Ndandingunyana Wolahleko

Kubalisa uMeros William Sunday

Ndandiseyimveku xa ndafundiswa ukuthanda uThixo; kodwa xa ndandineminyaka eli-18 ubudala, ndavukela ndaza ndashiya ikhaya. Kangangeminyaka eli-13 bendiphila njengonyana wolahleko womzekeliso kaYesu. (Luka 15:11-24) Ndandithengisa iziyobisi yaye ndaphants’ ukubonakalisa ubomi bam. Makhe ndikubalisele indlela endabutshintsha ngayo ubomi bam nendlela endabuya ngayo ekhaya.

NDAZALWA ngowe-1956 ngabazali abangamaKristu ndingowesibini kubantwana abasithoba. Sasihlala eIlesha, idolophu ekumzantsi-ntshona weNigeria. Utata wakhula engumKatolika, kodwa ngowe-1945 utatomncinci wamnika incwadi ethi UHadi LukaThixo.a Emva kokuyifunda utata wafuna amaNgqina kaYehova. Ngowe-1946 wabhaptizwa waza nomama walandela kamva.

Ndiyikhumbula kakuhle indlela uYehova awayengumntu wokwenene ngayo kum ndisengumntwana nendlela endandishumayela ngayo nabazali bam. Utata wandifundisa iBhayibhile. Ngamanye amaxesha uAlice Obarah, umyeni wakhe owayengumveleli wesiphaluka kummandla wethu, naye wayendifundisa. Abazali bam babefuna ndibe kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Noko ke, umama wacebisa ukuba kuqala ndigqibe amabanga aphakamileyo esikolweni.

Ndifika nje kwesi sikolo, ndineminyaka eli-16 ubudala, ngobuyatha ndaqhogana nabantwana besikolo ababengayihloneli iBhayibhile. Yayibubudenge ke loo nto! Kungabanga thuba lide, ndaqalisa ukutshaya nokwenza imikhuba emibi. Ndaqonda ukuba ubomi bam obutsha babungavisisani nemiyalelo amaKristu ayifumana kwiintlanganiso, ngoko ke ndayeka ukuya kuzo nasentsimini. Iintliziyo zabazali bam zazilihlwili, phofu ke kwakungekho nento le ethi thiki kum.

Ndishiya Ikhaya

Emva kweminyaka emibini ndikumabanga aphakamileyo, ndaphuma ekhaya ndaya kuhlala nabahlobo elumelwaneni. Ngamanye amaxesha ndandisiya ekhaya ndingabonwa, ndithi hlasi hlasi ukutya endinokukwazi ukukuthabatha ndize ndiphel’ emehlweni. Utata wakhathazeka yile nto, kwaye wayeka ukuhlawula imali yesikolo, enethemba lokuba kuya kubakho utshintsho.

Malunga neli xesha, ndafumana imali yokuzifundisa. Le mali yayisuka eSkotlani yaye ngamanye amaxesha ndandifumana izipho kunye nemali. Abantakwethu ababini nabo bayeka ukunxulumana namaNgqina kaYehova yaye oku kwabangela intlungu engathethekiyo kubazali bam. Izihlandlo ezininzi uMama entywizisa wayendibongoza ukuba ndibuyele kuYehova. Nakuba oku kwakundenza ndizive ndineentloni, andizange nditshintshe.

Kwizixeko Ezikhulu

Emva kokugqiba isikolo ngowe-1977, ndaya eLagos yaye ndafumana umsebenzi. Emva koko, ndafumana imali ngobuqhetseba ndaza ndathenga iteksi. Kuba ngoku imali yayisithi tata kum, ndaqalisa ukusebenzisa iziyobisi, ndisiya kwiinightclubs nakwizindlu zoonongogo. Ndasuka nje ndadikwa yiLagos, ndaza ndafudukela eLondon ngowe-1981. Emva koko ndaya eBelgium apho ndafunda isiFrentshi ndisebenza kwivenkile yokutyela. Ixesha elininzi ndandilichitha ndithumela iimoto nezinye izinto ze-elektroniki eNigeria.

Utata wabhalela iofisi yesebe yamaNgqina kaYehova yaseBelgium ukuze balungiselele ukuba ndiqhutyelwe isifundo. Kodwa xa amaNgqina ayefika endlwini yam ndandiwagxotha. Ndahamba icawa yaye apho sasisitya, sisele, sidlale nemidlalo emva kwecawa.

