Sabalekela Amabhomu—Ngemva Kweminyaka Engu-50!
“Ngokushesha kuzoqhuma amabhomu lapha. Wonke umuntu makacashe!”
NGALAWO mazwi, amaphoyisa ayexwayisa mina nomyeni wami ukuba sibaleke endlini siyocasha enqolobaneni eseduze eyakhiwe ngokhonkolo. Isimemezelo safika ngendlela eshaqisa ngempela. Phela sasingekho engxenyeni yezwe ecekelwe phansi impi; sasivakashele abangane kwesinye seziqhingi zama-coral eziqhelile ngaphandle kwaseMarshall Islands, eMicronesia.
Sasizohlala isonto elilodwa nomngane wethu kanye nomyeni wakhe esiqhingini esincane saseTõrwã. Unkosikazi kwakunguyena yedwa onguFakazi KaJehova kulesi siqhingi, futhi sasifuna ukumsiza ukuba ashumayele kubantu ababehlala lapho.
Abantu baseMarshall Islands banobungane ngokwemvelo futhi bayakuthanda ukuxoxa ngeBhayibheli. Njengoba incwadi ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni yayisanda kukhululwa ngolimi lwendawo, saba nethuba elihle lokuhambisa izincwadi eziningi. Bonke ababethatha le ncwadi babesithembisa ukuthi bazoyifunda ngeke bayisebenzise njenge-ken karawan, noma “intelezi yenhlanhla,” yokuxosha amademoni. Isiko elivamile liwukufaka iphepha leBhayibheli eligoqiwe ebhodleleni lilengiswe ogodweni noma esihlahleni esiseduze, njengoba kucatshangwa ukuthi lokho kuzovimbela imimoya emibi.
Kwakusemnandi ukuhlala lapho, kodwa lapho kufika uMgqibelo, ngokushesha saqaphela ukuthi kwakuzoshintsha. Ekuseni sasiqale usuku ngokubhukuda kamnandi emanzini echweba acwebile nafudumele. Ngenkathi sesiphindela emuva sisuka ogwini, sabona umkhumbi owesabekayo onombala ompunga usondela. Kungakabiphi, sase sazi ukuthi wawuletheni. Iphoyisa lachaza ukuthi iqembu lamasosha aseMelika angu-7 lalizoqhumisa amabhomu amadala esiqhingini. Ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuthi umphakathi uvikelekile, kwakuzokhishwa yonke into ezindlini futhi abantu bakulesi siqhingi babezochitha usuku besezinqolobaneni ezazakhiwe amaJapane phakathi neMpi YeZwe II.
Lezo zinqolobane, ezisheshe ziqashelwe izivakashi zaseTõrwã, ziwubufakazi besikhathi esidlule esisabekayo. Uma ukude lesi siqhingi sifana nsé nepharadesi lasezindaweni ezishisayo, kodwa uma usondela kuba sobala ukuthi ubuhle beTõrwã bonakaliswe izibazi zempi eyaphela eminyakeni engu-50 edlule. Njengoba sake saba isikhumulo sokulungisa izindiza zempi esikhulu samaJapane, lesi siqhingi singcoliswe izikhumbuzo zeMpi YeZwe II. Yonke indawo, kunezinsalela zempi esezigqwalile—izindiza zempi, izibhamu ezihlohliwe, izinhlamvu zokudubula imikhumbi—esezisitshekelwe izitshalo ezisezindaweni ezishisayo.
Nokho, okuthusa kakhulu, amabhomu ayizinsalela. Phakathi nempi, amabutho ase-United States ehlisela amathani angaphezu kuka-3600 amabhomu e-athomu, amabhomu e-napalm, namarokhethi eTõrwã, kanti namabutho aseJapane ayenowawo umgodla wamabhomu nezikhali ezigqitshiwe. Nakuba kuyivelakancane ukuthi ibhomu eselineminyaka engu-50 liqhume, ngokuvamile angase abe yingozi, okuyisizathu esenza amaqembu akhipha amabhomu afike esiqhingini okungenani izikhathi ezinhlanu kusukela ngo-1945, unyaka okwaphela ngawo impi.
