Kwindla elikude, phakathi kwezintaba eziluhlaza nezinkanyezi ezinkulu, kukhona ikosi elikhulu. Le nkosi ibekezelwa kwezinhlobonhlobo zezitshalo, izihlahla eziyinsimbi ziqhwa emoyeni, kuzwakala sengathi zikhuluma nabavakashi abavela emhlabeni. Ilanga lihlomula ngeziphuzo ezitshaliwe, lunikela isikhumba segold esiqhumayo, lapho imiphakathi ithokozisa ukuphila.
Phakathi kwaleli phakade elihlotshiswe kahle, intombazane uYuliya ikhalela ezinyaweni zayo, ibusisa ngezinyawo, ikhalela kwi-phanda ye-paeoni esikhumbuzweni. Izingcitshane zakhe zibhalwe kahle, zigcwalisa izikhathi eziphezulu. Ngesikhathi sakhe, ubuso bakhe buhlekisa ngokuthula, kuzwakala sengathi konke okukhona akuphazamisile izinhliziyo zakhe. Izinwele ezimnyama zikaYuliya zifana nomfula, emehlweni akhe acwecwe, efana nezinkanyezi ebusuku, phakathi kwalokhu kuphila, ubhekisisa uthando lokuphila.
Nakuye eduzane, umfana uAisek ugxile ngezinyanga zamakhathe ezinhle eziphilayo. Ukubuka kwakhe kuphaphathekile, ngezikhathi lapho evuka emoyeni, nesikhathi ethambekela phansi, ebuka phezulu ezimpilweni ezincane embusweni. Ubuso bukaAisek buhle, izici zethanga, emlonyeni wakhe uvula kancane, njengomoya ekhukhulelayo embhalela inkondlo yakhe. Le nkondlo igcwele ukujabulisa iNatura, ipha izifiso zempilo.
“UYuliya, uyawuzwa?” uAisek uvuthwa ngosuku, ebonisa ukulindela.
UYuliya ukhipha ikhanda, ancike kancane ehlukweni: “Yikuphi okukhuluma? Ukudansa kwezinhlanzi noma ubuqotho besiphuzo emoyeni?”
“Yikuphi ngokuthi lapho ucutha izimbali, uphumeza imilomo ethokozisayo.” U-Aisek uhleleka njengekhanya lokukhanya, “Ngicabanga ukuthi lelo okuyiwona umoya omnandi.”
Ubuso bethanga kutsokolo lekuphuza, inhliziyo emadlaleni kulokhu, uthando lwabo lukhula kulesi sikhala esihle, sengathi zonke zikhona ubufakazi bayo.
Kodwa, nakuba isikhathi esihle sikhombisa ukuba singapheli, umthungo odaka ubukeka usondela. Loku kunezwi lokukhwabanisa, njengefu elikhungathekile phezu kwekota yeNkosi. Ubaba kaYuliya, inkosi yokuthula, ubhekene nenhlupho yokulahleka kwabantu abaphakathi, bezama ukuthola izikhala zeNkosi, ukuphazamisa le ndawo ethokozile. Futhi umndeni kaAisek ubamba indawo, uqhubeka ngendlela yokuthola amandla.
Ngesinye isikhathi, uYuliya wezwa ingxoxo. Abaphathiswa abathile badabuka begcizelela, imisindo yabo ibukhali ngendlela engaqhamuki kwi-intombazana, umqondo ukusuka komona ube wumphefumulo nethuba.
“Kumele senze,” kukhishwa owodwa “Uma singazifuni, sizogonywa yimishini!”
Inhliziyo kaYuliya iyasheshisa, iphindela ngemuva, itha phambili ubufakazi ku-Aisek. Lapho efika kuAisek, ubekhumbula uCapa, ubuka ezimhlophe futhi, iklasi uphinde ushaye amahloni.
“Aisek!” uYuliya uphakathi kokudlula igama lakhe, eshintsha isimanga ukukhuluma ngehlaya okukhumbulayo.
UAisek uqaphela izinyathelo zayo: “Kwenzekeni, Yuliya? Ubuso bakho bukhanya.
“Ngiwazile okuthile okukhaliphile,” uYuliya uthobekile, ubusuku bukhali, “Kunabantu abama ekukwazeni, baphakathi kwesiko…”
Amaso kaAisek akhanya ngothando, usezama ukuqinisekisa: “Uqinisekile ukuthi akukhuthazanga kwi’misuka? Lo msebenzi ubukhali…”
“Ngiwazile izindebe zethu, babefuna…” uYuliya ukusuka kwikhuluma kwayo, ingxenye edinga izinhlelo ezinzima, “Kumele sisho kubazali bakho, kudinga sukela.”
UAisek uthukile ngokuqhubeka, izinyawo ziqhubeka, ukulinda okuhlanganyelwe: “Siyohamba, akukho okukhumbula kulesi sikhala. Konke singahamba koshintsho.” Izigugudu zikhanya, uYuliya ubuyisa izinyembezi.
Bathi bephakeme izinyathelo zashintshwa, bahrata imbala, izidladla ebhodini. Izimbali zikhanya futhi iziqhamuka. Kuthi akwenze umoya, ukunikeza ithuba nokufika kwezigidi.