Ubomi Bokuthengisa Iziyobisi

Ngowe-1982, ndathumela imoto yodidi eNigeria ndaza ndaya kuwalungisa ngokwam amaphepha ayo. Amagosa aseNigeria ezinto ezithunyelwayo afumanisa ukuba la maphepha ayengawomgunyathi, ngoko ndavalelwa iintsuku ezingama-40. Utata wandikhulula ngebheyile. Kuba ndandifuna imali ukuze ndixoxe eli tyala, ndabuyela eBelgium nezinto endandinokuzithengisa, kukho nentsangu eziikhilogram eziliqela. Emva kokukhululwa kwezo zityholo zokugqwetha amaphepha okuthumela izinto, ndenza inkqubela kwishishini lam lokuthengisa iziyobisi.

Ngenye imini ndabanjwa eNetherlands. Amagosa aseburhulumenteni andifaka kwinqwelo-moya eyayisiya eNigeria. Ndisendleleni njalo ndadibana nabanye abathengisi beziyobisi yaye saqalisa ishishini lethu leziyobisi. NgoJanuwari 1984, ndafudukela kwelinye ilizwe laseAfrika. Ndenza ubuhlobo lula namapolisa, amajoni namagosa karhulumente asebenza kwisebe lokuthunyelwa kwezinto, kuba ndandikwazi ukuthetha isiFrentshi, ulwimi oluthethwa kwelo lizwe. Sakwazi lula ukuthumela amawaka eekhilogram zentsangu kwela lizwe.

Ndabanjwa

Kwakhona ndangena engxakini. Ndacela omnye umphathi womkhosi ukuba andincede ekuthubeleziseni umthwalo wam kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya selo lizwe. Kodwa wafika emva kwexesha yaye ndabanjwa. Oonogada bandibhulel’ amasaka bandithuthumbisa kangangokuba ndalahlekelwa ziingqondo. Bandisa esibhedlele baza bandishiya apho becinga ukuba ndiza kufa. Kodwa ndaphila yaye ndamangalelwa, ndagwetywa ndaza ndavalelwa entolongweni.

Ngexesha ndiphuma entolongweni, ndafika omnye wabahlobo bam endandimcele ukuba andijongele indlu eyithengisile nempahla ekuwo, yena engaziwa nokuba uphi. Ndabuyela ekuthengiseni intsangu. Noko ke, kwiintsuku nje ezilishumi kamva ndabanjwa ndaza ndavalelwa iinyanga ezintathu. Ngethuba ndikhululwa entolongweni ndandigulel’ ukufa. Ndakwazi ukubuyela eLagos.

Ukubuyela “Kwishishini” Lam

ELagos ndadibana nabanye abahlobo bam endandishishina nabo ngaphambili, saza saya eIndiya, apho sathenga isiyobisi ekuthiwa yiheroin, eyayixabisa iidola ezingama-600 000. Ukusuka eBombay (ngoku eyiMumbai) saya eSwitzerland, ePortugal naseSpeyin. Apho senza imali eninzi saza sabuyela eLagos ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Ngowe-1984, ndathengisa enye inqwaba yeziyobisi. Iphupha lam yayikukuba ndibe nesigidi seedola ndize ndiye kuhlala eUnited States.

Ngowe-1986, ndaqokelela yonke imali endandinayo ndathenga iheroin engangxengwanga eLagos. Ndayisa kwelinye ilizwe, ndaza ndaqhathwa ngomnye umthengisi weziyobisi obawayo ongazange afune ukundihlawula. Ndisazi ukuba usenokundibulala, andizange ndixelele mntu ngokwenzekileyo de ndabuyela eLagos. Ndandiyimpula kaLujaca nentliziyo yam ityumkile. Okokuqala ebomini, ndahlala phantsi ndacinga ngenjongo yobomi. Ndazibuza: ‘Kutheni ndisezingxakini kangaka nje?’

Ukubuyela KuThixo

Kungekudala emva koko, ngobunye ubusuku, ndathandaza kuYehova ukuze andincede. Ngentsasa elandelayo, elinye ixhego nomfazi walo bankqonkqoza emnyango. BabengamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndahlala ndaphulaphula ndaza ndafumana iphephancwadi. Emva koko ndathi “Abazali bam ngamaNgqina kaYehova. UAlice Obarah wayedla ngokundiqhubela isifundo seBhayibhile.”

