Mkango Wobangula Usanduka Mwana wa Nkhosa Wofatsa

YOSIMBIDWA NDI ENRIQUE TORRES, JR.

NDINABADWA mu 1941 pa chilumba china cha ku Caribbean chotchedwa Puerto Rico, kumene anthu ambiri amalankhula Chispanya. Makolo anga amene anali osauka anali a Roma Katolika, koma iwo ngakhalenso alongo anga ndi mng’ono wanga (amene anamwalira ali mwana) kuphatikizaponso ine tinali tisanaphunzitsidwepo chilichonse chokhudza chipembedzo, ndipo nthaŵi zambiri sitinkapita kutchalitchi.

Banja lathulo linachoka ku Puerto Rico kupita ku United States mu 1949. Tinakhala mu mzinda wa New York ku East Harlem, kumene kumatchedwa kuti El Barrio. Tinakhalako mpaka 1953. Kuphunzira Chingelezi kunkandivuta kwambiri. Vuto limeneli linkandipangitsa kudzidelera.

Kundikopera Kumakhalidwe Oipa

Kenaka banja lathu linasamuka kupita ku Prospect Heights, m’dera la Brooklyn. Apa m’pamene anzanga anandikopa ndipo ndinaloŵa m’gulu la achifwamba. Kenaka anandiika kukhala wamkulu wawo. Kenaka ndinakhalanso wamkulu wa gulu lina lachifwamba, limene linkaba galimoto. Ndinalinso wotolera ngongole za pa juga. Kenaka ndinayamba kuba m’nyumba za anthu ndipo ndinamangidwapo kangapo ndisanafike zaka 15. Nthaŵi imeneyo n’kuti nditasiya sukulu.

Pamene ndinali ndi zaka 16, ndinagwidwa ndipo mondichitira chifundo anangondithamangitsira ku Puerto Rico kuti ndikakhaleko zaka zisanu. Ndinatumizidwa kwa agogo anga aamuna amene anali kukhala ndi banja lawo. Kale iwo anali apolisi ndipo anali wodziŵika komanso ankapatsidwa ulemu. Komabe patangotha chaka chimodzi agogo angawa ananditumizanso ku Brooklyn chifukwa ndinali kumwa kwambiri moŵa, kuyenda ndi anthu osalongosoka komanso kuba.

Mbali Zimene Atate Wanga Anachita M’moyo Wanga

Nditabwerera ku mzinda wa New York kuchokera ku Puerto Rico, ndinapeza kuti atate wanga anali atayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi Mboni za Yehova. Komabe moyo wanga unali wosagwirizana ndi zimenezi. Ndinapitirizabe kukhala moyo wosaganiza za Mulungu ndipo ndinali kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osokoneza ubongo komanso ndinali kumwa moŵa mwauchidakwa. Ndinaloŵa m’kagulu ka zigawenga za mfuti ndipo mapeto ake ndinamangidwa mu 1960. Ndinapezedwa ndi mlandu ndipo ndinapatsidwa chilango chokhala m’ndende kwa zaka zitatu.

Mu 1963 ndinatulutsidwa nditalonjeza kuti sindidzabanso. Koma patangotha nthaŵi yochepa ndinamangidwanso chifukwa cha kuthyola nyumba, ndipo ndinakhala m’ndende kwa zaka ziŵiri pa chilumba cha Rikers, mu mzinda wa New York. Ndinatulutsidwa mu 1965. Koma, chaka chomwecho ndinamangidwanso chifukwa cha mlandu wakupha. Ndinalidi nditasanduka mkango woopsa!

Khotilo linandilamula kuti ndikakhale kwa zaka 20 ku Dannemora, m’boma la New York. Kumeneko ndinaloŵa m’kagulu ka akaidi ovuta.

