“Runako, imbomuka mwanangu,” vakadaro amai vachibata ruoko rwangu zvinyoronyoro. “Nhasi ndicho zuva guru. Usaramba hope dzichikuremerawo.”
Ndakavhura maziso angu ndichiona chiedza chezuva chapinda nepahwindo, chichibata ngowani yangu yandanga ndakaisira pamusoro pedenga redura. Ndakafemera mudumbu, moyo wangu uchiridza mhere isinganzwiki — musangano wehumambo wakanga wasvika.
“Ndichipfeka chii amai?” ndakavabvunza ndichibvisa jira rehope.
“Pfeka nguo dzeRoyal dzine mutsvairo wetambo dzekumadokero. Baba vako vanoda kuti vana vose vemuimba yehumambo vapfeke zvinoenderana nechinzvimbo chavo. Iwe ndiwe mwanasikana mukuru — nguo dzako dzinofanira kuratidza rukudzo.”
Ndakabvuma ndichibatsira kupfeka jasi rine mutsvairo webhuruu nechipfeko chitsvuku chinopenya. Ndakatarisa mucherechedzo wangu pagirazi, ndikazviona semwana wechokwadi waMambo — asi mukati ndichiri mudiki anoda kunzwisisa nyika.
PaDare guru, vanhu vakanga vatozara. Makurukota, machinda, nevakuru vemisha vakanga vakamira mumitsetse yakarongeka. Mambo Magodo, baba vangu, vakagara pachigaro chikuru chakashongedzwa neganda renzou uye tsvimbo yehumambo yakaiswa padivi pavo.
Kana vakataura, inzwi ravo rakanga rakasimba — rakaita sekuvheneka kwemheni.
“Nhasi ndiri kuda kuziva kuti ndivanaani vari kuda kuchengetedza humambo hwedu. Vana veimba yehumambo vanofanira kuratidza hushingi, kuvimba, uye kuvimbika. Vavengi vedu vari kutanga kuedza kupinda mudunhu.”
Zvakanyarara kwekanguva, kunze kwekudengenyeka kwevashandi vakapfugama pasi. Ndakatarisa amai avo vakanga vakagara padivi, vasingatauri asi maziso avo akaratidza kuchema kwemakore akawanda.
Tichangopinda, mainini Netsai — vakadzi vechipiri vaBaba — vakapfeka nguo dzekujeka, vakabva vawira pasi vachikwazisa Mambo.
“Ishe wangu, vana vedu vaviri, Mapatya edu, vanoda kudzidziswa tsika dzeDare, kuti rimwe zuva vakwanise kuchengetedza zita renyu.”
Baba vakatarisa pamusoro pemusoro, vachidzikamisa ziso ravo kwandiri.
“Uye Mukunda achaita sei?”
“Ishe,” ndakadaro ndakatsigisa musoro wangu, “handina chandingade kudarika kukudzai uye kuchengetedza dunhu redu. Kana muchida, ndinodzidza pamwe nevamwe, asi ndinokumbira kuti muchengetedze amai, nekuti ivo ndivo moyo weimba ino.”
Mumwe wevakuru vakabva abvuma achiti, “Mwanasikana uyu ane moyo wakachena. Ane ropa rehumambo, kunyangwe asiri mukomana.”
Baba vakanyarara kwekanguva, ndokuzoti,
“Ngazvive kudaro. Mangwana, Mukunda, uchapinda mudzidziso yehondo pamwe nevamwe. Ndinoda kuona kana moyo wako wakasimba sezvauri kutaura.”
Amai vakatarisa kwandiri, maziso avo azara misodzi — kwete yekusuwa, asi yekudada.
Zuva racho rakatenderera nekukurumidza. Pakati peDare, vanhu vakatanga kupararira. Ndakafamba ndichibuda ndichitarisa mudenga — makore madiki achifamba achivanzira zuva. Asi pamoyo, pakanga paine chimwe chinhu — sekunge mweya waindishevedzera kuti pane chiri kuuya.
Pandakanga ndichifamba pedyo nenzvimbo yemiti mikuru, ndakanzwa inzwi rakadzika richindishevedza zvinyoronyoro:
“Mukunda…”
Ndakatarisa kumashure — kwakanga kusina munhu. Asi mhepo yakafamba zvakasimba, ichitakura ruzha rwekutinhira kubva kure.
Zvakaita sekunge zvandiri kunzwa hazvisi zvepasi — sekunge mweya wemadzitateguru anga uchindidaidza kuti,
“Husiku hunotevera, maziso ako achaona chokwadi cheumambo.”
Ndakabva ndamira, ndichinzwa muviri wese uchizara nechando, asi moyo wangu uchipisa sekunge pane moto wakadzika mukati.
Ndakaziva ipapo — chinhu chikuru chiri kuda kuitika.
Magumo eChitsauko Chechipiri