Ukuphanga phakathi nokugetshengwa. Ngisho ukuthi, angifuni ukusho ukuthi uJean Hanff Korelitz webile UJoel dicker ingxenye yengqikithi yayo elandisayo kaHarry Quebert owaphinde wantshontsha izinhliziyo zethu. Kodwa ukuqondana kwendikimba kunalelo phuzu elihle lokuhlangana phakathi kweqiniso nenganekwane ngoba zombili iziqephu zisithatha phakathi kwemikhawulo mayelana nokusetshenziswa kabi kwemisebenzi eqanjwe abanye, kuhlanganise nabamnyama...
UHarry Quebert okukhulunywa ngaye kulesi sikhathi ubizwa ngokuthi nguJake. Kuphela ukuthi ikusasa lakhe elilandisayo likhomba kakhulu uMarkus olangazelela inkazimulo yomlobi odumile emhlabeni. Kodwa-ke, ayikho impumelelo ngaphandle kwama-invoyisi lapho umuntu engumnikazi wawo wonke womsebenzi owethulwe. Futhi uJake akekho ngisho ukude...
Kodwa…., futhi yilapho ingxenye enhle ingena khona, njengalapho uhlobo olusha lokulandisa luvuleka ngenxa yokucabanga kongqondongqondo abathile, i-Korelitz iyakwazi ukuhluma amagatsha amasha, imibono emisha, izinto ezintsha ezingalindelekile. Njengomunye walabo babhali abasikhohlisayo, lo mbhali akashiyi imikhondo efana ne-Dicker nokukhumbula kwakhe okwenzeka njalo. Endabeni ye-Korelitz, yonke into igxile emvelweni ongaqondakali kodwa ayizange ilinganiswe kubo bonke ubukhulu bayo bokugcina.
Lapho umbhali osemusha eshona ngaphambi kokuqeda inoveli yakhe yokuqala, uthisha wakhe, umbhali wenoveli ongaphumelelanga, unquma ukuqhubeka nesakhiwo. Incwadi ewumphumela iyimpumelelo emangalisayo. Kodwa kuthiwani uma omunye umuntu ekwazi? Futhi uma umkhohlisi engakwazi ukuthola ukuthi usebenzelana nobani, uzifaka engcupheni yento embi kakhulu kunokulahlekelwa umsebenzi wakhe.
UJacob Finch Bonner wayengumbhali osemusha owayethembisa inoveli yakhe yokuqala yaba yimpumelelo ehloniphekile. Namuhla, ufundisa ohlelweni lokubhala lwezinga lesithathu futhi uyazabalaza ukulondoloza lokho okuncane asele nako; akabhalanga, ingasaphathwa eyokushicilela, noma yini ehloniphekile eminyakeni edlule.
Lapho u-Evan Parker, umfundi wakhe ozidlayo, etshela u-Jake ukuthi akadingi usizo lwakhe ukuze aqhubeke nenoveli yakhe ngoba ecabanga ukuthi itulo lencwadi yakhe eqhubekayo likhulu, u-Jake umchitha njengomlandi ovamile oyimfundamakhwela. Kodwa ke . . . lalela itulo
U-Jake ubuyela endleleni eya phansi yomsebenzi wakhe futhi ulungiselela ukushicilelwa kwenoveli yokuqala ka-Evan Parker: kodwa lokho akwenzeki. U-Jake uthola ukuthi umfundi wakhe wangaphambili ushonile, cishe engakayiqedi incwadi yakhe, futhi wenza lokho noma yimuphi umbhali obiza usawoti wakhe angakwenza ngendaba efana naleyo: indaba okufanele ikhulunywe.
Eminyakeni embalwa nje, zonke izibikezelo zika-Evan Parker ziye zagcwaliseka, kodwa u-Jake ungumbhali ojabulela impumelelo. Ucebile, udumile, uyanconywa futhi ufundwa emhlabeni wonke. Kodwa ekuphakameni kwempilo yakhe entsha ekhazimulayo, uthola i-imeyili, usongo lokuqala emkhankasweni owesabekayo ongaziwa: Uyisela, kusho i-imeyili.
Njengoba uJake ezama ukuqonda umuntu omelene naye futhi afihle iqiniso kubafundi nabashicileli bakhe, uqala ukufunda okwengeziwe ngomfundi wakhe ongasekho, futhi akutholayo kuyamangaza futhi kumethuse. Wayengubani u-Evan Parker futhi wawuthola kanjani umbono wenoveli yakhe “yokubheja okuqinisekile”? Ithini indaba eyiqiniso mayelana netulo futhi intshontshe bani?