Komabe, monga ndanenera kale, atate wanga anali kuphunzira Malemba ndi Mboni za Yehova. Kenaka anabatizidwa ndipo anali kutumikira monga mkulu mumpingo ku Harlem. Anali kubwera pafupipafupi kudzandiona pamene ndinali m’ndende, ndipo nthaŵi zonse ankandiuza za Mulungu, dzina Lake ndi cholinga Chake.

Komabe ndili m’ndende ku Dannemora, ndinaloŵa m’kagulu ka anthu a katapila, amene ankafuna chiwongola dzanja chachikulu kwambiri pa ndalama zimene ankakongoza. Panthaŵi imeneyi, mu 1971, kunachitika chiwawa kundende ina yotchedwa Attica Correctional Facility, m’boma la New York. Chiwawa chimenechi chinalembedwa m’manyuzipepala ambiri ndipo chinaulutsidwa m’mawailesi ndi ma TV a m’mayiko ambiri. Poopa kuti zoterezi zingachitikenso ku Dannemora, pambuyo pa chiwawa chimenechi, oyang’anira ndende anaganiza kuti asankhe akaidi amene mwina anali kusokoneza anzawo kuti azichita zoipa. Oterewa anawaika m’zipinda zaokha.

Mwa akaidi 2,200, pafupifupi 200 tinapatulidwa. Mwa ameneŵa anapatulaponso ena oti akamenyedwe zolimba. Kuphatikizanso apo, monga njira imene iwowo amati kuti n’njothandiza “kusintha khalidwe,” anali kuthira mankhwala m’chakudya chathu.

Iyi siinali nthaŵi yanga yoyamba kupatulidwa chifukwa cha kusamvera. Komabe iyi inali nthaŵi yanga yoyamba kuzunzidwa motero ndipo zimenezi zinandipweteka mtima kwabasi. Ndinali nditamangidwa ndi unyolo manja ndi miyendo yanga yomwe, ndipo ndinali kumenyedwa kaŵirikaŵiri ndi asilikali olondera. Ndipo chifukwa cha mtundu wanga nthaŵi zonse ndinali kunenedwa. Chifukwa cha kunyozedwa ndi kumenyedwa kumeneku, ndinayamba kunyanyala chakudya mwa kumadya pang’ono pokha basi, kwa nthaŵi yonse imene ndinapatulidwayo, imene inakwana pafupifupi miyezi itatu. Zimenezi zinandiwondetsa ndi makilogalamu pafupifupi 23.

Atate wanga atayesa kufunsa akuluakulu a pandendepo kuti adziŵe chimene chinali kundidya thanzi choncho, anangonyalanyazidwa. Zimenezi zinanditayitsa mtima, ndipo ndinayamba kulemba makalata kwa anthu a ndale kuti andileletse ku nkhanza zimenezi.

Atate wanga ankapita kwa ofalitsa manyuzi nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi n’kumakawauza kuti amene tinapatulidwafe tikumenyedwa, kunyozedwa, ndi kuikiridwa mankhwala m’chakudya. Nyuzipepala imodzi yokha yotchedwa, Amsterdam News, ndi imene inachitapo kanthu polemba nkhani yonena za mikhalidwe yomvetsa chisoni imeneyo. Atate wanga anapitanso kwa bwanamkubwa wa zandende ku Albany, New York, nthaŵi zingapo ndithu ndipo nthaŵi zonsezo anali kuuzidwa kuti ine ndinali m’zipinda zokhala akaidi ena onse. Malipoti anga onse onena za mikhalidwe ya m’ndende amene ndinapereka kwa anthu a ndale sanasamalidwe n’komwe. Ndinatayiratu mtima, chifukwa ndinaganiza kuti ndinalibe kwina kulikonse kumene ndikanapita kuti ndithandizidwe.

Panthaŵi imeneyi m’pamene ndinakumbukira zina mwa zinthu zimene atate wanga anandiuza. Ndinalingalira kuti ndipemphere kwa Mulungu kuti andithandize.

