Ngobusuku obunezulu, ilanga elinogolide lihlabelela emhlabeni wonke. Le ngqungquthela igcwele amandla ngenxa yokukhula kwezemidlalo, imizila yonke ilayisha imisindo yabadlali abaxoxisana futhi bebheke phambili. Ngalesi simo, uSichen nomfazi osemncane, uYueli, balungiselela ngenkuthalo emncintiswaneni wezokungcebeleka ozayo.
USichen ungumdlali onobuchwepheshe obukhulu, kwaziwa ngokuphendula kwama-spectres nasezinhlelweni ezibukhali. Uhlala efinyelela izinqumo ezinhle lapho edlalela izimo ezikhethekile. Uhlobo lwakhe lukhuluma ngenhlonipho, ephulaphula ngothando, kodwa futhi engakhalipha kangako ezitheni. Ngokuphambene, uYueli uyaziwa ngemicabango yakhe eqinile nekhono lokucabanga. Uhlale ezama ukuhlaziya izinhlelo zomphikisi umgogodla wesimo, futhi ngesikhathi esifanele unikeza izeluleko eziphelele. Nakuba bephikisana ngezimo zabo, babelana ngentokozo phezulu.
Emncintiswaneni ozayo, iqembu la boSichen libhekene nomphikisi onamandla. Lo mcimbi akuhluzi nje ubuqotho, kodwa kuphathelene nokuthuthukiswa kwabo empilweni. Ukungcabanga kwamaqembu kubangela umswakama, kodwa uSichen noYueli bahlala bebukeka njengezimbali ezikhanyisa ithafa eliphiwa ilanga, begcwele ubungane.
“Ngokuqinisekile sizowina, uyakholelwa kimi?” uSichen uhlezi ehleka noYueli, emehlweni akhe behlabelela ukhetho.
“Ngesikhathi, ngiyakholelwa kuwe. Kodwa ngizokwenza konke okusemandleni ukuze sizikhandlele izinhlelo ezihambisanayo,” uYueli ubuka yena, ebona ikusasa elihle.
Njengoba usuku lokuncintisana lusondela, bobabili baqala ukuqeqeshwa ngenkuthalo. Badlula kumhlaba owenziwe ngabantu, benza ubungane obujulile, kodwa baphinde bazwe umcabango omubi ohlobene nomunye. Ngemuva kokuphela kokusebenza, uSichen wavuma, waphinde wathi noYueli, “Uma kwenzeka usuku, uma kudingeka ukukhetha phakathi kwethu, uzokhetha njengani?”
UYueli wagcwala ungqondo, kungenzeka ukuthi kwephula ihlazo lothando. Wazi ukuthi ezinye izinto azichazi nje ngombono. Uhlala ehleka, kodwa akaphumi impendulo ecacile.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi ngizokhetha izinto esikholelwa kuzo,” wabeka isikhumbuzo asuka, eshaya umoya, ubheke uSichen ngemuva.
Njengoba usuku lokuncintisana luseduze, ubungane bokuqala buqina ngaphezu kwezimpumelelo. Ukubambisana kwabo kubonisa ubuchule, izinkanyezi zikhula ziqinile. Kodwa umphikisi waba nzima. Kuqembu elithile, kudlalwa umdlali omkhulu, obeke uSichen nephuzu elikhangayo, efuna ukumbuyisela emuva kwelinye iqembu, ephula uYueli.
“Uma uqonda ukufaka, sizokwakha iqembu elingabhalwa, sinethuba lokungena kwezokungcebeleka!” Umphikisi aqinisa uSichen. Kulokhu, umcabango wakhe uhamba ngezindlela eziphikisanayo phakathi komuntu noYueli.
NgoMphakathi, uSichen noYueli bathe bema, bahlala bezama izinhlelo zokwenza. Bomboza umhlaba, kulesi sikhala. Izithombe zidlala ukudala okusebenzayo, engaziwa.
Ngemva kokukhetha kwayo yonke, uMhlola uyahamba ngalesi sikhathi. Ukubambisana okukhona kubukeka kubonakala. Kukhona ukuxhaphaza, owodwa encintisana. Umphakathi uphondla, uSichen noYueli bahamba phambili.
Ekupheleni, iqembu lezakhamuzi linama-marks amasha. UYueli ushisekela imishado yokuqala, “khumbula izimpi ezimnandi, lokho akukhona nje i-asin ymphakathi.”
Ucvuliweyo uqhubeka, uSichen uqhubeka noYueli. Umoya uvuma ngalesi sikhathi, umphikisi ungathempela, uZinhlupho uvuka phambi kwabanya, umoya uvuwelayo.
Ngemva kokuphela, kuHlale. Uqeda ukuvuma ukhilimu, uSichen wahlangana neKhaya noYueli. "Uma ungeyena, ngicele ukufisela ukwengananda. Ngiyabonga, ungenze nathi!”
UYueli ogcina ehlangene noSichen, ucela ukuba sikhiphe ubezakhamuzi, “ubungane bethu buveza okukhulu.”
Bayavuma, bekhuluma, ngemiphakathi nabantu bangakiziqanisa empathe, umphakathi ukenge umoya, omangalisayo unomthandazo. Odumulile ugcinwe emva kwezemidlalo.