Intsha Iyabuza . . .

Ingabe Ukweqa Kufanelekile?

ENOVELINI ethi Tom Sawyer, umlobi uMark Twain ulandisa ngesikhathi lapho uTom ebaleka ekhaya nabangane bakhe ababili abakhulu, uJoe Harper noHuekleberry Finn. Labafana abathathu beqa phakathi kwamabili, behamba ngesihlenga beya esiqhingini esingakolunye uhlangothi lomfula. Bachitha ingxenye enkulu yesonto lapho, bephila ngokudla ababefike nakho nezinhlanzi ababezidoba. Ngokushesha baba izibukeli zesenzakalo samadoda omuzi efuna emfuleni izidumbu “zababegwilizile.” Ekugcineni, uTom, uJoe, noHuck banyenyela emuva edolobheni, bacasha endaweni yesikhulumi yesonto, futhi babona inkonzo yomgcwabo wabo siqu. Lesosenzakalo saphela bephinde bahlangana ngenjabulo nomkhaya nabangane, futhi beqatshulwa kaningi futhi bebongwa.

KuTom, uJoe, noHuck, ukweqa kwakuwukuzifaka engozini okwaphela ngenjabulo. Kwakuwumdlalo. Kodwa akunjalo ngentsha eningi eyeqayo namuhla. “Ngabaningi abeqayo, inkinga iyincazelo yokuphila impilo yasesigangeni,” kusho uMargaret O. Hyde encwadini yakhe ethi My Friend Wants to Run Away. “Abambalwa abeqayo eqinisweni bathola imisebenzi futhi bakwazi ukuzinakekela. Kodwa, ngabaningi babo, ukuphila kubi kakhulu kunokuba kwakunjalo ngaphambi kokushiya ikhaya.”

Mhlawumbe unomuzwa wokuthi akunakuba njalo kuwe. Ngokuqinisekile, izinto ziyoba ngcono kunesimo esikhona ekhaya. UAmy wacabanga kanjalo. Weqa eneminyaka eyi-14 ubudala ngenxa yokuthi wayentula ubuhlobo obuseduze nabazali bakhe futhi engenakukhuluma nabo. Uthi: “Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakungekho muntu owayengangiqonda. Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi ukuba kude nabazali bami nokuya kubo ‘kamngane’ wami kwakuyoba ngcono. Ngangiqiniseka ukuthi umngane wami uyongilalela.”

USandi, eshiywe unina futhi ehlushwa umkhulu wakhe owayemondla weqa eneminyaka eyi-12. UPeggy washiya ikhaya eneminyaka eyi-16. Uthi: “Ngiye ngacindezeleka kakhulu ekhaya. Umama wayengithethisa kakhulu angibize ngamagama amabi.” Unina wamenza wazizwa engafuneki futhi engathandwa, “njengokungathi ufisa sengathi ngabe angizalwanga noma okunjalo.” Ngenxa yokungakwazi ukukhuluma nonina ngaphandle kokuphikisana nokugxekwa njalo futhi agconwe, weqa wayofuna injabulo kwenye indawo.

UJulie wabhunguka ngenxa yokuba eye woniwa iminyaka eminingi ngokobulili ekhaya. UDanny weqa kabili. Okokuqala kwakuwukubalekela usinganina owayekhuluma kabi ngaye. Ngokushesha waqaphela indlela okwakunzima ngayo ngaphandle, ngaphandle kokondliwa, ngakho wabuyela ekhaya—wafikela empikiswaneni yonya futhi walahlwa nanguyise. Bobabili uJulie noDanny babeneminyaka eyi-12 kuphela ubudala.

Yebo, kwabaningi abeqayo ukuphila ekhaya kubonakala kungabekezeleki. Bafuna ukukubalekela. Bafuna ukukhululeka. “Kodwa abeve eminyakeni eyishumi elinambili abatholi nkululeko emigwaqweni,” kuphawula umagazini i’Teen. “Kunalokho, bathola abanye abeqile noma abalahliwe—njengabo?—bahlale ezakhiweni ezingasahlali muntu lapho bengenasivikelo khona kubadlwenguli noma abaphangi. Futhi bathola abantu abaningi abakwenza ibhizinisi labo lokungcola ukuxhaphaza intsha, futhi intsha eyeqe ekhaya iyizisulu ezilula.”

Lokho Okwenzekayo Ngokuvamile

Ngokwesibonelo, “umngane” ka-Amy, owesilisa oneminyaka engama-22 ubudala, wamkhokhisa ukuhlala kwakhe “ngokuba abe nobulili naye nabangane bakhe abayisishiyagalolunye.” Futhi “wayedakwa, esebenzisa imilaliso eminingi.” USandi waba isifebe, ehlala emigwaqweni futhi elala emabhentshini asepaki nanomaphi lapho ayengalala khona. Kungokufanayo ngabaningi abeqayo. Kungani kwenzeka ngaleyondlela?

“Lapho umntwana ebaleka okokuqala, angase abe nemadlana ephaketheni lakhe, kungenzeka uye walondoloza imali ethile, kodwa lapho iphela, ukukhetha kuyancipha,” kusho uSayitsheni Jose Elique, owayengumqondisi wePort Authority Runaway Squad Police yaseNew York. “Lapho abantwana belamba, kumelwe badle, futhi lapho begodola, kumelwe bathole indawo yokukhosela, ngakho abanakho ukukhetha okuningi. Uma othile eza kubo lapho belambe ngempela futhi beswele abese ebacela ukuba benze okuthile—kungaba yinoma iziphi izenzo ezingemthetho noma zokuziphatha okubi ezihlazisayo, ukuze bathole imali noma imilaliso—khona-ke lomntwana uyovuma konke, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi wayekade ezizwa kanjani ngobulili nangemilaliso ngaphambili.”

