“Maswera sei amai? Kwanga kuriiko kuDare?” ndakavabvunza ndichida kuziva zviri kuitika kuMuzinda.
“Aiwa mwanangu, nhasi kwanga kuri kupisa! Baba vako vange vachiitisa Dare guru — maSabhu kuvaviri kusvika manomwe vabatwa nemhosva. Vaitsa vanhu nezvirango zvisina kufanira, vachiripisa mombe kana mbudzi nezvikanganiso zvidiki. Asi baba vako vatonga zvine hungwaru zvekuti munhu wese akavomera, achibva arumbidza.”
Amai vakadaro vachinyemwerera, uye ndakaziva kuti kufara kwavo kwaienderana nekubudirira kwaBaba. Vakanga vachida zvikuru kuona baba vachiremekedzwa.
“Vagona chaizvo baba. Dai Dare rese richiitwa nenzira iyoyo, taizoramba tiri panze kuno here amai?” ndakadaro ndichitsamwisa huso.
“Mwanangu, usazvifunge zvakadaro. Mutemo uyu wakagadzwa kare nemadzitateguru avo. Hatina chekuita nawo. Iniwo ndakambochema asi pakupedzisira ndakazvibvuma. Handina kubara mwanakomana, asi zvine zvazvireva. Ndine iwe, uye izvozvo zvakakwana kwandiri.”
Ndakanyarara kwekanguva ndichifunga mashoko avo.
“Ko zvakaita kuti amai musiiwe muchinzi hamusi Mambokadzi ndezvipi?”
“Mwanangu, panguva iyoyo mutemo wakajeka. Vakadzi vaisa kubara mwanakomana mukati menguva yakatarwa vaibvisirwa kodzero dzehumambo, asi Ngowani yacho inoramba iri yangu. Inongotakurwa nemwana wandakabereka, hapana umwe.”
Amai vakazviti zvine rugare asi ndakaziva kurwadziwa kwavo kwakanga kwakadzika.
“Baba vako vanondida, asi vamwe madzimai emuzinda vanondishora. Vakamboedza kuti baba vagamuchire mumwe mukadzi, asi vakasiyana. Ndakazobereka iwe — Mukunda wangu — uye kubva ipapo, hupenyu hwangu hwakachinja.”
Ndakatarisa pasi ndokuti, “Zvakaoma amai, asi muchiri ane ruremekedzo rwenyu. Ndichakubatsirai kuti rimwe zuva muone chiedza chenyu.”
“Haasi ese mazuva anoita zviroto izvozvo mwanangu. Asi mangwana tine musangano mukuru. Baba vako vati vana vese veimba yehumambo vauye kuDare. Tichaenda tese kumba kwaMainini Netsai, uko kune makurukota nemadzimai.”
“Ko vana vavo vanoendawo?”
“Ehe, asi iwe uri Mukunda, mwanasikana waMambo. Usazvidzikise, kunyangwe baba vachida mwanakomana, iwe une ropa rehondo mumuviri.”
Ndakaseka zvishoma. “Kana ndichingonzi mwanakomana ndiye anokosha, ini ndichabva ndapikisa Dare rese!”
“Haa iwe Runako, haufaniri kutaura kudaro. Pane zviripo zviri kufamba — kunonzi madzimai aBaba vako ari kukwikwidzana kuti ndiani achasarudzwa anogamuchira tsvimbo yeumambo kana baba vako vasisipo.”
“Ko zvino zvichapera sei izvozvo amai?”
“Zvinoenderana nehushingi, hunhu, rudo neruremekedzo. Ndakakura ndichiona madzitateguru achisarudza nekutendeseka, saka ndinovimba nemweya wavo.”
Ndakavanyemwerera ndichivapa hacha mbiri, “Amai ndiri kunorukova kufurwa nemhepo.”
“Asi wakarambidzwa naBaba. Waziva kuti makurukota akati hakuna munhu wemba yehumambo anoenda ikoko?”
“Ndichadzoka nekukasika amai,” ndakadaro ndichimhanya ndichipinda mumatsanga.
Mhepo yakarova zvinyoronyoro, ndichibva ndasvika pedyo nerukova uko ndakaona Taru, shamwari yangu yekare, achishanda nemadhibhura ake.
“Taru! Ko ukafa ka!” ndakadaro ndichiseka.
Akanditarisa achivhunduka, “Ah Mukunda! Handina kukuona! Maswera sei?”
“Tiri bhoo, asi unoita sekunge uri kunetseka.”
“Ndiri kuedza kusimbisa madhibhura kuti asatsukunyuka kana huka yapinda,” akadaro achibata miteyo yake.
“Ko ukazvikuvadza Taru? Muri kurwira denga.”
“Ndiri murume, ndinofanira kushinga. Asi imi, sei muchifamba moga musango? Hamuzive here kuti mambo vane vavengi?”
Ndakaseka, “Ini? Hapana anondishandisa, kana ndikabatwa nemuvengi, vanotongoti torai mwanasikana, hazvina basa kwavari.”
“Muri kutaura zvisiri izvo. Baba venyu vanokudai. Dai zvaive zvakasiyana, mungadai makadzingwa kare kubva mumuzinda.”
Ndakatsvaira pasi ndichiti, “Ngatisiyei nyaya dzemumuzinda, miti ine nzeve.”
Takagara pasi pedombo tichitaura, mhepo ichitamba nemvere dzangu. Taru akanditarisa akati zvinyoronyoro,
“Ndicharamba ndichivavarira kuti amai vangu vapore. Handina chandinovimba nacho kunze kwangu.”
Ndakamutarisa ndichinyemwerera, “Usarase tariro Taru. Rimwe zuva vanozopora, uye Nyadenga vachavapawo rugare.”
“Kana imi muchindiona nemaziso akadai, handingatyi zvakaipa,” akaseka.
“Zvino mangwana tine musangano mukuru, vana vese veimba yehumambo vanodikanwa kudare,” ndakadaro ndichimuka.
“Saka munoendawo? Kana zvadaro, ndinokuonai ikoko, Mukunda.”
“Zvakanaka Taru, mangwana tinoonana,” ndakadaro ndichidzokera mumugwagwa unodzokera kumuzinda, moyo wangu wazara nemufaro nekuti ndakanzwa chimwe chinhu chitsva — sekunge mhepo yacho yaisiya mashoko erudo mudenga.
Magumo eChitsauko Chekutanga