Morgan Rice - Wani Neman Jarumai

Banda shi, sabanin wannan, haifafen dansa na biyu ya saya—amma dan halak dinsa na fari—Gareth, shekaru ashirin da uku, siriri, da fadadun kumatu da manyan idanu masu launin kasa da basu taba daina motsi. Halinsa ba zai iya banbanta da na yayansa fiye da haka ba. Yanayin Gareth ya kasance duk abinda na Kendrick bai kasance ba: a yayinda yayansa ke fito wa fili, Gareth na da boye tunaninsa na asali; a yayin da yayansa keji dakansa da kuma kama kai, Gareth nada rashin gaskiya da yaudara. Yakan daga wa MacGil hankali yaki dansa, kuma yayita kokari sau barketai ya gyara yanayinsa; amma bayan wani matsayi a shekarun kuruciyan yaron, ya hakura da cewa haka kaddaran yaron yake: kulle kulle, kwadayin mulki da buri ta hanyoyin da suka saba. Gareth kuma, MacGil ya sani, baya sha’awan mata, kuma yanada masoya maza dayawa. Wasu sarakunan da sun kore irin wannan dan, amma MacGil yafi ganewa, kuma a wurinsa, wannan bai kai dalilin da zai sa shi ya ki dansa ba. Baya masa hukunci a kan wannan. Abinda yake masa hukunci akai shine yanayin mugunta, da kulle kullen da yake dashi, wanda ya kasance abinda ba zai iya juya wa baya ba.

A jere a gefen Gareth akwai haifefiyar diyar MacGil na biyu, Gwendolyn. Wanda kwananan ta kai shekaru goma sha shida, ta kasance da kyaun da yayi daidai da duk wani wanda ya taba gani da idanunsa—kuma yanayinta yafi suranta haskakawa. Tanada kirki, bude hanu, gaskiya---budurwa mafi kyau da ya taba sani. Ta wannan hanyan, daya take da Kendrick. Ta kalli MacGil da soyayyar diya zuwaga mahaifinta, kuma yakan ji goyon bayanta gareshi a kowane kallo da ta masa. Ya mafi alfahari da ita a kan yaransa maza.

A saye a gefen Gwendolyn akwai dan autan MacGil namiji, Reece, matashin yaro mai ji da kansa kuma mai annashuwa, a shekaru goma sha hudu, ya fara zama namiji. MacGil ya kalla da farin ciki shigarsa runduna, kuma har ya fara hangan irin mutumin da zai juya ya zama. Wata rana, MacGil bashi da kwokwanto, Reece zai zama dansa mafi kyau, kuma babban shugaba. Amma wannan ranan ba yanzu bane. Shi yaro ne a yanzu, kuma yana bukatan sanin abubuwa dayawa.

MacGil na jin yanayi kalakala a yayin kallon yaransa duka hudu, yaransa maza uku da namace daya, a saye a gabansa. Yana jin alfahari a gauraye da bankasawa. Ya kuma ji fushi da haushi, saboda yaransa biyu basu kasance a nan ba. Babban cikinsu, diyarsa Luanda, tabattace na shirya wa aurenta, kuma tunda auren zai kaita wata masarautane, bata da wani alaka da wannan tattaunawan magada. Amma daya dansa, Godfrey, a shekaru goma sha takwas na sakiyan, bayanan. MacGil yaji haushin rashin amsa kiran.

Tun yana yaro, Godfrey ke nuna wa sarauta rashin daraja; a tabbace yake cewa bai damu da sarautaba kuma ba zai taba hawa mulki ba. Kuma, babban rashin jindadin MacGil, ya kasance zabi Godfrey na yin wasa da ranakun rayuwarsa a gidajen barasa da abokanai marasa nisuwa, wanda yake jawo wa gidan sarautan Karin jin kunya da rashin mutunci. Yakasance ragwo, yana barci a mafi yawan sakar ranaku ya kuma cikita shaurar ranan da shan barasa. A daya bangaren, MacGil ya dan sake saboda rashin kasancewarsa; a dayan kuma, cin fuska da ba zai yadda dashiba. Ya kasance, dama, yana sa ran hakan na iya faruwa, sai ya aiki mayakan sa su tace gidajen barasa su kawoshi. MacGil ya zauna shuru, yana jira, sai sun kawoshi.

Dagakarshe babban kofar oak din ta budu sai ga masu tsaron fadan suna takowa ciki, sunsa Godfrey a sakaninsu. Sun hankadoshi, sai Godfrey yayi tangal tangal zuwa cikin dakin ayayinda suka rufe kofan a bayansa.

Kannensa maza da namace sun juyo suna kallo da buddadun idanu. Godfrey acikin halin ko’oho, na warin barasa, ba gyaran fuska kuma rabi a tube. Ya mayar da murmushi. Da rasin hankali. Kaman yadda aka saba.

“Barka, Baba,” Godfrey yace. “Nishadin ya wucenine?”

“Zaka saya da yan’uwanka ka jira sai nayi Magana. In kaki, Allah ya taimakeka, zan daureka da sarka a cikin kurkuku da shauran talakawan yan kurkuku, kuma ba zaka ga abinciba---balle barasa---na kwana uku gabadaya.”