Abaningi abeqayo banamakhono ambalwa angabenza baqashwe. Bathola umphakathi wanamuhla unzima kakhulu futhi uyinkimbinkimbi ukuba basebenzelane nawo. Ngokuvamile abanazincwadi ezidingekile zokuba baqashwe: isitifiketi sokuzalwa, ikhadi lenhlalakahle yomphakathi, ikheli lasikhathi sonke. “Kuye kwadingeka ngebe, ngicele imali emigwaqweni,” kusho uLuis, “kodwa ikakhulukazi ngebe ngoba akukho muntu okunikeza noma yini laphaya ngaphandle.” Amaphesenti angama-60 abeqayo angamantombazane. “Yini intombazane eneminyaka eyi-13 engayenza ngaphandle kokubukisa ngomzimba wayo?” kubuza enye intombazane. Yanikezwa isamba semali ukuba ithwetshulwe inqunu. Ngokunokwenzeka lezithombe ziyosetshenziswa kamuva njengokuyesabisa ukuba yenze okwengeziwe.

Abakhipha izithombe ezingcolile, abathengisa imilaliso, nabaqashisa ngezifebe abapheli eziteshini zamabhasi befuna abeqayo ukuze babaxhaphaze. Bayizingcweti zokuxhaphaza abanye. Banikeza intsha eyesabayo indawo yokulala nokudla ukuba idle. Bayinikeza lokho eyayikuntula ekhaya—umuzwa wokuthi ikhetheke ngempela futhi iyathandwa. Yethulwa kwenye intsha, esihilelekile kakade, eyimukelayo futhi iyenze izizwe yamukelekile. Kancane kancane iyadonswa. Oqashisa ngezifebe angase ahlele nothile ukuba adlwengule intombazane futhi abe esethembisa ukuyivikela ukuze kungenzeki futhi. Noma angase ajwayeze osemusha imilaliso, amenze umlutha wayo, futhi abese egcizelela ukuba amsebenzele kusukela lapho kuqhubeke uma efuna ukuqhubeka ethola leyomilaliso. Abanye bathembela ekushayeni noma emandleni onya ukuze baphumelele. Njengoba kungacatshangelwa, abaningi abeqayo bagcina belimele ngokungathi sína noma ngisho befile.

Yikuphi Ukukhetha Okukhona?

Oweve eminyakeni eyishumi elinambili ocabanga ukweqa angase abe nomuzwa wokuthi kunokuningana angakhetha kukho, ikakhulukazi uma engafunwa futhi engamukelwa ekhaya. Abanjalo babizwa ngokuthi abaxoshwa noma izilahlwa. Futhi, intsha eningi eyeqayo iyazi ukuthi uma ibanjwa amaphoyisa, kuyothintwa abazali bayo, futhi cishe iyothunyelwa ekhaya. Futhi uma isimo ekhaya singakashintshi, iyokweqa futhi. Nokho, ukuba ncane kwayo nokuhlala kwayo isikhathi eside emgwaqweni, kuyilapho kungenzeka khona ukuba kube nenkinga. Ngakho kumelwe kutholakale ikhambi.

Okokuqala, zama ukuyixazulula ekhaya. Yenza wonke umzamo—futhi lokho kusho izikhathi ezingaphezu nje kwesisodwa—ukuba ukhulume nabazali bakho. Benze bazi ukuthi uzizwa kanjani nokuthi kuqhubekani. Uma lokho kuhluleka, khuluma nothile ongasiza. Enye intsha iye yakhuluma nomeluleki wayo wasesikoleni, isisebenzi sezenhlalakahle, noma umphathi kuyiYouth Services Bureau. Abanye baye basebenzisa ucingo olungakhokhelwa olusetshenziswa ngaphandle kokuzichaza ukuthi ungubani oluye lwahlelwa kwamanye amazwe ukuba kusizwe kokubili abazali nabantwana. Nokho, intsha engamaKristu inelungelo lokuphendukela kubadala ebandleni lakubo nelokuthola usizo lomuntu siqu lothando neseluleko esisekelwe ngokomBhalo. Kodwa khumbula igama eliyisihluthulelo: KHULUMA. Kuyinto eyosiza kokubili wena nabazali bakho. “Lapho kungekho khona ukululekana, amasu ayachitheka,” kusho iBhayibheli, “kepha ngobuningi babeluleki ayakuma.”—IzAga 15:22.

Ukuma kungaba ukuphila komkhaya okuthuthukisiwe okuyonikeza ithemba ngekusasa. Kungapholisa amanxeba amadala futhi kugxilise umuzwa wokuthembana, uthando, nenjabulo. Uyozizwa ufaneleka njengomuntu. Ngisho noma ukuphila ekhaya kungenzeka kungabi okufiselekayo, khumbula ukuthi kungenzeka izinto ezimbi ngokwengeziwe lapho useqile.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isimo sakho siyini, khumbula ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi kukhona oThile okhathalelayo futhi ongathanda ukusiza. Labo abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu bangaqiniseka ngosizo lwakhe nesivikelo.—IzAga 18:10.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Othile angase akunikeze ukudla, indawo yokukhosela, nesikhathi esijabulisayo. Kodwa yini ayifunayo ngalokho?