I-Tongue Stick, inguqulo yakudala.

Nansi enye yezindaba ezinhle kakhulu ubaba azixoxe, zifundelwa imvelaphi yazo yangempela ... leyo mvelaphi engingayikhumbuli kangako, futhi kwesinye isikhathi ebonakala ngathi ayikaze ibe khona. Kepha njengobaba, ngiyayikhumbula lapho ngilalela ama-cicadas.

Kwakuvele ebhodini lesigodi lapho ambona endiza, kusihlwa sika umkhuleko. Kwakubukeka njenge-heron ephakeme eyehla emthonjeni we AmaTrancas, maqondana nokuhlangana nomfula i-Araute. Njengoba ayesephumile emuva, ilanga selimmisile emsebenzini okwesikhashana ukuba akholwe endabeni yemigwaqo emnyama eyayifuna indawo eyindilinga, lapho kukhona khona izigodi eziphakeme, lapho kuhlala khona uTorogoz.

Kepha ngakusasa izindaba zavusa inganekwane: inkomo efile ethafeni laseVargas, ngaphandle kwemikrwelo, ngaphandle kokushaywa, ngaphandle kolimi. Kungaleso sikhathi-ke lapho uDon Marcos, owabe esembiza ngoMaco (njengoba ugogo wayevame ukusho), wakhumbula le ndaba futhi wangitshela yona, kwesinye isikhathi sokugcina.

Kwakungobusuku obumnyama ehlobo, ukushisa kuphuma phezu kwezimbambo nokuhlabelela okuhlelwa kuka ama-guacos ngifuna izinkukhu ezingalaleli ezihlahleni ze amabhola. Ukuthula ikhilikithi ephukile, hhayi ngenxa ye-cicadas eyisicefe; Kwakunjengokubhonga kwenkunzi, eyayikhononda ngokuphelelwa yithemba ebangeni elihoshayo. UMacos wasukuma wahamba ngebhodi, ngemuva kwegumbi lokufundela; Ubusuku babumnyama kakhulu, kungekho zinkanyezi ezintsha, njenganoma imuphi u-Ephreli ohlaba umxhwele ngaphandle kwezindaba zothando, nezwi lomkakhe lizwakala ekuthuleni:

- Leyo nkunzi iyakhala, kufanele ukuthi ibanjwe ngocingo.

Amathemba akhe akude wokuthi uMalume uNowa angahambela le nyama yenkomo aphela lapho esethathe isinqumo sokubopha isicathulo sakhe sobunxele, wabuyela ekhaya ngesibhamu esingamashumi amabili nambili, isibani somzingeli kanye nebhokisi lezinhlamvu.
Wehle waqonda emnyango, washunqisa isibani ukuze avuse umlilo, ngenkathi ethatha ilungelo ngepulazi lika UDon Catarino; ukuwa nje kokuqala kwe La Cachirula.
Ubelalele ukuthula komthenwa omsulwa ngenkathi kuculwa enye ingoma kodwa ngengoma efanayo:

- Ah! Catocho, futhi uthathe ubusuku eSontweni.

Wehla ngokucophelela, ekhumbula iziliphu ezindala ezinongwe ngokwanga okunomusa, ukuphefumula kwe-ocote futhi wahalalisela ukufika okuvela ekuxhamukeni kwabasekhweni. Ngokushesha wayesewela umfula, wacisha isibani senkolo eyaziwayo yesiko, ngenkathi eyiphinda esibindini.

- Ukhumbula okuhle kakhulu kuphole nangokucaca kwesibungu nangomsindo wamatshe.

Lapho efika esiteji sezinkunzi, amamitha ambalwa ukusuka isicupho, wazama ukubonisana ngesibalo; isilwane sagijima sizungeza iqhubu kwathi ingxenye yesithathu yaso sonke lesi siqongo sakhipha ukukhala kwaso okubulalayo. UMaco, ebumnyameni, wasondela endleleni, elungele ukukhanyisa isibani ebesivele sibekwe esiphongweni sakhe. Ephethe isibhamu ngesandla, wazama ukuxazulula okutholakele kwesilwane, okwathi ngemuva kwengxenye yehora sokubhula utshani kwase kunendlela ebekiwe.

Ukube ubekhangele phezulu nje, ngabe umbonile ongaqondakali onamaphiko, ovela phezulu elawula inkunzi nge umthengisi wezidakamizwa iphunga lehle njengamazolo futhi lingene ekhaleni liye kwisigqi se-owlate flutter esetabanco.
Era obulala ulimi, owathi emzamweni wakhe oyiphutha wokuhluka uhlobo wakhetha inkabi emelana nemfundiso yenkolo; inkomo ibingalala ubuthongo ngemizuzu, bese yehla ngobumnene, ngabe imboze intamo yakhe kabili nge-streamer yayo jafa, ngokucindezela kuze kube yilapho ulimi luphuma ngosayizi ongathengiseka. Ngingayinambitha bese ngiyisusa ukunambitheka okubi kwamahemuhemu ngokudla umbele wayo wesithelo njengo-dessert.

Imizuzu yenyoka enezinwele yaphela ngaphambi kwesikhathi; UMaco ukhanyise isibani, ngenkathi encañononó inkunzi ethi, ngaphandle kokukhethwa isuswe ngokudedela ipulazi ipulazi Umalume uNowa. Lapho efika esangweni, wamemeza enye lapho eyigxumela, ngomsindo wamagatsha ophukile akazange ayeke ibanga elide ngenkathi ewela umhlanga, lapho ngesihlahla remover. Lapho uMaco ebheka phezulu, efuna ukukhanyisa lesi silwane esinamaphiko, sasesingasekho. Ngamazolo awo kuphela ehla futhi wakwazi ukuhlenga uphaphe olwehliswe ngamatshe, okwathi ngenxa yephunga lalo elibi, okwakungolompompi wolimi.

UMaco ubuyile njengomuntu obambele ubuthongo, bezama ukufaka indandatho yakhe ngenkathi umjuluko obandayo ubumbeka umhlane wakhe uthe nkqo. Wafika endlini, wasusa isibhamu, izicathulo nesibani, engasizakali kulolu phazili walala waphupha sengathi ugeza echibini lika I-mermaid encane, ngesibhakabhaka esihamba ngezilwane ezivela ku-movie ye-Avatar, kodwa kwi-2D.

Ngakusasa kwafa inkomo ensundu epulazini lika Don Jesus Orellana, ngaphandle kwama-prints, ngaphandle kwegazi, ngaphandle kolimi.