Kutembenukira kwa Mulungu

Ndisanapemphere, ndinakumbukira kuti atate wanga nthaŵi zonse ankandilimbikitsa kuti ndisamapemphere kwa Yesu koma kwa Atate wake a Yesu amene dzina lake lili Yehova. Ndinagwada pansi m’chipinda cha ndendecho ndipo ndinalongosola kuti ndine wokhumudwa kwambiri ndi moyo umene ndinasankha, umene unachititsa kuti ndikhale pafupifupi theka la moyo wanga m’ndende. Ndinapemphera kwa Yehova moonadi kuti andithandize kuchoka mu mkhalidwe umenewu chifukwa kuti panthaŵiyi ndinali nditazindikira kuti iye yekha ndiye anali ndi mphamvu yondipulumutsa m’vutoli.

Sindikudziŵa kuti ndinapemphera kwa utali wotani, koma ndinali kutchula zimene ndinkachita m’mbuyomo ndipo ndinam’pempha Yehova molapa kuti andikhululukire. Ndinalonjeza kuti ndiyesetsa kuphunzira zambiri za iye. Sipanapite nthaŵi yaitali ndipo ananditulutsa m’chipinda cha mdima chimenechi chimene ndinatsekeredwamo ndekha. Zimenezi zinandichititsa kusiya kunyanyala chakudya.

Posunga lonjezo langa la kuphunzira zambiri zokhudza Yehova, ndinayamba kuŵerenga Baibulo la New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Baibulo limeneli linandichititsa chidwi chifukwa cha chinthu chimodzi; chikuto chake chobiriŵira. Zimenezi zinandisangalatsa chifukwa chakuti kundendeko, zovala, zipinda, makoma, ndi njira zoloŵera m’zipinda zinali zotuwa, kutuwa kosasangalatsa kuja. Kenaka, ndinadabwa kuti, mtundu wa zinthu zonsezi unasinthidwa n’kukhala wobiriŵira ngati kubiriŵira kwa mitengo. Mtundu umenewu unasankhidwa ndi dipatimenti yaboma yoyang’anira za ndende pambuyo pa kuukira kumene kunachitika ku ndende ya Attica.

Ndipo ndinayambanso kuŵerenga nkhani za m’magazini a Nsanja ya Olonda ndi Galamukani!, amene atate wanga anali atakonza kuti anthu ena azidzandipatsa. Kuŵerenga nkhani za anthu ambiri a Mboni za Yehova amene anakhala m’ndende chifukwa chogwira molimba chikhulupiriro chawo ndipo amene anakumana ndi zovuta zambiri kuposa zimene ndinakumana nazo ine, kunandikhudza mtima kwabasi. Taonani, anthu ameneŵa sanalakwe chilichonse koma anazunzidwa popanda mlandu chifukwa chokhulupirika kwa Mulungu. Koma ine, ndinayeneradi kuvutika. Nditaŵerenga nkhani zimenezi, mtima wanga unakhudzidwa, ndipo ndinalimbikitsidwa kuti ndiphunzire zambiri zokhudza Yehova ndi anthu ake.

Kenaka patatha chaka chimodzi, ndinapita kwa owona zokhululukira milandu ya akaidi. Nkhani yanga anaiwonanso, kuphatikizaponso mmene ndinazunzidwira pamene ndinapatulidwa kukakhala m’zipinda zosiyana ndi za ena. Ndinasangalala atandiuza kuti ndidzatulutsidwa mu 1972 monga munthu wokhululukidwa nditalonjeza kuti sindidzabwerezanso.

Patatha milungu iŵiri nditatulutsidwa, ndinapita ku misonkhano ku Nyumba ya Ufumu ya Mboni za Yehova ya kumene ndimakhalako, ku Spanish Harlem. Komabe ndinali kudziona monga wosayenera kumakhala pamodzi ndi anthu a Yehova. Ndipo panali zambiri zoti ndiphunzire zonena za Yehova, gulu lake, ndi anthu ake. Ndinafunikiranso nthaŵi kuti ndisinthe n’kumatha kukhala bwinobwino ndi anthu chifukwa chakuti ndinali nditakhalitsa m’ndende.

