Ndaimbova Shumba Inodzvova asi Ndave Gwai Nyoro

YAKATAURWA NAENRIQUE TORRES, JR.

NDAKABEREKWA muna 1941 pachitsuwa chePuerto Rico muCaribbean, panotaurwa chiSpanish nevakawanda. Vabereki vangu vakaderera mune zvoupfumi vaive vaRoma Katurike, asi ivo kunyange hanzvadzi dzangu uye munin’ina wangu (akashayika achiri mwana) kana ini, hatina kumbowana murayiridzo wechitendero, uye hataiwanzoenda kuchechi.

Mhuri yakatamira kuUnited States ichibva kuPuerto Rico muna 1949. Takagara muNew York City muEast Harlem, inozivikanwa seEl Barrio. Takagarako kusvika 1953. Zvainge zvakandiomera kuchinjira kumutauro wechiNgezi. Iyi mhinganidzo yakandiita kuti ndinzwe ndisingabetseri.

Kupesvedzera Kwakashata

Panguva iyoyo mhuri yedu yakatamira kunzvimbo yeProspect Heights yeBrooklyn. Panguva iyi ndipo pandakapesvedzerwa nevezera rangu kuti ndive mumwe wechikwata chomumugwagwa. Gare gare ndakaitwa mutungamiriri wacho wokurwa. Pashure peizvi ndakava mutungamiriri wechimwe chikwata, chaibatanidzwa mukuba motokari. Ndakavawo nhume (munhu anotevera zvikwereti zvevanobheja zvisiri pamutemo) yeboka rinotarisira vanobheja remunharaunda. Kubva ipapo, ndakatanga kupaza ndichiba uye ndakasungwa kanoverengeka ndisati ndava nemakore 15. Panguva iyi ndakanga ndaramba chikoro.

Pandakanga ndava nemakore 16, zviremera zvakandidzingira kuPuerto Rico kwemakore mashanu semutongo wakaderedzwa wokubvuma mhosva. Ndakaendeswa kuna sekuru vangu nemhuri yavo. Vaive mukuru wemapurisa akarega basa aizivikanwa zvikuru uye airemekedzwa. Zvisinei, gore rimwe gare gare sekuru vangu vakandidzosera kuBrooklyn nemhaka yokuti ndaidhakwa nokurwa, ndichishamwaridzana navanhu vakaipa uye kupaza ndichiba.

Zvakaitwa naBaba Muupenyu Hwangu

Pandakadzokera kuNew York City ndichibva kuPuerto Rico, ndakawana kuti baba vangu vakanga vavamba kudzidza Bhaibheri neZvapupu zvaJehovha. Zvisinei, upenyu hwangu hwainge hwakasiyana. Ndakaramba ndichirarama upenyu husingadi Mwari uye ndakashandisa zvinodhaka nenzira isina kufanira. Ndakava mumwe wechikwata chaipaza chichiba chichishandisa pfuti, zvakaguma nokusungwa kwangu muna 1960. Ndakawanikwa ndiine mhosva uye ndakatongerwa kugara mujeri makore matatu.

Muna 1963, ndakabudiswa ndavimbisa kuti ndaizoita zvakanaka. Asi nokukurumidza ndakasungirwazve kupaza ndichiba, uye ndakapedza makore maviri mujeri paRikers Island, muNew York City. Ndakabudiswa muna 1965. Asi gore iroro chairo, ndakasungirwa kuponda. Unhu hwakadini, hwehasha dzakafanana nedzeshumba hwandakanga ndave nahwo!

Dare rakanditongera kugara makore 20 paDannemora, kuchamhembe kweNew York. Ikoko ndakabatanidzwa nedzimwe tsika dzomujeri.

Zvisinei, sezvandambotaura, baba vangu vaidzidza Magwaro neZvapupu zvaJehovha. Gare gare vakabhabhatidzwa uye vakabata somurume mukuru muungano yeHarlem. Vaindishanyira kakawanda pandaiva mujeri, uye nguva dzose vaitaura neni nezvaMwari, zita Rake uye chinangwa Chake.

Kunyange zvazvo ndaive mujeri muDannemora, ndakava mumwe weboka rechimbadzo, raikweretesa mari ichizodzoswa yawanda zvikuru. Panguva ino, muna 1971, bongozozo rakamuka mune rimwe jeri muNew York State, rinonzi Attica Correctional Facility. Iri bongozozo rakaita mukurumbira mumapepanhau uye rakataurwa nezvaro zvikuru mumaredhiyo nomumaterevhizheni munyika yose. Pashure pebongozozo iri, kuti adzivise kuitika kwaro muDannemora, muchengeti wevasungwa akafunga kusarudza vanhu vaaifunga kuti vangangopesvedzera vamwe vasungwa zvakaipa. Akavatsaura ndokuvaisa mudzimba dzavo vega.

