Kwi-hlabathi elikude, kukhona isikhumbuzo esihlekisayo, esibizwa ngeMpalala yamaNyoka oseMhlabeni. Le ndawo itholakala ngaphakathi kokungena kwi-pha eziyinsalela, iphefumulela phakathi kwezithameli zomhlaba futhi igcwele izinkanyezi ezinemibala. Lapha, abafundi bangafunda about ubuningi boMhlaba, bahlolisise umhlaba ongaqondile. Kukhona iMphala yokufunda eBrighto, enezincwadi eziningi, nephakathi kweyinhle lemithi yokuzithokozisa, efaka izimpahla ezihlukahlukene ezinhle.
Lapha, kukhona umfana ogama lakhe linguYuanhai. Amehlo akhe avame ukuthinta into ethokozisayo, efuna ukubona ukukhanya kolwazi. U-Yuanhai unenwele ezimnyama ezelongayo, evumelanisa nohlanga oluqinile, njalo uthokozisa othandweni bangakhe. Nokho, inhliziyo yakhe ibonisa ukukhathazeka, igcwele ukudideka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
Omunye umfana ogama lakhe linguBiling, uyinsika esikoleni. Unenwele ezibomvu ezilandelayo, ubuso bukhazimula njengelanga phezulu kolwandle, futhi lungashisa enhliziyweni yabanye. Ubuhlakani bukaBiling nomcabango wakhe owanele uvamise ukukwenza ukuthi abe phambili ekilasini, noma kunjalo, ngaphakathi kwenhliziyo yakhe, kukhona khona ukukhathazeka okungaziwa.
Ngesinye seziphakathi kokukhanya kwelanga, uBiling uhlezi phakathi kwamakhasi e-coral, efunda ngenkuthalo incwadi ewumkhuba yeSihlangenhlweni. Amehlo akhe akhanya, izifiso zakhe zokwazi ziya ziba khona. Ngalesi sikhathi, uYuanhai ujabula ukuhamba, ebona uBiling, ngakho-ke uvuma amandla awanike.
"UBiling, ubona kuphi?" uYuanhai ubuza kubuqhophoni, sesimeni esijabulisayo.
"Le yincwadi ewumkhuba yeSihlangenqondo, kungenzeka siphumelele ukwaziswa!" uBiling uphendula, amehlweni akhanyisa ngothando.
UYuanhai uvule umlomo, uhamba, uthukile: "Ngiyazazi izinganekwane eziningi zeSihlangenqondo, kodwa ngaziphika kube sengathi lokho akukhona komngane. Ngiyinto ejwayelekile, kunzima ukusho uma ngingakwazi ukufunda."
UBiling ubheka uYuanhai, kungathi ubona imicabango yakhe. Uhleka azimele, "UYuanhai, ungathathi lokhu kalula. Unobuntu beli thuba, uma ufunda, kuzoba khona ukufumanisa amandla akho."
UYuanhai uhamba phezulu kokuphelisa ukuhlakanipha kukaBiling, ukhumbula ukumangala uvala ngaleso sikhathi, kanti ulungisa ubuntu vele saphola.
Ezinsukwini ezilandelayo, uYuanhai noBiling baqala basukuma odongeni lwe-Mpalala yamaNyoka, behamba emizini nasemkhatsini, baxhumana nemibala ehlukahlukene yezehlakalo, bahlola izimfanelo ezingoqobo.
Kwazulu okuthile, bazofika endaweni eyingqayizivele yezithako. Lezi zinto ziphakama njengokuphakama, zihamba phansi, kwazulu kukhulisa indlela yokuthokozisa. UYuanhai uhamba emoyeni abona intokozo lapho, ukufanelanayo ukuphumula kwakhe kungamphazamisi kunjalo.
UMphendaneni kaBiling kuqhamuka, uphakamisa ulwazi: "UYuanhai, bheka, khona lapha, kukhona i-hippocampus encane ebhujiswa! Masiphumelele ukufuduka!"
UYuanhai uphakamisa komahluko, uhamba ngakuhleka; uzibona nokukhohliwe udoli, apho ibhuqa lakhe likhululeka. Ngakho uYuanhai ubeka ukungayekethisi, ubanga umuntu wezigigaba.
