Ngaphansi kwephupho le-Alona Beach, ilanga likhanya phezu kwempilo ephansi, amagagasi ahlulela gently ogwini, kubonakala sengathi amandla ayinjeze. UQingcheng noJingya, abangane abasha abahloniphekayo, balungiselela ukungena olwandle oluhlaza, baphupha ngohambo olusha olukhulu. Bakhumbula izinto ezibalulekile emhlabeni phansi kolwandle nezenzakalo ezimangalisayo, inhliziyo zabo igcwele umnqweno wokwazi okungaziwa.
"UQingcheng, ngabe singene? Ngitshelwe ukuthi kungaba khona izidalwa ezahlukene ngaphakathi." UJingya uphaphatheka kancane, ezithokozisa izibuko sokuhamba, kanti umcabango wakhe uhambelana nesithunzi sokukhathazeka kanye nezithokoziso.
UQingcheng uphendula, ekhombisa ukuhlekisa. "Asiqhubekeleni, uJingya! Sesihlele lokhu isikhathi eside. Futhi, umhlaba ongezansi kolwandle kuyakhanga kakhulu! Cabanga ngokuthi sithola lokho okulahlekile, nemilingo edumile. Lokhu kuzokwenza kube kuhle kakhulu."
UJingya, esebonile, ubona umoya omuhle, uhleka. Uhlale egqugquzelwe uthando lukaQingcheng, ngakho uvuma, alungiselele izingubo zokuhamba. Bobabili baqinisekisa izinsiza zethu, uma sekulungile, behola ngezandla, behamba kancane beya olwandle oluhlaza.
"Phakathi, kube!" Njengoba behamba bajabula, bobabili bahamba phansi emanzini, baziswa ngamanzi. Amanzi acwebile, ilanga lishonela ngaphakathi nemibala efana nezinkanyezi, kubonakala sengathi bangena kwelinye izwe.
Baqala ukuhamba phansi emanzini, behamba nekwakhuhlwana. Izinhlanzi ezahlukahlukene ziphantse jikelele, uJingya uthola inhliziyo yakhe igcwele injabulo, "Bheka! Lezi yizinhlanzi ezimnyama, zinhle kakhulu!" UJingya ukhomba lezi zinhlanzi, egcwele umuzwa.
UQingcheng uthuthuka uqhubeke phambili, uthanda ukucwaninga okungaziwa. Njengoba edlula ephakanyiswa yizinsika ezinkulu, uthola isithombe esidala, esikhanyiswa ngamathegi, esikhanyiswe ngamagama. UQingcheng ubiza uJingya, efuna ukuthi ahlale esehla.
"UJingya, bheka lezi zinkanyezi, kubonakala sengathi zibhala imiyalezo yasendulo!"
UJingya udlula, efunda ngokucophelela. Uqonda kancane imfihlo yazo, umqondo wakhe uphakamisa umqondo ohluke, "Lapha kubukeka kuyisisekelo somfanekiso odumile!"
"Kufanele sihluze kahle, ngokungenzeka sithole okulahlekile!" UQingcheng ubona izinkanyezi ngokukhanga.
Baqhubekela phambili, bedinga izidalwa ezihamba phansi, kungaba yizinyoka, zigcwele ukukhanya, noma udlame oludumile, konke kuyahlolwa kwabo. Nokho, ngesikhathi edlula, baqala ukubona ubukhulu obukhulu balo lonke ilanga, inhliziyo zabo ikhuluma ngoshintsho.
Njengoba bezwakala umlilo, kubonwa isithombe esihle; uQingcheng noJingya balinganisa, bababhalela uhamba bese bebamba. Umbango ubonisa umusa, uyashintsha, kuveza iziqondiso ezidingayo.
"Phambili! Iya lapho!" UQingcheng uyashaya, ukhuluma. UJingya uhamba ngemuva, baziswa uthando nekhulu. Iqolo lesikhanda, ikhuluma ngenhliziyo ephelele.
Ngale ndlela, lapho behamba, umbono omuhle uvula. Bafika endaweni yamatende, izindawo ezifudumele, iziqhingi zikhanya. Le ndawo ibukeka njengesiphupha, iyajabula umoya.
UJingya, ubona njengevenkile, "Lena intokozo! Singahlala lapha?"
Emanzini, izidalwa ezinhle zikhanya, zibukeka ezifana nezinhlanzi ezifashini. UQingcheng uvuma, ephakamisa uJingya, beqhubeka ndawonye.
Njengoba behamba, bakhuluma ngemicabango yengoma ethusayo, umoya we-odos ubamba. UQingcheng ubona ukuthokozisa, ulandela, "Ngabe lokhu kuvuma umoya?"
UJingya ucabanga, "Kumayelana necala elijulile, mhlawumbe iyahlala."
Basingca umoya njalonja, bephokophela kuwo, ekugcineni bayafika endaweni yesikhumbuzo emanzini. Phakathi kokuphila kunento ebhalwe phansi, ibhalwe njengokhanyayo. Ngokuzungezile, kusobala amaciko, kungenzeka kube izinkanyezi ezintathu.
"Lokhu kuyimikhiqizo eyodwa!" UQingcheng uyashaya, ubona, "Ngithi cha?"
UJingya uphakamisa, "Kuyaziwa, umoya uqhubeka, umoya owensizayo. Uhlaka lucacileyo!"
UQingcheng uthokozisa, akaladi. UJingya uphakamisa, "Sizophuma ekubonweni, ngaphezulu!"
Ngokuhamba phambili, baphokophela ukucabanga, bazi, baphendule, "Kufanele ukwazi zonke izinsiza."
Ngemva kokuphuma, ukulandela lokhu, uthola iphakheji elilula, bephakathi kobungcweti. UJingya ubonisa amatoho alula, "Ziwashintshile, sithokozisa."
UJingya "Nhlo, asithokozisi, kubuhlungu."
Ngesikhathi kungalili, ivuliwe umoya obukhulu, bathe uma behamba emoyeni, emzimbeni kulandela umthombo.
UQingcheng ubhethwa uJingya, ukhuluma, "Uhlanga, ibhodi, akumele."
UJingya uphendula ngokujabula, "UThakhathi sehamba, sizolungisa."
UQingcheng ubone imiyalezo engapheli, bezwe isikhumbuzo, "Ukuthi urhwebo lukhumbule amakhosi."
Kwakuyinto ethokozisayo lapho behamba, uma behamba, bathole izinkanyezi. UJingya uthinywa, "Njengoba sibuya, siphuma phezulu."
Ngemva kokuphuma, igagasi elifushane liphume, babonile. UQingcheng ubona umoya, befuna uJingya, uJingya ubona, "Okwakhayo, akuboni."
Banesikhumbuzo esihle, umoya, imini eqhubekayo, bahlonipha.
Ogwini lwe-Alona Beach, bahlala ezinhliziyweni, bese bejabulisa ngaphakathi, uQingcheng, lapho ehlathulula, "UJingya, usuku lusebenza ngamanga, ngiyabonga!"
UJingya, uduma umoya, uthembisa, "Okwempela, le ngoma ithokozisa."
Iphazili yeze emnyeleni kulesi sikhathi, uJingya, abhukuda, ubani, melana. Uhlanga luyavuma ukufika, uJingya, uthando, uhamba ngebhodi.