Magweta ehama dzaDerrick akatanga kusheedzera zvapupu. Mumwe mukadzi akamira ndokuudza dare kuti akanga achiona ini naDerrick tichirwira nguva dzose, kuti rudo rwangu rwakanga rwasviba uye kuti will yakasainwa pakupedzisira yakabva pakupindirwa kwepfungwa. Vakashandisa mashoko avo kuedza kuratidza kuti ndakanga ndiri munhu ane hungwaru hwekudzora murume, kwete mukadzi ane rudo.
Asi chakatonetsa kupfuura zvese chakatevera. Vakabudisa munhu akati akamboshanda sefambisi mufarm yaDerrick. Akataura nezvangu zvakaipa, achiti ndaiwanzoshanda ndiri pedyo nemurume uyu ndisingafungidziri nezve mhuri, uye kuti pandakazouya naTawanda ndakaratidza kuti handina tsika. Mashoko ake akandipinza muchiedza chisina ruvara, sekunge ndaive munhu anongotsvaga kuchengetedza chinzvimbo changu.
Ndakatarisa Leon ari padivi pangu, maziso ake akazara nemisodzi asi achiedza kuramba akasimba. Zvinhu izvi zvaiitika mberi kwake, uye ndaiona kuti zvairobha chikamu chehudiki hwake. Ndakazvibvunza kana zvakanaka kumubatanidza muhondo yakadai, asi hapana chandaisarudza — chokwadi chacho chakanga chiri kudare.
Lawyer wangu akamira, murume akanga ane chiso chisina manzwiro asi maziso ane simba. Akati:
“Mambo dare, zvese zviri kutaurwa pano hazvina simba remutemo. Will iyi yakasainwa zvichitevera mutemo, zvapupu zviri pano, uye hapana chiratidzo chekusungwa kwepfungwa. Zvinhu zviri kupinzwa izvi zvemhuri, zvekusawirirana kwepamoyo, hazvifaniri kupindira pakururamisira.”
Ndakaziva mashoko ake aive echokwadi, asi mukati ndainzwa sokuti nyaya iyi haisi yekutonga chete, asi yekutambudza moyo.
Mushure mekupunzika kwemagwaro, dare rakapa zororo. Pandakanga ndichibuda ndine vana, Tawanda akauya padivi pangu. Haana kutaura zvakawanda, asi ndakaona kuti maziso ake aiva nekunzwira tsitsi uye ruvimbo. Akati chete:
“Shanillar, ramba wakamira. Zvese izvi zvichapfuura. Asi kana uchida, ndichagara padivi pako kusvika magumo.”
Mashoko ake akapisa moyo wangu, asiwo akauya nechokwadi chitsva — kana akamboonekwa padivi pangu zvakawanda, zvese zvaigona kushandiswa kundirwisa zvakare. Uye handina kukanganwa maoko akatsvetera mumaoko aTete Dinnah pandakaona vari kure. Vakaita sokunge vachinyemwerera, sekunge vaiziva kuti rudo runogona kuva chipfeko chavo chitsva chekandirwisa.
Husiku ihwohwo handina kurara. Larona akavata pedyo neni, asi ini ndaingotenderera nemibvunzo mupfungwa dzangu. Ko kana dare rikati will haina kusimba? Ko kana vana vangu vakatorwa kubva kwandiri? Ko kana vanhu vese vakatenda mashoko emanyepo kupfuura chokwadi changu?
Kwenguva refu ndakanga ndichitarisa mufananidzo waDerrick. Asi husiku ihwohwo, pandakachinjira kuhwindo ndakatarisa kunze, ndakawona zvakare motokari yakasviba yamaiwe panguva yakapfuura. Yakanga yakamira kure asi marambi ayo akanga akatarisa kumba kwangu, sekunge munhu ari mukati akanga achinditarisa. Pakati pekupenya kwacho, ndakanzwa kutya kwechokwadi kuchipfuura muviri wangu.
Handina kuda kumutsa vana, asi ndakaziva kuti mimvuri yakanditevera, uye zvese zviri kudare zvaisagona kusiyaniswa nemashoko ari kutaurwa kunze.
Mangwana acho ndakaita chimwe chinhu chandisingawanzoita. Ndakafonera Tawanda ndokuti:
“Handisi kuda kukupa mutoro, asi ndine chokwadi chekuti pane vanhu vari kunditevera. Vana vangu havasi vakachengeteka.”
Akanyarara kwekanguva, wobva ati: “Shanillar, kana zvichidikanwa, ndicharara pamusuwo weimba yako kudzivirira imi nevana. Asi cherekedza mashoko angu — havagoni kukutora zvawakapiwa. Asi rudo runogona kuva simba rinokupwanya kana rikashandiswa zvakaipa. Saka chenjera.”
Mashoko ake akandisiya ndichifunga. Ndakaziva kuti nyaya yangu yakanga yava kupfuura pfuma kana mutemo. Yaiva nyaya yerudo, ruvengo, uye mimvuri inogara ichinditevera.
Dare raizotora mazuva akawanda, asi pakati pehondo dzemashoko uye kushorwa kwevanhu, ndakaziva chokwadi chimwe chete: upenyu hwevana vangu hwakanga huri pakutariswa. Uye pandakaona maziso aLeon achitarisa kwandiri sekunge ari kubvunza kuti “Amai, ticharamba takachengeteka here?” — ndakazvipikira, kunyange zvichindibhadharisa ropa rangu rekupedzisira, hapana aichavatora kubva kwandiri.
Asi pandakafunga kuti ndava kusimba, zvinhu zvitsva zvakauya. Mune rimwe pepa rakazvinyora zuva rinotevera, pakabuda mufananidzo wangu ndiri padivi paTawanda kumusika, chinyorwa chakanyorwa pamusoro pazvo chichiti: “Mudzimai waDerrick anotova nerudo rutsva panguva yenyaya yekugara nhaka.”
Zvakandirova sedombo. Hazvina kupera kudare chete, asi zvino nyika yose yakanga yatanga kunditarisa semunhu akatengesa rudo nerufu. Zvese zvandanga ndichivakira vana vangu zvakanga zvava kupararira mumhepo, uye ndakaziva kuti hondo yacho yainge yava kuenda kupamusoro kupfuura zvese zvandakambofungidzira.
End of Chapter Five
With Love, Shanillar