Uma uthi nhlá, ukutholakala kwamakhanda amabili amatshe aqoshwe ngesandla engadini eduze kwaseHexham kubonakala kungabalulekile. Kodwa kwabe sekuqala ukwethuka, ngoba amakhanda cishe ayewumthombo oyinhloko wezigigaba ezingavamile, okwaholela ekubonakaleni okwesabekayo kwendoda yempisi.
IHexham iyisifunda esiseTyne Valley, amakhilomitha angama-32 enyakatho yeNewcastle-upon-Tyne. U-Colin Robson, owayeneminyaka engu-11 ngaleso sikhathi, wahlakula igceke elingemuva kwendlu yabazali bakhe ekuseni ngo-February 1972. Eqhuba, wathola itshe eliyindilinga elilingana nebhola lomphebezo elinomthofu ongavamile ohlangothini olulodwa. Wathola izici ezibaziweyo zomuntu etsheni ngemva kokukhipha ukungcola; empeleni umthofu wawungumqala.
Egcwele injabulo wabiza umfowabo omncane uLeslie ukuba eze. Ndawonye, bobabili abafana baqhubeka nokusesha futhi ngokushesha uLeslie wathola ikhanda lesibili. Amatshe, ayebizwa ngokuthi amaHexham Heads, amelela izinhlobo ezimbili ezihlukene. Eyokuqala yayifana nogebhezi lwekhanda futhi ibonakala inezici zesilisa; kwakuthiwa "umfana".
Itshe lalingelompunga futhi lalicwebezela ngamakristalu e-quartz. Yayisinda kakhulu, isinda kunosimende noma ukhonkolo. Izinwele zazibonakala zigijima ngemigqa ukusuka ngaphambili kuya emuva. Elinye ikhanda, “intombazane” lalifana nomthakathi. Yayinamehlo agqagqene futhi izinwele ziboshelwe ifindo elithile. Ezinweleni, kwakungatholakala iminonjana yombala ophuzi nobomvu.
Sebegebhule amakhanda abafana bawangenisa endlini. Ngakho-ke, yonke le nhlekelele yaqala. Amakhanda aphenduka ngaphandle kwesizathu, izinto zaphuka zibe yizicucu ngaphandle kwesizathu esicacile.
Lapho umatilasi wenye yamadodakazi amabili akwaRobsons ugcwele ingilazi ephukile, amantombazane aphuma ekamelweni. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, imbali engaqondakali yaqhakaza ngoKhisimusi khona kanye lapho, lapho amakhanda atholakala khona. Ngaphandle kwalokho, kwakukhanya ukukhanya okuyinqaba lapho.
Kungashiwo ukuthi imicimbi eyenzeka kumaRobsons ayihlangene nokubukeka kwamakhanda kodwa ithinta i-poltergeist-phenomena, evuswe yizingane ezisakhula zamaRobson. Noma kunjalo, umakhelwane wabakwaRobsons, u-Ellen Dodd, waba nesenzakalo esabisa kangaka, esingenakuchazwa kalula.
Kamuva, uNkz. Dodd wathi isidalwa esinemilenze emine sasimthinte ngokucophelela emilenzeni. Kube ingxenye yomuntu, ingxenye yemvu. UNkz. Robson wakhumbula ukuthi ngabo lobo busuku uzwe umsindo wokuklabalasa nokukhala kwamakhelwane. Omakhelwane bakhe bamtshela ukuthi leyo misindo ivela kumuntu ofana nempisi.
UDkt. Anne Ross, uchwepheshe obalulekile wesiko lamaCeltic, uthe amakhanda azoba neminyaka engaba ngu-1800 ubudala futhi ekuqaleni ayesetshenziswa ngesikhathi semikhosi yama-Celtic. Imibono imile ngemuva kokuthi amakhanda ephumile endlini.
Ngo-1972, indaba yathatha inguquko entsha, lapho umshayeli weloli u-Desmond Craigie ethi "Celtic" amakhanda ayeneminyaka engu-16 kuphela ubudala nokuthi uye wawenza njengamathoyizi endodakazi yakhe uNancy. Ngokumangalisayo, iminyaka yamakhanda yayingenakunqunywa ngisho nangosizo lokuhlaziywa kwesayensi.
Lapho amakhanda ephuma enkathini yamaCeltic, kungacatshangwa kalula ukuthi isiqalekiso sasendulo siyabasinda. Kodwa lapho bengagugi, kungachazwa kanjani ukuthi bavusa izenzakalo ezingavamile? Kunombono wokuthi imikhiqizo yobuciko bamaminerali ingagcina izithombe ezibukwayo zabantu ezidalwe ngazo. Kucatshangwa ukuthi izindawo nezinto zingathatha ulwazi olungabangela izenzakalo ezithile.
Usosayensi uDkt. Robins naye uyithakasele imibiko mayelana nemisindo okuthiwa ibiyenzeka mayelana namakhanda. Wakhomba ukufana kwesidalwa esivela ezinganekwaneni zasendulo zamaNordic, the "Wulver". Wayenamandla futhi eyingozi kodwa enomusa kubantu inqobo nje uma bengamcasuli. UDokotela uRobins wayethathekile ngamakhanda kangangokuthi wayehlose ukuwahambisa ekhaya.
Lapho ewafaka emotweni yakhe ukuze abuyele ekhaya futhi evula ukhiye, zonke izinto zikagesi ezazisedeshibhodi zahluleka. Wabuka amakhanda wathi. “Yeka nalokho!” - futhi imoto yaqala.
Indawo yamanje yama-Hexham-heads ayaziwa. Nokho, akungabazeki ukuthi zaziwumthombo wezenzakalo ngokuvamile okuthiwa zabangelwa ama-poltergeists. Basebenza njengenhlamvu ngandlela thize. Kodwa kungani kunjalo? Lokhu kuphakamisa indaba yobudala babo.
Ingabe badabuka eCeltic, njengoba kusho uDkt. Ross, noma basanda kwenziwa ngo-1956 isakhamuzi sakwaHexham sesenzela indodakazi yakhe? Ngokombono kaDkt. Robins, lapho into isesimweni sokukhiqiza i-poltergeist-phenomena, akukhathaleki ukuthi yenziwe ngubani, kodwa kunalokho ukuthi yenziwa kuphi.
