Mambakwedza akabuda zvine runyararo asi nyika yakanga yakazara neruzha rwepfungwa dzakawanda. Nyika yeMagodo yakanga yava pasi pehunyanzvi hwechiporofita chemoto, uye mazwi aNyamunhu ainge ava kutaura muhope dzavanhu vakawanda.
Dzimwe dzinoti Mukunda ndiye muponesi, dzimwe dzichiti ndiye chiratidzo cherufu.
Mukunda akamuka achinzwa mweya uri mumhepo. Ziso rake rakatarisa denga richine hutsi hwemoto wehusiku hwakapfuura. Rimwe divi, Amai vakanga vachingonyengetera, vakapfeka jira jena rakachena sekunge vari kuchengetedza mweya wavo kubva kune zvakaipa.
“Mwana wangu,” vakadaro vachinzwa kuremerwa, “moto hauna kurongeka. Kana wakasazvibata, uchapisa zvese zvaunoda.”
Mukunda akatarisa pasi, zvigunwe zvake zvichibata ivhu.
“Amai, handisi kuzvipa moto kuti upise, asi kuti uve chiedza. Kana mweya uyu wakandisarudza, ndichashanda nawo kusvika pakupedzisira.”
Vakatarisana vakanyarara kwekanguva — mwero wekuremekedzana uyo unongobuda pakati peamai nemwana ane nhaka yesimba.
Muzinda wakanga wakazara nevanhu. Mambo Magodo vakange vasina kurara. Paive nemakurukota ari kutaurirana nezvekuti chiporofita ichi chingashandiswe sei mukusimbisa humambo kana kuriparadza.
“Mambo,” vakadaro Sekuru Vengai, “mweya wemoto haungatongodzorwi. Asi Mukunda anogona kudzidziswa kubatana nemweya wevamwe vatatu — wemvura, wemhepo, newematombo. Kana vakasangana, simba richange rakakwana kudzivirira nyika kubva kuhondo iri kuuya.”
Mambo vakanyarara, vachitenderedza pfumo ravo repfupi pasi.
“Hondo?” vakabvunza, “ndiani anoda kutipikisa?”
“Mambo weZungunde,” vakapindura Mukuru weMauto, “ari kuunganidza masimba kumuganhu. Vanhu vake vanoti moto wakabatidza mudunhu rino chiratidzo chekupedzisira kweMagodo.”
Pakarepo vakatarisana vose. Baba vaMukunda vakasimuka vakasimba.
“Kana zviri izvo, zvinozivikanwa — moto uyu unofanirwa kuve chipikiso chedu. Tichamisa Mukunda semufananidzo wekutenda, kwete kutya.”
Asi mumwe mukuru akasvetuka achiti:
“Mambo, ane ropa rerukadzi! Zvinoreva kuti mweya wake unogona kushanduka zvinoenderana nemanzwiro. Kana akarwadziwa kana kuda zvakanyanya, simba racho rinogona kutendeuka kuita njodzi.”
Mambo vakanyarara zvakare. Maziso avo akapfuurira kudenga, vakati zvinyoronyoro,
“Kana zviri zverudo, tichazvitarisa.”
Taru akanga ave mushandi mukuru wemauto, asi nezuva rimwe rimwe, rudo rwake kuna Mukunda rwakanga ruchikura zvakadzama. Aive munhu ainyemwerera asi ane maziso anofungira, sekunge achiziva zvakawanda kupfuura zvaaitaurwa.
Rimwe zuva vari pamakomo eDenga Ravira, vakagara pamabwe achitarisa denga rakazara nemakore madiki.
“Taru,” Mukunda akataura zvinyoronyoro, “kana mweya wechiporofita ukandiudza kuti ndifanira kuuraya munhu wandinoda kuti nyika irarame, chii chandingaita?”
Taru akanyarara kwenguva refu, achibata pfumo rake.
“Zvingava zviri nani kufa tichida, pane kurarama tichituka mweya wedu.”
Mazwi ake akabva aita kuti Mukunda anzwe sekunge mweya wake wakasanganiswa neropa remufaro uye kutya.
Vakatarisana. Mhepo yakapfuura ichivhiringidza bvudzi ravo, uye mukati memhepo makanzwika sekunge mweya uri kutamba uchivapoteredza.
