“Ndikukhulupirira kuti bambo abwera kunyumba posachedwa.” Mawu a mnyamatayo ankamveka ngati ali ndi nkhawa.

“Atate ako akwiya ndithu,” anatero Auntie Phoebe atakhala pabalaza ndi bukhu.

Richard adanyamuka pa sofa pomwe adakhala kwa theka la ola lapitalo nati, ndi mawu okwiya m'mawu ake, 'Akhala achisoni, koma osakwiya. Abambo sakwiya… Ndiwo akubwera!” Belu la pakhomo linalira ndipo anapita kuchitseko. Anabwerera pang’onopang’ono ndi kukhumudwa: “Sinali iye,” iye anatero. 'Ali kuti? Ha! akanabwera!'

“Simungadikire kuti mulowe m’vuto linanso,” anatero azakhali ake aang’ono, amene anali atakhala kunyumba kwa mlungu umodzi wokha ndipo sankakonda ana kwenikweni.

"Ndikuganiza, Aunt Phoebe, mungafune kuti bambo anga andimenye," adatero mnyamatayo mokwiya, "koma simudzawona, chifukwa bambo ndi abwino ndipo amandikonda."

'Ndiyenera kuvomereza,' anayankha azakhaliwo, 'kuti kumenya pang'ono sikungapweteke. Ukanakhala mwana wanga, ndikukhulupirira kuti sukanatha kumupewa.”

Belu linaliranso ndipo mnyamatayo analumpha n’kupita kuchitseko. “Ndi Atate!” anafuula motero.

“Aa, Richard!” Bambo Gordon analonjera mwana wawo mwachifundo, n’kugwira dzanja la mnyamatayo. 'Koma chavuta ndi chiyani? Ukuwoneka wachisoni kwambiri."

‘Tiye nane.’ Richard anakokera bambo ake m’chipinda chosungiramo mabuku. Mr Gordon anakhala pansi. Adagwirabe dzanja Richard.

“Kodi ukudandaula mwanawe? Nanga chinachitika ndi chani?"

Misozi inatuluka m’maso mwa Richard atayang’ana nkhope ya bambo ake. Anayesa kuyankha koma milomo yake inkanjenjemera. Kenako anatsegula chitseko cha chikwama chosonyeza zinthuzo n’kutulutsa zidutswa za chiboliboli chimene chinali chitangofika dzulo ngati mphatso. Bambo Gordon anakwinya nkhope pamene Richard anayika zipande patebulo.

“Zinachitika bwanji?” anafunsa ndi mawu osasintha.

"Ndinaponya mpira m'chipindamo, kamodzi kokha, chifukwa sindinaganizirepo." Mawu a mnyamata wosaukayo anali olimba komanso ogwedezeka.

Bambo Gordon anakhala kwa kanthawi, akuvutika kudziletsa ndi kuyesa kusonkhanitsa maganizo awo ovuta. Kenako ananena mokoma mtima kuti, ‘Chachitika n’chiyani, Richard. Chotsani ntchentche. Mwadutsamo mokwanira ndikuwona. Inenso sindikulange chifukwa cha zimenezi.”

“Aa bambo!” Mnyamatayo anakumbatira bambo ake. “Ndiwe wokoma kwambiri.” Patadutsa mphindi zisanu, Richard analowa pabalaza ndi bambo ake. Azakhali a Phoebe anayang'ana m'mwamba, kuyembekezera kuona zipolopolo ziwiri. Koma zimene anaona zinamudabwitsa.

"Ndi zatsoka kwambiri," adatero atakhala kaye pang'ono. “Inali ntchito yaluso kwambiri. Tsopano yasweka kamodzi kokha. Ndikuganiza kuti uyu ndi wonyansa kwambiri kwa Richard."

'Tathetsa nkhaniyi, Aunt Phoebe,' anatero a Gordon modekha koma molimba mtima. "Lamulo m'nyumba mwathu ndiloti: tulukani padzuwa mwamsanga." Padzuwa, mwamsanga? Inde, ndizo zabwino kwambiri.

Makhalidwe apamwamba ochokera: Nkhani Zosankha Ana, mkonzi.: Ernest Lloyd, Wheeler, Michigan: udated, pp. 47-48.

Lofalitsidwa koyamba mu German mu Maziko athu olimba, 4-2004.