Ubudlelwane bethu nokufa busikhokelela kuhlobo lokuhlala kunye apho umntu ngamnye eqala ukubala ngendlela eyeyona anokuyenza. Ukusweleka yeyona nto iphikisanayo, kwaye UJostein Gaarder uyazi. Umlinganiswa ophambili kweli bali litsha ngumbhali omkhulu ukwimzuzu othile wokufikelela kumathandabuzo anzulu ngokufa, ezo siziphephayo kumhla wethu.
UJakop uhlala yedwa kwaye isizungu sisandulela sokufa. Mhlawumbi yiloo nto uJakob enyanzelisa ukugxotha abantu abangaziwayo abangasekhoyo. UJakop uqala ukutyelela amakhaya emingcwabo ukutshisa oontanga bakhe angazange abelane nantoni na, kwaye ebandisela nakwabanye abeza kuthi ndlela-ntle.
Kodwa into ayijoliyo nguJakop kukuba, nangona sele ekhulile, kunokuhlala kukho indawo yokwamkela ebomini, nokuba uzama kangakanani na ukuziqhelanisa nokuthetha.
Isishwankathelo: Uneminyaka engamashumi amathandathu ubudala, u-eccentric kunye nothando olunomdla kwi-Indo-European kwiSebe lezoLwimi kwiYunivesithi yaseOslo, eJakop kukhokelela kubomi obunesizungu. Ngaphandle kwabantwana okanye izalamane ezisondeleyo, ugcina ubudlelwane kunye nomfazi wakhe wangaphambili kunye nomhlobo wakhe uPelle. Kodwa ukukhokelela kubomi obuncinci bokuhlala kubonakala kungabalulekanga kuye, kuba umsebenzi othile uhlala kwiintsuku zakhe ngokupheleleyo kwaye, ukongeza, ubukho bakhe bonke: uya kwimingcwabo yabantu angabaziyo, uxubana izalamane kunye neenkumbulo zabo ezona zibali zithandekayo kubudlelwane bakhe bobuxoki kunye nomfi, amabali amancinci athi, ngokungaphumeleli, ashukumise ngokunzulu abo bakhoyo. Kude kube lusuku olunye, komnye wemingcwabo, uJakop udibana no-Agnes ...
Ngobuchule bakhe obungenakuthelekiswa nanto bokusondela kweyona nzulu kunye neyona nto igqithileyo ngokukhanya okucacileyo, umbhali we Ihlabathi likaSofia isinika inoveli engalibalekiyo embindini wayo, eneneni, umntu kunye nemibuzo yakhe yanaphakade malunga nentsingiselo yendalo iphela.
Ungayithenga inoveli ngoku Indoda enonodolinguJostein Gaarder, iphepha elibhaliweyo, apha:
