Basinda Kwizidube-dube ZaseMumbai

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EINDIYA

ISIXEKO saseMumbai, ngaphambili ekwakuthiwa yiBombay sinyakazela ngabantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezili-18. Mihla le, abantu abaphakathi kwezigidi ezithandathu nezisixhenxe bakhwela koololiwe ababalekayo nabahla benyuka xa bephangela, besiya esikolweni, xa besiya ezivenkileni okanye bebuk’ iindawo. Koololiwe balapha abanamakhareji asithoba, kufanele kukhwele abantu abali-1 710, kodwa xa kuphangelwa naxa kubuywa, kukhweliswa abantu abanokuba ngama-5 000. NgoJulayi 11, 2006, abagrogrisi bahlasela oololiwe baseMumbai kanye ngeli xesha lixakekileyo. Kwimizuzu engaphantsi kweli-15, kwaqhushumba iibhombu ezisixhenxe koololiwe abahlukahlukeneyo kwiziTishi zaseWestern, yaye kwafa abantu abangaphezu kwama-200 kwenzakala abangama-800.

AmaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi angamalungu amabandla angama-22 aseMumbai needolophana ezikufuphi ayekhwele kwaba loliwe bahlaselwayo. Okuvuyisayo kukuba akukho nelinye elafayo, kodwa aliqela enzakala. UAnita wayegoduka evel’ emsebenzini. Uloliwe wayexinene kangangokuba uAnita wayemi ngasemnyango kwikhareji lodidi lokuqala ukuze akwazi ukuhla ngokukhawuleza. Njengokuba uloliwe wayehamba, kwatsho isithonga esikhulu, yaye ikhareji awayehleli kulo lazala umsi omnyama. Xa ekroba phandle ngasekunene, wabona ikhareji eliphambili lidlakadlaka kangangokuba kwakuvele iintsimbi yaye lalikekele. UAnita wangcangcazela akubon’ izidumbu namalungu omzimba etshona emngxunyeni aze awele esiporweni. Emva kwexesha elabonakala kuye lilide—eneneni imizuzwana nje embalwa—uloliwe wema. Yena nabanye abantu, batsibel’ esiporweni baza babalekela kude nololiwe. UAnita wafowunela umyeni wakhe, uJohn, yaye ngethamsanqa wamfumana; kungekudala emva koku, yonke iminxeba yesi sixeko yayingaphumeli, ixinwe ngabantu ababenxunguphele. Yena uAnita wayezolile de wathetha nomyeni wakhe. Emva koko wasitsho esofelweyo. Wambalisela okwenzekileyo waza wamcela ukuba aze kumphuthuma. Ngoxa wayemlindile, kwaqalisa ukuna, nto leyo eyashenxisa bonke ubungqina obabuza kuba luncedo kubacuphi.

UClaudius, elinye iNgqina likaYehova, wahamba emsebenzini ngaphambi kwexesha eliqhelekileyo. Wakhwela uloliwe nge-5:18 emva kwemini kwisiTishi iChurchgate, isitishi esikhulu seWestern Railway. Wakhwela kwikhareji lodidi lokuqala. Xa wayekhangel’ indawo yokuhlala elungiselela uhambo lwakhe lweyure ukuya kwisitishi saseBhayandar, wabona uJoseph, osuka kwibandla lamaNgqina kaYehova elikufuphi. Ixesha lakhawuleza njengokuba babencokola. Ekubeni uJoseph wayediniwe, wabiwa bubuthongo. Ngenxa yokuxinana, uClaudius waphakama kwisitishi esingaphambi kweso aqhele ukuhla kuso ukuze asondele ngasemnyango. Wathi esamile, uJoseph waphaphama waza wangqiyama ngesitulo ukuze ambone xa ehamba. Ebambelele ngentsimbi yesihlalo, uClaudius wavela ukuze athethe naye. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba yiloo nto kanye eyasindisa ubomi bukaClaudius. Ngequbuliso kwavakala ingxolo enkulu. Eli khareji lashukuma ngamandla, lazal’ umsi, kwaza emva koko kwamnyama. UClaudius wawa phantsi phakathi kwezihlalo waza wavalek’ iindlebe, kuvakala nje unzwii ezindlebeni zakhe. Kwindawo awayemi kuyo, kwakukho umngxuma omkhulu. Abantu ababemi kufuphi naye bapoqela phandle esiporweni okanye babelele phantsi befile. Wasinda kwibhombu yesihlanu kwezisixhenxe ezasivuthulula sonke isiporo ngaloo lweSibini ubuhlungu.

UClaudius wasiwa esibhedlele, iimpahla zakhe zizele nje ligazi. Phofu ke, eli yayiligazi labany’ abantu abenzakalayo. Yena wenzakala nje kancinane—wagqabhuk’ igubu lendlebe, watsha esandleni, warhawuka iinwele. Esibhedlele wadibana noJoseph nomfazi wakhe, uAngela, owayekwelinye ikhareji lamanenekazi kuphela, yaye akazang’ enzakale. UJoseph wayegruzuke iliso lasekunene yaye engeva. La maNgqina mathathu ambulela uYehova kuba esaphila. UClaudius uthi into yokuqala ayicingayo akubuyel’ ezingqondweni kukuba, ‘Hayi indlela ekulilize ngayo kule nkqubo yezinto ukunyolukel’ imali nezinto eziphathekayo xa ubomi bunokusuka buthi pheselele ngequbuliso!’ Hayi indlela awayevuya ngayo kuba ulwalamano lwakhe noThixo uYehova lwaluyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini bakhe!

Ngethutyana nje elingephi, isixeko saseMumbai siye sathwaxwa zizikhukula, izidube-dube, emva koko kwadubula iibhombu. Noko ke, amaNgqina angaphezu kwe-1 700 aqhuba kakuhle yaye akhuthele. Ashumayela rhoqo kubamelwane ngethemba elivuyisayo lehlabathi elitsha, apho ugonyamelo luya kuba lungasekho.—ISityhilelo 21:1-4.

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Apho wayemi khona kwakukho nje umngxuma omkhulu

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UAnita

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UClaudius

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UJoseph noAngela

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Sebastian D’Souza/AFP/Getty Images