Kumhla ndaya ngaphambili umama wayemi ecaleni kwam. Wayefuna ukundanga, ewe, kodwa andinakukwazi ukumbuyisela. Yena, ebuhlungu kukungamkelwa kwam ngokungenakuphepheka, wayeyazi yonke into endiyenzayo, ngokungathi ngokwenza njalo wayenokuzirekhoda ngonaphakade kwimemori yakhe kwaye ke ngaloo ndlela enze iinkumbulo zam zigcwale indlu. Utata akazange andihoye. Unamathele kwiintonga zakhe, wahamba ukusuka apha esiya apho, wadlula kwigumbi lokuhlala lendlu yethu encinci ngokungathi yindawo yebhaso lezemidlalo, ehambisa isitulo kude apho, ejikeleze isofa apho. Wahamba ngobuchule obukhulu ngezo zandiso zomthi wayezenzele zona. Wayecinga ngombono wokuzicwenga, ukunqunyulwa umlenze edolweni, njengoko abanye oomama besenza ebantwaneni babo, ngaloo ndlela beqinisekisa ngenkonzo yoluntu kude nokufa, iingalo notshintsho. Wayecinga ngokunyuselwa ukuba wayenomdla owaneleyo wokusika ngezantsi kwe-kneecap. Utata wayengasoze ayiqonde into eyakhokelela ekubeni ndigqibe kwelokuba ndiye ngaphambili. Wayezingca, engakwazi. Andinakuze ndimqonde umntu othanda ilizwe lakhe.
Ndabona umama elila, ephuke ziintlungu, evela ngasemva elorini eyayisithutha isiya kwimigca yotshaba. Ndifuna ukwabelana naye ngentlungu yakhe, ndilile njengaye, kodwa yayiyinto eyayingavumelekanga kum. Ke ndaye ndacinga ngaye phaya, embindini wesikwere sedolophu, ndedwa, ndililela ukungabikho kwam njengokuba umzalwana wam ebelila ngeloxesha, ngelixa ilori iqhubile yasikhokelela kukududuzela kweMfazwe Enkulu.
Wabelana nohambo kunye namanye amajoni amathathu, alungiswe njengam. Kwakumi imisele emibini phambi kwam, kwaye ecaleni kwam iBayonet, enye yezo zinezixhobo ezibukhali zengalo kunye nokujonga kancinci. Imisele ifihle ubuso bayo emva kwenjini enkulu enomhlwa eyayisebenza njengesigqubuthelo sobuso. Iipeleneli zentsimbi ezithi ziphume eshafini, eziphantse zibe sisiqingatha semitha ubude, zalukroba uphahla lwesithuthi kwaye zenza konke ukuhamba kungonwabanga. Baye bathula, izandla zisongwe emathangeni abo. Bendingazi ukuba bayakwazi ukuthetha, andikaze ndibabone kufutshane. Wabakhumbula emaphepheni amaphepha-ndaba, apho iifoto zangaphambili zazibonisa uninzi lwabo lusebenza emhlabeni, lusombiwa ukuze lwenze iitonela ezaziza kusebenza njengendawo yokusabela kutshaba. Apha kufutshane kakhulu, ubuso babo banyamalala kumngxunya omnyama ogqunywe ngumhlwa, umngxuma ongazange uvumele ukuqonda umkhondo omnye woluntu osindileyo emva kokuguqulwa.
-Icuba? Ithe iBayonet kum, ndathi hayi, kuba bendicinga ukuba undinika yona.
Wayeyicela, kwaye isenzo sam samenza wangakhululeki. Wajonga phantsi, waphuthaphutha ngesandla sakhe esingaxhobanga kwiipokotho zentelekelelo kwiyunifomu yakhe akancedi. Ukugquma kwenjini yetraki kwandigcina ndiphaphile, kodwa ekuphela kwento endandifuna ukuyenza yayikukuvala amehlo ndize ndifike apho kwakufuneka ndiye khona. Ukulwa notshaba. Ukuphumelela imfazwe eyayingeyoyam. Ukufa, njengomntakwethu. Kancinci kancinci uxinzelelo lomhla lwandoyisa. Kancinci kancinci ndiyeke iphupha landoyisa.
Kwaye ndiphuphe.
Ndiphuphe amajoni aseJamani, ubuso bawo bugutyungelwe zizigqubuthelo zerhasi apho iityhubhu zahluma zaza zangxangxathela kwiitoni zawo. Ndiphuphe iimoto ezixhobileyo zinobuso babantu, zeeppelins ezinamadoda angenanto yakwenza nebhombu kwidolophu yethu encinci. Kwaye ndiphuphe utata wam, enqunyulwe izitho zomzimba, ehamba erhubuluza edolophini ngelixa umntakwethu, eqhotyoshelwe kwintsalela yebiplane eyayiyinxalenye yomzimba wakhe engenakuhlukaniswa, wahleka kakhulu wakhala igazi.
Ndivuke ndiqala. Bendibila. Ndoyame etrakhini ukuva impepho ebusweni bam. Ndaze ndababona phaya phezulu, kufutshane kakhulu, ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Inobungangamsha. Iibiplanes. Amadoda ancanyathiselwe kumaqonga yelinen ngocingo lwentsimbi abhabha edabini, kuqala kwimishini yokuhlola ubuchwephesha, emva koko kwimisebenzi yokuqhushumisa. Ngexesha lokwehla kwethu etrakhini bekumnyama, kodwa iqaqobana labo belithe bhexe ngaphezulu, lithe nca enyangeni. Umntakwethu wayengomnye wabo de omnye wamaJamani wamdubula. Usasikhumbula isiqwenga somzimba wakhe esilungisiweyo, esaphuke okomthi esigqume indawo enkulu yamalungu, xa umzimba wakhe wanikezelwa kuthi.
