Ngaphakathi kwegalaxy eyakhelwe kude, kukhona inhlamvu ekhanyayo ye-nyanga, engaphezu kokuba yinkanyezi ebusuku, iyindawo emangalisayo. Lapha kuhlala imithalezi engafani, futhi endaweni egcwele imilingo neziyalezo, umthalezi waseNtshonalanga, u-Ellis, ubhekene neningi lokuhlola imizwa.
UEllis unenhlebo epholile efana nefu legolide, isikhumba sikaSnow esihamba kahle, emehlweni akhe kubonakala ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi. Ungumgibeli wenyanga, unamandla okulawula ukukhanya kwenyanga, angavumela zonke izimanga ukuthi ziwagqoke, bringing the earth into a gentle night. Nokho, enhliziyweni yakhe, kune-mysterious loneliness, ngoba ubuhlungu bakhe buphathwa nomfana.
Lo mfana, ogama lakhe linguSiri, unokuphila okungaziwa. Ukufika kwakhe kwakufana nezinkanyezi, kukhiphe izinkanyezi zemali eziphakathi kokuphila kukaEllis. Izingathi zikaSiri zikhanyayo, zenze abantu bazwe sengathi ufihla imfihlo engaziwa. UEllis uzame ukufinyelela kuye, efuna ukuhamba ngezandleni zakhe, kodwa ukude kahle kaSiri kumkhumbuza imizwa emibi.
Ngeviki elithile, uEllis umi emaphethelweni enyanga, ebuka impilo ethandekayo yasesibukweni, entwasonya emqondweni. Ngalolu suku, uSiri wandisa ukucheguza, wamthinta eshaya phezulu, "Ellis, uyabuka okuthile?" Izwi lonke wakhe lobomvu, lufana nomoya eburasini, luthwala imizwa ethile.
“Ngicabanga ngezinganekwane eziyinkanyezi eziyiwa nokwenza umuntu azizwe engakaze aphume.” Izingane zikaEllis zipholile, kodwa aziphumuli kude nomuzwa omubi. “Uhlale uyimfihlo, futhi ubonakala ungafani nanoma yiziphi izinto lapha.”
USiri wagqama phambilini, umfana wayengezama ukukhuluma ngamaphupho akhe, kodwa uthi kuphela: “Mhlawumbe, ezinye izimfihlo azikwazi wabelana ngazo.” Ngemva kokukhuluma, uSiri uthathe izinyathelo, efuna ukukhipha izigameko zikaEllis. Iphuphu lenhliziyo kaEllis yaqala ukujabulisa, wahamba emuva kuye, akhambe izandla, “USiri, ingabe uthanda ukuhamba? Ngiyazi ukuthi uhlukile, kodwa akufanele ukuphila njengelasha.”
USiri wagxuma phansi, emehlweni akhe kwakukhanye wokukhathazeka, njengoba abesezithintileka ehlela echwepheshile, “Ellis, angifuni ukufaka isandla kulolu hlelo. Nginegunya.”
“Ukwenziwa?” U-Ellis uzithola uziphonsa isikhathi eside, ehamba phambili. “Ngakho ugonyamelo lwakho lungakanani? Ukuphila ngokomzimba, noma ungafihlekile ebumnyameni?”
Waziphinda, ubuhle bukhanya ngezizwe ezikhanyayo, efuna ukwenza umbono. Ngemva kwesikhashana, bavuma, “Ngifikile enyangeni, ngiyazazi. Ngaphambili kulungile futhi okubuhlungu lokhu engiwuthanda, asifuni ubuhlanga.”
Ellis wakhanya kahle, umqondo kaSiri wenza ukuthi azone, washunqiswa, “Ngeke ngibekayo baba, okunama isisombululo, ngivumelanisa nomhlaba, buddy, ngabe ukhayisa futhi.”
U-Ellis wathinta, umoya unombiko enhliziyweni, edlondlobala emicabango. “Yikuphi engizokukhumbula? Ngakube kuhle shintsha izinkanyezi, ngiyethemba kuzochaza ukukhanya.”
USiri wabe usoma izinsingo ezivuthayo ngaphansi kwemigibeli yakhe, lokhu kuchaza uthando lwabo. “Ngeke ngithande umoya.”
“USiri, akufanele uqhamuke khona, ngiyokwandisa kokokwelapha. Ngabe kumoshwa kodesh kuhamba?” URuri uphakathi xhumu, “Ngiyaphila ngezakhi namahlomula enkakazeni yenu, uthando oluphelele.”
Ngokuphinyiselwe, ubumnandi bazivocavoca izitho, banikezela ukuncika ezikhaleni ukuze baphumezane. Ubuciko bukhanya, besenesizotha ukwakheka ngebhayisikili abavumayo. Akekho obala ngaphakathi. Ngomhlana sikhumbula ezihlekisayo de idinga ukusola, uyakukhumnula.
Ngaleso sikhathi, baphansi kokuvele nemizila, abahlakaniphile baphosa ukuduku balale kude. Le nkanyezi ibuyisela, inembelekile, ubuchwepheshe buthanda ukukhipha okukhanyisayo okuncane, kubethe izinguquko eziningi ezivela. UEllis uchithwa, uyahlola izinyawo zasezizweni, bese efaka izisindo, umoya uvula ukungena kwethu.
UNabava uyoNhlangano, amacala akhipha uzamayo ukuze kudlule, uEllis aqoka, abrawaza nemisinga emisha.
Ngalezi, izinhliziyo ezincane, uSiri ubala. Ngehla ngezikhukhula edlulayo, uSiri ophakathi umhla, injabulo edlula, uHlezi ezinkanyezi.
U-Ellis uthungatha umhlaba, etshwala izinkanyezi zabo futhi ub rite nokuphila nemizuzu ebukhali adventure eziphephile.
Ngibona leso sikhathi amahle ayinhlelekile kanye nasobala. Ngosukukhanyisela kuchazwe ekhuluma nomphakathi.