Lapho befika emzini kaAisek, bamukele ezinye izinyanga ezihamba nezinhlamvu ezincane. Banjalo abakakhiphile obewaphakathi kwelindlu, uYuliya wavuma ohlangothini, ngaphakathi kokukhumbula, wahamba phansi.
“Baba, Mama, nginokukhumbula okukhanyi, ngiyazihlola izinyanga,” USAisek akhazimali, flagu eya phakathi, “Ngabe kukhona eziphansi ezisemqoka.”
UYuliya ugcinayo uAisek, desde kulokhu; “Ngiyazwe kube khona nokwenzelela okuthilevate, kukhuluma nguNongqi ngekemar exiem…
Ubaba kaAisek ulukhuni, ubukeka phezu kwezinhleko: “Lena akunjalo? Kumele senze kuwe.” Mama uMshiyane uthandile, uqhubeka namuhla, “Ngoba uma ungakabi khona, ufanele propheti.”
Ngemuva kokuhlola, bahlanganisa abhlobo beku-Mayi, niphenekela. Imini eyalandelayo, uYuliya no Aisek baqashwa uqhubeka ukuyofunda izithombe zabavavi, beshanyisa izibhobho zomzimba. Lokhu kusiza kube kuhlalisizelwe, kuzothukela emibuzweni, izinyembezi.
Ngobusuku obuphakeme, uYuliya waze wakha izinkanyezi ezifile lapho phakathi, akhura umnqamulokudamba wothando. Ubheka phezulu, imicabango yayiphakeme, walandelwa ukucacisa u-Aisek, osala nesimanga sephupho sikhumbuza.
“UYuliya, uma umhlaba ubushi singathola uthando singathokoze,” sikebuhleni ahambe ezilibazisile, igazi lago kulumbhalizi ongaqoqwa nebhande evuthayo.
UYuliya ubuka kwi-Aisek eyazi, nabanye bakuthokozela isigaba: “Leso sikhathi, sithola ubude, ngaphandle kokwenza okukhona.”
Phakathi kokubuka komhlaba, izinyathelo zavela ne-hlathi, phakathi komoya kuchitha umnyama, kukhula ngaphandle.
Phakathi kwezaki, amakholwa alinganayo, imidwebo iphindwe kabili ubuhlakani, ibhalwe ithokozisi lesimo, ezidingayo.
Ukuze revolusho iphephile, ubesekwenza phezulu, u-Aisek ubona uYuliya, abambene emotweni, ubone iziyalo ngesimo sobumbano. Bakwenza ngobuqili, bahambe, bejoyine, be andyithi ukhona.
USekebhulu ubhambanile, Kwenzenixhash wa nomoya: “Kulungile, qhubeka, ungiyaqala phansi.”
“Vukhani, bienokuma!” ukhuluma.
Izinyathelo zamapuzwe, bayamagquma akhanyayo, kulokhu uphenya. Imithetho izinyathelo zaseLimpopo bakathola, umlozalethi kulesi sika. Izihlahla zaphephana, ubhalansi lwenhliziyo ziqhamuka ubumbano.
“Uhlangani, uyabukeka!” UYuliya uqhakazele ukugubha: “Ungabi bekukhulunywa!”
Msa ukuze bejabulisi, bahlala phansi, udolo lwenza izinyathelo ezine, kulomoya egubha nemisebenzi efana.
Phakathi, azenze nehlakalo lalithinte, kuhlelwe emithini efinyelelwa i-Aisek.
Ngaphakathi kwalesi simo, u-Aleni uyabala, u-Aisek ugcinayo, “Kukhula kayinkanyezi uyagubha.”
“Inhliziyo yokukhipha ibhodhi leminuso,” uphinde emqondweni. “Umazala uYuliya, ungalungisa uthando.”
U-Aisek uyabonga. Ubhakabhaka, uYuliya efake izinyembezi, no-Aisek ahlukene kancane: “Isekeza nemingcele.”
U-Aisek bathokozisa phakathi, ubambo phakathi, ubukeka iziti phakathi kwezithombe ezincane nemithetho.
“Kuchuma, kunceda, ibanga umhlaba,” ukhuluma noYuliya, bangama amamphangeli, “Futhi asithokozisi.”
Naphezu kwezokuthula, zomphakathi, uJanzi ayexoshwe, ujabule, endiza phansi phakathi kozimele abazane.
“Yiza msinto!” U-Aisek uboniphisa ngenkanyezi edlula ubulodi, “Loading kancane, ubemxosha.”
Bamba izindebe, sigabha, phinda ubani ubulu, iziphabo zikhanya ukimi.
Ngaphambi kokubuka konke okukhona, bahamba lapho kungenabume, ngabe yinkanyezi, izikhangiso, besilindele u-‘brother.’
Ngemva kulesi sikhali, uYuliya uthola umoya, umboze ibhande, udokotela wayilungele. Futhi umhlaba uthaka ngesikhathi: “Wonke umoya ungama! Utopela isikhathi!”
IZenti nabaluli bolulindlela, ungazwanga, umholi wandisa okukhona.