Ngaphandle kwemigudu yeVenice, izibani zezulu zihlukanisa umuzi wonke ngesithunzi segolide, ithanga lamanzi libonisa imigqa yemibala esibhakabhakeni kanye nezakhiwo zakudala, izigameko ezikhazimulayo zomfula zikhombisa ukuthula okungapheli. Lapha, umoya emzini wababekezeli u-Alik noVera ungumthombo wokuphila kwabo. Ngokuthula, behamba emkhumbi ogibele emfuleni, ilanga lisuka phakathi kwemithi yokhuni, likhasha emaphaketheni abo, likhuthaza wonke umnyakazo wabo, njengothando lwabo olushisayo.
U-Alik unonyaka oyi-17, ubuso bakhe obuphakathi kwezinkanyezi buhambisana nezehlakalo zomphakathi, egcwele umoya wobuntu. Nakuba umndeni wakhe ungahlali kahle, lokhu akukhathazi imfuno yakhe yokuphupha. Njalo uma edlala ipiyano esigcawini sesikhungo, umdlandla wempilo yakhe uyavuka. Uhlosile ukuba nguMsizi Omkhulu emhlabeni, ukufakazela abantu ngokukhanga kwengoma yakhe nalapho kufanele bagijime masu. Izitho zakhe zikhazimula kwi-piano, zifana namagiya athile abotshwa kumathuluzi kagesi ekhonjiswa kumkhumbuli wezwi.
U-Vera uphila njengezinyoni ezinkulu zomfula ngaphandle komfula, uthanda ngobuhlungu, ubala ubovu obunamaphiko amahle, amehlo amancane aphakeme njengezinkanyezi ezintokazayo. Uhlaziya, ukwazi ukufunda bese ungena ezindaweni zomnyango, U-Vera uthanda umdanso, kakhulu. Ngaphakathi kwayo, uthole ukuzihlanganisa, ubusa lezo zibani ezikhombisa ukuphila komndeni. Ngenkxibelelana nezwi nomculo, kungeyona impilo ehlakaniphile kakhulu.
Ngaleli sonto, bamemezela ukuvuma ukulimaza izinkanyezi, bahlola isikole esidumile somculo emanzini eVenice. Isikole sithola iziqhinaniso zophononongo, siyakwazi ukukholwa ukuthi abakhuluma. Lapha abakhohliwe batah ukuvuma izimfanelo eziphezulu, besebenzisa izinyathelo eziphakeme.
"U-Alik, ucabangela ukuthi sizokwazi yini ukungena?" uVera uthi ngesithukuthezi, ezithatha ngaphansi kwezihanisi zempahla yakhe.
"Yebo, Vera! Uma singakhumbuliwe, sizoba nani nakakhulu," u-Alik uthi ngokwethembeka edanisa uVera, eyenikela kuze kwafaka isiqiniseko esinzima banikela aminza ahlakaniphile. Baphuma endlini ehamba, ngaphansi kwalokho, umphakathi uhamba nomculo.
Ebhukwini, bafaka izifundo, u-Alik usesha imfihlo, kodwa izinyathelo ezithakazelisayo zikaVera zikhanya. Nxa ebona lowo okhulumela umphakathi, uVera uthi ngomsindo ophusile: "Sifuna lokhu ukufunda umculo nomdanso, sibonise izimfanelo zethu." Nakuba ebonakalayo ungaphakathi uziko, ibholo lacwila kumlilo ophilayo.
Umphakathi uphupha kancane, uphinde uphendule, abisebenda ebhange. Babemomotsheni kancane, lehla baphudulula emfuleni.
E-akhawungwa Ama-ezithako, zasekugcineni, uVera unika abavakashi umkhuba omkhulu oqinileyo ukhululekile. Nxa uVera eqhamuka naye, akhuthaza ukuthi bayasebenzisana, yayihamba phambili engasetshenziswanga ifa eliphakathi laki. Noma yini, uVera ubehlabahlaba kancane, ngaleso sikhathi izinkanyezi zafika nomusa wabo.
Ngesikhathi sobuchwepheshe sebha, u-Alik uvumela ukuzivocavoca kunomnyango, ubhalela phansi, ukhipha umphumela. Umuntu oyise izinyathelo ezihamba phezulu kakhulu, uthunge apriyama uVera ebhajwe yimimoya engcwenge, umoya ungena emzimbeni.
Ngokukhathazeka kwenzeka, u-Vera nemikhuba, basondeza izinyathelo ezihamba phezulu, baphume ngaphezu kokujola lesi sichazankuba somculo, uVera uyiqiniso, uyempela - unquma ngayo. Ngoba bese uvuma naye.
Futhi okuphambene, abantu bephumule uma izinkanyezi zikhanya, zifana nezinkanyezi eziphakeme, umphakathi ubhukuda omani. U-Alik uvuthwa yizinsizwa, gremlins zikhanya isikhathi nyangayi - uVera uthi ngoba ithungatha abavakashi baziqondisa kumzanekezwe ngezakhiwo.
"Ngabe sithola kwesikhashana, ngesikhathi sokuxhumana rent, baqhebeza namuhla eyangama eluhlaza, niqondise kancane inayazele,” uVera ubephumile.
"Ngendlela esiyihambayo, singenza kahle," u-Alik, uVera akavuma.
Bebebukeka ezingilazini ezinhle, empumalanga, besabalala uthando, baxhumana nezinyathelo obala, zabantu ezithokozisayo. Iwayibhekile kwabathengyi bebonke bathanda umdlandla uthandoshiphi owaziwa.
Ngoba izinkanyezi lezi zifana nezinyathelo, zikhona phambi komnyango, uthando luthango ngxokozela, befunwa izinhle. Njengokubukeka ngezinsuku zilibili, uthando phayo kuvela phambili, lokhe, phakathi komfula wendawo, umfula bahkanalwaye.