Darashinji, Godfrey ya mayar da kallo ido abude sosai ga mahaifinsa. A wannan kallon, MacGil ya gano wani ma’ajiyin, wani gado daga gareshi, hasken wani abu da watakila wata rana zaiyiwa Godfrey anfani sosai. Hakan zai zama, in har ya iya barin wannan yanayinsan.

Dan tawaye nakinkari, Godfrey ya jira na dakikoki goma masu kyau kafin yabi umurni yayi tafiyan ganin dama zuwa ga shauran.

MacGil yayiwa yara biyar dake gabansa kallo mai kyau: dan cikin shegen, mai dabam da kowan, mashayin, diyarsa da kuma dan autansa. Hadin da baiyi daidai bane, yarda cewa duk sun fito daga jikinsane yaso yamasa wuya. Kuma a yanzu, a ranan auren babbar diyarsa, alhakin ya fado kansa ya zabi yarima daga wanan tarin. Tayaya hakan zai yiwu?

Wannan yakasance aikin banzane; bayan ma, shima yana kuruciyansane kuma zai iya mulki har shekaru talatin nan gaba. In ta dauro duk yariman da ya zaba ba zai hau sarautanba nan da shekaru dayawa. Al’adan ma gabadaya bai masa ba. Watakila tayi amfani a zamanin mahaifansa, amma batada mazauni a yanzu.

Ya gyara murya.

“Mun taru anan yau saboda wata bukatan al’ada. Kaman yadda kuka sani, a yau, a ranan auren babbar diya, hakkin ya fada akaina na zabi magaji. Yariman da zai gaji mukin masarautan nan. Inda zan mutu, babu wanda yafi cancanta yayi mulki Kaman mahaifiyarku. Amma dokokin masarautarmu sun tanadi cewa sai haifafen dan sarki ne zai iya cin gadon sarauta. Sabodahaka, dole na zaba.”

MacGil ya riki numfashinsa, yana tunani. Wani shuru ya mamaye wurin, kuma yanajin inda wurin ya cika da nauyin zalama. Ya kalli cikin idanuwansu, yaga yanayi dabamdabam a kowanne. Dancikin shegen ya rungumi kaddara, saboda yasan ba za a zabeshiba. Idanun mai dabam da kowa sun cika da buri, Kaman yana jiran zaben ya fada kansa saboda haka ya kamata. Mashayin na kallon waje ta taga, bai damuba. Diyarsa na mayar da kallo cike da soyyaya, da sanin cewa ita ba wani bangaren wannan tattaunawan bane, amma duk da haka take son mahaifinta. Hakama dan autansa.

“Kendrick, nakan daukeka a matsayin assalin da tunda. Amma dokokin masarautanmu sun hanani mika wa duk wanda asalinsa yadan kasa sarautan nan.”

Kendrick kai a sunkuye yace. “Baba, bansaran zaka yi hakaba. Na gamsu da abinda Allah yamani. Narokeka kar wannan ya daga maka hankali.”

Hankali MacGil ya tashi da amsarsa, yaji cewa zuciyarsa ya fada da gaskiya kuma wannan yasashi jin Karin Kaman ya nadashi a yariman.

Shauran ku hudu kenan. Reece, kai matashine mai kyau, mafi kyawun da na taba gani. Amma girmanka yadan kasa wa wannan tattaunawan.”

“Haka nima nake tunani, Baba,” Reece ya mayar, da karamin sunkuyar da kai.

“Godfrey, kai dayane daga cikin asalin yara na maza uku---duk da haka kazabi kasha ranakunka a gidan barasa, da najasa. Kasamu duk wani zarafi na rayuwa, kuma ka barnatar da duka. Idan inada wata danasani a rayuwana, to kai ne.”

Godfrey ya mayar da kallo da gwayewan ido, yagagara nitsuwa wuri daya.

“To, dai, ina ganin nagama a nan, zan koma gidan barasa, ko bahakaba, Baba?”

Da sunkuyar kai da sauri, na raini, Godfrey ya juya ya fara fita a dakin.

“Ka dawo nan!” MacGil yayi ihu. “YANZU!”

Godfrey yacigaba da tafiya, Kaman bai jishiba. Ya sallaka dakin yaja kofan ya bude. Masu tsaro biyu suna saye a kofan.

MacGil ya kumbura da haushi a yayinda masu tsaron ke kallonsa da idanun tamabaya.

Amma Godfrey bai jiraba; ya bangari sakaninsu ya wuce, zuwa cikin budadiyar haraba.

“Ku tsareshi!” MacGil yafada da babban murya. “Kuma karku yarda sarauniya ta ga hakan. Bana son mahaifiyarsa da tunanin yadda taganshi a ranar auren diyarta.”

“To, maigida,” sukace, suka rufe kofar a yayinda suka hanzarta suka bishi.

MacGil ya zauna a wurin, yana numfashi, idanunsa jazur, yana kokarin ya kwantar da hankali. A karo na Kaman dubu yayi tunanin laifinda shi yayi aka sakamasa da irin wannan dan.