Umfana owayethanda ukwazi ngomlando
Umfana omncane igama lakhe okwabe kunguBamboo wasala ekhexile emuva kokubona into ayengakaze ayibone selokhu aba khona emhlabeni. Kwakuyinhlabaluhide yezivakashi ezazibuka okwakwenzeka eHsi Ling. Lezi zivakashi zazisanda kudlula indawo eyaziwa ngokuthi iHoly Way eyabe iphakathi kwamatshe amakhulu. UBamboo owayeneminyaka eli-12 waphumisa okwenhlamvu emzini wakubo efuna ukuzozibonela lo mviliyelo. Kwakungumviliyelo wamadoda ayenokuzethemba kuyinto ayeyiqabuka. Kulo mviliyelo kwakukhona izihlalo ezilishumi ezazihlotshiswe ngezindwangu eziyimibalabala, izambulela ezibomvu, ababeziphethe babezibambele kude, bese kuba umugqa omude wamadoda ahamba ngamahhashi.
Emuva kokudlula komviliyelo owabe kungowongqingili, uBamboo wafikelwa izinyembezi ngenxa yokuthi wayengeke esakwazi ukuqhubeka nokuwulandela ngenxa yokuthi babengena ithempeli nethempeli. Uyise kaBamboo wayemdonse ngendlebe ukuthi angabozilandela izivakashi.
“Uma uke walandela izivakashi, ziyokuthatha ziyokwenza isinqibi mfana wami,” kusho uyise. “Uma uyisinqibi uyoba senkingeni ngoba abasazifuni izinqibi eduze kwakoMkhulu.”
Lo mfana wayekuzwa ngendaba ukuphila impilo emnandi yabacebileyo. Wayekhulele emndenini owawungacebile, behlala endlini yodaka, wayehlala njalo ebuka ezinye izingane ayekhula nazo zijabule ziphuma nasemindenini edla kahle.
Ngelanga okwazwakala ngayo le ndaba, kwakungumzuzu wokudlula kwendoda yokugcina eyayiyingxenye yabaviliyeli eyayihamba ngehhashi. UBamboo wahamba eyohlola kwelinye lamathempeli amancane elabe ligadwa nguyise njengoba umsebenzi wakhe kwakunguqapha amathempeli kule ndawo. Leli kwakuyithempeli elabe likhonjiswe izivakashi. Wathi efika nje ngakulo wakhangwa izicabha ezinkulu ezisindayo zensimbi zivulwe gengelezi kucaca ukuthi bakhohliwe ukuzivala sekuphuthuma. Indlela ezazivuleke ngayo kwakungathi zimema yena uqobo ukuba angene.
Ejabule ngendlela eyisimanga, wasondela kancane ethempelini. Kwakuyisifiso sakhe ukuthi ngelinye ilanga angene ethempelini noma asondele nje ngakulo alithinte ngezandla zakhe. Kusuka esemncane, wayehlala ebuka la matshe amakhulu amade ayebhalwe ngombhalo wesiShayina ahamba aze ayoshaya ophahleni. Noma zikhona futhi ziningi izakhiwo eziyilolu hlobo eChina, kodwa uBamboo wayengakaze azibone ngoba impilo yakhe yayiphelela ehlathini eHsi Ling, okwakwenza ukuba nolwazi lwakhe lomhlaba jikelele lube luncane kakhulu. Yingakho wayehlala engakholwa uma ebona isilwane esinjengofudu.Wayehlala ecela uyise ukuthi amchazele ngokuthi kungani kwamanye amabhilidi uthole ukuthi kuwo kunesithombe sofudu? Wayebuza uyise ukuthi kungani kungabi ibhubesi noma indlovu? Lokhu wayekusho ngoba wayeseke wayibona imifanekiso yalezi zilwane emapaki, futhi wayekholwa ukuthi yizona zilwane ezingcono okuyinto eyayenza bangaboni ngasolinye nabangani bakhe. Uyise wayengandi kakhulu ngamazwi uma enikeza uBamboo impendulo. Emibuzweni eminingi eyayiphonswa kuye wayemphendula ngokuthi, “okwenziwayo kuyisiko”. Lokho uBamboo kwakungamniki ukuthula futhi alandelele ngomunye umbuzo. Into ayeseyibheke kakhulu ukungena phakathi ethempelini ukuze kufezeke iphupho lakhe leminyaka.
Waphefumulela phezulu ecabanga ukuthi kungenzeka kube khona umuntu ombonayo ozoqhaphela ukuthi izicabha zethempeli bese eyazivala. Lona kwabe kungumzuzu onzima futhi ongaguqula impilo yakhe. Wanyonyoba kancane edlula ngaphansi kwamatshe amabi, emigudwini emincane. “Laphaya, laphaya!” kusho izwi elikhulu. “Bheka ukuthi wenzani, uphuquza nothuli! Ukwenzelani lokho, uzongiklinya uma ungaqapheli.” Kwabe kukhuluma ufudu, kodwa uyise wayehlala emtshela ukuthi aliphili. UBamboo wathula du, ebonakala enokwesaba engazi noma asukume abaleke yini.
“Asikho isidingo sokusaba mngani wami,” kusho izwi, lizwakala linobuntu. “Ngiyacabanga ukuthi bonke abafana bayafana, abanamsebenzi walutho ngaphandle kokuphuquza uthuli.” Wathi eqeda nje ukusho njalo wayesezwakala ehleka, ngesikhathi umfana ezwa lolo hleko, waphenduka wabuka lesi silwane esingajwayelekile. “Angizile ngobubi,” kusho lo mfana ekugcineni. “Bengifuna ukukubukela eduze.” “Hawu bekuyilokho nje kuphela? Kuyadida.”
Amehlo kaBamboo avuleka kakhulu ekhombisa ukwethuka. “Kwenzekeni! Ubaba wakho wakusiza wakukhombisa umhlaba?” kubuza isilwane.
“Empeleni akuyena ubaba kodwa kwaba ngomunye womkhulu bami, kodwa ngingacishe ngithi yinto efanayo akunjalo.” Kwabe sekuzwakala izwi. “Umqaphi wethempeli useyabuya. Baleka uye phezulu uvale nezicabha, ukuze angaboni ukuthi bezingavaliwe. Uma usukwenzile lokho ungacasha ekhoneni kuze kube uyadlula. Nginokunye okuningi engizokutshela khona.”
UBamboo wenza njengoba etsheliwe. Kwathatha wonke amandla akhe ukuvala izicabha kwazise zabe zisinda. Wazizwa engumuntu obalulekile ngokwenza umsebenzi omkhulu kangaka njengoba engumzukulu womuntu owadala umhlaba, futhi kwakuzomphula umoya kakhulu ukuthi lokhu kuvakasha kwakhe ethempelini kugcine kungafezekanga.
Uyise nabanye ayesebenza nabo beqapha amathempeli badlula bangabona ukuthi izicabha bezivuliwe. Babezixoxela izindaba ezingathi shu, futhi bebonakala bejabule bedlalisa nemali engushintshi ababeyiphethe esandleni beyiphonsa phezulu beyinqaka.
“Phuma ngaphansi kwaleso silwane mfana wami.” Noma uBamboo wayesebuthongweni kodwa wezwa ukuthi lelo kwakungathi izwi likayise. “Kanti asizange singibulaleusulwane?” kubuza yena ngesikhathi uyise emdonsa emkhipha ngaphansi kwamatshe amakhulu. Ekugcineni uBamboo wavuka ephusheni ngokuthi aphume ethempelini ayekulo noyise wavala izicabha zalo.