Cishe asephelile amahora amathathu sisukile eTokyo, inhloko dolobha yalapha eJapan. Ilokhu ihambile nje imoto. Sithule du sinomngani wami, uNqobi. Bayaxokozela abomdabu balapha eJapan, kanti nolimi abalukhulumayo asilwazi. Asizwa ukuthi bathini, sizwa sebehleka. Basikakile – owomdabu waseJapan usekuqaleni ngasesicabheni sokunxele, kube yimi, uNqobi, kugcine omunye womdabu wakhona kwesinye isicabha. Phambili kuhlezi abomdabu baseJapan ababili.
Imoto ifika ezimpambanweni zemigwaqo, ikhombise ukuthi izojikela kwesokudla. Kunebhodi elibhalwe ukuthi ‘Kyoto 165, Hiroshima 526, Nagasaki 745.’ Ngishaya umkhuleko omncane ngicela ukuthi siye eKyoto ngoba kubukeka sengathi kuseduze kunamanye amadolobha. Angifisi nokwazi ukuthi siyokwenziwani khona eKyoto lapho. Mhlawumbe siyobulawa, mhlawumbe siyodlwengulwa, mhlawumbe sizokwenziwa kokubili lokhu esengikubalile. Nkulunkulu wami ngicela usisindise kulolu taku esizithola sikulo.
Ithande ukubuya kancane ingqondo. Ngesikhathi ngiphaphama basitshele ukuthi uKapo uzofa injabulo uma esibona. Angazi ukuthi uKapo ndini lowo udume ngani.
Emahoreni amathathu adlule laba balisa esinabo emotweni sibafice bedla ehhotela esiqashe kulo. Sehle singabantu abazodla maqede sibuyele emagumbini siyolala. Sathi sihlala nje ezitulweni, beza bazohlala nathi bobane labalisa. Bebebukeka bekhululekile futhi besijabulela.
“Niphuma kuliphi izwe?” kubuze omunye wabo.
Sibukane noNqo, samamatheka, saphendula ngokuziqhenya sathi, “ESouth Africa.”
Basibuke ngokumamatheka, ubona ukuthi bajabuliswa ukubona abantu abamnyama. Nokudla sikuthengelwe yibo njengezivakashi zabo. Kusehlulile nokho ukudla ngoba bekuyinto engingayiqondi kahle. I-sushi abasithengele yona asiyithandanga. Ngiyilume kanye kodwa ngahluleka ukuyigwinya. UNqo yena akazange ayilokothe. Nalapho labalisa baqhubekile nokuhleka.
“Nibekwa yini eJapan? Nize mayelana nani?” kubuze omunye.
“Sizomela iSouth Africa emqhudelwaneni wendebe yomhlaba weKarate okhona la eTokyo,” kuphendule uNqo.
Bajabule bahleka kwaze kwavela elomhlathi. Bakwenze kwaba mnandi ukuba nabo – sazizwa samukelekile. Baze bathembisa nokuthi ngelanga lomqhudelwano bazobe bekhona nakanjani, bezosibuka.
“La eJapan kunentaba yezimanga eheha izivakashi. Igama layo iFuji. Iyakhanya ebusuku, ishintshe imibala kuhle kwesihlahla sikaKhisimuzi,” kusho omunye wabo.
Besisamangele ngesikhathi omunye ethi, “Niyafuna na ukuyibona? Iyabonakala uma ulana phandle.”
Sivumile ngamakhanda sinoNqo. Asizange sixwaye ngoba bekugcwele ehhotela. Lamadoda aqhubekile nokuncokola ngesikhathi siphuma ehhotela. Akhombe intaba embozwe iqhwa ngesikhathi sesingaphandle kwehhotela. Ngesikhathi silindile ukuba ishintshe umbala kulapho asibambe khona ngendluzula, asimboza amakhala nemilomo ngezindwangu, asibhudubeza asifaka emotweni. Kube ukuhogela lento ebigcotshwe ezindwangwini, ngaquleka.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ukube nguwe okulesi simo ngabe kukusolisile ukukhululeka kwabantu ongabazi ikakhulukazi ezweni ongalazi?