Ngaphakathi kweMaya Mountains eziphakeme, izihlahla eziluhlaza kanye nezintaba ezibheke phezulu zixhumana, kufana nomdwebo omangalisayo. Le ndawo ibanjwe izinganekwane ezindala, igcwele umoya ongamanga. U-Ako, osemncane, ume ngaphansi kwentaba, ubheka phezulu entabeni yeMaya ethola isibindi sokuba hehle. Uyiqonda ukuthi lokhu kuzoba yi-oda engafanele ukwenzeka empilweni yakhe.
UAko ungumfana ogcwele intshiseko, enezifiso zokuhlonipha imvelo, futhi efuna okungaziwa. Uyise umhlala njalo emtshela ukuthi, lapho ebhekene nezinselelo, umoya onobuqotho ungumlampu, ungaholela kulolu hambo oluncane. Ngakho, lapho ethatha isinqumo sokukhuphuka entabeni yeMaya, umoya wakhe ugcwala ukwethenjelwa.
Ilanga lokuqala libonisa ubusuku obuphezulu obesebhabhadla ubuso bukaAko, kufana nokumkhuthaza ukuba aqhubeke. Uthathe isikhwama esilungiselelwe, esikwazi ukuthwala amanzi nokudla adingekayo, kanye nencwadi yokuhola uMzimba. U-Ako uphakamisa umoya, bese eqala le ndlela engaziwa.
Ngaphansi kwezithombe, uhamba edlula emizileni, ubhekene nezitshalo eziphila, ukukhala kwezinyoni kukhuphuka, njengokubonga kukho. U-Ako uhlole izindawo ezizungezile, ubona uhleke, kodwa uyazi ukuthi lokhu kungokokuqala kuphela, indlela ezayo igcwalisa izinselelo ezingaziwa.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, u-Ako ukufika emfuleni omncane, amanzi acwebile, aphumula. Umisa futhi uthatha izandla zakhe, abekhipha amanzi ebusweni, kubonakala umoya omusha. Ngaleso sikhathi, uqaphela ikati elincane elisenhliziyweni, libukisa ngakuye, kubonakala ngathi liberal.
“Sawubona, kantiwe! Ubuya kuwo entabeni?” U-Ako ubuza ngokuhlekisa.
IKati elincane lingathanda, liya eduze kwezinyawo zika-Ako, liya lahlukanisa izinduku, bese limisa ngenkathi libuka u-Ako. U-Ako ubona ukwaneliseka okungaqondile, wafaka isandla sekati, “Kulungile, masihambe ndawonye!”
Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Ako nelitsaka elincane bahlala ndawonye. Bawela emzileni, bahamba phakathi kwezihlahla ezibabazekayo, bezwa imilingo yemvelo. Ngevery step, u-Ako ufinyelela ukwethembeka.
Ngokuphazima, u-Ako uhlangabezana nodolo oluvuthiwe, umisa i-oda. Ngenxa yokuhlangana kwehla, kukhombisa amanzi acwebile, izintaba eziphakeme zimkhumbuza izeluleko zikayise, zikhumbuza ukuba ungawuyeki. U-Ako uphakamisa ikhanda, uphumuza umoya, kuleli sonto ufunda ukuphelela ezimweni ezimaphakathi.
“Woza, kantiwe, masihambe!” Ushilo kuLebokha. Ngokusho kokukhuthaza, u-Ako uqala ukusebenzisa izandla nezinso zakhe ukumisa amatshe amancane, nakuba yonke umgwaqo ubuhlungu, umoya nosuku udinga ukwazi iqhaza.
Njengoba beshayela, u-Ako uzizwa ephezulu, umoya opholile uhlisa ubuso bakhe. Ayiboni ukhululeka okungakaze kubonakale, kubonakala ukunquma konke okubuhlungu. Lapho umisa kwi-plate eyodwa enkulu, ebuka emaphandleni abhulukhuni, konke kucacisa.
“Ngifuna ukwabelana ngalokhu kubonakalayo.” U-Ako uyazikhuluma.
Njengoba ejabule! U-Ako ngaleso sikhathi, ngazulu izinyembezi, uzibophezela ukukhumbulo.