Pakati pemhuri yaDerrick, ndakatanga kuona zviratidzo zvandisati ndambobata. Munin’ina wake mukuru, Gerald, akagara akanditarisa nemeso aive asingafadzi. Ziso rake rakanga rakafanana nechomunhu anoziva zvakawanda asi asingatauri. Paakabuda kubva mudare, ndakanzwa inzwi rake richidonha pasi, asi rakanga rakajeka zvakakwana kuti ndinzwe:
“Hapana anogona kutora zvisiri zvake uye achifara nazvo.”
Mashoko iwayo akanditevera zvakasimba kupfuura nyaya yose. Ndakabvunza lawyer wangu kuti akazvinzwa here, asi akangondibata ruoko achiti: “Usavape simba rekukutyisa.” Asi mukati mangu ndaiziva — kune chimwe chinhu chaive chiri kufamba mumashure, chimwe chinhu chinopfuura zvekudare.
Kumba, zvinhu zvakanga zvichiwedzera kuoma. Leon akatanga kunge asina kugadzikana, achibvunza kuti sei vanhu vari kuramba mufi wake, uye Larona akanga ava kunyara kuenda kuchikoro nekuti vamwe vana vaimuseka vachiti, “Mhamha vako havachadi baba venyu.” Zvese izvi zvaindiputsa, zvichiita kuti ndinzwe sokuti hupenyu hwese huri kutambanudzwa pakati pemakumbo angu uye ndiri kurasikirwa nekubata.
Husiku hwacho, ndakarara ndichinzwa muridzo uri kunze kweimba yangu. Ndakamuka, ndakatarisa nepahwindo — asi hapana munhu. Ndakadzokera pamubhedha, moyo wangu uchirova nehasha. Runhare rwangu rwakatinhira zvakare:
“Mhuri inoziva. Vana vachaziva zvakare. Zvakavanzwa hazvicharambi zvakavanzwa.”
Ndakagara ndakanyarara, ndakabata chiso changu nemaoko angu. Panguva iyoyo ndakanzwa pfungwa dzangu dzichidonha muhope dzakadzika — hope dzaizere nemazwi aGerald, nemeso ake anopenya mumumvuri, uye nerunhare rwangu ruchipenya murima richindiyeuchidza kuti handisisina nguva yakareba.
Ndakazviona zviri pachena: ndiani ari kundirwisa ari pedyo kupfuura zvandaifunga. Asi kusvika panguva iyoyo, zita rake raizoramba rakavanzwa — uye mumvuri wake uchitamba pamadziro angu.
End of Chapter Eight
With Love, Shanillar