Sasizibuza ukuthi sasiyiqiniso ngempela yini isixwayiso, ngakho-ke sahamba saya lapho kwakuneqembu elikhipha amabhomu ngasosebeni, saxoxa nalo. Bathi akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi isixwayiso siyiqiniso kodwa amabhomu ayezoqhuma phakathi nesikhathi esingangehora! Satshelwa ukuthi uma singezukucasha enqolobaneni, kwakuzodingeka sihambe ngaso leso sikhathi.
Umngane wethu wanquma ukusala eTõrwã futhi acashe enqolobaneni egcina izibhamu kanye nemikhaya eminingi. Kamuva wasitshela ukuthi, ukuphela kwento eyayingenisa umoya kule nqolobane endala eyenziwe ngokhonkolo, kwakuyizimbobo okwakungakhishwa ngazo izinhlamvu uma kudutshulwa nokuthi, ngaphakathi kwakushisa kakhulu futhi beminyene. Ukuchitha usuku lapho kwamkhumbuza ngeminyaka yempi, futhi wavuma ukuthi nakuba ayekuthanda ukuqhuma kwamabhomu eseyingane, manje wayesekwesaba kakhulu.
Umyeni wakhe wavuma ukusiyisa eWollet Island, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-8, ngesikebhe esincane esiqhutshwa ngenjini engaphandle. Sasisanda kusuka osebeni lapho sizwa ukuduma okukhulu. Uma sibheka emuva eTõrwã, sabona ifu lentuthu likhuphuka eduze kwemizi esesiqhingini. Ngokushesha, kwaba khona okunye ukuqhuma kwabe sekulandela okwesithathu, umsindo omkhulu kakhulu.
Sachitha usuku sishumayela eWollet, futhi sasiphazanyiswa umsindo wokuqhuma kwamabhomu akude. Amabhomu amadala ayeye afunwa futhi kwabekwa uphawu lapho ekhona ezinyangeni eziningi ngaphambili. Iziqhumane zempi zazitholakala yonke indawo—ogwini, eshashalazini lezindiza zendawo, ngisho nasemva kwezindlu zabantu! Ukuze linciphise ukuqhumisa kaningi, iqembu elikhipha amabhomu lalihlanganise amabhomu amancane amaningi futhi lawaqhumisa ndawonye.
Ilanga lase liyozilahla kunina lapho siphindela eTõrwã. Njengoba sasisondela eduze nesiqhingi, saphawula ukuthi intuthu yomlilo ovamile yayingashunqi ndawo. Sazi-ke ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi. Ngokungazelelwe, isikebhe esincane sagijimela ngakithi, sisixwayisa ukuba singabe sisasondela. Kwakusazoqhunyiswa elinye ibhomu elikhulu elalisasele ngaphansi kwamanzi eduze kwamatshe asemanzini. Ngakho-ke, njengoba sasiqhela ngasogwini lapho sekuhwalele, sabona into abantu abaningi namuhla abangakaze bayibone—ukuqhuma kwebhomu elingaphansi kwamanzi leMpi YeZwe II, elakhafula amanzi nesikhatha sesisi amakhulu amamitha kwaphumela emoyeni!
Ngokujabulisayo, akukho muntu owalimala eTõrwã ngalolo suku. Ingabe iqembu elikhipha amabhomu lagcina liwakhiphe wonke amabhomu ayesele esiqhingini? Mhlawumbe alizange. Umholi weqembu wathi ulindele ukuba abantu basesiqhingini bathole ezinye iziqhumane ezindala ngesikhathi esizayo. Ngempela, lokho kwasinika okuthile esasingaxoxa ngakho nabantu njengoba sasiqedela umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela eTõrwã. Kwakuyilungelo ngempela ukutshela laba bantu basesiqhingini ngesikhathi uMbuso kaJehova oyophelisa ngaso “ukulwa kuze kube-semikhawulweni yomhlaba.”—IHubo 46:9.
Njengoba ilandiswa uNancy Vander Velde
[Isithombe ekhasini 27]
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