Yini embi eqala, okubi kuyaphela. I- okuthokozisayo kwasekhaya bathambekele ekungeneni kulo muzwa. Umndeni kaJacobo uhlangana ngokuyalelwa okuthile. Mhlawumbe akekho kulo mndeni ongafuna ukuhlala ngaphansi kophahla olufanayo, ngemuva kweminyaka isakhiwo salo mndeni sidilizwe ukungabi naluthando nemikhuba ebhubhisayo.
Kepha uJacobo akanakho okunye angakwenza ngaphandle kokubuyela ku-Irene, umkakhe noMiriam, isithelo esikude sothando lwabo olungasekho, intombazane esencane ebunile engenakho ukuxhumana okuncane noma okuncane. Imvelo uqobo lwayo yokuhlanganiswa kwemindeni ayimemezeli izikhukhula zenjabulo entsha. I-Portocarrero, idolobha eliyizipoki lase-Almería liyaphila kule noveli, impilo encane, impilo engajwayelekile, kodwa impilo ngemuva kwakho konke.
Kodwa-ke, indlu yasemapulazini lapho uJacobo, u-Irene noMiriam bezama khona ukucisha iphazili lempilo yabo, igcina ngokugqekezwa ngobusuku obubodwa. U-Irene ubulewe kanti uJacobo uvuka esibhedlela.
Lapho ephuma ku-coma, uJacobo akaqondi ukuthi kungani uphenyo olusemthethweni lukhomba endodakazini yakhe njengomhleli wokuhlaselwa kanye nokubulawa okuphindwe kabili okwenziwa isigamu. Kepha uJacobo ugcina ingcosana yokubonga, ukuthandabuza kobubaba lapho kuvela khona umbono wokuthi akunakuba njalo.
Ngokubambisana nommeli wendodakazi yakhe, uqala ukubuza edolobheni elincane eliyizipoki, elifihlwe esigodini esinamandla, onqenqemeni lokugwinywa yimvelo ehamba kancane kodwa engaguquki. Kodwa-ke, esimweni esilula kanjalo, phakathi kokuthula okukhulu, okuhlaselwa ngezikhathi ezithile ngengoma ethile ye-cicada, uJacobo noNora bazothola umkhondo abangasusa kuwo. Izithunzi zokungabaza zisondele phakathi kwezakhamizi ezimbalwa zasePortocarrero, kuze kubonakale sengathi zonke ziyingxenye yobubi bendawo, ezihleli esikhaleni esingajwayelekile saleso sigodi esikhohliwe.
Ungathenga incwadi Ukhula, inoveli yakamuva ka-Agustín Martínez, lapha:
Amazwana angu-1 kokuthi "Ikhambi elibi, lika-Agustín Martínez"