Impilo Yasedolobheni Emagqumeni AseCaracas

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eVenezuela

ICARACAS, eVenezuela. Izakhiwo ezinde zesimanje ezinamahhovisi, zibonakala kalufifi phakathi kwemigwaqo ematasa enomsindo, izitolo ezimatasa, nezindawo zokudlela ezigcwele phama. Izivakashi ziyazulazula ezitolo ezinkulu zigqoke izikhindi nezigqoko zelanga, zigaxe amakhamera. Izindawo zokuhamba zichichima abantu.

Kodwa kunolunye uhlangothi lweCaracas. Ngalé kwezakhiwo ezenziwe nge-chrome, insimbi, nengilazi kune-los cerros (amagquma), imiphakathi engavamile eyakhe kuyo. Iqoqanele emimangweni edonsayo ezungeze idolobha empumalanga, entshonalanga, naseningizimu. Cishe abantu abayizigidi ezimbili bahlala lapho, ezindlini ezingamakhulukhulu ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-barrio.

Yaba khona kanjani lemiphakathi? Ngo-1958 uhulumeni wasungula uhlelo olwanikeza abantu abangasebenzi abahlala kulelidolobha imali. Ngakho abantu bathutheleka kulenhloko-dolobha ukuze bazuze kulelilungiselelo. Abaningi bazishiya izifundazwe zakubo bayofuna izinzuzo zedolobha—izibhedlela, izikole, namayunivesithi.

Ubodlova bezombangazwe nokwehla kwezomnotho emazweni angomakhelwane nakho kwabangela ukufuduka njengoba abantu babeza eCaracas bezofuna umsebenzi. Ngokushesha ithafa lesigodi saseCaracas lase ligcwele, liphoqa abantu ukuba benyuke umqansa beyofuna indawo yokuhlala. Yaba khona kanjalo-ke lemiphakathi esemagqumeni.

Uhambo Lokukhuphuka Umqansa

Uhambo lwethu siluqalisa ngokungena emgqeni omude wabantu. Abalindile ibhasi kodwa balinde iveni, engcono kakhulu ekukhuphukeni lomqansa ongaphambili. Kuqhamuka iveni enezinsimbi ezinde, bese kuthi inqwaba yabantu iphangelane iyongena phakathi. Abahlanu bahlala ebhentshini ngalinye elivundlile ngasemuva; ababili bahlala esihlalweni esingaphambili esithandwa kakhulu. Masinyane sesiyagoba ukuze singene ngomnyango ongemuva. Simpintshana ebhentshini, sifinyeze imilenze, sizama nokunganyatheli isikhwama senye intokazi esinemifino.

Siqalisa ukukhuphuka umqansa. Imigwaqo iyingcingo futhi ngokuvamile imazombezombe. Ngezinye izikhathi ibonakala iqonde njengothi lomkhonto. Umshayeli ufaka ikhasethi lakhe lomculo alithandayo, futhi ngokushesha izinyawo zinyakaza ngokuhambisana nomculo wesiLatin. Ngokungazelele othile umemeza umshayeli: “¡Donde pueda!” (Nomaphi lapho ungase ukwazi khona!) Kubonakala kuyindlela engavamile yokumcela ukuba ame. Kodwa kungcono kakhulu ukuthembela ekuboneni kwakhe. Uma iveni ibingama kwenye yezindawo eziwumqansa kakhulu, bekungenzeka ingabe isakwazi ukusuka—okungenani, ingase ingakwazi ukuya phambili! Abagibeli abambalwa abangahlelekile bayagingqika baphumela ngaphandle komnyango wangemuva, ngemva kokunyathela izinzwane zabathile lapho bephuma.

Ngokuphazima kweso sizithola singemva kwemoto ehamba kancane evuza yonke indawo. Iloli lamanzi, lithwele umthwalo walo oyigugu liwuyisa emakhaya lapho amanzi ompompi engaziwa khona. Ngokuvamile abantu bawagcina emathangeni noma emigqonyeni kawoyela esisebenzile.

Iveni iyama kwesinye sezitobhi zayo eziningi, futhi siyabona ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokwehla. Umhlabathi oqinile uzwakala ungajwayelekile ngaphansi kwezinyawo zethu, futhi sithi ukuma ukuze sibone ukuthi sikuphi ngempela.

