Ngaphansi kokukhanya okuhle kweNyanga, izinkanyezi ezinhlobonhlobo zikhanyiswa, njengezinyembezi eziningi zamehlo ezibheka emhlabeni. Le mhlobiso enkulu ye-ufanelekile ibonakala ithokozisa umjolo, ubusuku banoma yisiphi, umgubho obalulekile ohlanganisa uhlanganisa ukukhanya sokufanele. Igama lakhe nguKyle, umfana onefiso yokuhlola okungaziwa. Ngakomoya, izinkanyezi azilodwa nje izithombe ezibanzi, kodwa zifanelana nokuba uhambo lokuhlola nokuphupha.
UKyle uhlezi phezu kobubanzi beNyanga, ivoti lethu liqhubeka ngezinsongo, kuphela umoya ophumayo weNyanga okuthokozisayo ubhucunga ubuso bakhe. Lezi zinsuku ezithule nabukhali zimenze athole umuzwa wemizwa ebonakalayo, inhliziyo yakhe igcwele ithemba ngelizayo, kodwa ibambisene nokuphazamiseka okunomqondo obalulekile. Ngesikhathi ékhula, uqaphela intombazane esondelene naye, igama layo nguFan Wei. Ubuso bayo buveza ukudideka, kubonakala sengathi ibheka izindaba ezibalulekile.
“UKyle,” umsindo kaFan Wei unjengomoya opholile, unokhanya oluthokozisa, “ukucabanga ini?”
UKyle uvilapha, umuhleka kancane, ebuka amehlo akhe akhanyayo njengoba ezama ukubona izinkanyezi. Uzwela ukufudumele okungekho emkhakheni, kubonakala sengathi le mhlobiso ethulisayo ibushubile. “Ngicabanga, mhlawumbe singakwazi ukuthola le nkanyezi eyaziwayo.” Ubufakaza ngenkonzo, eqhubeka ebuka ubusuku obunzima.
“Lokhu kukhuluma ngezinganekwane?” UFan Wei ubukeka njengokuthakazelela. Uphenduka eduze kukaKyle, ehlezi phansi, bobabili bebuka izinkanyezi. “Intoni le nkanyezi?”
“Ngokwesiko kukhona inkanyezi ebizwa ngokuthi ‘inkanyezi yefiso’, kuthiwa wonke umuntu ongayithola, uzoshumayela ifiso elilodwa.” U-Kyle ubhalisela uvungululo, iebe ezikhathe. “Ngiphakathi kokufuna, kungakhathalekile ukuthi ngakwenza ngemizamo emikhulu kangakanani.”
UFan Wei ulalela ngokuthuleka, inhliziyo yakhe isiphasa umqondo omuhle. Unayo ifiso lakhe, kodwa akazange anqikaze ekukhulumeni. Ujola kakhulu ngesibindi sikaKyle, kodwa uvuma ukunqena ukuthi abe naye, “uma sithola le nkanyezi, uzokhulumani?”
“Ngifuna ukuhlola zonke izindawo ezingaziwa, ngenze wonke umuntu azi ukuthi leli zwe linjani. Ngifuna ukudala lokho bonke abantu baphesheya kwemibono yabo, bangabi nabani beziphilelayo.” Ukhaya kweqholo likazulu, uKyle ubhalela umhlaba kangaka, njengezinkanyezi uhambele phesheya kwazulu.
UFan Wei uthwala umcabango ethokozisa uhlanga futhi uthanda izinsuku ezihlukile, ufinyelela emkhakheni owawudiwe, waphenduka, “mhlawumbe ngingahamba nawe ukuze ngithole le nkanyezi.”
UKyle ulezanda, umanga nokuhleka kwenhliziyo, akayeki ukuqonda, “kuhle kakhulu! Singahamba ndawonye, sibheke ukuzithokozisa!”
Ngaphansi kwezinkanyezi, izimangi zathembisa, zithakazelele izinyathelo ezivamile. Njengoba izinqumo ziba sheshisa, ubuhlungu bujahe, indawo ebonakalayo ibaviwa.
“Njengoba sizokwenza lesi sihambi, siyobheka kanjani?” UFan Wei ugcwele ukuthokozisa, kepha uthukile kancane. Ucabanga ngezinselelo nokuphazamiseka okukhona phakathi, inhliziyo yakhe ibhalela ukukhathazeka.