Eli xhego, uP. K. Ogbanefe, waphendula wathi: “Sibazi kakhulu oo-Obarah. Ngoku yena nomfazi wakhe bakwiofisi yesebe yalapha eNigeria, eLagos.” Bandibongoza ukuba ndiye kubabona. Ukudibana kwam nabo kwaba lukhuthazo kakhulu. Emva koko uMzalwana uOgbanefe wandiqhubela isifundo seBhayibhile, ndenza utshintsho kwindlela engacocekanga endandiphila ngayo. Oku kwakungelula ekubeni kwakunzima ukwahlukana neziyobisi endandizisebenzise ixesha elide. Kodwa ke, ndandizimisele ukutshintsha indlela endandiphila ngayo.

Zazininzi izinto ezaziluvavanyo! Abo babengabahlobo bam babesiza emzini wam bandihende ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Kwabakho nexesha apho ndaye ndavukwa likakade ndabuyela ekutshayeni nasekuziphatheni kakubi. Ndaphalaza imbilini yam kuThixo ngomthandazo. Ndaqonda ukuba ekubeni abahlobo behlabathi bakha bandilahlekisa, akukho nto banokundinceda ngayo ngoku. Ndaqonda ukuba ukuze ndenze inkqubela ngokomoya, kufuneka ndimke eLagos. Kodwa ndandineentloni zokubuyela ekhaya eIIesha. Ekugqibeleni, ndabhalela utata nomkhuluwa wam ndicela ukubuyela ekhaya.

Utata wandiqinisekisa ukuba bakulungele ukundamkela, umkhuluwa wam wathi angandinceda ngemali. Emva kweminyaka elishumi ndibashiyile abazali bam, ndabuyela ekhaya. Ndamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu. UMama wathi, “Enkosi, Yehova!” Emva kokufika kukatata ngaloo ngokuhlwa wathi, “UYehova uza kukunceda.” Sikunye njengentsapho wathandaza kuYehova, emcela ukuba andincede ndenze ukuthanda kwakhe.

Ukubuyisa Ixesha Endadlala Ngalo

Ndaphinda ndaqhutyelwa isifundo ndaza ndenza inkqubela ngokukhawuleza; ndabhaptizwa ngoAprili 24, 1988. Ngoko nangoko ndazimisela kumsebenzi wokushumayela. NgoNovemba 1, 1989, ndaba nguvulindlela—umshumayeli wexesha elizeleyo. Ngowe-1995, ndamenyelwa kwiklasi yeshumi yeSikolo Sokuqeqesha Abalungiseleli saseNigeria. NgoJulayi 1998, ndamiselwa njengomveleli wesiphaluka, ukuze ndityelele amabandla amaNgqina kaYehova. Kunyaka owalandelayo, ndasikelelwa ngoRuth, owaba ngumfazi, neqabane kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba.

Amanye amalungu entsapho yasekhaya aye enza inkqubela ngokomoya. Umkhuluwa wam, owayekayo ukukhonza uYehova, uye waqalisa kwakhona kunqulo lokwenyaniso yaye ngoku ubhaptiziwe. Kundivuyisa gqitha ukwazi ukuba utata wasibona sibuyela enyanisweni. Uye wakhonza ngovuyo njengesicaka solungiselelo ebandleni de wafa ngowe-1993, eneminyaka engama-75 ubudala. Umama usakhonza uYehova ngenzondelelo eIlesha.

Ndiye ndatyelela amazwe ali-16 eYurophu, eAsia naseAfrika ndifuna ubutyebi. Ngenxa yoko ndiye ndazingxwelerha ngeentlungu ezininzi. (1 Timoti 6:9, 10) Xa ndikhangela ngasemva, ndiyazisola ngenxa yokuba ndiye ndachitha ixesha elininzi kwiziyobisi nasekuziphatheni okubi. Ndiyazisola ngokwenza buhlungu uYehova nentsapho yasekhaya. Kodwa ndivuyiswa yinto yokuba ndiye ndatyhubela kulo lonke elo xesha ndaza ndabuyela ezingqondweni. Ngoku ndizimisele ukuhlala ndinyanisekile kuYehova ndize ndimkhonze ngonaphakade.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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Ndisengumfana onemvukelo

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Ngosuku endabhaptizwa ngalo

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Ndikunye nomfazi wam uRuth