Ileta Evela EHaiti

“Ndiziva Ndiwongwe Ngokwenene”

EMVA kwenyikima yaseHaiti ngoJanuwari 12, 2010, kwakunzima nokubukela iindaba kumabonwakude. Kwaza emva kwama-20 aloo nyanga, umhlobo wam uCarmen wandifowunela esithi masiye kuncedisa eHaiti. Ndadidibene noCarmen kwiminyaka eyadlulayo xa sasisebenza kunye njengamatshantliziyo angabongikazi xa kwakusakhiwa iHolo yoBukumkani. Ukususela ngoko besidla ngokuncedisa nakweminye imisebenzi kwaye ngoku singabahlobo abakhulu.

Ndamxelela uCarmen ukuba ndisenokungakwazi ukumelana nale meko. Wandikhumbuza ukuba xa sikunye sisebenza kakuhle yaye sinokuncedisana. Ndakhuthazwa ngamazwi akhe ndaza ndafowunela ikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova, eliseBrooklyn, eNew York, ndathetha nomzalwana owayeququzelela lo msebenzi eUnited States. Ndathi makandibhale kuluhlu lwamatshantliziyo. Ndabhalisa noCarmen ndaza ndathi bendicela ukuba sisebenze kunye. Lo mzalwana wandixelela ukuba sisenokungabizwa yaye ukuba sibiziwe sise nokungasebenzi kunye.

Ndaqhubeka nezinto zam ndicinga ukuba asizukubizwa. Emva kweentsuku ezine, ngoMvulo ngowama-25, ndafumana umnxeba ovela eBrooklyn ndibuzwa ukuba ndingaya na eHaiti ngosuku olulandelayo. Andizange ndiyikholelwe loo nto. Ndathi ndiza kwenza unako nako. Ndaqala ndazama ukucela emsebenzini. Emva koko, ndafowunela uCarmen, wandixelela ukuba akabizwanga kuba engakwazi ukuthetha isiFrentshi. Ndandivuya kodwa kwangaxeshanye ndinxunguphele. NgoJanuwari 28, emva kokuba ndifumene itikiti, ndabamba inqwelo moya esuka eNew York eya eSanto Domingo, eDominican Republic, esemdeni weHaiti.

Omnye umzalwana oselula wandilanda kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya waza wandisa kwiofisi yesebe lamaNgqina kaYehova yaseDominican Republic. Kwafika abanye abongikazi ababini ababevela eUnited States kwangolo suku, salala egumbini elinye. Ngosuku olulandelayo, sasiwa kwiofisi yesebe yaseHaiti ePort-au-Prince, uhambo oluthabatha iiyure ezisixhenxe ezinesiqingatha.

Emva kokuba siwelele eHaiti, sabona usizi lodwa. Yayingakholeleki into eyenziwa yile nyikima ngemizuzwana nje engama-35. Le nto yayilusizi kwakumabonwakude, ndingasathethi xa sizibonela ngamehlo ethu. Amakhaya amaninzi kuquka nebhotwe likamongameli, antlithwa yile nyikima ngoxa amanye ayeyingqushu nje. Abantu babechithe ubomi babo besebenza nzima ukuba bakhe le mizi eyabayingqushu ngemizuzwana nje engephi. Kwandenza ndacinga ukuba ezona zinto zibalulekileyo ebomini ayizozinto zokwenyama.

Ukufika kwethu esebeni, umamkeli zindwendwe wasikhawulela emnyango waza wasanga. Wasibulela ngokuba siye sancama ixesha lethu ukuze size apho. Emva kwesidlo sasemini, saya kwiHolo yeNdibano eyayikude kufuphi apho neyayenziwe isibhedlele. Apho ndadibana namanye amaNgqina awayevela kwezinye iindawo njengesibini saseJamani esasingoogqirha umncedi waso nomzalisikazi owayevela eSwitzerland.

Ndaqala ukusebenza ngobo busuku. Kwakukho izigulana ezili-18 ezinye zazingamaNgqina ezinye zingengawo zilele phantsi kumatrasi. Sigulana ngasinye sasiphathwa size sinyangwe simahla ngendlela efanayo ngamaNgqina.

Ngobo busuku, enye indoda eyayineminyaka engama-80 ubudala yabhubha. Umfazi wayo wayekunye nayo nodade endandihlala naye egumbini kunye nam. Emva koko, ibhinqa eliselula ekuthiwa nguKetly laligcuma ziintlungu. Ingalo yakhe yasekunene yanqunyulwa ngenxa yengozi awayifumana ngenyikima. Ecaleni kwakhe kwakuhleli ibhinqa eliliNgqina nelalifundisa uKetly iBhayibhile. Lalilala ecaleni kukaKetly kwiHolo yeNdibano ngalo lonke elo xesha.

