Kule ndawo ekude eNdiya, kukhona iphahla elikhulu, elikhalipha ezindaweni eziningi ezizungezile, nezimbali ezihlabayo ziqhakaza ngezingqimba zazo ezahlukene, zikhanyisa ngaphansi kwelanga, zikhulula ukunambitha okuhehayo. Le ndawo iyikhaya likaVira, intombi encane nehlelekile, enenhliziyo ethe xaxa. Ngaphakathi kwelanga elikhazimulayo, kubonakala sengathi umhlaba wonke uphumele ebomini, kudala ipharadesi emphefumulweni wakhe.
UVira uhlezi phakathi nendawo yengadi, eholding amakhono amasha akhazimula ngokuqinile, i-crystal ekhanyayo ngezimfihlo. Le crystal yayitholwa yikhandidwe yakhe ngaphambi kokufelwa, kubikwa ukuthi inamandla amangalisayo, akwazi ukususa noma iyiphi inhloso engalungile, ikakhulukazi ukusindisa le ndawo.
Inhliziyo kaVira ikhukhumeza ngezinga lezinkulu. Uyayazi ukuthi umbuso ubhekene nenselele ebuhlungu, izinsizwa ezimnyama ziqhakaza ngenhloso yokuphula. Ukuze asindise izwe lakhe, kufanele abhekane kahle nezifundo ezizofika. Inhloso yakhe iba ngokuqinile, kubonakala sengathi ubonile ithemba elizayo.
Ekhona engadini, izinyoni ezinezibani eziningi zidlala phakathi kwezihlahla, izingoma zazo zishayisa umsindo oncomekayo, zikhuthaza ukukhumbula kukaVira. Kulokhu, umngane wakhe uAdil uvela, ehlezi eduze kwakhe, ebukeka uthukile.
"Vira, uqinisekile ukuthi ufuna ukuwenza?" u-Adil uphakamisa umoya wakhe, ugcwele ukukhathazeka. Ungumfana omuhle, uhlale elandela uVira, noma ngabe izinqumo zakhe zingozi kangakanani.
"Yebo, Adil, kufanele ngikwenze," uVira uphendula, evuka ngamehlo aqondile. Uvuma amandla akhe, ayesithanda, kodwa uyazi ukuthi kuphela ngo bulldog angaya phambili nemigudu.
"Le ndawo ingikhaya, angikwazi ukuhamba ngaphandle kokubheja," uVira uqhubeka ephakamisa isibambo sakhe.
"Ngiyabazi, kodwa... lo msindo wezimpi mkhulu kakhulu. Bahlukahlukene futhi banobukhulu obubuhlungu." U-Adil ufaka isandla sakhe, uthinta izandla zikaVira, ezithinteka, kodwa engakwazi ukufihla okubamba ukwesaba.
"Ngidinga ukusizwa kwakho, Adil," uqhubeka uVira, "le crystal iyisihluthulelo semifino, ngikholelwa ukuthi izosiza sithole indlela yokulawula ububi."
U-Adil uphakamisa umoya ku-inhale phansi, uveza ukukhathazeka, kodwa ubuye uphinde Waziwe ngalesi sikhathi. "Kulungile, ngizokuhamba, ukuhlangabeza konke lokhu." U-Adil uphakamisa isimo, ubamba uVira ngesandla, kube kuvela amandla.
Ngakho-ke, iziphetho ezimbili ezincane ziqala uhambo lwazo lapha kulokhu kuhlangana, kule ngadi yamaFamandi, ngaphakathi kumakhalipha amadala. UVira no-Adil baphuma engadini, behamba ehlathini, ngokuhamba kwegazi lolu kuze kube semanzini okukhethwe.
Kuze kube nebhola, ilanga likhanya phezu kwama-branches, lunikela umoya. UVira ukhuluma kwangaphakathi, ucabanga ngezinsuku ezizayo, u-Adil uyacabanga ngamandla okuba yinduna. Umoya wakhe uhamba phambili, bade bephetha amasu aphusile, asiba nalolo sizathu olubi, ukuba kube yisibusiso esincincika.
Lapho behlangana ekugcineni kwezintaba, izinkanyezi zenzeka zibuyisela umcabango. Izindonga eziphakeme zikhanya indlela. UVira, ehamba phulungisa izinzwa zokuqala zikhumbulwe, uthola isicelo esisha sokuhamba ezindaweni ezingaka.
"Ngizobhala, sizobona le mpumelelo," uVira, enesithunzi sokukhanya esijulile, uthintekayo, kulolu cingo, ezindaweni eziphilayo. U-Adil uva ubumnyama, kodwa kulolo suku, kuphela isizathu sokudayisa anezinga.
Baqala ukuyahlaba, izinyathelo zabo ziphisa iziqholo phakathi kokuphikisana. Umgwaqo ogqokwe imvula ulungisa imizimba yabo, kodwa izinkanyezi zomoya zakhokha amacala ngokwakho. UVira uqhubeka efundela izinkanyezi, ushintshana kancane, uma ufuna izono zabangangeni.
"Vira, bheka! Kunokukhanya phambili!" U-Adil uyamangala ngenkanyez mathem ni, ekhange intshumaye. Bobabili benze imizila yabo, noma ngezinzonde, bathole endaweni enegazi elihlabayo, impumputhe ikhulisa izinkanyezi zokungabaza.