Pavasungwa 2 200, vanenge 200 vedu vakatsaurwa. Kumwe kuongorora kwakaguma nokutsaurwa kwevamwe kuti varohwe zvikuru. Mukuwedzera, sechimwe chezvakazivikanwa se“kurapa kwekunatsiridza unhu,” zvinodhaka zvakatanga kuiswa muzvokudya.

Iyi yainge isiri nguva yokutanga yandainge ndaiswa mudzimba dzakatsaurwa nemhaka younhu husina kunaka. Zvisinei, iyi yaive nguva yokutanga yandakaitirwa utsinye hwakadai, uye zvakanditapura zvikuru. Ndakasungwa nesimbi mumaoko, makumbo akasungwa necheni uye ndairohwa zvikuru nevachengeti vejeri nguva dzakasiyana-siyana. Ndaifanirawo kutsungirira kutuka kweurudzi kuzhinji nemhaka yerudzi rwangu. Nemhaka yekunyadziswa uye kurohwa, ndakatanga kuramwa zvimwe zvokudya kwenguva yose yandaive ndakatsaurwa, yaive mwedzi mitatu. Izvi zvakaguma nokurasikirwa kwangu namakirogiramu anenge 25.

Kufeya-feya kwakaitwa nababa vangu nezvokuipa kweutano hwangu hakuna kuteererwa navakuru vejeri. Izvi zvakandisiya ndisina tariro, uye ndakatanga kunyorera vezvematongerwe enyika ndichida kubatsirwa maererano nokubatwa kusina kunaka.

Kakawanda baba vangu vaienda kumapepanhau nezvekurohwa, kunyadziswa uye kuiswa kwezvinodhaka muzvokudya zvevasungwa mudzimba dzakatsaurwa. Pepanhau rimwe chete, rainzi Amsterdam News, rakabudisa nyaya yaitaura nezvemigariro inosiririsa iyi. Baba vangu vakaendawo kuna Commissioner of Corrections, muAlbany, muNew York, panguva dzakasiyana-siyana uye nguva dzose vaiudzwa kuti ndaive mudzimba dzenguva dzose. Mashoko angu kuvezvematongerwe enyika akawira pamatsi. Ndakaora mwoyo zvikuru, sezvandakafunga kuti hapana aigona kundibatsira.

Paive panguva iyoyo pandakafunga zvimwe zvinhu izvo baba vangu vainge vataura neni nezvazvo. Ndakasarudza kunyengetera kuna Mwari kuti andibatsire.

Kunamata Kuna Mwari

Ndisati ndanyengetera, ndakayeuka kukurudzira kwairamba kuchiita baba vangu kuti ndirege kunyengetera kuna Jesu asi kuna Baba vaJesu, vane zita rinonzi Jehovha. Ndakapfugama pauriri hwejeri ndokuratidza kudemba kukuru pamusoro penzira youpenyu yandakanga ndasarudza, yakanga yaguma nokupedza kwangu inopfuura hafu youpenyu hwangu ndiri mujeri. Ndakakumbira Jehovha nemwoyo wose kuti andibatsire kubuda mumamirire ezvinhu aya nokuti iye zvino ndainge ndava kuona kuti iye bedzi ndiye ane simba rokundinunura kubva mungwavaira iyi.

Handizivi kuti ndakanyengetera kwenguva yakareba sei, asi ndakarangarira upenyu hwangu hwekare uye ndakapfidza ndikakumbira Jehovha kukanganwirwa. Ndakavimbisa kuti ndaizoedza kudzidza zvakawanda nezvake. Nguva pfupi yapfuura, ndakabudiswa mudzimba dzevakatsaurwa ndikadzorerwa kune dzevanhu vose. Ndipo pakaperera kuramwa kwangu zvimwe zvokudya.

Maererano nevimbiso yangu yokudzidza zvakawanda nezvaJehovha, ndakavamba kurava New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Chimwe chezvinhu zvakandifadza pamusoro peshanduro iyi yeBhaibheri chaive butiro rayo regirini. Izvi zvakandifadza nokuti mbatya dzomujeri, makamuri omujeri, madziro uye mipanda zvose zvaive zvegireyi, gireyi inoodza mwoyo. Gare gare, ndakashamiswa kuti ruvara rwezvinhu zvose izvi rwakachinjwa kuva girini yemiti. Urwu ruvara rwakashandiswa neDepartment of Corrections pashure pebongozozo rakaitika pajeri reAttica.

