Satakulwa Kuyi-lahar!
NGO-OCTOBER 1, 1995, kwakuwusuku olungafani nezinye umkhaya wakwaGarcia owawuke wazibona. AbakwaGarcia bangoFakazi BakaJehova abashisekayo, futhi indlu yabo yayiseCabalantian, eBacolor, esifundazweni sasePampanga, ePhilippines. Nakuba indlu yabo yayiseduze nezindawo ezazihlaselwe ama-lahar eMount Pinatubo, yayingakathinteki ngokuqondile. ICabalantian yayivikelwa izindonga zikahulumeni ezaziklanyelwe ukuvimbela i-lahar. Kodwa izinto zazizoshintsha ngokushesha.
Imvula yesiphepho enamandla yayine amamilimitha angu-216 eMount Pinatubo. Ekuseni ngovivi, kwakhala ucingo kwaGarcia. Kwakungothile owayeshaye inombolo okungeyona, kodwa wathi udonga lwalubhidlikile futhi lomkhaya kufanele ulindele isikhukhula.
Kuqala Usizi
UNonato Garcia, ubaba wekhaya ongumbonisi owengamele eBandleni laseVilla Rosemarie, uyalandisa: “NgeSonto ekuseni ngaphambi kwehora lesihlanu, amanzi aqala ukwenyuka eduze kwendlu yethu.
“Ngacabanga ukuthi kwakuzoba nesikhukhula samanzi kuphela, ngakho saqala ukuthuthela izimpahla zethu esitezi esingaphezulu. Kodwa ngemva kwehora leshumi ekuseni, ngabona ukuthi udaka lwe-lahar lwaluxubene namanzi. Lokhu kugeleza kwaqhubeka kwenyuka futhi kuba namandla kwaze kwaba yilapho kumukisa amatshe. Sagibela ophahleni.
“Kamuva, izimoto ngisho nezindlu kwase kukhukhulwa yilokhu kugeleza. Enye indlu eyashaywa idwala elikhulu yabhidlika futhi yamuka. Uphahla lwayo i-lahar yalulahlela eduze kwendlu yethu. Kwakunabantu kulolo phahla. Ngababiza futhi ngabakhuthaza ukuba beze ophahleni lwendlu yethu. Ukuze benze kanjalo, babambelela entanjeni eyaphonswa kubo. Lentambo yayiboshelwe emzimbeni wami, futhi ngabadonsa ngamunye ngamunye. Abantu abaningi basuka ophahleni lwezindlu ezazimbozeka. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, imvula yayiqhubeka.
“Ntambama kwaqala ukundiza izindiza ezinophephela emhlane. Kodwa ayikho eyeza ukuzositakula, nakuba sasivayiza izandla kakhulu. Sacabanga ukuthi kwakunabantu ababeludinga kakhulu usizo, futhi babethatha bona kuqala. Angizange ngicabange ukuthi sasiyothathwa ngokushesha, ngoba kwakunabantu abaningi ababengondingasithebeni ophahleni lwezindlu.
“Umthandazo uyinto ebaluleke kakhulu esimweni esinjalo. Ngisho nalapho usengozini enkulu, ngemva kokuthandaza awuzizwa unokwesaba. Asizange sithandazele ukuba uJehova enze isimangaliso, kodwa sacela noma yini eyayiyintando yakhe, siqaphela ukuthi noma ubani angavelelwa inhlekelele. Kodwa ngawacela amandla, isibindi, nokuhlakanipha. Konke lokhu kwasisiza ukuba sibhekane nalesi simo.”
UmkaNonato, uCarmen, wavuma: “Lokho okushiwo umyeni wami ngomthandazo kuyiqiniso ngempela. Ngizizwa ngesaba kakhulu lapho ngisesimweni esisongela ukuphila kwabathandekayo bami. Lapho ngibona ukuthi uphahla lwalugcwala udaka lwe-lahar futhi lushaywa amatshe, ngathi kumyeni wami: ‘Kubukeka sengathi asisenalo ithemba.’ Kodwa wangikhuthaza, ethi: ‘Masithandaze.’”
