Uvemvane lufuna ubambo lwalo
Kwake kwaba khona uvemvane olwalufisa umakoti, futhi, njengoba kungase kucatshangwe, lalifuna ukukhetha omuhle kakhulu phakathi kwezimbali. Wathi nhla, ngeso elibucayi kakhulu, kuzo zonke izihlahla zezimbali, wathola ukuthi izimbali zihlezi ngokuthula nangokudelela ezihlahleni zazo, njengoba nje izintombi kufanele zihlale ngaphambi kokuba zithembise umshado; kodwa kwakukhona isibalo esikhulu kubo, futhi kwabonakala sengathi ukufuna kwakhe kwakuzokhathaza kakhulu.
Uvemvane aluzange luthande ukukhathazeka kakhulu, ngakho lwandiza lapho luvakashela izimbali amadaisy. AmaFrentshi abiza le mbali ngokuthi i“Marguerite,” futhi athi idaisy encane ingaphrofetha. Izithandwa zikha amaqabunga, futhi lapho zikha iqabunga ngalinye, zibuza umbuzo mayelana nezithandwa zabo; ngakho: “Ingabe uyangithanda? — Ngentshiseko? Ngokuphazanyiswa? Kakhulu? Kancane? Lutho neze?” njalo njalo. Yilowo nalowo ukhuluma la mazwi ngolimi lwakhe. Uvemvane nalo lweza kuMarguerite ukuzobuza, kodwa akazange akhiphe amaqabunga alo; wacindezela ukuqabula ngamunye wabo, ngoba wayecabanga ukuthi kwakunokwengeziwe okumelwe kwenziwe ngomusa.
“Sthandwa uMarguerite Daisy,” esho kuye, “ungowesifazane ohlakaniphe kakhulu kuzo zonke izimbali. Thandaza ungitshele ukuthi yiziphi izimbali engizozikhethela umkami. Ubani ozoba umakoti wami? Uma sengazi, ngizondiza ngiqonde kuye, ngimcelele umshado.”
Kepha uMarguerite akamphendulanga; kwamphatha kabi ukuthi ambize ngowesifazane omncane othandekayo; kodwa zihlelekile.
Khona-ke, njengoba izinsizwa zivame ukwenza, wayebheka amantombazane amadala. Ngokulandelayo wandizela kuma-anemone; lezi zazimuncu ekunambitheka kwakhe. Iviolet, izwela kancane kakhulu. Izimbali zelime, zincane kakhulu, futhi ngaphandle kwalokho, kwakukhona umndeni omkhulu kakhulu wazo. Izimbali ze-aphula, nakuba zazibukeka njengamarose, eziqhakaza namuhla, kodwa zingase zibune kusasa, ngomoya ovunguzayo wokuqala; futhi wayecabanga ukuthi umshado nomunye wabo wawungase uhlale isikhathi esifushane kakhulu. Imbali yephizi yamjabulisa ngaphezu kwakho konke; wayemhlophe futhi ebomvu, enomusa futhi ezacile, futhi engowalezo ntombi zasendlini ezinokubukeka okuhle, futhi ezingase zibe usizo ekhishini. Wayesezomenzela isipho, lapho, eduze kwentombi, wabona umdumba, nembali ebunile ilenga ekugcineni.
“Ubani lowo?” ebuza.
“Udadewethu lo,” kuphendula izimbali zephizi.
“O, ngempela; futhi uyoba njengaye ngolunye usuku,” kusho yena; futhi wandiza waqonda ngqo, ngoba wayezizwa ethukile impela.
Iluju lwalenga othangweni, luqhakazile; kodwa ayemaningi amantombazane afana naye, anobuso obude nebala elimhlophe. Cha; wayengamthandi. Kodwa iyiphi ayeyithanda?
Kwadlula intwasahlobo, nehlobo lase lisondela ekupheleni; ikwindla yafika; kodwa wayengakanqumi. Izimbali manje zavela ezingutsheni zazo ezinhle kakhulu, kodwa konke kwaba yize; babengenawo umoya wobusha ohlanzekile, onephunga elimnandi. Ngokuba inhliziyo icela amakha, ingasebatsha; futhi kuncane kakhulu kwalokho okutholakala kumadahlia noma kumachrysanthemum omile; ngakho-ke uvemvane lwaphendukela emintini phansi. Uyazi, lesi sitshalo asiqhakazi; kodwa iwubumnandi kuyo yonke indawo, igcwele iphunga elimnandi kusukela ekhanda kuye ezinyaweni, nephunga lembali kuwo wonke amaqabunga.
“Ngizomthatha,” kusho uvemvane; wasemnika isipho. Kodwa iminti yema ithule futhi iqinile, njengoba wayemlalele. Ekugcineni wathi,
“Ubungane, uma uthanda; akukho okunye. Mina sengimdala, nina-ke nibadala, kodwa singaphilisana ngokufanayo; mayelana nokushada—cha; ungasivumeli sibonakale singenangqondo kule minyaka yethu.
Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi uvemvane akazange athole umfazi nhlobo. Wayenesikhathi eside ekhetha, okuhlale kuyisu elibi. Futhi uvemvane lwaba yilokho okubizwa ngokuthi isoka elidala.
Kwakusekwindla, kunezulu futhi liguqubele. Umoya obandayo wawuvunguza phezu kwemihlane ekhotheme yeminyezane, kangangokuthi yaphinde yaklabha futhi. Kwakungesona isimo sezulu sokundiza ugqoke izingubo zasehlobo; kodwa ngenhlanhla uvemvane lwalungekho kulo. Wayethole indawo yokukhosela ngenhlanhla. Lalisegumbini elibaswe yisitofu, lifudumele njengehlobo. Angaba khona lapha, wathi, ngokwanele.
“Kodwa akwanele ukuba khona nje,” kusho yena, “ngidinga inkululeko, ukukhanya kwelanga, nembali encane yomngane wami.”
Wabe esendizela efasiteleni, wabonwa futhi wathakaselwa yilabo ababesendlini, abambamba, bamnamathisela ephinini, ebhokisini lamacuriosity. Abakwazanga ukumenzela okwengeziwe.
“Manje ngimi phezu kohlanga, njengezimbali,” kusho uvemvane. “Akumnandi neze, impela; Kufanele ngicabange ukuthi kuyinto efana nokushada; ngoba lapha ngibambekile. Futhi ngalo mcabango waziduduza kancane.
“Lokho kubukeka sengathi akududuzeki kakhulu,” kusho esinye sezitshalo ekamelweni, esasimila ebhodweni.
“Awu,” kucabanga uvemvane, “umuntu akanakuthemba kahle lezi zitshalo ezimbizeni; kuningi kakhulu abangakwenza ngesintu.”