Ndakatangawo kurava nyaya dzaive mumagazini eNharireyomurindi neMukai!, ayo baba vangu vakanga varonga kuti aunzwe kwandiri. Kurava nhau dzoupenyu hweZvapupu zvaJehovha zvakawanda zvaive zvaiswa mumajeri nemhaka yokubatisisa kutenda kwazvo uye zvainge zvatambura kukunda ini kwakanditapura zvikuru. Ava vaiva vanhu vakanga vasina kupara mhosva asi vainge vatambura zvisina kufanira nemhaka yokutendeka kuna Mwari. Asi ini ndakanga ndatambura zvakafanira. Pakurava idzi nhau dzoupenyu, ndakabayiwa mwoyo, uye ndakakurudzirwa kudzidza zvakawanda nezvaJehovha nevanhu vake.

Pakupedzisira, gore rimwe gare gare, ndakamiswa pamberi pedare rinoongorora mhosva dzevasungwa. Mhosva yangu yakaongororwazve, kubatanidza nhamo yandakaona mudzimba dzevakatsaurwa. Ndakafara kuziva kuti, ndavimbisa kuzoita zvakanaka, ndaizobudiswa muna 1972.

Mavhiki maviri ndabudiswa, ndakaenda kuHoro yoUmambo yeZvapupu zvaJehovha muHarlem yechiSpanish. Asi ndaingonzwa ndisina kukodzera kuva pamwe nevanhu vaJehovha. Uye ndaiva nezvakawanda zvokudzidza nezvaJehovha, sangano rake uye vanhu vake. Ndaidawo nguva yokuwirirana nenzanga mushure mokupedza nguva huru ndiri mujeri.

Zvinosuruvarisa kuti handina kugona kurega nzira dzangu dzekare. Ndakatanga kushandisa zvinodhaka, utsotsi uye ndakararama nzira isiri yaMwari zvekare. Izvi pakupedzisira zvakaguma nokutongerwa kwangu mamwezve makore 15 mujeri. Asi, ndinofunga kuti Jehovha anofanira kuva akaona chimwe chinhu chakanaka mumwoyo mangu, nokuti haana kumbondisiya. Ndinogona kungoti kwauri nyange uri mujeri kana kuti kwete, Jehovha haambosiyi kana kurega vanoda kudzidza nezvake.

Kudzidza Bhaibheri Mujeri

Panguva ino, ndadzokera mujeri reDannemora, ndakabatsirwa nefundo yeBhaibheri yevhiki nevhiki yaiitiswa nemushumiri weZvapupu zvaJehovha. Gare gare, ndakaendeswa kuMid-Orange Correctional Facility, jeri risinganyanyi kuchengetedza vasungwa muNew York yokuchamhembe. Uku kwaiva kuchinja kubva kujeri reDannemora raichengetedza vasungwa zvakanyanya.

Papera makore maviri ndiri muMid-Orange Correctional Facility, ndakavamba kudzidzawo zvinooneka mufundo yeBhaibheri yaiitiswa mumwe musungwa, yaibvumirwa nevakuru vejeri. Amai vake, vaiva mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha, vakanga varonga kuti afundiswe. Pakupedzisira, nokuramba ndichipinza zivo, ndakavamba kushandisa nheyo dzeBhaibheri, zvakatungamirira kukufambira mberi mumudzimu.

Pashure pokunge kuvimbisa kwangu kwokuti ndaizoita zvakanaka kwarambwa kanokwana kanomwe, kwakazogamuchirwa kava kechisere. Chikonzero chokurambwa kwekumwe kuvimbisa kwangu kwandakarambidzirwa kubuda chaive che“kuda zvechitsotsi” kwandaiita. Ndakabudiswa ndapedza makore 8 pamakore 15 andainge ndatongerwa.

Kusunungurwa Kwekupedzisira Kubva Murima

Pandakabudiswa, ndakadzongonyedzwazve, uye ndakamboshandisa zvinodhaka kwenguva yakati. Ndaigarawo nomukadzi wandainge ndaroora asi tisina muchato. Izvi zvainge zvavamba muna 1972. Zvisinei, muna 1983, ndakatangazve kudzidza Bhaibheri neZvapupu zvaJehovha. Panguva ino, ndakavamba kupinda misangano yechiKristu nguva dzose. Zvisinei, ndisati ndadzidza uye kupinda misangano, ndakarega kushandisa zvinodhaka uye kusvuta.

