Ngaphansi kwezulu elihlumayo elinamanzi aluhlaza, ilanga lidlula phezu kwamanzi avulekile ashisayo, kufana nokuphakela usawoti obomvu. Izingwave zibhakabhakela ogwini, zikhuluma ngomsindo ophumayo ocebile, konke kubonakala kukhululekile nokuthokozisayo. Kulesi sithombe esihle somphakathi, kukhona i-mermaid, egama layo linguAislyah. Iphethini yayo emhlophe iyakhanya ngaphansi kwelanga, hair yayo ibonakala njenge-silk eluhlaza, igijima kancane ngethuba ukuhamba kwezinsiza. UAislyah uvame ukuhamba kancane kulesi sithombe somoya, ejabula ngaphandle kokukhathazeka.
Kodwa, ngaphansi kwalezi zinkanyezi ezithokozisayo, kukhona okuthile okuveza ingozi. Ibhilidi elikhulu liphakamisa ngaphansi kwamanzi, liphathiswe ngama-corals amaningi, lokhu kuyikhaya likaAislyah, kodwa futhi kuyindlwana yakhe. Umnyango wekhaya uvikelwa yisilo esibi somwandle, lesi sikhulu sinezinto ezihlukile zomlingo, kuthiwa uma umuntu enza isifiso sezinkanyezi, uma sifiso siba uqobo, lesi sikhumbuzo sizovumela impungushe yayo. Ngakho, uAislyah uhamba njalo esibukweni sezinkanyezi, ethule, efisa ukuthi ngelinye ilanga, umuntu azompholisa, abuyise emhlabeni ophumile.
Ngalesi sikhathi, emzaneni osemgwaqweni, kukhona isikhumbuzo esiphakeme esibizwa ngokuthi uAlcys. Ubukhulu uAlcys, imisipha yakhe iqinile, enezinwele eziphakeme njengezibani. Inhliziyo kaAlcys igcwele ngobulungiswa nezibindi, noma ngubani odinga ukusiza, uzimisele ukuyokhuluma. Kumazweni kulindeleka udaba lwe-mermaid, kuthiwa kuphela abantu abaqinile bangakwazi ukuvusa impungushe, futhi baphule uAislyah ezivalweni. Lokhu kuqhuba uAlcys ozizwe efisa ukusindisa imifanekiso.
"Ngizokwenza ukufika kukhulu ye-mermaid!" uAlcys wayeqinisekile, ebeka i- smile ezinzima ngomlomo.
Uyalungiselela umqoka wokulwa, babamba isiqhwaga esikhanya, bese eyela emabhakabhakeni. Ilanga litshine phezu komhlanga wakhe, njengokuthi phezulu kwazulu zikhuluma ngombono wakhe. U-Alcys uyangena emanzini apholile, uyezikhumbulise umnyango owawavikelwe yimpungushe yomdabu, kanti amanzi azungeza bukhali, efana namabhambo amancane avusa emzimbeni wakhe.
Lapho uAlcys efika eduze komnyango, umhlaba phansi uphuphuma. Lezi ziboya zamakhampasi ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene, zichaze kahle ngamapheshene, okubukeka kunomusa, kujabisa. U-Alcys wenza uqhakambisa, efuna indlela yokungena ngaphakathi. Ngemuva kwesikhashana, uqaphela impungushe enkulu ethokozisayo, uyangibona amaphikimabu futhi izidakamizwa zemilingo zingama-primodus, zibhakabhakela, amaphiko abomvu ajabula kube kancane, eqhamuka kwezindawo.
"Ngiyi-Alcys, kimi, ngizokhuluma ye-mermaid!" ubadela u-Alcys, izwi lakhe likhalisa emanzini, likhumbuza umhlaba.
Impungushe ibamba ukuthanda, ibukeka endaweni yonke. "Ucabanga ukuthi ungithola?" iyahlekisa, imisindo ifana nezikhali zomdabu, futhi ibukeka ithokozile. "U-Ambitious Rider, kuphela uvuma nje!"
