Mu byumweru byakurikiyeho, ubuzima bwanjye bwahindutse urukurikirane rw’iminota ipfukiranijwe n’agahinda gasingira umutima bucece. Nari maze kumva ko igihe cyose, nubwo cyakomeza kugenda, cyari nk’igiseke gifunze urwibutso rumwe rudashira: Diane. Ariko sinashoboraga gukomeza kubaho muri uwo mwijima iteka. Hari aho umutima uba ukeneye guhumeka, nubwo byaba bisaba gukomeretsa ibikomere bishya.
Natangiye kujya mu rusengero buri gitondo, atari uko nari naravuye mu muriro, ahubwo ari uko nashakaga aho amarira atarwa isoni no gukomera. Buri ndirimbo nayiririmbaga bucece, nk’aho Diane yicaye aho mu ntebe ya kabiri inyuma yange, afashe agatabo ke, ansubiza mu ijwi nk’uko byahoze.
Umupadiri umwe yabonye ko mpora nigunze, aza kumbaza niba hari icyo yankorera. Naramusubije nti:
“Sinsaba amasengesho yo gukira vuba, ndasaba gusa amasengesho yo kutirenganya.”
Ni uko byari bimeze: sinashakaga ko agahinda kanjye kaba icyaha. Nashakaga ko kaba igice cyanjye.
Nari maze igihe ntavugana na Neema. Kuva uwo munsi yansigiye ubutumwa ku meza, ntabwo twongeye kuvugana. Nagerageje kumwandikira rimwe gusa sinahita mbona igisubizo. Byarambabazaga, ariko sinari mfite ububasha bwo kumusanga. Nabonaga Neema nk’ikirahure gitekanye cyabaga gifite amazi afutse.
Umunsi umwe, nagiye mu isoko kugura imbuto. Nari nsigaye nkunda kujya gushaka utuntu dutandukanye no kugendagenda, nk’ushaka gukirira mu nzira aho kuba mu nzu. Ubwo nari ndi kugura avoka, numva ijwi rituje, rimvugira iruhande:
“Ziratukura nk’uko wabikundaga.”
Narahindukiye, mbona Neema. Yari yambaye ikanzu y’icunga ribonerana, amaguru afunze nk’ufite ibintu byinshi ashaka kudatakaza. Isura ye yari ituje ariko idafite wa mususu w’icyizere yari asanganywe. Nari ntaramubona mu byumweru hafi bitatu.
“Naragutegereje.” Yavuze atyo, asa n’uwifuza ko nabona iryo jambo nk’impano.
“Nashakaga kukuvugisha, ariko sinari nzi aho uherereye,” naramusubije.
Twavuye aho mu kavuyo, tujya gushaka aho kwicara inyuma y’isoko nuko yicara iruhande rwanjye ku ntebe ikoze mu ipine. Akayaga gake karahuhaga, ugahuha imisatsi ye miremire, nge nkakunda ukuntu yabaga ari kuyisubiza ku mu rongo asa nk’uyishyira inyuma y’ugutwi.
“Byagenze bite?” namubajije, amaso yanjye amureba mu buryo wagira ngo bwari ubwambere tubonanye.
Yaranyitegereje, avuga buhoro:
“Natekereje ku buzima bwanjye, ku buzima bwawe no ku buzima bwacu— rero nasanze hari igihe umuntu akunda undi, ariko ntamubera igisubizo cy’ikibazo cye.”
Naratuje. Ibyo byari ukuri.
“Neema, nagerageje kugukunda Ariko Diane… Diane aracyarimo. Kandi sinashakaga kukubabaza ngo nkwereke umutima nkufungurire umutima wange hanyuma numara kuwinjiramo uwuburemo ikicaro.”
Yaranyumvise, ashoka amarira atari menshi, ahubwo Amarira y’utarakomeretse gusa, ahubwo y’umuntu wumvise ko ari ngombwa gutandukana neza.
“Corneille, numvaga ko igihe kizakiza byose. Ariko igihe si umuti. Ni uburyo bwo kwimenya. Narimenye. Ndagukunda ariko sinshaka gukomeza guhatiriza ahatari icyuho Cy’urukundo ngomba kuziba”
Yarahagurutse, ampa akaboko ke mu ntoki nk’uhereza umuntu ubuzima bwe bwose ngo abujyane.
“Ndagusezeye. Si uko ntacyigufite ku mutima. Ni uko nshaka ko wubaka wowe ubwawe, utari uwo nashakaga gukiza.”
Naricecekeye. Sinigeze mureba ngo nihagarareho. Sinigeze musaba kuguma aho, kuko nari maze gusobanukirwa ko urukundo rutagira icyicaro kitabashije kwakira umuyaga, ruhanagurwa na buri mpumuro y’amarira.
Neema yaragiye. Uko yagendaga, ni ko niyumvaga nk’uwuzuyemo agahinda n’urujijo. Hari agace k’ukuri yari anshyizemo, n’ubwigenge bwanjye butari bushingiye ku byahise gusa.
Nagarutse mu rugo, mfata ikaramu n’agapapuro. Nandika ibaruwa:
“Diane,
Ubu ndagerageza. Sinigeze nkwibagirwa. Si na Neema nshaka kugusimbuza. Ni jye nshaka gusubiza mu buzima. Sinshaka kubaho nk’uwiteze ko amarira ari yo buzima, ahubwo nk’uwamenye ko hari igihe atemba akajya mu mariba y’ibyiringiro.
Ndagukumbura. Ariko nanone, ndashaka ko unyemerera kubaho.”
Nabitse iyo baruwa mu gitabo Diane yansigiye. Nicaye kuri veranda, aho twajyaga dutekereza ibidafite ibisobanuro, ndeba ku gasozi kari hakurya, aho izuba ryaviraga ku gikombe cy’ibindi bitekerezo.
Aho, ni ho kwiyubaka kwanjye kwatangiriye. Nari ntaramenya aho bizarangirira, ariko naratangiye urugendo. Sinari ngifite umukobwa nari mfite, sinari kumwe n’uwandi washakaga kumfungura umutima, ariko nari mfite ikintu kimwe cy’ingenzi: njye ubwanjye.