Itraki ibime ecaleni kwekampasi encinci, iibhegi ezimbalwa zomhlaba ezixineneyo kunye nebhokisi yomthumeli egubungele umnyango wommandla wenqanawa yomsele. Ngapha koko, sinokubona umphambili, loo mhlaba ubharhileyo owahlulahlula iidolophu zethu ezincinci ezimbini eziphantsi komhlaba, iparadesi yeempuku kunye nezidalwa ezishiyiweyo. Ndiphakamise isandla sam kulomntu ebeze kuthi. Wayenenqanaba lesieutenant kwaye wayeneminyaka yam ubudala.
"Wamkelekile ngaphambili, makhwenkwe." Ndiyavuya ukukubona, ”watsho, kodwa amehlo akhe ayaphikisana namazwi akhe.
Uye wasijonga njenge ntokazi engena kumngxunya ongaphakathi kunye nesoka lakhe, warhuqelwa kwibala elimnyama nelinukayo, esoyika ulindelo lokucinga ngento eyoyikisayo yendalo. Kwaye abafundi bakhe bancipha ngakumbi xa endibona phambi kwakhe.
"Nyana, unesisindo esingakanani?" -Ndithe nqa.
Ndandihamba ze phambi kwakhe. Phambi komntu wonke eneneni. Ulusu lwam beluguqulwe ukuze lukwazi ukumelana nengqele kwaye iinyawo zam zitshintshiwe ukuze ndingabuva ubumdaka bodaka ebesilunyathela. Abazange bafune ukuphulukana nomsebenzi wabo weminyaka emibini ngaphezulu kweenyawo zomjelo wegazi, ewe akunjalo. Ke ubu-ethe-ethe bam obucingelwayo, obufunekayo ukuze bubekwe ngokuchanekileyo, bekuphela nje, kucingelwa. Wayengayifuni imfesane yakhe, nkqu nothando lwakhe. Ndamdinga ukuba andivumele ndibengumphambili, andivumele ndifumane umvuzo wam. Ngaphandle koko, ndathetha naye ngentlonipho, kuba wayengumbutho, mhlawumbi wayengowam.
"Amashumi amathathu anesibini eekhilo, mhlekazi."
Kwaye uLieutenant wanqwala, wayisusa ikepusi yakhe wadlulisa isandla sakhe ebunzi.
-Kakuhle kakhulu. Kakuhle kakhulu. Sizahlulahlula. Nyana, yiya kwisayitsheni. Kukho omnye onjengawe olinde naye. Iya kukuthatha kwizithuba zakho. Imisele, nceda undilandele. Kwaye nawe.
Wakhomba kwi-bayonet ethi, intloko ezantsi, yamlandela. Yayiqala ukuna imvula. Ndahamba emva kwe-sergeant ehlaselayo, abo babeneentloko ezixhobileyo kunye nemingxunya yamehlo. Khange athethe kakhulu, ewe, kuba ubuso bakhe babuneengxaki ezininzi kangangokuba umlomo wakhe wawungafakwanga kakuhle, sisidingo esingakhange sikwazi ukucinezelwa ukuvumela ukondliwa kwakhe. Uye wabonisa indlela kum. Imvula yayigquba kwaye iindonga zemisele zazidilika njengesonka se-rye. Ngelixa udaka lundimanzisile, ndagqitha emadodeni, alungisiwe okanye hayi, abandijongayo benesikizi nentlonipho. Kubo bonke besintsha, sahlukile. Sasimangalisiwe, oko amaJamani ayengenakulindela. SasiseLa Alambrada.
Ilebyrinth engaphantsi komhlaba yandibhida. Wayengenakukwazi ukuqhubeka kunye ne-sergeant. Ngalo lonke inyathelo ndithatha iinyawo zam zitshona eludakeni, ndigileka kwiimpuku, ndiphila ndafa. Imvula ngoku yayisisiphango. Ubusuku babumnyama. Ukugqibelela. Sajini waphakamisa isandla, sayeka. Kwaye kwakukho iqabane lam. Kuye nabani na ongomnye ibingazukubonwa, kodwa ndingafumanisa kuloluyahlulo olungenakucinganiswa ngocingo oluhlabayo umzimba wendoda endiza kuthi xhaxhe izandla nayo kungekudala.
Ndivalelisile kwisayitsheni, ndakhwela kwizinyuko ezincinane ezenziwe ngomthi ndaya ngaphandle. Ndandisoyika, kunjalo. Ukuphaphazela. Bangandidubula kwangoko kwaye akukho nto ndinokuyenza ukuyinqanda. Kodwa akukho nto yenzekileyo. Kwakumnyama ebusuku. Kwakunetha. Kwaye sonke sazi ukuba obo bubusuku apho umkhosi waqhubela phambili kwaye iimfazwe zomsele zazingena egazini.
"Molo," yatsho enye ucingo oluhlabayo.
"Molo," ndisebeza.
Ndamxhawula. Ndibeke umzimba wam kwindawo engenakwenzeka komnye umntu. Sobabini sasilucingo oluhlabayo. Besisele siyinxalenye yalo. Ndeva ukuba ucingo oluhlabayo lweqabane lam lutshona kulusu lwesundu sam. Ndeva ubuhlungu, iintlungu ezazizokundigcina ndiphaphile, ezaziza kundigcina ndiphaphile. Kuba bebeza kuza ngobubusuku. Babeza kuhamba ebumnyameni, nasemvuleni. Sibe silapho ke, silindile.
Ukulinda ukubanga.
Idatha yebali
- umbhali: USantiago Eximeno
- Isihloko: Ucingo oluhlabayo
- Umxholo: Uloyiko
- Hayi yamagama: 1370