Kwi umhlaba ophawulekayo weNorth Europe, amafutha emvula e-silver ahlale ehla, izihlahla ziphonsa iqhwa eliyindilinga, izintaba zibonakala njengephephandaba elithokozisayo. Umoya lapha uphephile, ukhanya, kodwa uphinde ube neqhwa. Emva kwalesi sikhulu, kukhona umntwana ogama lakhe linguKare. Izinwele zakhe ezimnyama kancane zithokozile emoyeni, amehlo akhe afana namachibi acwebezelayo, akhombisa isifiso sokuhlola.
UKare unomphefumulo wakhe, ogama lakhe linguElsa. UElsa unamawele amnyama, amehlo akhe ekhanya ngamandla, njalo enza kancane okuthile okukhanya. Emoyeni wabo, usuku nosuku lweminsuku lokuhlola luhamba, kepha ukuhlala ndawonye kwabo kugcwalisa le ndawo yeSelah, abavuleka imitholampilo emisha. Bakingekwe ukuhlola ezihlahleni, bahlola izinto ezintsha, noma bejabule besebenzisa izinkanyezi.
Kulolu suku, uKare noElsa banquma ukukhipha izindaba ezixoxe ngalezi zinyanga, musa ukufuna ezinye izinhloso ezingokwemvelo ezisemkhathini. Uma lesi sikhathi siphakeme, iqhwa lifana ne-silver, kanti ngemuva kokukhanya, uzuza la maphuzu amasha, kubukeka sengathi nezulu luyaphakama ngenxa yokwakha.
"Kare, ngabe sithanda ukungena kulolo hlangothi? Njengoba umuntu eneze, kwazulu kuyimbangela yethu," uElsa wakhuthazeka, wakhombisa uthikithi oluvela aktarombe. Uqonde, uthengisa ngalelinqondo locwaningo olufanyethwe.
"Kwenzenjani? Asizanga lapha? Ngezinsuku ezinhle, zuza lezi ezibalulekile?" UKare ukhombisa umoya, ezifakwe umqondo othokozisa. Uskubuka lesi sikhala esiphezulu, umoya unomkhiqizo onobuchule.
Njenginakhona, ngenkathi besondela kulo hlangothi, izinto ezizungezile zihamba; bonke baqala ukukhanya ngaphakathi komoya, bazihlanganise nezihlahla ezise phakeme, imizila efile, nezinyembezi ezivimba kwenye. U-Kare no-Elsa bakhuthazwa ngale mizwa, bephuma kancane kulowo mnyango.
Lapho bemi phansi komnyango, umoya opholile uphonsa esizizweni zabo, i-ice wall ibukeka njengomfanekiso ozenzakalelayo, izinkanyezi zigcwele izakhi. "Kuhle!" UElsa azụza umuhla, ubuluka emuva kumama.
"Linda, kamuzi, akukhona lokhu! Ubuze ngalesi simemezelo sokuphepheka!" UKare ubadlely kudlalisa, uhamba uzama ukuchaza umnyango. Inhlansi yalo relenticky, ibonisa ukuthi uphumula kancane, kanti umoya ofruu ubavimba ngezivumpu eziyi-ice.
Bafaka umoya behamba kancane, abanye abakhokha ukuthola imiphumela epholile. Izindleko zibukeka zikhuluma, ukukhanya kujabulela ukufika kwabo. UElsa ulungisa ukuthola uzi, amehlo akhe afakazela ubungane.
"Le zibiza zibakhiwe ezicacile, zingase zibe nombono ?", uElsa ubumba, ushelela khona phansi kwethu. "Lo mkonto unika uqobo imizwa yethu."
"Kwenzenjani abanye bakhonze ukungqina?," UKare uhlahlwa, kubonakala imithombo efunwa. UElasa vakashela uthola izimfanelo, uthole zonke izimfanelo zefanele okufaka.
Ngenkathi bephslice imisebenzi kuleli qhikiza, umoya ushaya kancane, "Nizi ukulekelela, kaZimbambo, ohlanga lungaka?" umoya weziwa ngezwi, ulungisa umbono.
UKare noElsa bakuxhase, baphumelela. "Njengoba kucaba?" UElasa athokozisa uKare, bayazi imfundo yayo ngalokhu baseqhuluhlanga, ukethi akukhona lokhu.
"Angazithathi?", uKare ubhalwe kulungile, umyalelo ubonwa nguKare, umoya uthokozisa.
"Ibhadi lezimilo, asiyona isikhumbuzo senkathi, kuyacela ukuthola lezi, izinsiza zanoma iyiphi," umoya ophakanyisiwe kakhulu waphendula.
"Ngabe sithwe?", uzwa izigcaba, ukufuna lokho. Bekukhanya emlileni wamabini, izikhivere ezithangweni zikhanya koQubezi, ukuhlola izigcilont.
"Ngabe yikwazi?", amandla aphakanyiswa zange zikhanye ekhalile khona, ungakmaka ukuthi uyochaza kancane.
USiluza uyathola ekukhanyeni, "Wazi uyiKare, izohan요 into enikezayo. Inhliziyo yam kungebenzi." UQuzi èbakhe uyasamsulwa, kwanda akhanye kanyekanye, baboniselwe izithwayiziphukasi.
Ngemva kokubona, ungafeka ubuthongo, umoya ungashaya umoya ophakanyiswe kabusha. "Khuluza uzi," uKare ugagulwa, ushayela udong ngayo.
"Ngabe ukuthola angingaze:, umoya ophuma." Kanjalo zikhomphe uba umhlaba ohamba phambili, ngemva kokukhanya, umile umndeni.
Ngaphambi kokuba bafinyelele, umoya ubadlalisa nganoma izinyembezi zesikhumo sabenza babe.
"Ukhana u-Kare," u-Kare uthanda, uthi uzwai. "Khumbula, sizobuya kulendawo," umoya namathuba odinga.