Ndaya kuKetly ndifuna ukumnceda kodwa intlungu yakhe yayingaphaya kwamandla kuba wayonganyelwe ziintlungu zomphefumlo. Wandixelela ukuba waye kunye nomhlobo wakhe ukuqalisa kwenyikima. Babengazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni. Babaleka baya evarandeni bebambene baza bawelwa ludonga. Wabiza umhlobo wakhe kodwa akazange aphendule. Uthi wahla waqonda ukuba umhlobo wakhe wayebhubhile. Umzimba wakhe wawulele phezu kukaKetly kwade kwafika abahlanguli emva kweeyure ezine. Ingalo kaKetly yasekunene yanqunyulwa yonke.

Kubusuku bam bokuqala ndilapho, uKetly wayengakwazi ukulala ecinga ngesi sihelegu. Wathi kum: “Ndiyakwazi oko kuthethwa ziZibhalo ngemihla yokugqibela nangeenyikima. Ndiyazi ukuba sinekamva elihle. Ndiyazi ukuba ndifanele ndibulele kuba ndisaphila. Kodwa khawuzibeke ezihlangwini zam umzuzu nje omnye. Zithi izinto zisakuhambela kakuhle, kuvele kwenzeke into enjengale.” Kwimeko enje usuka ungazi ukuba mawenze ntoni, ndasuka ndambamba, zazehlela iinyembezi nakum. Salila wade walala.

Yonke imihla, kwakuthunyelwa ugqirha abe mnye nabongikazi ababini ukuze bancede izigulana. Ndathunyelwa ePetit Goave, emalunga neeyure ezimbini ukusuka ePort-au-Prince xa uhamba ngemoto. Ndahamba namanye amatsha-ntliziyo amabini, umongikazi ovela eFlorida nogqirha owayevela eFransi. Safika ngeye-9:30 kusasa sothula izinto zethu sazifaka kwiHolo yoBukumkani. Abantu baxelelwa ukuba siyeza, ngoko babesilindile.

Saqalisa ukusebenza ngoko nangoko. Ilanga laligqats’ ubhobhoyi yaye nabantu ababefuna unyango babesanda. Safana sanqumama ngentsimbi yesithathu. Xa sisobathathu satofa abantu abali-114 saza saxilonga abantu abali-105 ngolo suku. Ndandidinwe ndiyimfe kodwa ndandisonwatyiswa kukuba ndikwazile ukunceda abanye.

Lilonke ixesha endalichitha eHaiti yayiziiveki ezingaphezu kwezimbini. Phantse ubusuku ngabunye ndandisebenza iiyure ezili-12 eHolweni yeNdibano. Yayiluxanduva endingazange ndibe nalo ngaphambili. Sekunjalo, ndaziva ndinelungelo yaye ndisikelelekile ngokuba lapho. Ndiyavuya ngokuba ndiye ndakwazi ukunceda abantu baseHaiti abaye behlelwa yintlekele.

Zininzi izinto esinokuzifunda kubo. Ngokomzekelo enye inkwenkwe ekuthiwa nguEliser, eneminyaka eli-15 ubudala kwafuneka inqunyulwe umlenze. Ndabona ukuba wayekugcina ukutya kwakhe ukuze abelane noJimmy, owayeze kumlalisa. Wandichazela ukuba ngamanye amaxesha uJimmy wayefika engatyanga xa eze kumlalisa. Umzekelo kaEliser wandifundisa ukuba akuyomfuneko ukuba sibe zizityebi okanye siphile qete ukuze sabelane nabanye.

Lo moya wawubonakala nakumatsha-ntliziyo endandisebenza nawo. Elinye itsha-ntliziyo lalingaphilanga elinye linomqolo obuhlungu. Kodwa xa bebonke babexhalabele izigulana kuneziqu zabo. Loo nto yandinika amandla okuqhubeka nomsebenzi. Sonke sasikhe sizive sibuthathaka ngamaxesha athile kodwa sasincedana size siqhubeke. Andisayi kuze ndiwalibale loo mava. Ndinombulelo ngokuba ndiyinxalenye yentlangano yamaKristu anobubele, uthando nanomoya wokuzincama.

Ngaphambi kokuba ndimke eHaiti, izigulana ezibini ezazinqunyulwe iingalo zandibhalela iileta zindibulela kodwa zandicela ukuba ndizifunde xa sele ndikwinqwelo-moya. Ndenza loo nto kanye. Ezi leta zandichukumisa yaye andizange ndiyeke ukulila.

Ukususela oko ndibuyele ekhaya, ndisoloko ndibhalelana nabahlobo bam abatsha endadibana nabo eHaiti. Ubuhlobo obomeleleyo bubonakala ngamaxesha obunzima. Ndicinga ukuba ubuhlobo bethu buya kumelana namaxesha anzima kwixa elizayo. Ndiziva ndiwongwe ngokwenene.