Ngaphakathi kwezinkanyezi ezithokozisayo zeTaj Mahal, imisebe yokuqala yokukhanya ekuseni ingena kalula emsileni omkhulu, kuphela ukukhanya okuncane okuvela kumafu okusebenza phezu kwezindonga zedwala. Le ndlu enkulu iyahlaba umxhwele ekukhanyeni kwekuseni, kanti izindonga ezimhlophe zifihla izindaba eziningi ezingenziwa ngabantu. URyan, umntwana ophaphathekileyo, uhamba yedwa ehamba ezinyathelweni ezibanzi, edlula eduze nezinja ezithembekile, uHawk. Le nja inokukhanya okukhulu nokubona okukhulu, ikhuluma ngezinguquko ezingokoqobo ezizungezile.
Ngobusuku obudedelana, umngane kaRyan uAmir uphumelele. URyan akakwazi ukukhipha imizwa, ugcwele ukukhathazeka nokungakhululeki. Ukukhumbula uAmir osaphuma phansi, uhamba okulandelayo kumoya wakhe, umoya wakhe uphinde uphuthume njengengilazi esondelene nokuphuka. Ukuze afune umngane wakhe, uRyan uthathe isinqumo sokungena kulesi sithombe esiyimfihlo, ukholwa ukuthi uAmir uphila eduze. Uphakamisa amehlo akhe, ebuka izindonga ezijulile, efaka igama elimhlophe, ezama ukuthola iqiniso.
“UHawk, asihambe, kumele sisheshise,” kusho uRyan ngokuthula, umoya ophazamisa ukwazi kube nezinselelo eziyinqaba. UHawk ulalela umyalo, aphakamisa izindlebe zakhe, asheshise phambili, kusenzima sonic ukuqinisekisa uRyan: “Ungakhathazeki, sizomthola.”
Baphumula emoyeni ophapheme, uRyan ubona izigaba zonke. Ukukhanya okuncane, ukhuluma okuthile kumafele kuleli qophelo. URyan uzwa imisindo ethokozisayo — emuva kwenye indawo kuhamba abantu abakhuluma. Umoya wakhe uhamba, ukubamba ubuhlungu kuye kwenze ukukhathazeka emphakathini. UHawk uhamba kancane, kahle isiphakamiso sokugcina. URyan ulwisa, eqhubekela emuva komoya.
“Uqinisile tindakan?” URyan uzwa izwi elijulile nelikhathele.
“Kumele ngisithole, lokhu kuyisikhumbuzo sami!” Izwi lomunye lisiphakamisela ukudabuka nokungabi nandaba.
“Kodwa uma uphumelela... singenakubuyela lapha.”
URyan ubenokuziphatha ngoba kubonakala ngendlela thola imiyalo, efuna ukubona okukhulumayo. Uhlanganyela umoya, bugoza ngesikhumbuzo, izinjongo zakhe zibuyisela kabi izinyathelo zibe khulu. Ngaleso sikhathi, uqaphela waze udlula, udobisi lwezimbali, izithonjana ezitíkanisa ezithandwa, classics onesithombe esingenakuhanjiswa.
“Vula, angizukubuyisela!” URyan uthola izwi elijulile, kuyinto eqonda emngulumeni wakhe. URyan uqedela, waphonononga umoya, kodwa uHawk ebona uthungeli lusemhlabeni kaRyan, amaholo anomphumela omubi.
“UAmir!” URyan ubhaqwe emoyeni, ubulawa uzwe ngenhliziyo yakhe, usemukhulu ukuphaphama.
“Amaruru! Angikafuni. Ngiyabonga! URyan usesha ithephanvay, ueze. Qhubekisela umoya onobundla.
Ubuya kamuva. “Ngiyakhumbula!” ubusisiwe. Ngoba ungajabuli.
Emlandweni, uRyan ukhipha izwi, ubamba uHawk, bese ebonisa umoya wakhe. Lokhu ukubhekisisa uRyan uphinde utholakale, uHawk, uRyan, ababili ukudala...
“UAmir! UAmir! URyan...” Umnyango uzithola.
Ngokuhamba, uRyan, uHawk nabantu, zonke izinto zikhala, umoya. “ULee, bamba, ayikho emizameni.”
“U mene uthole abafundi bayathokozisa, umhlabe. Ongayithanda, ungafuni ukuhamba.”
Uyabhalela izimfanelo ezithukhumayo ibanga — "Mabamba, ugibise kahle…"
Ngaleso sikhathi, uqedelelekile emafeni, "Yinhlonipho efanelekile," uRyan ubambene nalokhu, obambene... "Sazi, uRyan, uzophuma."