Pakarepo ivhu pasi pavo rakazara nechiedza chidiki chakaita semadonhwe emoto, asi chakanga chisina kupisa.
“Zviri kutanga,” Mukunda akashevedzera zvishoma. “Ichi ndicho chiratidzo chekubatana kwemoto nemvura.”
Taru akabata ruoko rwake.
“Kana zvichireva kuti tiri kutanga nhambo iyi pamwe chete, ndiri kuzvipa zvizere.”
Vachibata maoko, chiedza chakapinda pakati pavo, chikaita sechiputi chepfumo chinopenya, chichibva chapinda mudenga.
Sekuru Vengai, avo vakanga vari kure, vakavona chiedza ichi kubva mumuzinda. Vakabva vasimuka vachishevedza vamwe vakuru,
“Mweya wechipiri wabatana! Rudo rwavo rwakatanga kufambiswa neropa. Izvi hazvichinje futi!”
Asi munyika dziri kure, Mambo weZungunde — Rukato — akanga achinyemwerera achinzwa nyaya iyi.
“Saka mwana wemambo akabatana nerudo? Ndizvo zvinonyanya kuparadza mhuri dzemweya. Kana tikamutsa mweya weMatombo kuzasi kweRwizi, moto wavo uchava dongo.”
Akaburitsa chinhu chakareruka — ibwe rakasviba, richipenya nerima.
“Ibwe iri rinochengeta simba remweya wechitatu. Kana rikaputswa, humambo hwaMagodo huchava pasi pedu.”
Vakuru vake vakapfugama vakati,
“Tiri pasi penyu, Mambo Rukato. Mwari vemadokero vachava newe.”
Rukato akaseka zvine utsinye,
“Kana moto uchipisa, matombo anofanira kupwanya.”
Usiku hwacho, Mukunda akarota hope dzine kusanzwisisika.
Akazviona ari mumunda wakazara nemaronda emoto, mvura ichinaya asi isingadzime murazvo. Pakati pawo, akanzwa izwi rakadzika richiti,
“Rudo rwako ruchaponesa nyika kana rwakachena, asi kana rwakanyengerwa, ruchaparadza zvese.”
Akabva amuka achidikitira, moyo uchirova zvine simba. Taru akanga akarara parutivi rwedare, achibata pfumo rake.
“Taru,” akashevedzera, “chokwadi rudo rwunogona kuva ropa?”
Taru akamutarisa aine meso akazara nekusava nechokwadi.
“Kana rudo rwacho ruchibva pamweya, hongu. Asi ropa rinoramba richiyeuka.”
Pakarepo vakanzwa pasi pasi pavo richidedera. Mutinhimira wakabuda kubva kure, sekunge ivhu riri kuchema.
Mukunda akasimuka achibata pfumo rake rine chiratidzo chemoto.
“Zvinozivikanwa,” akataura, “mhepo yematombo yatanga kufamba.”
Taru akamutarisa, akati zvishoma,
“Zvinoreva kuti chiporofita chiri kuenderera. Asi zvakare — rudo rwedu rwava ropa.”
Mangwana acho, Mambo vakazivisa dare guru.
“Hondo iri kuuya, uye mwana wangu Mukunda achatungamira mauto edu pamwe nemudziviriri wake Taru. Vanofanira kuenda kuzasi kweRwizi Rwematombo kuti vawane mweya wechitatu.”
Sekuru Vengai vakapfugama,
“Kana vakasatambidza mweya iwoyo, matombo achatsemuka, moto uchapararira mumisha, uye nyika ichava jecha.”
Mukunda akasimuka zvine chivimbo.
“Ndicharwira nyika yangu kusvika mweya wekupedzisira.”
Baba vakamutarisa vakanyarara kwekanguva, vakazoti,
“Ropa rangu riripo mauri, mwanangu. Asi rangarira, rudo harugari ruri rwoga mumoto. Rinofanira kudzidza kudzivirira rinodiwa — kana kutsva pamwe naro.”
Amai vakamukumbatira, vakati zvinyoronyoro,
“Kana ukadzokera, nyika ichava nyowani.”
Mukunda akabva atarisa kumabvazuva, mhepo ichimutenderedza — pfumo richipenya, moyo uri pakati pemoto nerudo.
Zvaive kutanga kwerwendo rwechipiri — rwendo rwakazara nechisungo cherudo neropa.
Magumo eChitsauko Chechishanu