Mu mwaka wa 1967, Kevin Carroll na Debbie Webber bari ingimbi ziga mu mashuri yisumbuye atandukanye muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. Bahujwe n’urukundo rw’ikinamico, aho bombi bari abanyamuryango b’amatsinda y’ikinamico mu mashuri yabo. Icyo gihe bahuriye mu kizamini rusange cyo kwiyandikisha, maze urukundo rutangira rugenda rukura umunsi ku wundi.
Kevin Carroll avuga ko akibona Debbie bwa mbere yahise amwiyumvamo, akabwira inshuti ye ko azamutumira mu birori byo kubyina. Na Debbie na we yemera ko Kevin ari we musore mwiza yari yarigeze kubona. Kuva ubwo, ntibongeye gutandukana, batangira gutegura ejo hazaza habo, barimo no gutekereza gushyingiranwa nubwo bari bakiri bato.
Gusa inzozi zabo zarahindutse ubwo Debbie yamenyaga ko atwite. Icyo gihe, uko imibereho y’abantu yari iteye, byabaye ikibazo gikomeye. Nubwo ababyeyi ba Debbie bamushyigikiye kandi bagakunda Kevin, hafashwe icyemezo cy’uko Debbie ajyanwa mu kigo cyakiraga abagore batwite bonyine. Nubwo Kevin yakomezaga kumusura mu mpera z’icyumweru, amahirwe yo kubana nk’umuryango yatangiye kugabanuka.
Kevin, w’imyaka 17, yinjiye mu gisirikare cya US Marine Corps afite icyizere ko bizamufasha gutegura ubuzima bwo kwita kuri Debbie n’umwana. Ariko ari mu myitozo ya gisirikare, yakiriye ibaruwa imubwira ko Debbie yafashe icyemezo cyo gutanga umwana ngo arerwe n’undi muryango. Icyo gihe Kevin yagize agahinda gakomeye, cyane ko atari afite uburyo bwo kugaragaza amarangamutima ye.
Debbie, na we, yanyuze mu bihe bikomeye. Nyuma yo kubyara umwana w’umukobwa, yamutanze ku muryango wari witeguye kumurera. Nubwo yabikoze agamije ejo hazaza heza h’umwana, umutima we wakomeje kumucira urubanza. Nyuma y’igihe, yimukiye ahandi atangira ubuzima bushya, arashaka abyara abandi bana batatu.
Hagati aho, Kevin yoherejwe mu ntambara ya Vietnam, aho yakomerekeye bikomeye. Yabazwe inshuro nyinshi, anyura mu rugendo rurerure rwo kwivuza no kwigira kongera kugenda. Muri ibyo byose, ntiyigeze areka gushakisha Debbie, ariko ntiyamubona.
Imyaka yarashize, bombi bagenda bubaka ubuzima bwabo buri umwe ku ruhande rwe. Kevin yaje gupfusha umugore, Debbie na we anyura mu bashakanye butandukanye. Ariko nta n’umwe muri bo wari warigeze kumenya amakuru y’umwana wabo w’umukobwa.
Amaherezo, Debbie yafashe icyemezo cyo kubwira abakobwa be ukuri ku mwana yabyaye akiri muto. Umwe muri bo yafashe iya mbere mu gushakisha uwo mwana, hashingiwe ku makuru make Debbie yari akibuka. Bidatinze, babashije kumubona. Yitwaga Val.
Guhura kwa Debbie n’umukobwa we Val byabaye intambwe ikomeye yo gukira ibikomere by’imyaka myinshi. Val yakiriye nyina nta rwango, amwizeza ko amwumva kandi amushimira icyemezo yafashe icyo gihe.
Ikibazo gikurikira cyari ukumenya aho se wa Val aherereye. Nyuma yo gushakisha, Debbie yamenye ko Kevin yari yarapfushije umugore. Yamwandikiye ibaruwa y’akababaro, amusaba ko baganira ku bihe byabo byashize. Kevin akibona iyo baruwa, yahise amuhamagara, baganira bwa mbere nyuma y’imyaka irenga 40.
Nyuma y’igihe gito, Kevin yahuriye na Val, bemeranya kugirana umubano wa se n’umwana. Ibyo byahise binongera urukundo rwari rwarigeze guhuza Kevin na Debbie. Bombi bemeye ko batigeze bareka gukundana nubwo imyaka yari yarabanyujije kure.
Amaherezo, nyuma y’imyaka irenga 40 yo gutandukana, Kevin Carroll na Debbie Webber barashyingiwe. Ubu bageze mu myaka ya 70, bavuga ko bishimira amahirwe yo kongera kubana, bakita ku rukundo rwabo no ku muryango wabo.
Debbie ashimangira ko muri iki cyiciro cy’ubuzima bwe, nta kindi yifuza uretse gukundana no kwitanaho n’uwo bakundanye bakiri bato, urugendo rwabo rukaba isomo ry’uko urukundo rushobora gutinda ariko ntirupfe.