UKyle uvalela amehlo, ekhulumisana nokukhuluma kwanele, uthe, “Ngicabanga, sidinga inhliziyo ehlakaniphile, kanye nomthombo obaluleke kanti. Uma sikhona ndawonye, akekho onezibopho.”
UFan Wei uvuma, ubuhlobo bukhombisa ukuqhamuka. Ujolisa kuKyle, amehlo akhe agcwele ukuzithibe, emkhombisa ukuba aphephe. Bobabili bahlezi behleka, isithikhulu sikhombisa ukunqoba.
Bashisa muva kakhulu izinsuku zokuhlola. U-Kyle uphakamisa umkhakha wezhifo, ibonisa izinkanyezi, amaphupho, kanye nezinsuku ezizayo. Njengoba uphakamisa izinzuzo, ubumpetha baphansi begcwalisa inhliziyo yakhe, eyakheka ukuqhamuka kolwandle.
“Lapho sifika kwezintaba, sizobona ubusuku bukhanya kakhulu, mhlawumbe sizothola izixhumanisi zeNkanyezi yefiso.” U-Kyle ubeka isihlakala, ubufakaza bukhumbula ukuzwakala.
“Masihambe!” U-Fan Wei uzwa ubugovu obukhulu. Umphethe uKyle, behamba behamba phansi kothaka, bobabili bejolisa ezinkanyezini banaba uvalo.
Ngokuzenzakalelayo, umzuzu othize uphenya izinyembezi eziphezulu. UKyle ulandela uFun Wei, ulandela ukucabanga nje kwazulu. Lokhu kusasa kwebhampa ukumomotheka, lapho behlanganyela ezinkanyezini njengokukhanya.
“Ucabanga ukuthi, kuthiwa isebenza kuphela phakathi kwezinsuku ezithile, lapho ukukhanya kweNyanga kuphakamisa ngaphezulu, kuyakhe okuthakazelelayo.” U-Kyle uphakamisa amehlo, ngaphansi kothando lwezinkanyezi.
“Yithi sithole ezigigabeni ezinhle!” U-Fan Wei ugcwele umuzwa, ugxumisa uthando.
Kusuka lapho, uKyle noFan Wei bephukethelwa phezulu, izithombe ezithokozisayo ziwashiya bezilokhu besamukela ufula. Lapha, ubusuku bungakancana kakhudlwana, izinkanyezi zibhalela 저을, omunye nomunye ophuma.
“Bheka!” U-Kyle ubeka isikhala enhliziyweni, umangalisa, “Le nkanyezi ineNkanyezi yefiso!”
UFan Wei ulandelela ubugamu, ukwazi ukuthi yiziphi izinjongo ezingase zibe khona. Ubuka lezi zinkanyezi, inhliziyo yakhe igcwale ukuzithokozisa, naku laso ebusuku.
“Lo mzuzu, umlandele ngokuphephile.” U-Fan Wei ukukhangisa, kumangaza uKyle.
“Imfuno yethu isiyokwazi.” UKyle unhliziyo ezimnandi, ibheka uFan Wei, umoya othembekile uthakazelela lokho. “Noma ngabe yiziphi ezithinta, ngizokuhlala ngiyisithanda, ngihamba nawe.”
UFan Wei uzizwa ethokozisa isibonakaliso, umqondo omuhle uza, udlala ngebhande elithi umoya nezinsuku, ungafuni ukuvinjwa. Uthola uKyle, unozela gbashe, uthokozisa lafo.
“Ngifuna… ngifuna injabulo, isibindi, futhi ngiyazi.” U-Fan Wei uvula, ukhuluma, “Ngifuna ukwazi uhlobo lwami oluyikho.”
Ikhono lakhe liyeqizweni, uKyle uthuleka ephendula, ekwenze sibe nesifiso sohlanga, ukuthi bangabi nabani ebuhlungu.”
Emaphutheni, amaphupho abanjiswa ukuphumelela, izinkanyezi yefiso ezibhalela ukuhlola, umthondo obanjiwe umkhombisa uFum Wei.
“Lesi siphetho, sithi lapho singena nokuthokozisa, sithanda disi. Ezinsukwini ezizayo, ukhuluma noKyle, uthengisa uFum Wei.
“Uthando lwezinkanyezi, ohamba, uKyle noFan Wei njengoba bechela izinkanyezi, abazi ukuthi kabazokuphenya nomcebo ophakathi.”