo igcwele ubungaqondakali nobunzima, abantu abaningi bakhetha ukuyeka, kodwa bona bakhetha ukuhamba ndawonye.
Inhliziyo kaKai Xi yayishaya ngokushesha, ezwa ukushisa kwesandla sikaMeiya. Umsebenzi wabo wawungaphezulu kokuphuza lokho okubuhlungu, kodwa futhi wukusiza labo abaphakathi kokuhlupheka. UKai Xi wagqolozela ebheke emehlweni kaMeiya, agcwele ukunqaba, kwesamanje, emhlabeni wabo omnyama, kuphela ukukholelwa komunye nomunye okwakungabavumela ukuba baqhubeke nokuhamba ngaphandle kokwesaba.
“Kai Xi, kumelwe sithole umthombo wokukhanya,” kusho uMeiya, izwi lakhe likhuluma emoyeni opholile, kubonakala sengathi kunamandla angabonakali.
UKai Xi wavuma, ekhangela ngokuqinile. “Yebo, asikwazi ukuvumela abankulu ukuba babe bodwa. Nokho, noma kunzima kangakanani phambili, sizobhekana nalokhu ndawonye.”
Baqhubeka ngezindawo ezijulile eziwugobilekayo, ngokuhambisana neqela leMeiya, beqapha kahle. Izindonga ze-cave zikhanya ngoshukela olushisayo, uKai Xi bahamba ngezandla emakhanda lawo okwenziwa ngemifantu, ebona amandla emvelo. Njalo, emgwaqweni ohluphekayo, uKai Xi ukholwa ukuthi uma enza kabusha umnotho, akukho zinkinga ezizobamba phambili.
Ngokuphazima, umqulu uvuleka olulodwa ngaphezulu komgwaqo, amathambo esikhumbuze ngemazulu ukuze akhulule abanye. UMeiya wehla emhlabeni, izinyembezi zezimpi zibhenjwa phezulu.
“Kai Xi, ngiyabonga.” UMeiya ukhuluma ngemibuzo ethe xaxa, emehlweni akhe kudlula ukupholisa.
“Ungaqhubeka nekubeka, singabazi. Uma sinongomunye, ngizoba namandla,” kusho uKai Xi, ecela isandla sakhe, ethokozisa uMeiya, ekuthokoziseni kwezinhliziyo zazo.
Ngemuva kwesikhathi, bafika endaweni evulekile ye-cave, okukhanya okulindelekile kweziqephu zabo kufanele kube umthombo wokukhanya. UMeiya uqonda, “Ngabe leli ngumthombo wokukhanya owayethelwe?”
“Mhlawumbe.” UKai Xi waphendula, kokubona lokho ukuze akhumbule. Lolu hlobo lwezulu lungase kuxhunywe, kuvuselela izinkanyezi ngale.
Baqhubeka baya kumthombo wokukhanya, kepha ngesikhathi bekwazi, isithunzi esifihlekile sisondele. UKai Xi waphendula, ezwa umoya opholile, wawusondelisa uMeiya, ubona udonga lwezithunzi ezisondela. Inhliziyo yakhe ibonakale ingakhululeki, ngoba lezi yizinsongo ezidumesile kulolu hambo lwabo.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kumelwe siqaphele.” UKai Xi wakhuluma, ezoshesha kwi-fošti.
UMeiya wavuma, edabukile, ukwazi ibanga elixaka, kepha emahlombe akhe bekulingana ngemfudumalo. “Noma ubani obhekene, kumelwe siqhube.”
Ngesikhathi befinyelela, isithunzi sasilukhuni kakhulu, kuvele ibhadi elikhanya kakhulu, linokuhlakanipha okubonakalayo lezi zibhamu eziphume phakathi kwezimpi ezinzima. UKai Xi uzwa uhlelo oluvamile lokuzama, ebeka umbono wezinkanyezi ezizulazulayo, okuveza ukubaluleka kwezehlakalo zomkhakha omkhulu.
“Ngizokugcina, uMeiya.” UKai Xi spoke ngokuqinile.
“Nami ngizokugcina, uKai Xi.” UMeiya aqokisa uKai Xi ngezandla ezixhume, ehamba kanjani emaphusheni akhe.
Bejabulile endaweni yokulwa komama, ngenxa yobunzima, baxhumene, bejabule, kumoya onotshwala nemigqa ethulile. UMeiya ukhuluma izlandelande.
“Ngiyabonga, ngakhe okwehlanga kuhle.” UMeiya, lapho ubona obuhlalu, ecela uKai Xi.
“Yebo, sizocela isiqhakaza.” UKai Xi uphendula, edinga uMeiya, ecashelwe uMthetho maqondana.
“Izithombe zethu zamaphuphumi azibheme!” Ngalokhu, beza emzi mhlophe, bazame.
Sibonga, ibhongo lokululwa, kungase kube yimine umbusi, sishaywa, sizisiza, sehamba oku, all of us roses, will signal the noise, the anger, the exodus.
Amandla akugcina la, izinyathelo zabo zinyatheliswa phezulu, bebanikhuthaza, ebamba izinsiza zokuluma, sebeze zigcwele phezulu, nohlanga lwabo luya phambili.