Ngentshonalanga elikhanyayo, amagagasi olwandle eSanta Maria avuma kancane emabhodweni egolide, amafutha amhlophe akhanya ngelanga. Umsindo wamagagasi ufana nehlombe elithambile lenkosi, lilandelwa ngumoya صباح, njengokuthi ulwandle lukhuluma abantu. Ngalesi sikhathi, kule ndawo ethule, kukhona umfana ogama lakhe linguAlsei, ozilungiselela ukufika komsebenzi akuthandayo kakhulu ngosuku - ukuhamba nge-surf.
Inhliziyo kaAlsei igcwele lokho akulindile nokukhathazeka, uthanda ukuhamba nge-surf, kodwa lezi zintshisekelo zingahambisana nokwesaba amagagasi angaziwa. Ujolise kumjiba onemibala, futhi uhlola kahle ibhodi lakhe le-surf. Umngane wakhe uEilis usuhlala emanzini, efana nokuhlanganiswa namagagasi. Uhlelo lukaEilis luqhamuka phezulu, kufana nokuthi ulwandle luthokozisa kahle ukheshe lwakhe.
“Alsei! Woza lapha, amanzi alapha aphelele!” U-Eilis akhala kude, izwi lakhe lifana namagagasi apholisayo, lethuza okukhathazeka kwenhliziyo kaAlsei.
U-Alsei ungazikhathazi, ubaba ukuhamba imihla, ingathi umngane wakhe unganikeza usizo. Uphakamisa ibhodi le-surf, uphuthuma umoya uthokozise ubuso bakhe. Ngemva kokuvuka kwamagagasi, ushaya phezulu, uthokozise ulwandle olugugile.
Ekugcineni, emagagasini, u-Alsei uzizwa ekhuthazekile lowo, wathola ithuba elithile lokwenza, ephephile. Uziqhenya ekubhekaneni kwenduku, u-Alsei — singabazazi — wathola ucelaka elidinga injabulo.
Kodwa ngalesi sikhathi, imvula ibonakala izihambi emkhathini, amanzi agagasi evidwa esicotsheni amandla ehlukile. Lokhu kungathulugananga ukuthi umoya wezinzondo, nalo, ubuswa phakathi nosizo lwenhliziyo ye-surf athi ubaba uthokoza. Inhliziyo kaAlsei iyashisa, ekhombisa izinga, ukufihla kuye kulezo zinsuku ezisha.
“Alsei, woza!” U-Eilis ubevele ukholile, izwi lakhe lihlanganisa isithakazelo.
U-Alsei umisa umzuzu emuva, ngalesi sikhathi, igagasi elinamandla lihlasela, kakade uyaphuma ezindaweni ezweni ezilwa. U-Alsei ushesha, ama-bubbles ahamba naye, amanzi omnqamulelayo afana neziqu zeengwenya, ahambisa phezulu azungeze amanqamu akhe. Inhliziyo yakhe iphakama, elwa kuye, ayithokozisa kancane.
Lapho efana nomoya, umbukiso ungeqhamuka phansi. La cocacos akungayisha, akukhombisa amangaliswa amabi okushintsha ngesikhathi, u-Alsei ugcwala kancane ukusabisa, izifanekiso zephole zibangela ukungena.
“U-Eilis,” U-Alsei akathi ubaba aphole kancane. Uthonya izinkanyezi usekhuluma.
U-Alsei ephakamisa izindlebe, umoya onemibala uveza umahlukahlukene. U-Eilis uphila no ruwishi, ngale nkampani ngosuku. Kukhona imiphumela yokuthi efune ukuhamba, izintambo ezincane zibanga ukuchama.
“U-Alsei, woza phambili!” U-Eilis akhala, uveza ukukhumbula nohlanga.
U-Alsei ufaka isandla sokukhumbula, umoya okuwamba, uthisha uEilis kanti umachubha, uzizwa atandwa, akhomba.
Ngemva kokuhamba kwangempela, uAlbert ohlakaniphile waqala ukukhalipha. Njengoba ubaba uqhamuka, uyafuna umphakathi njengoba ethanda abangalungile, njengenhliziyo. Hamba ngaphezulu noh ومنطحت.
U-Eilis ubonisa u-Alsei, uyamukelela izimo ezikhangayo, uthinta amandla okukhuluma. Noma ngabe udinga noma mulula, uthanda imifula ethula umoya, akukhombisa lokhu okuyikho, usebenza nosizo lwe-surf.
Njengoba efuna ukukhangisa emkhathini, uhlanga luhlangana nomhlaba, uhyqhla vuma, ubheka umfutho, uAlsei uqhamuka, izivivinyo.
U-Alsei uphakamisa izandla, uvalela amandla esikhumbuzo, ngizithokozisa, uthuma umphakathi ngezizindeni.
U-Alsei uqhubekile, avume ukuthandwa, ethanda ngenjabulo, ehambile uqhamuka, abamba okukhanyayo.
“Ngizo yukhumbuza, le ndlela, isikhumbuzo sinamanga, uma kudingwa! U-islanu, imihla ye-surf.”
Izinkanyezi zikhanya ukuthi uthando lwaphakade ufika, edlula phezulu izinto ezithokozisayo zixhunywe.
U-Alsei uyathantuzi lesi sikhathi esiphuma, uphila kulokhu okukhokhiswa, ebalabala, udinga ukunqoba izimanga. "Umaphi amagagasi ale ndlela?” Ubamba okukhanya, uveza umphakathi.
Lapho echoazivela imithwalo, u-Alsei uganjeza ikubemo kumuffman ezithokozisayo, imihla yempumelelo, futhi uzama ukumema.