-Delile
Into emangalisayo ngothando ukuthi inendlela yokuziveza futhi isimangaze. Zama ngangokunokwenzeka ukuvimba ukusondelana okuseduze njengoba siphishekela imisebenzi, imfundo ephakeme, namaphrojekthi wokuzinikela, uthando luvame ukungena ezinhliziyweni nasekubukeni kwethu. Futhi lapho uthando luvela, imvamisa asihambelani ngamandla alo ashanele nokudonsa.
UMike wayelokhu etshela abangane bakhe, “Angisoze ngathandana nomuntu omusha.” Umongameli omkhulu, wesigungu somfundi ubhekise amehlo akhe ekugxilweni kokuthweswa iziqu, isikole sezomthetho, kanye nomsebenzi wezepolitiki. Njengoba eseqhamuke ebudlelwaneni obunzima obuningi, uMike oqonde ngqo wayengasenandaba nokubandakanywa kokunye ukubambisana okuyinhlekelele. “Amehlo asemklomelweni,” yaba yimantra kaMike, nanjengezikhukhula zamakholi amancane, atholakalayo agcwala indawo eluhlaza, eluhlaza.
USally wafika ekolishi enomoya okhululekile nenhliziyo yokuzidela. “Imvunulo yakhe yama-hippie” nesibonelo sakhe ekuphatheni inkomishi yekhofi naye ngaso sonke isikhathi, waphendulela amakhanda ekhampasi elandelanayo. UMike akazange amqaphele uSally ekuqaleni, njengoba abesifazane babehlala bezungeza kuye bezama ukunxenxa “indoda enkulu ekhempasini” ukuba idlale ngothando. Ngelinye ilanga, nokho, uMike washayiswa izinyawo yilo vixen owafika ekolishi e-Chevy sedan enezinqe. NgoLwesihlanu ntambama, uMike wabona uSally. Ukulungiselela inkulumo enhlanganweni yomfundi, uMike ubuke uSally emasha enqamula isikwele ngendlela enokuzethemba. "Wayebukeka njengomuntu ophuphayo," kusho uMike kamuva, "uSally wayehamba nesango lomuntu ojwayelene nezigqi nemiculo yendawo yonke." UMike wayengazi ukuthi uSally wayemnakile noMike.
UMike wayesaba ukuxhumana
Enamahloni abuhlungu naphezu kokubonakala kwakhe ngaphandle kwamandla namandla, uMike wesaba ukuxhumana noSally. Ngenkathi beba nezingxoxo ezimbalwa ezimnandi ezinsukwini ezalandela, uMike wabona ukuthi "akanandaba." Ah, kodwa uSally wayenesithakazelo. Emdansweni wokuhehwa ngasese, uSally wayesevele elangazelela ukuxhumana noMike ngendlela efanayo noMike ayenethemba lokuxhumana noSally. Inzalo yomunye nomunye izokuqinisekiswa maduzane ngendlela ejabulisayo engajwayelekile.
USally uzame ukuthola ukunakwa kwakhe
UMike wayeyilungu leqembu lemashi elincane lasekolishi lakhe. Umdlali we-sousaphone, uMike uphathe ithuluzi elikhulu kunawo wonke eqenjini, insimbi enensimbi enkulu yethusi ebheke eceleni. USally wakha icebo lokuthola ukunakwa kwakhe. Ngenkathi iqembu lisondela eceleni komugqa ngaphambi nangemva kokudlala, uSally waqala waphonsa izingcezu zeqhwa elincane ebhekise kunsimbi kaMike sousaphone. Njengonogada wephoyinti we-NBA ongumakadebona, uSally wayengaphonsa ngqo iqhwa phakathi kwensimbi yensimbi. UMike akazange asibone lesi shalpshooter ekuqaleni, kodwa wabona ukuthi umuntu othile eceleni wayezama ukumnaka. Ekugcineni, wezwa ukugigitheka. Laphaya eceleni, iqembu lezintombi laligigitheka likhomba uMike lapho ephuma enkundleni. Ubani owayesenkabeni yomhlangano? U-Sally osuka kusigaba sabasha.
Ukusuka engxenyeni yesibili yomdlalo webhola phambili, uSally noMike babengamabili. Bavuselelwa “yindaba yokuxhumana” yabo engajwayelekile nentshisekelo yabo yokwenza okuhle emhlabeni, uSally noMike badonsana amandla njengoba beqhubeka nezifundo zabo ze-undergraduate. Akuthathanga sikhathi ngaphambi kokuba lezi zithandani zithole ukuthi zondliwe “emazweni ahlukene.” Naphezu kwe-hippie persona yakhe, uSally wayengumkhiqizo womndeni ocebile onokudlula kwangaphambilini. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMike wayengumfundi wasekolishi lesizukulwane sokuqala ovela emlandweni wekhola eliluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Benza ukuthi kusebenze futhi benza isivumelwano. USally wayezoqeda iziqu zakhe ze-undergraduate bese uMike eqedela umsebenzi wakhe wokuthweswa iziqu ngaphambi kokubhekwa njengethemba lokushada.
UMike uphakamise uSally
Ngemuva kweminyaka emithathu yobudlelwano obunezithelo, nobude, lesi sicelo sagcina sifikile. UMike wahlangana noSally enkundleni yebhola lapho “iqhwa laliphonswe khona,” futhi waba nabangane bakhe bakudala beqembu lokumasha eceleni kwakhe. Ngemuva kokufaka uSally nge-ballad enhle, eyinsimbi, uMike wakhipha i-sousaphone ebolekiwe ehlombe lakhe, wafaka insimbi yensimbi, futhi wanikeza uSally isiqeshana esisodwa "seqhwa." Isikhathi esigcwele sesiyingi.
Bashada
Ngemuva konyaka, lo mbhangqwana ongenakwenzeka washada ne-quad yekolishi labo. Lwaluluhle usuku lwasentwasahlobo olugcwele ukuqhakaza kwama-azalea nama-dogwood. Nakulokhu futhi, iqembu lokumasha lalikhona, linikeza lo mbhangqwana inqwaba yama-ballads nezingoma zokudansa ngezindlebe nezinyawo zawo zokubonga. Emahoreni ayisishiyagalombili alandelayo, kwalandela umkhosi wenyanga owawuzungeze abathandi. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ngemuva kokuncipha komkhosi, lezi zithandani zigibele indiza ephethe ojosaka, zaya e-Afrika ekuqaleni kwesikhashana seminyaka emibili ne-Peace Corps.
Ubani owayazi ukuthi ama-sousaphones ayenamandla okuvutha amalangabi okuheha? UMike noSally, abavela emazweni ahlukene, babhebhethekisa ilangabi lobudlelwano ngemuva kokushintshana okukhulu ngoMgqibelo webhola. Okunye, njengoba besho, kungumlando.