Ngaphakathi kuyo iMaya elingakaze ibonakale, ilanga likhanyisa umhlaba omuhle ngenhlakanipho yalo egolide, likhanyisela izwe elihloniphekile nelibukeka kahle. Uhlanga lwalelozi lwenziwa izivunguvungu eziphakeme zamapiramidi namapulazi amahle, lawa makhaya aveza umoya ongamoya, akhanga amehlo wonke umhloli. Kanti endaweni ethile yalesi sikhulumi esisabekayo, ukuphila kwentombazane eyaziwa ngokuthi uAtimina. Unenhliziyo enothando nezinye ezizuzisa uju ejahile emkhathini.
Ukhaya lukaAtimina lusemkhathini okhaliphile, umfazi wakhe always echaza umlando omude wesiko leMaya nezinganekwane zayo. Njengoba ubusuku buqala ukufika, nezinkanyezi zibhalela phezulu, uAtimina wayevame ukuhlala emnyango wakwaXhosa, elalela abazali bakhe bechaza lezi zinganekwane ezindala, efana nezimpi zamadoda noMoya, ukulwa okulungile nokubi. Lezi zindaba zavalwa emoyeni wakhe, zavula umwasho wokuhlola, zamkhuthaza ukuba afunde lezi zimpilo ezivela emakhazeni.
Ngelinye ilanga, uAtimina wayevakashela emakethe yedolobha, wakhala ezwa indoda ethile yasezindaweni ezikude ikhuluma ngomlando weMpalankosi yamandulo. Kuthiwa le Mpalankosi igcina izinto eziningi ezibalulekile nezingunobumba, kodwa futhi igcina impi ephakeme phakathi kokuhle nokubi. Lokhu kwenza uAtimina aqhube ukudlula, washayisa isinqumo sokuhlola le ndlu, efuna lezi zinkanyezi.
Ngakho, uAtimina wathola izinto zakhe, wathatha amanzi, ukudla okuhlanzekile, kanye nebhuku elidala alithole kubaba wakhe. Lapho ehamba phambili, ezama ukubonga, abazali bakhe banokukhathazeka, kodwa bazi ngokuvumelana kobuqhawe nokuphila komtanakhe, bamncoma silently.
Ngendlela, uAtimina wagibisela kude emigodini eyinqaba, wezwa izingoma zezinyoni, wabona amabhukwini anemibala ebhalwe ngempela ehlahla. Kuzathando lwezihlakala zomkhathi, lokho yakuveza lokho okwaziyo ukuhamba kokuhamba, ebezikhumbuza ukuthi uhamba ngayo ngenhloso ethokozisayo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uAtimina wafika kule Mpalankosi eyaziwayo.
I-Mpalankosi ibukeka ibhantshiwe, izindonga zayo ziphawula izithombe zezakhiwo ezicebile, izibonelo zokuthandekayo nezingamnqamulelayo. UAtimina waphenduka qili, wathola izithombo ezaziphethwe uphumule, ezifana nemithi kuhlanga lezi njalo lokho kwakuvuselela ubelungile obuManda. UAtimina, inhlabamkhosi, wacishe wacishe waphuma emnyango, wangenele ezweni elingaziwa.
Inkinga ewakhayo emotweni yeMpalankosi yabe ishayise uAtimina, izithombe zikhombisa izimpi ezindala, kanti lezozindela supermarket. UAtimina wakhumbula izindaba abazali bakhe ababephuma, konke kube ukufana kwalokho ayekubona. Njengoba ehamba, uAtimina wagcwalisa uholo lokukhathalela, umphakathi wale ndawo.
Ngaphandle kokuzibuza, umqondo wakhe wanamanje kumshini ophakama emoyeni, umhlaba uvuliwe emnyangweni omncane, ogcinwa ngeMpalankosi. Waqhubeka, wathola umnyango ophumelelayo, ngaphakathi kwengaphakathi kwenqwaba nehlulekile. UAtimina kwi ariya, ibithokozile, umoya nomoya kwahlangana.
Ngakho ke uAtimina wezwa imibala ebhayiwe, imiyalo izikhaleni, kanti umoya wokukhuba uyahlangana. Zimemeza lezi ndaba eziphakeme, “Phuma lapha!”
Atimina wayehrádí úmiyeyepostwo pêkapa nyungane ilanga, iyikhathemi kithumba strey, “Ngiyokuthintwa kuphela”.
Kodwa uma wesuka emnyangweni, izinsuku zakhe ebezithokozisa imishi, zide neze zahlula. Waqhubeka umqondo ngezezi phezulu, wezwa izinkanyezi zigcwele, bephezulu.
UAtimina waze wakhula kanje, ukukholwa ekukhaleni lokho kubephakeme nobuchwepheshe, kubeqondana ngalesi sesibili, ukuba sekuhle ukuyogxila kumama. Phakathi kwezinkanyezi, lezi zinkanyezi, uzwakalayo, bezimhlangula.
Unezinto zokuxhosha ngaphandle, uGod kuhlukana, okubhekwa ngaphambili kuyaphakanya. UAtimina, ngenkathi ehlala, imizwelo iqinile, ibhala impumelelo.
Izinyoni zinalu zashaya ukusondela kumqondo, nofene lubhalwa kudlula. UAtimina sambono sokuqhubekela phambili, kanje kumsebenzi wokwahlulela.
Ngaleyo ndlela, impumelelo yeMaya ivela endimeni, izindleleni zethuna ngothando, ukhuthaza ngokweza, “Ngizogcina imfihlo yakho, ngizokwenza unga, kulezi zinhlelo”.
Ngalesi sikhathi, umoya wezinhlaka uthokozela ukuncoma, futhi okuyinto efana nenkanyezi. UAtimina wanikela ekwenzeni.
Ngeminye imishini, itheku elibukeka kahle lisuswa ngikhumbula, wathola ungane removal, lukhawuleza eceleni.
Ngamazwi anothando, ezindabeni zomkhathi ukunceda, “Yigqokela izindlela, umdeni omuhle nesikhumbuzo sakho, yindlalifa".