Ithunzi Enyangeni

KWAKUPHAKATHI noAugust eBrazil—ubusuku basebusika obupholile obunenyanga egcwele esibhakabhakeni esicwebile. Abantu babephumile besemiphemeni yabo ephezulu noma beqoqene emgwaqweni, bemisa amakhamera ngemilenze yawo noma behlela kahle izibonakude. Umoya wawunenhlokomo yezingxoxo zonke ezazinokulangazelela okufanayo.

Kungani kunokwesasa okungaka? KwakunguAugust 16, 1989. Ngo–10:21 p.m. kwakuzoqala ukusithwa kwenyanga ngokuphelele ngumhlaba. Lapha, emaphandleni aqhelile lapho umoya uhlanzeke khona, umbukwane wawuthembisa ukuba ngomangalisayo. Khona kanye ngesikhathi esifanele, inyanga yaqala ukusithela ethunzini elenziwa umhlaba emkhathini. Ngokufana ncamashí nomhlaba, ithunzi linjengengxenye yendilinga. Emuva ngekhulu lesine leminyaka B.C.E., lokho kuhlola okulula kwasiza isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki uAristotle ukuba athole ukuthi umhlaba kumelwe ube yindilinga.

Njengoba inyanga yayingena ijula ethunzini, izibukeli zaqala ukubabaza ngokwazisa. Inyanga yayishintsha umbala iba sawolintshi. Njengoba wenza ngokushona kwelanga okuhle, umkhathi womhlaba wawugoba imisebe yelanga, ukhiphela ngaphandle imisebe yokukhanya eluhlaza sawolintshi ukuba ingene ngaphandle kokuvinjelwa. Ngemva kwemizuzu engu-97, inyanga yayisimbozeke ngokuphelele ethunzini. Kamuva, yaqala ukuvela futhi, kancane kancane iphindela ekukhanyeni kwelanga.

Abanye kwababebuka inyanga ngalobobusuku bahlala kwaze kwaba ngu–2:00 a.m. ukuze bawubone wonke lombukiso. Baba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakufanele. Babebone umbukiso ophawulekayo wamandla nokuhlakanipha koMdali wendawo yonke. IBhayibheli lithi wenza ‘izinkanyiso ezimbili ezinkulu, enkulu ukuba ibuse imini, nencane ukuba ibuse ubusuku,’ ‘ezaziyoba-yizibonakaliso zezinkathi, nezezinsuku, nezeminyaka.’—Genesise 1:14, 16.