Ngesikhathi esikude empilweni yezinyoni, izulu lilele eluhlaza, amafu afinyelela phezulu kancane njengemithonsi, umoya opholile uhamba kancane, umhlaba ukhanyisa umoya opholile. Nakhu konke lapho kubonakala khona umoya opholile nobumnandi, ikakhulukazi ngaphansi komuthi wezakhamizi ezinhle, kubonakala umoya wemvuli, izinyoni zicula izingoma ezimnandi phezulu emithini, izimbali zibhakabhaka umoya, njengokwandisa umjhabha omncane omhlophe.
Kulesi sikhala somnqweno, kukhona umfana ogama lakhe linguHeru. Uhlobo lwakhe lufana nomoya opholile wasehlobo, ubukhazikhazi nobungane, abavela eduze kwakhe bavame ukwakha ubuso obude. UHeru ufisa ukuba ngumdwebi wezinkanyezi, ukubamba imithonsi ethakazelisayo elukhuni, ufinyelele izifiso zonke ezisencwadini yakhe. Uthemba ukuthi izifiso ezivela kumithonsi zikhuluma ngobuqotho, ziwubulungiswe phakathi komoya.
Ngakubo, kukhona intombazane emnandi, igama layo linguXingmiao. Amehlo kaXingmiao ahlabelela njengezinkanyezi, akhanya ngokuqonda. Unenhliziyo ethobekile efana nohlobo lwesikhumbuzo, njalo uvame ukuhlinzeka uHeru ngempela ukugqugquzela nezikhumbuzo ezivelele. Uthanda ukuhlela izinkanyezi, uXingmiao ukusebenza ukuze ahlanganise ukukhanya kwemithonsi, akwenze kube yiphupho elihle, ukuxhumana nezinye iziphili.
Olunye usuku, uHeru noXingmiao bavuma ukwenza umsebenzi wokubamba izinkanyezi ngaphansi komuthi wezakhamizi. Ilanga lisebenzela phakathi kothi lwezakhamizi, litshala ukukhanya okukhazimulayo. Baphelele ukulinda ubusuku, ngoba kulapho izinkanyezi zizoze zibe khona.
"Sidinga ukukhetha amathuluzi!" uqhubeka uHeru eshaya, abe nokukhanya ebusweni bakhe. Esandleni sakhe, ubambe umnetemfashini wezakhamizi, wawukwazi ukwakhiwa ngendwangu ye-fabric, olukhanga kakhulu, njengoba kufakazelwa uMfundisi othethelelwe omdala.
"Ngikhumbuza futhi izimbiza ezincane, ukuze sikhumbule kahle ukukhanya kwemithonsi," kusho uXingmiao, ephenduka bese ebamba ibhodlela elincane ukukhanya, izwi lakhe libe nethuba lokufaka izimbali.
Bahlala bebambisene ngaphansi komuthi wezakhamizi, izimbali zikhuluma kancane umoya, zakha umkhokhlana omhlophe. UHeru ubhale ngethuluzi uXingmiao ukuthi bangabamba kanjani izinkanyezi. UXingmiao uyahlonipha, uvame ukuhamba phezulu, ubuso bakhe bucwila.
Ubusuku buyavuka, izinkanyezi ziqala ukubona phezulu, inyanga ibukeka ngezicathulo. Ngaphansi kokukhanya kwezinkanyezi, bathola indawo efanele yokubamba izinkanyezi. Lapho isithupha sokokuqala sihlangana nesikhala, inhliziyo yabo ihamba kancane.
"Bona! Lokho kuyinkanyezi!" uqhubeka uXingmiao ebonisa phezulu, isithunzi somholi sokukhanya siphakamisa.
"Ngiyavuma!" uHeru uthatha umnetemfashini, ebeka wonke amandla ukuze alindele isikhathi esizofika.
Izinkanyezi zibhakabhaka ihlws a bhamaba, zisigcwalisa ngenkosi, njengoba uHeru eshaya, umnetemfashini wezakhamizi uvula. Noma ekugcineni engaphumeleli, ubuso buhlale buhle.
"Akuna matasa, sizobuyiselwa!" uXingmiao uceqa uHeru, ana kuhlangene ngezinkanyezi ezinobuqotho.
Baphinde bazama, uHeru uhlale ebuyisela izikhumbuzo, kanti uXingmiao ubhalela kuhle. Ngemva kwemizamo yabo engapheli, kwakhula inkanyezi ehamba nje, inhliziyo ukuba siphephile.
"Lezi, phambili!" uXingmiao uthi, eba ngabahlekisayo.
Ngaleso sikhathi, lapho kukhanya izinyonyi, uHeru uziqhelise umnotho, uputha umnetemfashini ngempela, izinkanyezi zikhawululwa! Phakathi kwemiyalo yaseTaiwan, kube sekukholwa okukhulu.
"Ngiyaphumelela!" uHeru uvuleka, ubuso bakhe befakwa ukuba lukhuni kakhulu.
"Ngempela? Ngicela ngikhumbule!" uXingmiao ubhalela phambili, izinja zabo zikhanya zibe nethuba lobungane cucu. Lapho bavula ibhodlela, ukukhanya kwemithonsi kulula phezulu, bazozebe bekuqonda.
"Lezi zinkanyezi zethu, singakwenzenjani!" uXingmiao uthi nebala lokufika.
"Khona sizokwenzenjani ndawonye!" uHeru uphendula ekhuluma, izinkanyezi ezedlula phezulu.
Babathembe, bavalwa izinyembezi, bhead kumoya fazi, bemukele izinkanyezi. UHeru uvuma ukuba umdwebi ophezulu, kanti uXingmiao ufisa ukuhlinzeka ukuze abameme kakhulu.
Ngasolwandle, izinkanyezi ziyaqalwa, uHeru noXingmiao akubambe, kodwa kapabazimisela ukuyithokozisa imishado nezifiso. Ubungane babo bukhazimula njengomuthi, bube yinhle.
"Sizokwenzenja kwesikuthokoza okukhethweni," uXingmiao uphantse ebulili obuhlali phezulu, uma ubika nepozulumakamu.
"Yebo, noma kuzohlangana, sizobaqhuba ngenhlisa," uHeru uvuselela isandla sakhe, ahlola izithelo.
Phakada umuthi, izinkanyezi amashumi amabili, ziseqhulwini, amandla ebhizweni onke. Noma ngempela izinkanyezi zingene, badi beta uhlanga, bamemeza imibuzo, bathembe izifiso. Lokhu njengesitishe samasiko esikhanyayo, qenhloso nemigubho, kemikhosi ezintok coins.