Kunyange zvakadaro, mukusiyana nomutemo waMwari wokuroorana, ndainge ndichiri kugara nomukadzi wangu tisina muchato. Izvi zvainetsa hana yangu, saka ndakaedza kuti abvume kudzidza Bhaibheri uye kunyoresa ukama hwedu nokuchata. Asi akati Bhaibheri raiva bhuku romunhu uye kuti rakagadzirwa nevarume kuti vadzvinyirire vakadzi uye kuti kuchata kwanga kusina basa.

Ndakaona kuti zvaisaita kuti ndipfuurire kugara muunzenza nomukadzi aisaremekedza mitemo yaMwari yokuroorana. Saka ndakagura ukama hwedu uye ndakatamira kuBrooklyn. Ndaiziva kuti zvaisaita kuti nditaure nevamwe nezvaMwari uye zvinangwa zvake kana upenyu hwangu hwaisawirirana nemitemo yake.

Ndasununguka pazvinhu zvose zvisiri zvapamagwaro uye ndadzidza Bhaibheri kwemakore matatu, ndiine hana yakanaka ndakatsaurira upenyu hwangu kuita kuda kwaMwari uye ndakazviratidza nokubhabhatidzwa pakokorodzano yeZvapupu zvaJehovha. Vimbiso yandakanga ndaita yokuziva Mwari ane zita raigarotaurwa nababa vangu chinhu chandisina kumbozvidemba nezvacho. Uye vimbiso yangu kuna Jehovha ndiri mudzimba dzevakatsaurwa mujeri reDannemora, ndeimwe yandichashanda zvakaoma kuti ndichengete kusvikira aunza zvikomborero zvakawanda zvaakapikira muShoko rake.

Kutarira Mberi kuParadhiso

Ndinotarira mberi zvikuru kunguva apo Jehovha achachinja pasi rino kuva paradhiso yakaisvonaka. (Pisarema 37:11, 29; Ruka 23:43) Uyewo ndinotarira mberi kuchimwe chipikirwa chaMwari—kumutswa kwevakafa kuti vave nomukana wokurarama nokusingaperi papasi. (Johane 5:28, 29; Mabasa 24:15) Inguva yakanaka zvakadini ichavapo pandichakwanisa kugamuchira kubva kumakuva vadikanwi vangu vakafa, kubatanidza baba vangu, munin’ina wangu uye vamwe vandaiziva vakafa vari vadiki! Ndinowanzofunga nezvetariro iyi, uye inondifadza zvikuru. Mumwe mufaro wandinawo iye zvino ndewokuti hanzvadzi dzangu mbiri uye vamwe vana vadzo vakatsaurira upenyu hwavo kuna Jehovha uye vakabhabhatidzwa.

Zvino, sezvandinoratidza kutenda kwangu kuvamwe uye kugoverana zvakaitika muupenyu hwangu, ndinofara zvikuru kuvazivisa nezvemashoko anozorodza ewezvemapisarema, akanyorwa pana Pisarema 72:12-14 kuti: “Ucharwira mushayiwi kana achidanidzira; nomurombo usina mubatsiri. Uchanzwira nyasha murombo nomushayiwi, uchaponesa mweya yavashayiwi. Uchadzikinura mweya yavo pakutambudzika napakumanikidzwa; ropa ravo richava chinhu chinokosha pamberi pake.”

Kundishivirira kwaJehovha kwakanyevenutsa mwoyo wangu uye kwakandibatsira kudzidza uye kushandisa zvinhu zvaanoda kuti vanhu vake vave nazvo—kwete zvakaita sezveshumba, asi zvine rugare, mutsa uye kuva neunhu hunyoro sehwegwai. Izvi zvakafanira, nokuti Shoko raMwari rinoti “vanozvininipisa unovaitira nyasha.”—Zvirevo 3:34.

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 18]

“Ndakasungirwazve kupaza ndichiba, uye ndakapedza makore maviri mujeri paRikers Island, muNew York City. Ndakabudiswa muna 1965. Asi, gore iroro chairo, ndakasungirwa kuponda. Unhu hwakadini, hwehasha dzakafanana nedzeshumba hwandakanga ndave nahwo!”

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 19]

Zuva randakabhabhatidzwa