Amakhaya Asemagqumeni

Izindlu zakhiwe nomaphi nganoma iyiphi indlela. Kubonakala sengathi amakamelo noma izitezi ezengeziwe zimane zenezelwe nje lapho umkhaya ukhula. Ezinye zingamaxhokovana aqinile amancane enziwe ngezitini zobumba. Kodwa ezinye zakhiwe ngamapulangwe, amathini ayizicaba, noma ngisho ngamakesi asabhalwe amagama athi “This side up.”

Manje sekuthule, njengoba iveni ebanga umsindo isisithele. Indawo ihlaba umxhwele. Laphaya ezansi kunenkaba yeCaracas. Ngokungazelele ukuthula kuqedwa yizwi elihlabayo elimemeza ngombhobho: “Kukhona u-anyanisi. Kukhona amazambane, i-yucca, nokhova.” Lapho siphenduka, sibona ukuthi iloli ebelipakwe ngokuthula eduze seliyasebenza. Umfana udayisela abathengi engemuva kweloli.

Kunama-barrio alinganiselwa ku-500 eCaracas. Amanye ethiwe ngamagama “osanta,” amanye ethiwe ngezinsuku ezidumile noma abantu abavelele kwezombangazwe. Amanye amagama abonisa izifiso zezakhamuzi kunokuba abonise okungokoqobo. Izibonelo: El Progreso (Intuthuko), Nuevo Mundo (Izwe Elisha), ne-El Encanto (Injabulo).

Ukuphila Kuyi-Barrio

Lapha kudlange umoya wokuzwana komphakathi. Ngokuvamile, kwenziwa imizamo ebumbene yokuqeda ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa noma ubugebengu kuyi-barrio. Ama-barrio amaningi ane-bodegas—izitolo ezidayisa izinto ezinhlobonhlobo—kanye nesikole nekhemisi, lapho usokhemisi ehlala ekulungele ukusiza ekuxilongeni abese etusa ukwelashwa kokugula okuncane.

Nakuba kunjalo, kunzima ukuphila lapha. Izinkinga zichazwa isazi sezilelesi uDkt. Elio Gómez Grillo: “Okwamanje abantu abayizigidi ezimbili abangakwazi ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zokuphila eziyisisekelo bahlala kulezindawo ezisemaphethelweni. Izinga lamahlongandlebe liyakhuphuka . . . Ukuzibulala, ukuhlasela ngenjongo yokuphanga, ukuphanga emabhange, nokuphanga kuhlonyiwe okuphumela ekubulalaneni kubangela ukukhathazeka.” Ukuntuleka kwamanzi nogesi kuyinsakavukela.

Ngenkathi yezimvula, i-los cerros ishintsha ngokuphelele. Umhlabathi uba udaka, izitebhisi ziba izimpophoma ezincane, nemfucumfucu ikhukhulwa imifula eyenzeke emaceleni emigwaqo. Umsindo wemvula ophahleni lukathayela uvala izindlebe; ingxoxo iyanqamuka ngaphakathi njengoba abantu befuna izindishi namabhakede ukuze bakhongozele amanzi avuzela ngaphakathi. Kodwa ngokushesha ilanga liphinde liphume, lomise uphahla nemigwaqo okumanzi té. Ngokufanayo, umoya wabantu baseVenezuela ongenakunqotshwa uphinde ube khona. Ukuphila kuyaqhubeka.

Ukuya Phambili Nokukhuphuka Ngezinyawo

Uhambo lwethu alukapheli. Kusafanele sifinyelele ekhaya lomngane wethu. Phakathi kwemizi emibili, kunezitebhisi ezigwegwile zikasimende ezikhuphuka ummango. Ezindlini eziminyene ezibonakala sengathi zibanga indawo izimpawu ziyancintisana zifuna sizinake: Pego Cierres (Ngifaka Oziphu); Cortes de Pelo (Kugundwa Izinwele); Se Venden Helados (Kudayiswa U-ice Cream). Abantu lapha basungula izinhlobonhlobo zezindlela zokuziphilisa. Abanye bapenda izimoto, bashintsha uwoyela, bakhande nezimoto—konke kwenziwa khona lapho emgwaqweni.