UNonato waqhubeka: “Ngehora lesine ntambama, ukugeleza kwe-lahar kwakusenamandla kakhulu. Indlu yayishaywa amadwala amakhulu. Udaka lwe-lahar lwase lwemboze cishe ingxenye yophahla. Ngaqala ukucabanga ukuthi kwakuzohlwa futhi kube nzima ukuhamba. Ngakho lapho kusakhanya, sanquma ukuqala ukuhamba.
“Ngazama ukubeka isihlalo kuyi-lahar ukuze ngibone ukuthi siyashona yini, futhi ngaze ngahlala kuso, kodwa asizange sishone. Ngakho ngathola ipulangwe elide ukuze ngihlabe udaka. Ngalisebenzisela ukuthola izindawo okwakungahambeka kuzo. Ngalendlela, thina kanye nedlanzana lomakhelwane bethu, sakwazi ukuhamba odakeni. Sesisonke sasingu-26.
“Sabhekisa amabombo ophahleni oluphakeme kakhudlwana olwalubuqamama. Sisebenzisa leli pulangwe, saqhubeka sihlaba udaka ukuze sithole lapho singanyathela khona. Ezindaweni ezazisathambile, sasikhasa.”
Ehlengezela izinyembezi, uCarmen uyachaza: “Kwezinye izindawo sasisonqenqemeni lokugeleza kwe-lahar futhi kwakudingeka sihambe lukeke endaweni encane kakhulu. Ngesinye isikhathi, ngashona udaka lwafinyelela esifubeni ngase ngithi kumyeni wami: ‘Angisakwazi ukuqhubeka. Ngizofa.’ Kodwa wathi: ‘Ngeke, usengakwazi ukuhamba. Sukuma.’ Ngosizo lukaJehova, saqhubeka.”
UNora Mengullo, isihlobo salomkhaya, uyanezela: “Ezindaweni okwakungakhaseki kuzo ngenxa yokuthamba, sasilala ngemihlane sizisunduze ngezinyawo. Ngezinye izikhathi, sasishona kakhulu, kodwa sasisizana ngokutakulana, ikakhulukazi izingane.”
Ukutakulwa—Ekugcineni!
UNonato uyaqhubeka: “Lapho sikhasa kanzima onqenqemeni lwe-lahar, indiza enophephela emhlane yandiza phezu kwethu futhi yasibona isimo sethu esibucayi—hhayi phezu kophahla, kodwa phakathi odakeni lwe-lahar. Omunye kwesasihamba nabo waphakamisa umntanakhe onezinyanga ezingu-8 ubudala, enethemba lokuthi abatakuli babezobona ukuthi sisosizini. Beza bazositakula. Sahambisa izingane nabesifazane kuqala, njengoba sasingenakungena sonke.
“Ekugcineni, nathi satakulwa sayiswa esikhungweni sabathuthi. Abantu lapho abazange basinikeze izingubo zokugqoka, ngisho noma izingubo zethu zazigcwele udaka lwe-lahar. Ngabatshela ukuthi umkhaya wami wawungeke uhambe nabanye ukuya kuleso sikhungo, njengoba sasifuna ukuya eHholo LoMbuso. Lapho sifika khona, sagqokiswa ngokushesha, sanikezwa ukudla kanye nolunye usizo. Kwafika abazalwane abaningi basebandleni, futhi nabo basisiza.”
UCarmen uyanezela: “Ngisho noma sasingalulindele usizo kweminye imithombo, sasibona isibusiso sobuzalwane bethu bobuKristu.”
Nakuba indlu yakwaGarcia enezitezi ezimbili yayembozwe i-lahar, kuyajabulisa ukwazi ukuthi bona nezingane zabo ezintathu, uLovely, uCharmy, noCharly, basinda kulolu sizi kanye nabo bonke abanye oFakazi kulendawo.
[Izithombe ekhasini 23]
Isitezi sesibili sendlu yakwaGarcia evele kancane
Umkhaya kaNonato Garcia phambi kwendlu yawo eyambozeka