N’zomvetsa chisoni kuti ndinalephera kusiya njira zanga zakale. Ndinayamba kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osokoneza ubongo, uchifwamba, ndingoti ndinayambanso moyo woletsedwa ndi Mulungu. Zimenezi mapeto ake zinandichititsa kuti ndilamulidwe kukhala m’ndende kwa zaka zina 15. Komabe, ndimaona kuti kalipo kanthu kenakake kabwino kamene Yehova anawona mumtima mwanga, chifukwa chakuti iye sanandisiyebe. Zimene ndingakuuzeni n’zakuti kaya muli m’ndende kaya simuli m’ndende, Yehova samasiya kapena kutopa ndi anthu amene amafuna kuphunzira za iye.

Kuphunzira Baibulo M’ndende

Nthaŵi imeneyi nditaikidwanso mndende ya ku Dannemora, ndinagwiritsa ntchito mwayi womaphunzira Baibulo ndi mtumiki wa Mboni za Yehova. Kenaka, ndinasamutsidwa n’kupititsidwa ku ndende ina yabwinopo yotchedwa Mid-Orange Correctional Facility, m’boma la New York. Pamenepa zinthu zinasintha kuyerekezera ndi mmene zinalili ku ndende yokhwima kwambiri ya Dannemora.

Nditakhalako zaka ziŵiri ku Mid-Orange Correctional Facility, ndinayamba kuphunzira Baibulo molimbika pamodzi ndi mkaidi mnzanga wina amene analoledwa kutero ndi oyang’anira ndendeyo. Amayi ake, amenenso anali a Mboni za Yehova ndi amene anakonza kuti pakhale phunziro limeneli. Potsiriza pake, pomadziŵabe zambiri, ndinayamba kugwiritsa ntchito malamulo a Baibulo, zimenezi zinachititsa kuti mapeto ake ndipite patsogolo mwauzimu.

Atakana kunditulutsa kasanu ndi kaŵiri nditalonjeza kuti sindidzalakwanso, anavomera monyinyirika nditawapemphanso kachisanu ndi chitatu. Chifukwa chimene anali kundiuza kuti sanganditulutsire pa nthaŵi zonse zimene ndinali kuwapemphazo chinali chakuti ine ndinali ndi “chibadwa cha uchigawenga.” Ndinatulutsidwa m’ndende nditakhalamo zaka 8 mwa zaka 15 zimene ndinalamulidwa kuti ndikhalemo.

Kutulutsidwa Mumdima Kotsiriza

Nditangotulutsidwa, ndinayambiranso zakale, ndipo ndinagwiritsiranso ntchito mankhwala osokoneza ubongo kwa nthaŵi yochepa. Ndiponso ndinali ndi mkazi amene ndinangoloŵana naye. Ndinayamba zimenezi mu 1972. Komabe, mu 1983 ndinayambanso kuphunzira Baibulo ndi Mboni za Yehova. Panthaŵiyi ndinayamba kupita kumisonkhano yachikristu mokhazikika. Komabe ndisanayambe kuphunzira ndi kupita kumisonkhano, ndinayamba kaye ndasiya kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osokoneza ubongo ndi kusuta fodya.

Komabe mosiyana ndi malamulo a Mulungu okhudza ukwati, ndinali kukhalabe ndi mkazi amene ndinangoloŵana naye uja. Zimenezi zinali kuvutitsa chikumbumtima changa, motero ndinayesa kumuchititsa kuti avomere kuphunzira Baibulo ndikuti tikwatirane mogwirizana ndi lamulo la boma. Koma iye anakana ponena kuti Baibulo ndi buku lolembedwa ndi amuna ndi cholinga cholamulira akazi ndiponso kuti ukwati sunali chinthu chofunika.

Ndinazindikira kuti sindingakhale paubwenzi wachigololo woterewu, kumakhala ndi mkazi wosalemekeza malamulo a Mulungu a ukwati. Choncho ndinathetsa ubwenzi wathuwo ndikupita ku Brooklyn. Ndinali kudziŵa kuti sindikanatha kuuza ena za Mulungu ndi cholinga chake ngati ine mwini zochita zanga sizinali zogwirizana ndi malamulo ake.

Nditamasulidwa ku zopinga zauzimu zonse ndipo nditaphunzira Baibulo kwa zaka zitatu, ndinali ndi chikumbumtima choyera ndipo m’pamene ndinadzipatulira kaamba ka kuchita chifuniro cha Mulungu, motero ndinasonyeza zimenezi pobatizidwa pa msonkhano waukulu wa Mboni za Yehova. Chiyambire, sindinadandaulepo chifukwa chakuti ndinalonjeza kuti ndidzaphunzira za Mulungu wokhala ndi dzina limene atate wanga anali kulitchula. Ndipo ndidzayesetsa kusunga lonjezo langa kwa Yehova limene ndinapanga ndili mu chipinda cha mdima m’ndende ya ku Dannemora ija, mpaka adzabweretse madalitso ochuluka amene walonjeza m’Mawu ake.

Kuyembekeza Paradaiso

Ndimafunitsitsa kwambiri nthaŵi imene Yehova adzasandutse dziko lino kukhala paradaiso wokongola. (Salmo 37:11, 29; Luka 23:43) Ndipo ndimayembekezeranso lonjezo lina la Mulungu—chiukiriro cha akufa, amene adzakhale ndi mwayi wokhala ndi moyo wosatha pa dziko lapansi. (Yohane 5:28, 29; Machitidwe 24:15) Imeneyi idzakhaladi nthaŵi yosangalatsa koposa! Pamene ine ndidzalandira okondedwa anga amene anafa, kuphatikizapo atate wanga, mng’ono wanga, ndi ena amene ndinali kuwadziŵa amene anafa msanga kwambiri. Nthaŵi zambiri ndimaganizira za chiyembekezo chimenechi, ndipo ndimakhala ndi chimwemwe chachikulu. Chimwemwe china chimene ndili nacho n’chakuti alongo anga aŵiri ndi ana awo ena apatulira moyo wawo kwa Yehova ndipo abatizidwa.

Tsopano, ndikamauza ena za chikhulupiriro changa ndi nkhani ya moyo wanga, ndimasangalala koposa kuwadziŵitsa mawu otonthoza a wamasalmo, amene analembedwa pa Salmo 72:12-14: “Adzapulumutsa waumphaŵi wofuulayo; ndi wozunzika amene alibe mthandizi. Adzachitira nsoni wosauka ndi waumphaŵi, nadzapulumutsa moyo wa aumphaŵi. Adzawombola moyo wawo ku chinyengo ndi chiwawa; Ndipo mwazi wawo udzakhala wa mtengo pamaso pake.”

Yehova wapirira nane ndipo zimenezi zandichititsa kuti nditsitsimuke mtima ndikuti ndithe kukhala ndi mikhalidwe yonga imene amafuna kuti anthu ake akhale nayo—osati ngati mkango woopsa, koma anthu amtendere, achifundo, ndi ofatsa monga ngati mmene mwana wa nkhosa amakhalira. Zimenezi ndi zofunika chifukwa chakuti monga mmene Mawu a Mulungu amanenera, iye “apatsa akufatsa chisomo.”—Miyambo 3:34.

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 18]

“Ndinamangidwanso chifukwa cha kuthyola nyumba, ndipo ndinakhala m’ndende kwa zaka ziŵiri pa chilumba cha Rikers, mu mzinda wa New York. Ndinatulutsidwa mu 1965. Koma, chaka chomwecho ndinamangidwanso chifukwa cha mlandu wakupha. Ndinalidi nditasanduka mkango woopsa!”

[Chithunzi patsamba 19]

Tsiku limene ndinabatizidwa