Kumba, zvinhu zvaive zvakasiyana. Leon akakurumidza kupinda mupfungwa dzekuti ndini amai vake. Ndakamudzidzisa kuti rudo harudi ropa kuti ruve rwechokwadi. Mazuva ekutanga paainzwa vanhu vachibvunza kuti, “Ko amai vako varipi?” achinditarisa ne maziso akazara mibvunzo, ndaimutsvoda pahuma ndichiti, “Ini ndini amai vako, mwana wangu. Usakanganwa izvozvo.” Shoko iri rakava chisimbiso chake, rakamubatsira kuzorodza maronda ekurasikirwa nevabereki vake.
Larona, nehana yake isina kuziva zvinhu zvakawanda, akakurira rudo rwaLeon. Hondo yavo yaiva yekuseka, kutamba, uye kugovana zvinhu zvese. Vakavaka hukama hwaindifadza kuzoona, asi mukati mangu ndaigara ndichitya rimwe zuva — kuti chokwadi chaizombobuda sei kana Leon akura.
Zvakandibata zvikuru ndezvekuti ku church handina kumbogamuchirwa zvachose. Chechi yakanga isiri nzvimbo yekubvuma zvikanganiso, asi nzvimbo yaiputira vanhu mumisoro yezvavanoda kuti iwe uve. Vakandiisa pasi peshamhu, vachinditi ndakatiza mhuri, ndakatakura mimba yekusaziva, ndakaita hupenyu hune zvemashiripiti. Zvese izvi zvakandikuvadza, asi ndakadzidza kurarama nemazwi avo sekunge mashizha ari kubhururuka mumhepo.
Mbuya vangu vakanditsigira. Vakati, “Shanillar, munhu haadye zvataurwa navanhu. Munhu anorarama nezvokudya kwechokwadi uye nemoyo une rugare. Ita zvekuchengeta vana vako, zvimwe zvichapera zvoga.” Mashoko avo akandipa simba, kunyange ndaigara ndichirwadziwa.
Mazuva ekuenda kuchikoro akava nguva dzinondiyeuchidza kuti ndakanga ndava amai vemhando itsva. Mangwanani ngwanani ndaibatsira Leon kugadzirira, ndikazobatsira Larona kusunga ka small satchel yake. Vaviri ava vaigara vari pamwe chete, uye kana combi yabuda, Larona aigara achibata ruoko rwaLeon kusvika pakupedzisira. Kana bhudhi vake apinda muchikoro, ndiye aizodzoka achimhanya kundipa ka hug kadiki.
Asi pese pandaiita sekuona mufaro, mukati maizara mimvuri. Zvivimbo zvaDerrick zvaive zvichiri kunditambudza. Ndaigara ndichifungidzira kuti rimwe zuva, rimwe hama, kana rimwe gweta, raizouya kuzopikisa will, kuti zvese zvaive zvandakapihwa zvibviswe. Kunyange zvazvo lawyer wake aindibatsira, ndaiziva kuti upfumi hunokwevera ruvengo.
Panguva imwechete, pfungwa dzangu dzaiwanzobata pakuti Larona aizokura sei achiziva kuti baba vake havapo. Ndaityira kuti rimwe zuva achazobvunza zvandaisagona kupindura. Ndaingova ne tsamba yaDerrick chete, tsamba yakazara rudo neruregerero, asi ndaisaziva kuti nguva ipi yakakodzera kuimuvhurira.
Pakati pezvose izvi, Leon akatanga kushanduka. Akanga asingachanyanyi kufara sekare. Dzimwe nguva ndaiwana akagara ega mukona, akatarisa pamadziro sekunge ari kuona vabereki vake vari kupfuura. Rimwe zuva ndakamubvunza, ndikati:
“Lee, uri sei mwana wangu?”
Akanditarisa neziso rakazara misodzi, akati: “Mama, ndinocherechedza vanhu vachitaura nezvababa vangu, uye ini handina chokwadi chokuti ndinofanira kuvarangarira sei. Vese vanoti zvakasiyana, asi ini handizive chokwadi.”
Shoko iri rakandibaya semunondo. Ndakamumbundira, ndichiti: “Unogona kusarudza kuva munhu wavanoda kuva, kwete munhu wavanoti vabereki vako vaiva. Baba vako vaive nevarima ravo, asi rudo rwavo rwepamusoro rwaiva pauri. Ndizvo zvavanoda kuti uzive.”
Pakati pemisodzi yake akandibvunza zvakare: “Ko imi muchandisiya here kana zvinhu zvikashanduka?”
Ndakamutarisa ndikati: “Handisi kuzomboku siyira chero chinhu, Lee. Iwe uri wangu, uye Larona ari wako. Tiri mhuri, uye hapana anogona kutiparadzanisa.”
Zvandakazvitaura ipapo hazvina kungova mashoko, asi zvavaive zvipikirwa zvangu. Panguva iyoyo ndakaziva kuti chero dambudziko richiuya, rufu, ruvengo, kana makuhwa, zvese zvichamira padivi nekuti mhuri yangu yaive pfungwa yangu, simba rangu, uye chikonzero changu chekurarama.
Masasa yakanga yava nzvimbo yakandipa mibvunzo yakawanda, asi pamwechete, ndiyo yakandipa mhinduro dzandaisambotarisira.
End of Chapter Two
With Love, Shanillar