Isihlahla Esiyokuphambukisa Endleleni
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-ECUADOR
PHAKATHI no-December izimvula ezina ngale nkathi zazingakani emathafeni asogwini lwase-Ecuador. Uthuli olwalwemboze amagquma ehlelayo lwalwenza uhlaza lubukeke lumthuqasi. Njengoba lalibafazi bedub ’inyama, kwakuwusuku olungathakazelisi eqenjini lezihambi elalihamba ngomgwaqo omkhulu lilibangise entshonalanga ePacific Ocean. Ngokungazelelwe, wonke amehlo ayesethe njó esihlahleni esiseceleni komgwaqo. Imoto yama nsí. Sihlahla sini lesi ababesibonile?
Isihlahla se-guayacan esase siqhakaze sonke! Kwake kwaba nokuthula isikhashana, kwabe sekuzwakala omunye ebabaza: “Saze sasihle! Nake nawubona umbala ogqame kangaka? Ziningi izihlahla zezimbali engake ngazibona, ezibomvana, ezinsomi, ezibomvu noma eziwolintshi, kodwa lesi sizedlula zonke ngobuhle baso!”
Ngemva kokutusa ubuhle baso, ekugcineni leli qembu lahamba. Lalingazi ukuthi kusekuncane lokhu. Lathi lisahambe ibangana nje, lazithela phezu kwesinye isihlahla se-guayacan naso esase siqhakaze sonke, kwabe sekulandela nesinye futhi. Kwakubonakala sengathi la magquma ayembozwe ukukhanya kwelanga okusagolide! Lena kwakuyinkathi yaminyaka yonke yokuqhakaza kwesihlahla se-guayacan—isikhathi lapho amahlathi angenambala egcwala imibalabala emihle.
Kodwa ubuhle balesi sihlahla esiqhakazayo abutholakali ezweni elilodwa kuphela. Eqinisweni lesi sihlahla sitholakala ezingxenyeni eziningi zeNingizimu Melika neMelika Ephakathi. Saziwa nangamagama anjengokuthi araguanay, guayacan amarillo, golden trumpet nelithi trumpet tree, elibhekisela ezimbalini zaso ezinombala osagolide ezinjengecilongo. Igama laso elingokwesayensi i-Tabebuia chrysantha.
I-guayacan ikhiqiza nokhuni olubushelelezi osekuyiminyaka eminingi kwenziwa ngalo ifenisha kanokusho. Ngenxa yokuthi lezi zihlahla ziyindlala, sekuye kwadingeka ukuba amanye amazwe ashaye imithetho yokuzivikela. Lokhu kuqinisekisa ukuthi izakhamuzi nezivakashi zingaqhubeka zijabulela ubuhle bazo obuyingqayizivele uma seziqhakazile, nakuba buhlala izinsuku nje ezimbalwa futhi buziveza kanye ngonyaka.
Akungabazeki ukuthi i-guayacan iwudumo olubabazekayo engcwetini enkulu kunazo zonke—uMdali wethu Omkhulu, umakhi walo mhlaba omangalisayo esiphila kuwo.