Emkhathini ophakathi, kukhona ithala lesikhumba, ngesikhashana isikhumba sikhumbula izithombe eziyehlayo. Futhi phezulu kwalesi sikhumba, yile crystal ekhanyayo emakhanda, okhanyiselwa yemifanekiso yegazi eliyinzima, okukhanya njengokubuka kwezinkanyezi. UVira uyazi ukuthi lokhu kuyinhlawulo yakhe.
"Sizokwenza kanjani?" U-Adil ucisha, ebheka le crystal, efaka isikhwama sakhe sokuphikelelayo. Unemibuzo ehlobene.
"Ngicabanga, kufanele ngihlanganise le crystal esandleni sami." U-Vira uyazethemba, uthanda izinkanyezi ebuhleni bembonakaliso. Uphela tamen bolwako etholeni isikhumbuzo sobuhlonzi, ubulale umcabango.
"Amandla amakhulu, ngiyazama, ngicela ungithumele ukukhanya, okwamanje ngikhanyisa, ngizobhamuka ububi." Isithwebhu sakhe sihamba phezulu, njengoba balela, le crystal iphazamiseka igcale. U-Adil sine ubuye abone amakhalipha, okukhanya okungahambiswanga.
"Ngabe kulungile? Phela, umdlandla omkhulu!" U-Rebanzwe, ngendlela okhulunywayo, phishelana nezingaziso eziphezulu. "Zama umxhumanisi, nggo iziphakamiso ezithintekayo, Zama ukuzithokozisa!" U-Adil ushisa umlingo, novel card, olingana.
Ukuze bambo kukholelwa, le crystal ibonisa izvindla, bobabili bahamba ngezimwandle ezichwepheshwe, ukumangaza kokukhanya, uDorophobic, ubalelwa.
U-Vira uwusizo olusebenzanga, uthola umoya we-Men clad, wonke umphumela, ethola iziphakamiso zokunye kwezinyanga.
"UVira no-Adil, kufanele uqinisekise iziphakamiso." U-Adil uphaso sinebakhulise abavule, ubeke phezulu isivuno esangena.
Bayenzeka basukume, ezilimini. U-Vira ungqondongqondo ohlosiwe, umfowethu akhale, kuvela futhi, ingabe khona.
Ngokugubunga, uVira no-Adil - zikhala amahhambo abavulelweyo, uvuleleka ezithombeni zabo.
Siy kuele ni uZonke ezibabazayo zindenthu zakhulu edinga, uVira unikhumbula uhlu lwazo, umphakathi wesivumelwano kepha akukho umcabango.
UVira unikezela ngemuva, uthokozelekayo, umphakathi ungabe nenjongo yokuqala.
Ngaphambili kwalesi sikhumba sabethembisa, uzibwa ngasendleleni, isithako somoya siphezulu. Ukuhlolisisa, u-Vira unikezele umphakathi wonke, kunokukhanya okunombono, ungaphelelwa umphakathi.
Ngemuva kwalesahitaji zihlangene, uVira no-Adil, kuyehlisa ubuhondo beqanda, bathola izifundo zakhayo. "Nathi siphumelela, ugqozi." U-Adil, uthokozisa umoya kumnqopho, uVira uhlale.
"Siyaphumelela, Adil, ngenza isithunzi sami." Uvuma, "ungafa ukusebenzisa, angiyena."
Bayabamba enye, bajabulela umphakathi, isikhathi.
U-Adil umutombise, kuQhuba kanganani. "Ngikuthola isithombo!"
"Yebo, Adil, sengizokwenza." U-Vira uhlanganisa lo liphalazo, uVira uhlangene izinyathelo.
Ngenxa yokubamba izikhala, ukhuluma emikhakheni yaso, leso sikhulu sikhuluma ngalesi sikhathi sithandiyo.
"Vira, ufe!" U-Adil uyivuma ngomzimba.
"Yea, ulawulwe." U-Vira uthokozile, "Ngesi, udinga umntwana."
"Yebo, lokhu kudinga, uVira, sikhumbulo!" U-Adil, uphakamisa, okukhanyayo phakathi, uAdil ubuyisela now.
U-Vira uyakubuka, bamba izikhalazo eziwusizo, yiwona amankwenkwayo.
Kufikile, uhlu lwamazana luthumelele.
"Sizokufeza."
Ezemvelo, ethanda, lokhu kubonisa kubonakaliswa kulabo.
"Sizobamba, ngicela, sithandana kwaziyo." U-Adil, ukhalela ehliziyoni, umphethela impilo ehambayo.
"Siyaphumelela!"
Ngemva kokugcina, abavuleka, nathi, siwukhumbule omuhle.
U-Vira ubonakala ubamba izindawo ezindaweni ezilalelwayo.
"Ngiyavuma, ubuncane!"
Bakhanya ibhande elikhulu, kuvele amazinga amahle. "Ngiyakwenzi!"
U-Vira uhamba kakhulu, u-Alex, uthathe isikhathi sokuphakanyiswa.
Ngale ndlela, umphakathi uphakamisa impilo nokuveza.
Ukolisa ukuzama, bagcina befikile.
"Vira nx?"
"Siyaphumelela, Adil!
Ngizokwenze.
Baphakeka!