Nokho, uBiling akekho lowo, uthanda umoya phakathizingo kwezithako zomhlaba, umoya wakhe ugezwa, "Ungakhathazeki, sizokwenza." Iphakhe nempilo yakhe iyohlaselwa ngaphezu, izimfanelo zenzo zashiseka njengoba, uzwa izinyathelo ezithokozisayo. UYuanhai uyazama ukuphawula ukuze ngenxa selokhu uBiling aphokozisa, imisebenzi emzini uthanda.
Okukhona ekugcineni, ngemuva kokuba becacisa, i-hippocampus ikhululiwe. Ithokozisa emanzini, iyagijima ngokungenantambo, ihamba ngokujabula, ibonisa ukubonga efaka izinyathelo. UYuanhai noBiling babonisana, phezulu, umoya othokozisayo ubakhazimula.
"Cho, senza!" uYuanhai uyahlaba uma.
"Lokhu akukwazanga indlela, kodwa idluleka kwethu!" uBiling uphendula, ubuso bakhe bumnandi.
Ngemva kwalokho, le ngubo iqinisa umnyango wokubambisana phakathi kokuhlasela. Noma ngabe bejolene nezinselele ezintsha, njalo bahlala nethuba, balandela omunye nomunye.
Ngolunye usuku, bezwa ukuthi imidlalo yokuhlola izogcinwa engxenyeni yephoyisa, abaholayo bazothola ithuluzi lamathuba, umoya omusha wokulwa. Lapho uYuanhai ethokozisa, abantu bahlanganyela phanga.
"Ngifuna ukujoyina lesi sikhumbuzo, waqonda ngithemba lokuthola amandla!" uYuanhai uphakamisa umoya.
UBiling uthinta ingqondo, "Phakathi nohlanga, umkhandlu unjani? Umoya wezimali udinga izikhalazo ezimnandi, kancane kudinga ukuhlola."
UYuanhai udabuka; ukujolisa ububanzi jeopardy: "Ngubani okhona? Ngifuna ukufaneleka kulesi sikhumbuzo."
UBiling uthathe isikhumbuzo, hisse ungathekhe uYuanhai ngendlela emuncu, imehlo embizeni yokuqala. "Ukholwe, uyakwenyuka. Unethuba elihlekekayo, sizokwazi."
Ukuthanda kukaBiling kudizela kahle ukuze uYuanhai enze isikhalazo. Kulandela izinsuku ezimbalwa, bachitha yonke imini eMphala yokufunda begcina izinkanyezi, bedlula imikhiqizo yokuqala yeSihlangenqondo.
Ngaleso sikhathi, uYuanhai uqhubekela phambili kwisiko, ufezekisa ukufaka izihano ezinzima ezipholile; akazana ithuluzi lezehlakalo, balandele izithako ezivuthayo. Iziphakamiso zibe zikhulu isiqinisekiso, uBiling ujezile umhlaba ophezulu.
Ekugcineni, isikhumbuzo satholwa; njalo kwabukhulu, abavoti bephindela bejolene ndawonye. UYuanhai uhamba phambili, ukujolisa, enamathuba; ukwahlukana kube nxanxa, lapho u-Biling nakho ukhumbuza.
Ukukhanya komhlaba kuphazamisekile, khuluma modlula; umoya ulula ushendiselwa ngabo, uyaziqhenya. UYuanhai uNovilly nosuku, ubhulayo ungakwamukela iminyaka engaphakamisa izinyathelo.
Ngesikhathi, amakhimbali edlalwayo akhula ngemfaso neziphizamiso; i-sial no-Biling; bakhuyaza phansi yiilanga, izindonga zikhulikazeke Elungezela, ikhazimwe nokumangaliyo.
Kelana, ukujolise namuhla, izinyathelo zenhliziyo ziveze; bonke abathanda ibhande elima, izigi zokuqhelekela ibhande lokuhlala ka msebenzi. Ukukhanya okhaliphile, ukuphakanyiswa akuyona imbangela yokuphumelela, izikhumbuzo ezinkulu zika-Yuanhai no-Biling; ubusebenza, dorp abancane bahlalela ubuhlakani obuhamba phambili.
Ngakho, kuya ngokuphila mahlobo amasha; izithithimende zibe yibo abenze, isiqhubu senziwe, uBiling uhamba phambili; umhlaba ungakfolda, izinhlekelele ezizimele ngokuhlupheka. Iziqhaza, ithuba elisha lehle nokukhanya ezizenzekelayo, izinyanga ezikhanyayo, nezintando, zinhle, umgubho wokuhlala intshisi.