Lapho sisathi ukuphumula ngesikhathi sifika phezulu ezitebhisini, sijikela ezindleleni ezingamaphasishi ezincane eziyinkimbinkimbi eziphakathi kwemizi. Siphuma kulamaphasishi sicwayiziswa ukukhanya kwelanga okuxhophayo. Indlu yomngane wethu ikulendlela engakhonkiwe. Azikho izinombolo zezindlu lapha—ayikho nenkonzo yeposi futhi. Iphunga lekhofi elisanda kwenziwa ligcwele emoyeni. Akungabazeki ukuthi abantu esibavakashele bazosamukela ngekhofi eliphuzwa ngezinkomishi ezincanyana, kanye ne-arepa (isinkwa sommbila esingahlabahlosi esenziwe saconsisa amathe ngezinhlobonhlobo zezinongo).

Siyemukelwa

Njengokulindelekile, lomkhaya usamukela ngomoya omuhle owumkhuba kuyi-ranchito yawo ephansi kodwa ehlanzekile, njengoba lezindlwana zibizwa kanjalo. “Están en su casa” (Khululekani) enye yezinto zokuqala abazishoyo.

Njengoba ilanga lihlaba ophahleni lukathayela, sijabulela umoya ovunguza ungene emafasiteleni angenazo izingilazi. Nokho, amafasitela anazo izinsimbi ngoba ukugqekeza kuvame kakhulu. Lapho abantu esibavakashele bephawula ukuthi sizwa ukushisa, baletha isiphephetha-moya esisebenza ngogesi, leso, njengesiqandisi nethelevishini, esiyimpahla evamile lapha. Iphansi lakhiwe ngosimende. Izindlu zomakhelwane abaningi zinephansi eliwubhuqu.

Indoda, uyise wezinganyana ezinhlanu, yathuthela eCaracas ivela emaphandleni ineminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi nambili izofuna amathuba angcono edolobheni elikhulu. Yahlala nomfowabo omdala, oshadile, naye, njengabaningi abamandulela, owayemane waziqhwagela indawo engenamuntu phezulu esiqongweni sentaba. Lapho kamuva umngane wethu ethola umuntu owayezoba umkakhe, umfowabo ngomusa wathi babengayisebenzisa indawana eyayisele eceleni komuzi wakhe bakhe ikhaya lesikhashana. Ngosizo lomakhelwane nezihlobo, lombhangqwana wakha indlu yawo yesitini kancane kancane, kuyo yona leyondawo.

Lomkhaya unomuzwa wokuthi lendawo ohlala kuyo ayiwufanele, kodwa usuhlanze ngedela. Bakusebenzisa ngokunenzuzo lokho abanakho. ‘Mhlawumbe ngolunye usuku siyokwazi ukuthuthela ezansi nentaba,’ besho, “si Dios quiere” (uma uNkulunkulu ethanda).

Intambama emnandi iphela sinalomkhaya ompofu kodwa onomusa. Ngezinye izikhathi, ingxoxo iphazanyiswa izingane ezincane ezizothenga uswidi efasiteleni elingaphambili. Lena indlela yomfazi yokulekelela eholweni lendoda yakhe.

Ukwehla

Sifuna ukuhamba ngaphambi kokuba kuhwalale. Namuhla uLwesihlanu, futhi i-barrio iba matasa njengoba amadoda ebuyela emakhaya nemiholo yawo. I-bodegas yenza ibhizinisi elisheshayo idayisa ubhiya, nomsindo womculo wesiLatin nezingoma zomdanso zinengxenye ekubeni khona komoya opholile wempelasonto.

Lapho sifika ezansi, siya ngasesiteshini sesitimela esiseduze. Isitimela esihamba ngaphansi esisebenza kahle sizosiyisa enkabeni yedolobha. Sesikhululekile ngoba sesibuyele endaweni ejwayelekile. Kodwa njengoba sibuka emuva phezulu kuyi-los cerros, manje esiyisixhobo sezibani ezikhanya ebumnyameni, siyajabula ngokuthi sikwazile ukujwayelana kangcono nolunye uhlangothi lweCaracas.