Ngaphandle kosuku olukhanyileyo, ilanga lidlula kwemafu, liphumelele ngokuthambile kumzimba omangalisayo weTaj Mahal, i-enamel egcwele igolide ibhalela ukukhanya, ibonisa ubuhle bamahhashi ezimbali ezikuzungezile, kubonakala sengathi isikhathi simi la. Lapha, yindawo eyaziwayo yamahhashi okuthakazelelwa yizivakashi, futhi futhi indawo yokukhula kwezinkanyezi ezingenamkhawulo. Kule ndawo emangalisayo, kukhona umfana ogama lakhe linguLohan, obeka phambili izindlela ezahlukene zokulwa, futhi ubuso bakhe bukhombisa ukuphikisana nokuzethemba.
U-Lohan usemncane, kodwa emehlweni akhe kubonakala ukholo olungapheli. Namuhla, ubenalutho olukhulu engqondweni yakhe, hhayi kuphela ukujabulela lesi sithombe somhlaba, kodwa futhi ukuthola amandla kubuhle bempilo ukuze azivuselele ekuthandeni kwakhe kwemidlalo. Lokhu akufunayo, ukuncintisana njengenziwaqhamuka embonini yezemidlalo, ehlanganyela nodumo lwakhe namaphupho, emi phezulu endimeni yomhlaba wonke. Njengoba engena emzimbeni, zonke izinkambiso zakhe zingumgogodla wezizathu ezinzima, enze izinyathelo ezikhumbulekayo.
“Lohan, bheka, lezo zicathulo ngempela zibhakabhakile!” umngani wakhe uMingyu uzigcwalisa umoya, enqamula eduze, eqhubeka ethokozisa iziguli ezishayelayo. Lezi zicathulo zazicacisa kahle emakhasini, zintshebe phansi kwelanga, zikhombisa ubuqhakazile beqondo.
“Ngiyakwazi, kodwa angisakwazi ukuphazamiseka.” U-Lohan uvula umqondo ngokuziphatha, umswakama usuka phansi, kodwa akasuki. Uziqhenya ngamaphupho akhe, engazisa indlela aye kulo phambili, funa kwazulu ubuhlungu bempilo.
“Kepha kufanele uphumule, akungaholela ekukhathaleleni?” UMingyu uyazibuza, ethokozisa umoya. U-Lohan usokhulumela emzimbeni, umoya wakhe uphupha, eqonda imigwaqo eminingi efanele, uma uthembisa amaphupho akhe.
“Ngiyakwazi intshisakalo yakho, kodwa ngiyazibuza ukuthi ngizokwazi. Ngifuna ukuwina ezimphakathini, ngibe nembongi ethokozisayo, hhayi njengomuntu ongenamsebenzi. Kunokwenzeka ngangokunengi isikhathi ngiyaphila.” Umongo wakhe ngempela unika uMingyu ukuzithokozisa.
ILanga lisakhanya, amafu aseNyakatho aqala ukuba nentokozo, kubonakala sengathi kunesizathu sokuphakanyiswa kwalesi sithombe esinamandla. Uphakathi kwemithambo eyishumi, uLohan uvuma imizuzu efanele ukubonisa, izinyawo zakhe zinjengoba zishayela isikhalazo, amaphiko akhe anjengokuphuza, nokuhamba akungafani.
Ngemuva kwesikhathi, uphumeza umusi, uphakamisa umoya, kodwa ubonisa ukujabula. Ubuka le Taj Mahal, ubungqingili bakhe buxhumeke kakhulu, “Ngizokwazi ukwenza lokhu, lezi zinkanyezi zempilo zigcizelela ubulili bami.” Uthokozisa imizuzu eyingozi, njengoba zihlangana nezimpilo, ethembele ukumelana nezinye izithombe.
“Unesipho esikahle, Lohan!” UMingyu uphakamisa iziphakamiso, uthokozisa, “Ngabe uhlose ukusungula umlando wakho wezokugcina?”
ULohan uthokozile, ubhekisela emaphusheni, “Yebo, ngifuna ukuzuza ukubala kwami okufaka ohlangothini lwezinkanyezi. Le sicelo sikhumbuza imizwa yemidlalo, silwela amabhalane, simemisa umoya wezimpilo. Lezi zindawo zimi kahle, ngizofanayo konke.”
Ngenkathi bephikisana, izimpendulo zabantu zaziqhamuka zikhuluma izigqi-impendulo, zibeka iKhalipheno, zikhuthaza umma bama-ncintiswano. Izenzo zezenkolo zikhumbuzo kangangokuba, umkhathi wonke ubonwa izinyathelo. U-Lohan uthokozisa ngendlela yenkathazo, ezama ukuyivula kulesi sikhumbuzo.
"Yibani! Bhala nophinja!" ukhuluma okungawuqhakazile, ukhuluma izigqi, uLohan ujabulele, áhheck nje kwazulu.
Kulomzuzu, uLohan uvakasha ukufika nesimangalo esiphezulu. Mhlawumbe uvele izinyawo zempilo, thina sinempilo leyo. Ngema kumenyiwe izindonga, uma thembu zikhumbula izimoto, ezibangela imibono.
Ngemuva kwempi, abadlali ababili bahlangana, imicimbi izothokozisa. Izinsizwa zikhulu, ubuzwe obuhamba phambili. "Ngalesi sikhathi, le mpilo ingumkhono!" U-Lohan uthokozisa kuphela.
“Ngiyavuma, Ubuqhashu abukhona kumuncu, kodwa umgudu obumbene.” U-Mingyu uyavuma, ephakanyiswa ubuhle, “Njengoba ziphumela, bezipha amaphupho.”
ULohan ubiza izinyathelo, engena kwazulu. “Yebo, kungakhathalekile umbuso, udoti; izidingo nomswakama. Njengoba, ngizoshaya imisindo, iHuhuma nephanyana.”
U-Lohan uphakamisa umtfu, ubona izinkanyezi, uzolula ngempela. “Ngibonga, kuzozithokozile le mpilo.” Uthokozisa umzila, sehlukene ngethuba elinqabile; umoya ubambezela, neguma, uxosha imisindo.
Iholo livumelana nabakhombisa inhlonipho, uphakathi nezinyembezi. Lona ungumvuzo, amalungelo, ukufika nenyama, kanye nezinkanyezi ezihlaza ngokuziqhenya.
U-Lohan udinga ukulawula izithombe, ubheke phezulu okukhulumayo, uMingyu uhamba phambili, kudala indlela fluctuating lapho, ukukhokhiwe izinkanyezi. Gcidaphasisi.