"Ngiyaphuthuma!" U-Alcys uqhubeka, amakhanda aphakeme.kuphela kuqhamuka uzame ukuzama, yenzeka isikhala eniziselayo, "Uma ngiqeda impungushe, kuzokwazi ukusindisa leli phezulu ye-mermaid!"
"Hahaha, ukuphila okukuhle!" Impungushe iyahlekisa, iyakhuthaza, futhi iyakhulisa, ibamba uAlcys, izulu lezi ziphuka fazulu. Khalaka acindezela, ehamba hle aphenya, uthola umjaho.
"Ngingathola!" Ngaphakathi, u-Alcys udabuka ngempela, izikhumbuzo zamahamba, ubala ngezikimu zomoya, ithokoza uAlcys, zama ukungaguquli izimpawu zabo. Njengoba ningiyizandla, ukhayisikhumbuzo u-Alcys ungama, iphumelele umphakathi, uyalugadila, uthola ukuqhamuka, inyama efiselekayo engakafaka.
U-Alcys uqhubeka ngempela njengoba izimpungushe ziqhamuka zikhokha, uthola umoya ohluke ngokuphelele. Ngokoqobo, uma uAlcys uphumelelisa ezinye izaziso, uphumelele uAlcys kumphakathi, u-Alcys, impungushe iyagijima ngaphakathi.
U-Alcys uyaduma njengoba umsebenzi uqhamuka entanyeni, njengoba umhlaba usiza ukukhululekile. U-Alcys wahamba benze iziqhamo phansi, behlanze isivakashi, bephuma phansi umoya, uAlcys wahamba entanyeni, kuze kube phakade, lezo zinsuku zinye.
Ngoba umoya ucelula, uAlcys uthembela, umqoka ovuthwa imbewu zibuye, phakathi kwemkhathi, uthola umsebenzi wesithathu ekukhanyeni, uhamba ekhangela phambili.
"Uthole lwendu, anciphisa izinhliziyo ezijabula!" U-Alcys ubhalisa, uyazisa ngendlela ezihlekisayo ehamba, aphuma. U-Aislyah wanisa umzuzu, aphendulisa isimo esikhulu, webuyisile uyazisa u-Alcys.
U-Aislyah, udaliwe u-Aislyah, uphelelwa, uphuma phezu kwezikhumbuso, uthole umoya ohlelekile, uthanda, u-Aislyah abalandeli imizuzu, imizuzu ngemizuzu ephila, iba gijima kancane.
"NgoMgqibelo, ungabe ungithatha iphazamoyo lami!" U-Alcys ubona, uthembisa u-Aislyah, "Ngishayelwa yimpungushe!"
UAislyah uthumele izifiso eziningi empilweni, ubhalwa ekubeni ubulale abaphume ngalolu thando, uthanda uAlcys, umoya uthokozisa umoya, aphelile emukwa uAislyah, uthembisa uAlcys.
"Ngishayelwa kwezinsuku zizi!" U-Aislyah, uyamukele, uthokozisa umthambo ongokwakhe, uthule embhaleni, ngenkathi umoya obhaliswa ezindaweni zomehluko.
Ngaphansi kwezinyoni, u-alcys...
U-Alcys wayevuma impungushe, u-Aislyah wayevuma imikhutha, nxa sebethunge umphakathi omuhle, lokhu kuzilungisa, u-Alcys uqhamuka. U-Alcys, u-puma, fayli uAlcys, ephumeza amandla, umoya wakhe uthanda, wayephuma ngempela.
Ngendlela ye-pissth, ukwenze kwese u-alcys, uthokozisa, baphila bemphego, udaliwe, ukuba bakhulume bejabulisa, u-Alcys ubhalisa ukuba bejabulile, u-Aislyah, uhamba nabathandekayo obukeka.