Ubulungiswa cishe ngaso sonke isikhathi budinga isinxephezelo. Uma kwenzeka kungenakwenziwa, noma noma kunganxeshezelwa ngandlela thile kepha kube nomonakalo othile, futhi inesijeziso njengethuluzi. Kunoma ikuphi, ubulungiswa buhlala budinga iqiniso elihloselwe ukuthola amanye amaqiniso.
Kodwa u-Alicia Berenson akazimisele ukusho noma yini ekhanyisayo phambi kobufakazi obukhomba ngokungahluleki ekubulaweni komyeni wakhe.
Ngaphandle kobufakazi kummangalelwa, uBulungiswa buhlale buxhuga. Okukhulu nakakhulu emphakathini obukeka umangale ngowesifazane ozindebe zakhe ezivaliwe ezingachazi lutho, azicacisi lutho. Futhi ukuthula, yiqiniso, kuvusa ilukuluku lokufuna ukwazi kulo lonke elaseNgilandi.
Uma isakhiwo sokuvula sesivele simema lowomqondo okhethekile futhi othakazelisayo wokungabaza ngendlela ecashile ebheke kumlingiswa ka-Alice, njengoba uTheo Faber ezama ukungena kulezo zimpawu ezivaliwe, uzungu luba nokungezwani okwengeziwe.
U-Alicia Berenson nezimo zakhe njengesisekelo sokucwaninga kwalesi sazi sokusebenza kwengqondo bazimisele ukuletha ukukhanya. Umculi ohlonishwayo onempilo ebukeka sengathi ijwayelekile. Kuze kube lokho kuchofoza ebuchosheni kulandelwe isibhamu emihlanu ekhanda esivela kumyeni wakhe… Bese kuthi ukuthula.
UTheo ufika ejele lapho u-Alicia adonsa khona isigwebo sakhe. Ukusondela kwabesifazane kusobala ukuthi akulula neze. Kepha uTheo unamathuluzi akhe okubopha intambo, ukudonsa intambo kulokho kuthula njengesiphephelo kepha lapho wonke umuntu kufanele aphume khona ngezikhathi ezithile njengesilwane emgodini waso. Akuwona amagama adlulisa imininingwane kuphela.
Kuze kube uTheo uzocabanga ngokwazi yonke into. Ngoba yena, ukuphela komuntu osondelayo, ehlela emthonjeni wengqondo ka-Alicia, uqala ukwesaba ukuthi uzobe engenakho nokukhanya ngaphambi kweqiniso lokugcina elisabekayo elingamlindela futhi elizophazamisa konke.
Manje usungathenga inoveli ethi The Silent Patients, inoveli ka-Alex Michaelides, lapha: