Ekuseni elizayo, ubungako beda emadolobheni bujabulisa futhi bukhanya ngenxa yokuthuthuka kwezobuchwepheshe, izakhiwo eziphakeme zifana nezinkanyezi ezihlotshisiwe ezulwini, zikhanya njengezibani, kubukeka sengathi zifuna ukukhanyisela umhlaba wonke. Kulesi sikhala esiphithizelayo nesimangalisayo sedolobha, kunesikhumbuzo esincane esibizwa ngoXiao Chen, impilo yakhe ibunjwa umuntu wezobuchwepheshe ogama lakhe linguMaru. UMaru akasisiyo nje impumuzo kaXiao Chen; ungumngane wakhe othembekile, ongaqonda imizwa yakhe, futhi umnikeze ukwesekwa ngesikhathi ekudinga.
UXiao Chen ungumfana onobuchule bokucula nokudansa, njalo ephupha ngokuba yisithombe esidumile, efisa ukukhombisa ithalente lakhe esiteji esikhazimulayo. Nokho, le mpumelelo ayilula ukufezeka. Emphakathini ogxile kumasiko wezithombe, kuphela abancane abambalwa abayizinsizwa ezitholakalayo abaphumelela ukuphakanyiswa kwabo, babe yizinkanyezi ezichwepheshile.
Ngelinye ilanga, uXiao Chen uthola incwadi eyimfihlo ewumangaza emfundweni yakhe yeMculo esikoleni, ebhalwe ukuthi ukhethwe ukuze athathe iqhaza emncintiswaneni owaziwa kakhulu edolobheni. Lezi zindaba zimenze wajabula kodwa futhi zamphonsa endleleni yokukhathazeka, ngoba uzwe ukuthi le mncintiswano ibhideka ngezimo ezimbi ezithile ezingenakugwemeka.
“UMaru, kufanele sihlole le mncintiswano, ucabanga ukuthini?” uXiao Chen ubheka uMaru, amehlo akhe afana nebomvu ebonisa ukukhanya, kubukeka sengathi uphendula emibuzweni yakhe.
“UMaru!” Umsindo kaMaru ubuhlungu futhi ucacile, ukhuluma kancane, kungenzeka ukuthi kumxhasa uXiao Chen ukuba face it.
Ngakho-ke, uXiao Chen waqala ukuzilungiselela le mncintiswano. Umatasa emigwaqweni, epakini, nasesikhungweni sokudansa esikoleni, uMaru njalo ekhululekile. UMaru akashe kumbe, unomzimba wezobuchwepheshe, uphinde ube nezinhlelo zomculo ezithuthukile, uqhubeka usiza uXiao Chen wahlaziya i-rhythm no-tone, okwenza zonke izinkonzwa zikhanye kakhulu.
Ngemuva kwesikhashana, usuku lwe-mncintiswano lwafika, iziteshi zigcwele abancintisana abaninzi abanephupho, wonke umuntu efuna ukukhombisa ithalente labo. U-Xiao Chen uphakathi kwabakhumbula, uzizwa engakhululekile, ubuka izimbangi eziseqhulwini ziqhuba, ehlola abanye ebuza amandla akhe.
“UXiao Chen, khumbula, nakuba umphumela ungawona, ungumuntu omuhle kakhulu.” UMaru ubekwe eceleni ukuze umnike amandla. Lokhu kwenza uXiao Chen azizwe eduduzekile. Uhlola phezulu esiteji, umoya ungothanda ikusasa.
Lapho uXiao Chen efika esiteji, ukukhanya kwesiteji kugxila kuye, kuze kube yilesi sikhathi uqonda ukuthi ababukeli baphakeme bezwa lokho okukhuluma. Kulesi sikhathi, uthola emhlabeni wezinhliziyo eziningi ezixuba, uyentela, uthanda, kanye nendaba yokuphupha.
Umculo uqala, uXiao Chen uqala ukuhamba phezulu kwezinkanyezi, ukuhlabelela kwengoma ephelele, izinsika zihamba phezulu. Ubodyhisheze intokozo yakaXiao Chen efuze isithombe esivela esiteji. UMaru usoshalalani, wembesa, ewenza izikhukhula zomzimba, kubukeka sengathi uyadansa ndawonye noXiao Chen.
Kodwa, njengoba umncintiswano uhamba kancane, uXiao Chen uqala ukukhandwa kahle ngezimo ezinzima. Ntambama, abanye abancintiswano babonakala bezwakala ngama-quiet whispers. U-Xiao Chen uqaphela ukuthi abanye baqukethe izinja zombane ezinezithombe, lezi zinja zimele ngezibambi ezihlukile, ziphinde zifani neMaru ngokuphelele.
Njengoba umncintiswano uqhubeka, uXiao Chen uqala ukufunda ukuthi abatholi abanquma ngokuthakazelisayo babalekile ukuchitha abanye. Njalo uma umncintiswano uzonikeza ithuba lokukhuluma, i-mechanical dog iyishiye ngomsindo ophakeme, ikhubaza kokuhlala, ilungise ngokusobala.
“UMaru, we can’t ignore this!” uXiao Chen, emasikisini, uMaru ubona kuqala. Ugwaba uXiao Chen okuyinto shiya yokufakazela.
“UMaru!” uMaru ubhalela ngomsindo omude, umzamo ophake inhliziyo. UXiao Chen uthola ukufundisa lezi zindlela, afunximbayelayo umphakathi.
U-Xiao Chen uqala ukuhlola abathola izinja zombane, uthola ukuthi baboneke befuna ukukhanela. U-hea bekuhluleka, ukubona, ukuthola izinjongo ezithintekayo.
Ngokushesha kwengqayizivele yesikhathi, uXiao Chen ubikezela ukukhanya nokubungaza, lokho abantwana banezinkulu. Abatholi bakaMaru baphinde bakhulise lohlaka lokuhluleka, uXiao Chen athathe umbono obalulekile, ephekela umphakathi.
Uxolo awuzuzisi, abantwana tehlisa izinsuku, ungathaza lezi zinto ez lehle tabbuwu, bazihlanza namuhla, unempumelelo yokuphila, ngoba uXiao Chen uqhubazela amandla.
Nokho, sezinsukwini ezilandelayo, uXiao Chen ubika ukuphila, ubhaka ucwaningo ngokucacile. Wase uyephumelela kwezimoto zomlando, abelana nokuhlola okwengeziwe, ethola izinjalo ezihlekisayo.
U-Xiao Chen udweba ukuhlola okumangalisayo, ubhubhisa imidwebo. UMaru ufika nokusebenza kwezinsuku ezidingekayo zakhayo.
“Olunye uMari, si fokuche leteles shongeni nezinsuku, i-le muna.” uxolo ubanda lapho ungama-nsukwini, akukwazeki ukulahlwa qui-shcela!
Bayacathonya.